In the eighteenth century, the gold trade, Minangkabau traditional export had declined. This situation gave disadvantages to them because the gold trade once had generated a large income to Minangkabau. Minangkabau’s government did not able to accommodate the poverty happened. Thus, the political situation in Minangkabau showed a lot of schism. Padris killed the royal family of Minangkabau and also the adat people in establishing their ‘firm’ own belief in Islam. The adat people were forced to practice their understanding of Islam.  Padris started war against villagers who refused to their ideas which resulted in the Padri to conquered Minangkabau in 1820. 

They reorganized Minangkabau’s government with their own rules. Consequently, the royal family in Minangkabau asked the Dutch to help them fight the Padri, however the Dutch at that time did not have any authority in Minangkabau. In order to get Dutch’s assistance, in 1822, the Adat people and the Dutch made an agreement in which the Adat people gave Tanah Agam, Tanah Datar and Lima Puluh Kota to Dutch as they trusted the Dutch could assist them to fight against the Padris. Thus, eliminate the influence held by the Padri. Yet, the Dutch took this chance to introduce tax to the Padris, where the Padris felt something wrong about it. Later, minor battles between the Padris and the Dutch occurred. 
The Padris were well-known as good warriors where they won the battles and made Minangkabau as their fortifications. The Padris also decided to make an alliance with the Adat leaders to go against the Dutch since the Dutch seemingly wanted to take over Minangkabau as their stronghold. The Minangkabau’s people agreed with the alliance to revenge against the Dutch that conquered Tanah Datar and its surroundings without their permissions. Then, Padris and Adat people started wars against the Dutch in 1832. Unfortunately, the Dutch won the battles and the war between them came to an end.  Padris leaders have been arrested and banished to other parts of Indonesia. This marked the end for Padris Movement in Minangkabau but Minangkabau remains as Islamic region like the early time of their history. 

From what has been said above it is clear that the Islamic revivalist movement which arose in Minangkabau at the end of the eighteenth century and the Padri movement which followed it were affected by traditional local and regional differences in Minangkabau. The regional differences became even more apparent as the movement progressed and as Europeans became involved with it. The Padri movement was never able to present a united instead.


Illustration remakes of the Padri War between the Padris against the Dutch