Bugis are a people of Indonesia. The Bugis, also known as the Buginese, are one of two major ethnic groups inhabiting the southern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi. The other group is the Makasarese. There are about 5 million Bugis today. They speak a language that belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian family. The written form of the language uses a script of Indian origin. The Bugis are a highly cultured people with a rich literary heritage. They have a class-based society similar to the Indian caste system. Although once Buddhists, they have been followers of Islam since the 1600's.