Mysteriouis Sanjay Empire

Dr Uday Dokras

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Sanjay and their MOTHERLAND

The Sanjaya dynasty (Sanskrit: सञ्जय, romanized: sañjaya, lit. 'conquest, victory,
triumphant') was a Javanese dynasty which ruled the Mataram Kingdom in Java during the
first millennium CE. The dynasty promoted Hinduism on the island. The historical context
surrounding the Mataram culture and civilization of the Mataram Kingdom is not only
interesting but a little confusing. King Sanjaya (Sanskrit: सञ्जय) 716 AD – 746- was the
founder of the Mataram Kingdom during the 8th century. His name was carved in
the Sanskrit Canggal inscription which was found at the Gunung Wukir temple that
stood on Wukir or Ukir hill (about 340 m (1,120 ft) high) on the southern Kedu
Plain in Central Java.

The Trimurthi temple of Prambanan or Rara Jonggrang is the largest Hindu temple of ancient
Java, 9th from century. Built by Rakai Pikatan to establish power of Sanjay dynasty and
dedicated to Trimūrti-Brahma Vishnu Mahesh, it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site; 2nd
largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia.

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 Prambanan temple complex at night

Sanjaya (732-760) and Panangkaran (760-780)-shailendra dynasty confusion is still there?

both are related? few say Sanjay as Shaivite & Shailendra kings as Buddhist? both faiths
interlinked and overlapping too, in my opinion

Religion in the Mataram Kingdom

Religion played much the same role throughout much of recorded history, giving rise to early
kingdoms such as Mataram. As the population of Java continues to increase and becomes
more modern and urban, the Indonesia of today still holds strong to its cultural and historical
roots.The Mataram society was polytheistic and combined the religious beliefs of Hinduism
and Buddhism, along with native shamanism and pre-Dharmic beliefs. Under the rule of King
Sanjaya, the Mataram Kingdom favored and worshipped Lord Shiva and gave much
importance to his symbol, the Linga. The Mataram Kingdom flourished between 712 and 938
in Central Java, an island of Indonesia and lies southeast of Malaysia and west of Bali. It is
also noted to be the world’s most populous island in the world today.

Vajrasattva. Eastern Java, Kediri period, 10th–11th century CE, bronze, 19.5 x 11.5 cm

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 Mataram
The Mataram Kingdom, also called the Medang Kingdom, was a Javanese Hindu-
Buddhist kingdom. It was based in central and east Java and flourished between the 8th
and 11th centuries. It was ruled by the Shailendra dynasty and was established by King
Sanjaya.

Origins of the Mataram Kingdom

Mataram means mother in Sanskrit and this mother Kingdom named itself so to give an ode
to the motherland. The first major kingdom of central Java was the Medang or Mataram
Kingdom, founded at the beginning of the 8th century. The earliest accounts of the Mataram
Kingdom are in the Canggal inscription, which dates back to 732.
The inscription gives an account of the erection of “Linga” (symbol of Lord Shiva) in the
Kunjarakunja area, which is located on the island of Yawadwipa (Java). This Linga was
raised under the rule of King Sanjaya, the lord of Mataram.
According to the inscription, the kingdom was first ruled by King Sanna, who was known for
his wisdom and knowledge. After his demise, there was a period of disunity, until Sanjaya,
the nephew of king Sanna, ascended the throne. During his reign, there was peace and
prosperity for all his subjects.

However, a Sundanese book called Carita Parahyangan gives a slightly different account of
the same story. In this book, Sanjaya is the son of Sanna. It also states that Sanna was
overthrown by the king of Galuh and was forced to retreat to Mount Merapi. His son,
Sanjaya, later avenged his father and defeated the King of Galuh. The kingdom was finally
restored to the rightful heir, and Sanjaya ruled West Java, East Java, Central Java, and Bali.
It is believed that King Sanjaya was the one who left the written records of these events on
the Canggal inscription, though it’s impossible to know for sure.

Mataram Kingdom Name Origins

Initially, the kingdom was called “Yawadvipa,” another name for the island of Java.
Indonesian archaeologists such as Prof.Soekmono of Indonesia identify the kingdom as
Mataram, based on a geographical location called Mataram in central Java. Additionally, king
Sanjaya’s full name was “Rakai Mataram Sang Ratu Sanjaya,” which may have been another
reason for the name of the kingdom. The etymology of the name “Mataram” is derived from
the Sanskrit term for “mother.”

The name Medang was found in East Javanese inscriptions. Some historians believe that the
Central Java period (732-929) was referred to as Mataram, and the later Eastern Java period
(929-1006) was identified as Medang.
However, it is also believed that the kingdom was called Medang, and the capital was
Mataram, based on some phrases found in the inscriptions. Etymologically, the name Medang
is an ancient Javanese term that means “to gracefully appear.”

Culture and Beliefs of the Mataram Kingdom and Mataram Social Structure
The Javanese had a complex social structure and also recognized the Hindu caste system. The
ancient Javanese society was divided into four classes:
 The royal family
 The religious authorities

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 The commoners
Historians have discovered that the different classes had a dress code that they strictly
adhered to. The royal family and their servants could be identified by their luxurious clothing
and intricate golden jewelry. All the priests wore robes or cloaks called “sinhels.” The
commoners, who were also described as villagers, wore very simple clothing and rarely
adorned any jewelry or ornaments.

Religion in the Mataram Kingdom

The society was polytheistic and combined the religious beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism,
along with native shamanism and pre-Dharmic beliefs. Under the rule of King Sanjaya, the
Mataram Kingdom favored and worshipped Lord Shiva and gave much importance to his
symbol, the Linga.
However, during the reign of Panangkaran, Mahayana Buddhism gained popularity. Many
temples were built to pay homage to Buddhist beliefs.
The kingdom gave importance to the priest class in both religions. The Brahmins and the
Sangha Buddhists represented their respective religions and conducted the state’s religious
ceremonies together in the temples.
There were many ardent temple construction projects in the kingdom which were possibly
motivated by the combined religious zeal of both religions.
In the 16th century, Islam became a major religion as the island of Java became a Muslim
sultanate.

Art in the Mataram Kingdom

The importance of art in the kingdom depicted through the various carvings found on the
temple walls during this era. These carvings gave rich portrayals of life during the ninth
century.
The architecture was another form of art that flourished during this period, and can still be
seen in their magnificent temples that exist even today.
There was a cultural mingling in the south-western part of Java, where the Javanese and
Sundanese cultures combined to create the Banyusaman culture. In addition to this, the most
famous Javanese arts were gamelan music and wayang puppet shows, which became
traditional arts.

History of the Mataram Kingdom and flip flop betweem the Hindus and the

Buyddhists:
Historians believe that there were two prevailing dynasties that ruled Central Java together;
the Buddhist Sailendra and Shivanist Sanjaya dynasties. This period of the dual dynasty
was characterized by peaceful co-operation. However, in the middle of the ninth century, the
relationship between the dynasties deteriorated. The Sailendra managed to gain full control of
Central Java and became the overlords of the Sanjayas.

There is not much information regarding the Sailendra rule, but it signified a cultural
renaissance in the region. The kingdom saw rapid growth during the 9th century.
However, the Sailendra rule was short-lived. In 852, the Sanjaya ruler, Pikatan, defeated the
Sailendra ruler’s offspring and ended their rule in Java. The Sanjaya rule lasted until the end
of the Medang Kingdom. During his reign, King Pikatan built the royal Hindu Trimurti
temple known today as Candi Prambanan.

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Mataram emerged in the highlands and fertile plains of Central Java, where productivity in
rice cultivation was aided by the advent of the island’s iconic rice terraces. These high yields
created the stable food source necessary for high population growth and an organized state
society, led by those who were in control of the upland water sources.
This societal organization would later go on to become proficient builders on not only the
public infrastructure needed for water management, but the monumental Hindu-Buddhist
religious architecture that still dots much of Java, including the renowned Borobudur and
Prambanan temples.

Mataram in Eastern Java

Central Java was always the center of the Mataram Kingdom. But in 929, the center was
shifted to East Java. Historians are uncertain about the exact cause for this sudden shift, but
believe it may have been because of a natural calamity or epidemic outbreak.
They also believe that the Merapi volcano may have erupted and destroyed the Kingdom’s
capital in Mataram. This expansion took place under the rule of the last king of the Sanjaya
dynasty, Mpu Sindok.

What Happened to the Mataram Kingdom?

Mataram flouruished between the Era: 712 – 938 CE and was located in Central Java,
Indonesia. Its Capital was Yogyakarta. However there was an ongoing rivalry between the
Sumatran Srivijaya and Javanese Medang kingdoms, which became more hostile.
This rivalry may have been caused by the Srivijayan attempt to seize the Sailendra lands in
Java. This is because the Srivijaya maharajas, Balaputra and his son, belonged to the
Sailendra dynasty. The collapse of the kingdom occurred in the tenth century.

In 1006, Srivijaya attacked and destroyed the Medang palace, killing most of the royal
family. With the death of king Dharmawangsa and the fall of the capital, the kingdom finally
collapsed.
However, a nephew of king Dharmawangsa had escaped capture and had remained in exile.
Later on, he reunited the fallen kingdom and re-established the kingdom (including Bali)
under the name of the kingdom of Kahuripan. After many years, the kingdom was renamed
as Kediri.
Mataram Kingdom was an early Indianized kingdom emerging from native Javanese
population. Its languages wer: Old Javanese, Sanskrit; religion: Buddhism (Mahayana),
Hinduism

Decline: Fell to Srivijaya, later reemerging as the Kediri Kingdom.

Today Indonesia is administered so that at first level subdivisions of Indonesia is Province. A
province is headed by a governor (Gubernur). Each province has its own regional assembly,
called Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD, literally "Regional People's Representative
Council"). Governors and representative members are elected by popular vote for five-year
terms. Provinces was formerly also known as Daerah Tingkat I (Level I Region).

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 State emblem of Indonesia is called Garuda
Pancasila. The main part of the coat of arms is the
golden mythical bird Garuda with a shield on its
chest and a scroll gripped by its leg bears the
national motto: "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika", roughly
means "Unity in Diversity".

The shield's five emblems represent Pancasila, the

five principles of Indonesia's national philosophy.
The numbers of feathers was meant to symbolize the
date of Indonesian Proclamation of Independence;
17 feathers on each wings, 8 tail feathers, 19 upper
tail feathers (under the shield, above the tail), and 45
neck feathers; all symbolize 17-8-1945; 17th August
1945. Adopted as national coat of arms on February
11, 1950.

The Bi-Polar Kingdom of Kediri

By the beginning of the 13 th Century, according to a Chinese source in the book of Chu-fan-
chi written around 1225, the Southeast Asian archipelago had two powerful and rich
kingdoms: Srivijaya and Java (Kediri). In Java he found that people adhere two
religions: Buddhism and the religion of Brahmin (Hinduism). The book of Chu-fan-
chi mentioned that Java (Kediri) was ruled by a maharaja, who ruled several colonies.
Regarding Srivijaya, Chou-Ju-Kua reported that Kien-pi (Kampe, in northern Sumatra) with
armed forced rebellion had liberated themselves from Srivijaya, and crowned their own king.
The same fate befell some of Srivijaya's colonies on the Malay Peninsula that liberated
themselves from Srivijaya domination. However Srivijaya was still the mightiest and
wealthiest state in the western part of the archipelago. According to this source, in the early
13th century Srivijaya still ruled Sumatra, the Malay peninsula, and western Java (Sunda).

Regarding Sunda, the book details that the port of Sunda (Sunda Kelapa) was excellent and
strategically located, and that the pepper from Sunda was among the best quality. The people
worked in agriculture; their houses were built on wooden piles (rumah panggung). However
the country was infested with robbers and thieves.

The Kingdom of Kediri is the successor of Airlangga's Kahuripan kingdom, and thought as
the continuation of Isyana Dynasty in Java. In 1042, Airlangga divided his kingdom of
Kahuripan into two, Janggala and Panjalu (Kadiri), and abdicated in favour of his sons to live
as an ascetic. He died seven years later.It existed alongside the Srivijaya empire based in
Sumatra throughout 11th to 12th-century, and seems to have maintained trade relations with
China and to some extent India. Chinese account identify this kingdom as Tsao-wa or Chao-
wa (Java), numbers of Chinese records signify that Chinese explorers and traders frequented
this kingdom. Relations with India were cultural one, as numbers of Javanese rakawi (poet or
scholar) wrote literatures that been inspired by Hindu mythology, beliefs and epics such as
Mahabharata and Ramayana.

In 11th-century, Srivijayan hegemony in Indonesian archipelago began to decline, marked

by Rajendra Chola invasion to Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. The Chola king
of Coromandel conquered Kedah from Srivijaya. The weakening of Srivijayan hegemony has

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enabled the formation of regional kingdoms, like Kediri, based on agriculture rather than
trade. Later Kediri managed to control the spice trade routes to Maluku.

Airlangga's embodiment statue as Lord Vishnu riding Garuda, found in Belahan, collection of Trowulan
Museum, East Java.//// Statue of Vishnu. Kediri, East Java, circa 12th–13th century

Era of twin kingdoms

Period
of King/Maharaja Inscriptions and events
reign

Mentioned in inscription
Çri Samaravijaya of Pucangan (1041). Is the king
1042- Dharmasuparnawahana of the Kediri kingdom after the
1051 Teguh Uttunggadewa event of the division of the
(Çri Samaravijaya) kingdom by king Airlangga to his
two sons.

Çri Jitendrakara
1051- Wuryyawïryya Parakrama Mentioned in inscription of Mataji
1112 Bhakta inscription (1051).
(Çri Jitendrakara)

Çri Maharaja Rake sirikan Mentioned in inscription of

çri Paramecwara Padlegan I, Panumbangan
Sakalabhuwana inscription, Tangkilan inscription,
1112-
Tustikaranani waryyawïryya Besole inscription, Bameswara
1135
Parakrama inscription, Karanggayam
Digjayottunggadewa inscription, Geneng inscription,
(Çri Bamesvara) Pagiliran inscription.

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Period
of King/Maharaja Inscriptions and events
reign

Çri Maharaja Sang Mapanji

Jayabhaya çri
Mentioned in inscription
Dharmmeçwara
1135- of Hantang (1135), Jepun
Madhusudanawataranindita
1159 inscription (1144) and Talan
Suhrtsingha Parakrama
inscription (1058).
Digjayottunggadewa
(Jayabaya)

Çri Maharaja Rakai Sirikan

çri Sarwweçwara
Janardanawatara Wijaya Mentioned in inscription of
1159-
Agrajasama Singhadani Kahyunan and Padlegan II
1171
Waryawirya Parakrama inscription (1159).
Digjayottunggadewa
(Çri Sarvesvara)

Çri maharaja rakai hino çri

Aryyeçwara Madhusudand
1171- watdrdrijalyamukha Mentioned in inscription of Waleri
1181 Sakalabhuwana ritiniwiryya and Angin inscription (1171).
Parakramottunggadewa
(Çri Aryesvara)

Çri maharaja çri

Kroncarryadipa
Handabhuwanapalaka
1181- Mentioned in inscription of Jaring
Parakramanindita
1182 inscription.
Digjayottunggadewanama
çri Gandra
(Çri Gandra)

Çri Maharaja Rake Sirikan

çri Kameçvara
Sakalabhuvanatustikarana Mentioned in inscription of
1182-
Sarvanivaryyaviryya Semanding (1182) and Ceker
1194
Parakrama inscription (1185).
Digjayottunggadeva
(Kameçvara)

Çri maharaja çri Mentioned in inscription of Sapu

1194-
Sarwweçwara Angin inscription, Galunggung
1222
Triwikramawataranindita inscription, Kamulan inscription,
Çrngga lancana Palah inscription, Biri inscription,

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 Period
of King/Maharaja Inscriptions and events
reign

Digwijayottunggadewa Lawadan
inscription, Nagarakretagama),
(Kertajaya) fall in 1144 Shaka (1222).

Jayakatwang's rebellion from Gelang-gelang or Gegelang which revived

the short-lived second dynasty of Kadiri.

1292- Çri Jayakatwang Mentioned in inscription

1293 (Jayakatwang) of Nagarakretagama (1365).[2]: 168

The first king of Kediri to leave historical records was Maharaja Çri Samaravijaya. His
royal seal was Garudmukhalancana or Garudmukha, the same as Airlangga's. he reigned
from 1042-1051 and succeeded by Çri Jitendrakara Parakrama Bakta in 1051-1112.

It is not known exactly when Çri Bamesvara ascended the throne of the Kediri Kingdom.
The Lanchana (royal seal) of his reign was a skull with a crescent moon
called chandrakapala, the symbol of Shiva. During the reign of Maharaja Çri
Bamesvara himself, there were at least ten inscriptions containing the development of Java
in the eastern part around 1112-1135.
Jayabhaya (reigned 1135-1157) succeeded Bamesvara. His formal stylised name was Çri
Maharaja çri Dharmmeçwara Madhusudanawataranindita Suhrtsingha Parakrama
Digjayottunggadewa. The Lanchana (royal seal) of his reign was Narasinghavatara depicts
one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu, namely Narasinghavatara. His form is described as a
human with a lion's head tearing the stomach of Hiranyakasipu (King of the Giants). The
name Jayabhaya was immortalised in Sedah's Kakawin Bharatayuddha, a Javanese version
of the Mahabharata, written in 1135. This Kakawin was perfected by his brother, Mpu
Panuluh. Mpu Panuluh wrote Hariwangsa and Gatotkacasraya. Jayabhaya's reign was
considered the golden age of Old Javanese literature. The Prelambang Joyoboyo, a prophetic
book ascribed to Jayabhaya, is well known among Javanese. It predicted that the archipelago
would be ruled by a white race for a long time, then a yellow race for a short time, then be
glorious again. The Jayabhaya prophecies mention Ratu Adil, the Just Prince, a recurring
popular figure in Javanese folklore. During the reign, Ternate was a vassal state of Kediri.

Jayabhaya's successor was Sarwweçwara/Sarvesvara (reigned from 1159 to 1171) the royal
symbol is named Sarwwecwaralancana, wing-shaped numbering nine and at the end there is
a crested circle. Where everything is surrounded by three striped circles.
followed by Aryyeçwara/Aryesvara (reigned 1171-1181), who uses Ganesha the elephant-
headed god as Lanchana of his kingdom. and became the (royal seal) of his reign and the
Kingdom of Kadiri as stated in the inscription.

The next monarch was king Gandra his formal stylised name was Çri maharaja çri
Kroncarryadipa Handabhuwanapalaka Parakramanindita Digjayottunggadewanama çri

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Gandra. An inscription (dated 1181) from his reign documents the beginning of the adoption
of animal names for important officials, such as Kbo Salawah, Menjangan Puguh, Lembu
Agra, Gajah Kuning, and Macan Putih. Among these highly ranked officials mentioned in
the inscription, there is a title Senapati Sarwwajala, or laksmana, a title reserved for navy
generals, which means that Kediri had a navy during his reign.

The eighth king was Kameçvara. His formal stylised name was Çri Maharaja Rake Sirikan
çri Kameçvara Sakalabhuwanatustikarana Sarwaniwaryyawiryya Parakrama
Digjayottunggadewa. He uses the (winged shell) as his royal seal under the
name Kamecwaralancana. During his reign, Mpu Dharmaja wrote Smaradhana, in which the
king was adored as the incarnation of Kamajaya, the god of love, and his capital city Dahana
was admired throughout the known world. Kameçvara's wife, Çri Kirana, was celebrated as
the incarnation of Kamaratih, goddess of love and passion. The tales of this story, known
as Panji cycle, spread throughout Southeast Asia as far as Siam.

The last king of Kediri was Kritajaya/Kertajaya (1194–1222), King Çrngga or Kritajaya
ruled Kediri, with the official name Çri maharaja çri Sarwweçwara
Triwikramawataranindita Çrngga lancana Digwijayottunggadewa. He used a Crnggalancana
picture of (Cangkha) flanked by two horns and continued with the words "Krtajaya" above.
The presence of a dominant horns makes this badge called Crnggalancana or horned badge.
In 1222 he was forced to surrender his throne to Ken Arok and so lost the sovereignty of his
kingdom to the new kingdom of Singhasari. This was the result of his defeat at the battle of
Ganter. This event marked the end of Kediri era, and the beginning of the Singhasari era.

Srivijaya and Kediri around 12th to early 13th century AD

According to a Chinese source in the book of Chu-f
Agastya

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The Canggal inscription is a Sanskrit inscription dated to 732, discovered in the Gunung
Wukir temple complex in Kadiluwih village, Salam, Magelang Regency, Central
Java, Indonesia. The inscription is written in the Pallava alphabet. The inscription documents
an edict of Sanjaya, in which he declared himself the universal ruler of Mataram Kingdom.

The inscription describes the erection of a lingam (the symbol of Shiva) on the country of
Kunjarakunja, by Sanjaya's order. The lingam is sited on the noble island of Yava (Java),
which the inscription describes as "rich in grain and gold mines".Yawadwipa ("Java island"),
and had long been under the rule of the wise and virtuous king Sanna, but fell into disunity
after his death. Amid a period of confusion Sanjaya, son of Sannaha (the sister of Sanna)
ascended to the throne. Sanjaya mastered holy scriptures, martial arts, and displayed military
prowess. After the conquest of neighboring areas his reign was peaceful and prosperous.
The inscription makes reference to Kunjarakunja-desa, perhaps meaning "the hermitage land
of Kunjara", which has been identified as the hermitage of Rishi Agastya, a Hindu Maharishi
revered in Southern India. The Ramayana contains a reference to a visit to Agastya hermitage
on Kunjara by Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana.
The name Sanjaya, Sanna and Sannaha curiously was also mentioned in Carita Parahyangan,
a book from later period composed around 16th century which suggested refer to same
historical person.

The main temple of the Penataran complex took the form of a stepped pyramid.
Penataran or Panataran (Indonesian: Candi Penataran) is one of the largest Hindu
temple ruins complex in East Java, Indonesia. It is located in Penataran, Blitar Regency,
roughly 12 km northeast of Blitar, with the closest airport being farther away at Malang.

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Believed to have been constructed between the 12th century to the 15th century, the temple
played a significant role in the Majapahit Kingdom, especially under King Hayam Wuruk. He
considered his favorite sanctuary. Penataran dates from the Kediri era. This temple was
identified in Nagarakretagama as Palah temple and reported being visited by King Hayam
Wuruk during his royal tour across East Java. The site is being considered to be put on
the World Heritage list of sites that have "outstanding universal value" to the world.
However, on 2015, the site was pulled out from the tentative list along with 11 other sites.
Candi Panataran is a Shiva (Siwa) temple. It is notable for including one of the largest
Indonesian collection of reliefs showing life stories of Hindu god Vishnu in different avatar.
In particular, the temple site include the Rama story in the Javanese version of the
epic Ramayana, as well Krishna story as depicted Triguna's Krishnayana epic poem.
Comparative studies of reliefs related to Hindu epics at Penataran and Prambanan temple
(Yogyakarta) complexes have attracted the attention of archaeologists.[

The dated temple in the Penataran complex. The Penataran Temple is a temple that is four centuries old
because it was built and developed by several kingdoms at once, from the Kingdom of Kediri to Majapahit.

Candi Penataran, the Largest Ancient Hindu Temple Compound in East Java

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Swirling tongues of fire welcomed erstwhile royal families and priests who ascended the
stairs of Palah, a late 12th-century Hindu temple located on the southwestern slopes of Mount
Kelud. The volcano was so active and unpredictable that a temple was deemed necessary to
appease Acalapati, the mountain god, so he would spare the surrounding settlements from his
erratic wrath. Inspired by Krishnayana (Krishna’s life told in an epic poem), the upper walls
of the temple were encrusted with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the epic. One panel
portrayed Krishna’s escape from Kalayawana (Kalayavana), a ruthless king who was killed
by Muchukunda through his burning gaze (another version of the story refers to
Wiswamitra/Vishvamitra as the killer of Kalayavana). The flames were indeed a metaphor
for Kelud’s volcanic eruptions.

Today the weathered reliefs, carved on andesite rock on the second level of the stone
platform tell tales of ornately-carved panel. Penataran, as Palah is known today, was
commissioned by the king of Kediri, a kingdom that emerged as a prominent power in eastern
Java during the mid-11th century.

Two centuries before the construction of Penataran, Java was already home to great Hindu
and Buddhist temples, including Borobudur and Prambanan, both built by the Central
Javanese rulers of the Medang kingdom. As the center of power on the island gradually
shifted to the east in the decades that followed, new temples were commissioned around the
new capital. However, unlike most Central Javanese temples which followed a concentric
layout (also known as mandala, representing the Hindu-Buddhist universe) with the most
important structure located at the center of the temple compound, Penataran – the largest
Hindu temple in East Java – was constructed in a linear layout where the sanctum is situated
at the back of the compound. This centuries-old layout is in fact still used in Bali to build
Balinese Hindu temples known as pura.

For three centuries since its completion, new structures were added to Penataran temple
complex by different rulers of East Java. Candi Naga, ‘dragon temple’, was commissioned in
the 13th century when this part of Java was controlled by the kingdom of Singhasari. Named
after its distinctive serpentine carvings, held by nine figures clad in opulent costumes, the
temple is believed to have functioned as a reliquary for sacred weapons. In front of Candi
Naga lies Candi Candra Sengkala, a 14th-century tall and slender addition to the temple
compound. Constructed in a typical East Javanese architectural style, the temple was built
under the rule of Hayam Wuruk, the greatest of all Majapahit kings. Majapahit itself was the
last great Hindu kingdom to ever rule much of Java.

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Candi Naga, Named after the Mythical Serpent Carved around the Structure’s Walls//
The Story of Sri Tanjung, Popular in the 13th-Century East Java

The Slender and Distinctively East Javanese Candi Candra Sengkala

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Ever-Menacing Kala above Candi Candra Sengkala’s Doorway/Candi Naga, South Side

Candi Naga, North Side/Candi Penataran, the Main Structure in the Compound

Following the decline of Majapahit as more and more people on the island converted to
Islam, Penataran’s importance gradually diminished until it was completely abandoned. In
the span of centuries, neglect and natural disasters caused heavy damage to the formerly
imposing temple. The rediscovery of Penataran is credited to Thomas Stamford Raffles, a
British colonial governor at a time when Java was briefly occupied by the British. The ruins
of the temple were first mentioned in a 1815 account, although reconstruction work did not
begin in earnest until many years later.
Further studies revealed that the lower walls of the three-tiered main temple were adorned
with stories from the Ramayana, one of the greatest and most well-known Hindu epics
alongside the Mahabharata. The Ramayana had inspired ancient Javanese sculptors to
immortalize figures, animals, plants and other motifs from the epic on andesite rock – widely
available in volcanic Java – which were then used to decorate a plethora of Hindu temples on
the island. However, Penataran’s medallions – depicting real and mythical animals – are
unique to the temple as they aren’t found on any Central Javanese temple.

In front of Candi Candra Sengkala is Batur Pendapa, where it is believed that devotees once
placed offerings in religious ceremonies. Modern-day visitors would likely notice the strange
look of the main sanctum, Batur Pendapa, as well as Bale Agung – also located at the front
part of the compound – for they all seem to have lost their upper structures. Believed to be
made from perishable materials – possibly wood and ijuk (palm fiber) – these structures have
long succumbed to the power of nature. Fortunately some relief panels at the lower part of the
main temple suggest how the whole structure used to look, which unsurprisingly reminds me
of some Hindu temples in Bali given the fact that many Javanese royals fled to the
neighboring island following the decline of Hinduism in Java.

17
Candi Penataran’s Unique Medallions and Relief Panels/A Scene from the Ramayana

A Centuries-Old Masterpiece/Straight Lines and Curves

Ancient Javanese Architecture

Apart from the architecture, what stays the same is the activity of Mount Kelud itself. Unlike
most accounts about volcanic eruptions across the archipelago which were exclusively
written by the Europeans during the colonial period, Kelud’s eruption was mentioned in a
14th-century epic Javanese poem. The volcano erupted in the same year when Hayam Wuruk
was born, perceived by the locals as a divine sign of great things the baby would accomplish
in his life – Majapahit was in fact at its peak during Hayam Wuruk’s rule. Interestingly,
centuries after the island’s conversion to Islam and the arrival of Christianity from Europe,
the Javanese reverence toward volcanoes has barely changed.

18
In 1901, Kelud erupted again with a mighty explosion (heard hundreds of kilometers away)
and an ash cloud that reached as far as West Java. Two weeks later, a baby boy was born, and
as goes with tradition, the locals saw this as an omen of something great about to happen to
him. Less than five decades later, the same boy had grown up to become none other than the
first president of Indonesia. Even in the 21st century, volcanic eruptions are often interpreted
as a prelude to major political events. But when no such thing occurs following an eruption,
the locals will still tell you stories about Mount Kelud with a sense of veneration, pride and
astonishment.

“When Kelud erupted in 2014, Yogyakarta was covered in thick ash,” a local tells me in
reference to Kelud’s latest major eruption which paralyzed the city, more than 200 km away
to the west of the volcano. The ash forced the closure of major airports across Java, causing
weeks-long travel disruptions. “But strangely, Blitar was safe,” he adds, referring to the
nearest city to the volcano. As tempting it is to explain the phenomenon from a scientific
perspective, to him and many other people Penataran seems to serve its purpose after all. It
has been protecting the surrounding areas from the wrath of the mountain god, more than
eight centuries since its completion.

A Metaphorical Depiction of Mount Kelud///A Small Asian Elephant along with Foreign-
Looking Soldiers

Winged Lions and Serpents//An Artistic Creation during the Peak of Hinduism in East Java

19
A Fierce-Looking Winged Snake//A Guardian of Batur Pendapa

An Intricately-Decorated Pond at the Back of the Main Temple

Penataran is still not very well known among Indonesians – when we returned to Jakarta and
I told my coworkers about it, none of them had ever heard of the temple.
As for the why Penataran is not that well-known even among Indonesians, I think
it’s because of its location which is not as easily accessible from big cities as
Borobudur or Prambanan.https://harindabama.com/2017/07/30/penataran-appeasing-
the-mountain-god/

20
 II
The Pekalongan harbor that brought Hinduism & Buddhism to these
plains

The earliest account of the Mataram Kingdom is in the Canggal inscription, dated 732,
discovered within the compound of Gunung Wukir temple in Canggal village, southwest of
the town of Magelang. This inscription, written in Sanskrit using the Pallava script, tells of
the erection of a lingga (a symbol of Shiva) on the hill in the Kunjarakunja area, located on a
noble island called Yawadwipa (Java) which was blessed with abundance of rice and gold.
The establishment of lingga was under the order of Rakai Mataram Sang Ratu Sanjaya (King
Sanjaya Rakai (lord) of Mataram). This inscription tells that Yawadwipa was ruled by King
Sanna, whose long reign was marked by wisdom and virtue. After Sanna died, the kingdom
fell into disunity. Sanjaya, the son of Sannaha (Sanna's sister) ascended to the throne. He
conquered the areas around his kingdom, and his wise reign blessed his land with peace and
prosperity for all of his subjects.
It seemed that Sanjaya came to power c. 717 CE; that was the starting year of Sanjaya
chronicle used in King Daksa's inscription far later in early 10th-century. According to
Canggal inscription, Sanjaya established a new kingdom in Southern Central Java. And yet it
seems to be the continuation of earlier polity ruled by King Sanna, Sanjaya's uncle. This
earlier polity is linked to the earlier temple structures in Dieng Plateau, in the northern part of
Central Java, which is the oldest surviving structure found in Central Java. The earlier
kingdom linked as the predecessor of Mataram kingdom is Kalingga, located somewhere in
Central Java northern coast.
The story of Sanna and Sanjaya are also described in the Carita Parahyangan, a book from a
later period composed around late 16th-century, which mainly describes the history of
Pasundan (the Sunda Kingdom). However, in this book, Sanjaya is described as Sanna's son,
rather than his nephew. It also mentions that Sanna was defeated by Purbasora, King
of Galuh, and retreated to Mount Merapi. So, to avenge the defeat of his father, Sanjaya
attacked Galuh and killed Purbasora and his family. Afterwards, Sanjaya reclaimed Sanna's
kingdom and ruled West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Bali. He also battled
the Malayu and Keling (against their king, Sang Srivijaya). Although the manuscript seems to
be romanticised, vague and not providing certain details on the period, nevertheless the
almost exact name and theme of the story with historical Canggal inscription seems to
confirm that the manuscript was based or inspired from the historical event.

Sometimes Geography decides the harmony between people andm precipates a peaceful
future in their society and culture. This is a Tale of one such happening in Indonesia in the
Kalingaa Kingdom.

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A depiction of the legend on an Indonesian stamp
Statue of Durga Mahisashuramardini or according to local legend known as Loro
Jonggrang, inside northern cella of Shiva temple, Prambanan, Central Java, Indonesia

A local popular folklore it connects and explains the supernatural origin of Central Java's
famous archaeological sites; such as of the Ratu Boko palace, the Durga statue in northern
cella/chamber of the main Prambanan shrine, and the Sewu temple complex nearby.
Although the temples itself dated from circa 9th century, the legend was composed in later
times, probably during Mataram Sultanate era.
According to tradition, this thousandth temple is part of the Sewu temple compound
(sèwu means "thousands" in Javanese), and the Princess is the image of Durga in the north
cell of the Shiva temple at Prambanan, still known as Rara Jonggrang or Slender Virgin.
Another interpretation mentioned that this legend could be a collective but vague local
memory about past historical events that happened in the area, staged around the 9th century
struggle for power between the Sailendra and the Sanjaya dynasty for control of Central Java.
King Boko is probably inspired by the King Samaratungga of Sailendra dynasty, Bandung
Bondowoso is Rakai Pikatan, a prince of Sanjaya dynasty, and Rara Jongrang
is Pramodhawardhani, wife of Rakai Pikatan and the daughter of Sailendran king. The actual
historical event was probably the contest of power between Balaputradewa, the Sailendran
heir, against his sister, Pramodhawardhani, aided by her husband, Rakai Pikatan, which led to
Pikatan as the victor, thus ending the Sailendran rule on Central Java.

THE TWIN PLAINS

Kewu Plain, also known as Prambanan Plain or Opak River valley, is a fertile volcanic
plain that lies between Merapi-Merbabu complex in the north, Bantul lowlands
and Sewu karst limestone range in the south, Bengawan Solo river valley in east, and
the Progo River in the west, and Kedu Plain on northwest. It is located within the Yogyakarta
Special Region, Sleman Regency, Klaten Regency and Solo City (Central Java).

22
The temple is located on the Prambanan Plain, between the southeastern slopes of the Merapi
volcano and the Sewu mountain range in the south, near the present border
of Yogyakarta province and Klaten Regency in central Java. The plain has many
archaeological sites scattered only a few miles apart, which suggests that this area served as
an important religious, political, and urban center.

Pekalongan is a city of Central Java, Indonesia. It was formerly the seat

of Pekalongan Regency on the northern coast of the province.The Dutch name of the
city is 'Pacalongan'.
The coastal area around Pekalongan was part of the ancient Holing (Kalingga)
kingdom. The 7th century Sojomerto inscription, discovered in neighboring Batang
Regency, Central Java, is linked with Kalingga as well as the ancestor of
the Sailendras. The exact location of the Kalingga capital is unclear however, that it
was suggested lies somewhere between Pekalongan and Jepara. However it is most
likely that Kalingga was located in Pekalongan instead of Jepara, since there is
similarity of names between Kalingga and Pekalongan. The name probably slightly

23
shifted over centuries, from Kalingga, Kaling, Kalong, and later added with pe- -
an circumfix forming "Pekalongan".
The history of Pekalongan dated back to the early 12th century. A book written in
1178 by a Song dynasty official already had record of Pekalongan, then known to
Chinese merchants as "Pukalong", it was then a seaport of Java (then known as
Dvapa); the king of Java lived at Pukalong, knotted his hair at the back of his head,
while his people wore short hair and wrapped their body with colorfully weaved cloth.
Chinese merchant ship set sail from Canton during November, with the aid of fair
wind sailed nonstop day and night, arrived at Pukalong in about one month. The
people made wine from coconuts, produced very delicious red and white cane sugar,
the kingdom made coins out of bronze and copper, 60 copper coins exchanged for one
tael of gold. Local produces included pepper, clove, sandalwood, eaglewood and
white round cardamom.
Pekalongan became a part of the empire of the Sultanate of Mataram through treaty
and marriage alliances by the early 17th century. The area was on the geographic
periphery of the empire, which was based in interior central Java. However, it was a
wealthy area, and by the end of the 17th century, the substantial money and produce it
sent to the center made it a key part of Mataram's realm. The area went into economic
decline during the 18th century, and the Dutch East India Company began to gain
substantial influence over the area's political and economic life. The Dutch built a fort
in the city in 1753; this fort still stands.
MATARAM KINGDOM
Historically the area was identified as Mataram. The region was the center of both
the Medang i Bhumi Mataram kingdom in the 8th to 10th centuries, and later the Mataram
Sultanate in the 16th century. It has been an important location in Central Javanese history
and culture for over a millennium since it contains many ancient archaeological remnants of
historic significance. If each temple structure was counted separately, the 9th century Central
Java period could be said to have produced thousands of temples, scattered from Dieng
Plateau, Kedu Plain to Kewu Plain.
Apart from the Prambanan Roro Jonggrang complex, Kewu Plain along with the valley and
hills around it is the location of some of the earliest Hindu-Buddhist temples in Indonesia.
Adjacent to the complex to the north are Bubrah temple, Lumbung temple, and Sewu temple;
to the east are found Plaosan temple. Kalasan temple and Sari temple are to the west, and
further is the Sambisari temple. The Ratu Boko compounds are on higher ground just to the
south. The discoveries of archaeological sites scattered only a few miles away suggested that
this area was once an important religious, political, and urban center of central Java. Despite
the smaller scale of its temples, the diversity and sophistication of the archaeological sites in
this plain are comparable to Angkor archaeological site in Cambodia. Borobudur and
Prambanan in particular, are popularly regarded as the two Indonesian temples to
rival Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

In 2012, the Balai Pelestarian Peninggalan Purbakala Jawa Tengah (BP3, or the Central
Java Heritage Preservation Authority) suggested that the area in and around Prambanan
should be treated as a sanctuary. The proposed area is in the Prambanan Plain measuring
measured 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi) spread across the Sleman and Klaten regencies.

24
The area includes major temples such as Prambanan, Ratu Boko, Kalasan, Sari and Plaosan
temples. The sanctuary is planned to be treated in a similar fashion to the Angkor
archaeological area in Cambodia, which suggests that the government should prevent or
regulate permits to construct any new buildings, especially the multi-storied buildings, as
well as BTS towers. This was meant to protect this archaeologically-rich area from modern
day visual obstructions and the encroachments of hotels, restaurants and any tourism-related
buildings and businesses. There are a number of temples in this area- both Hindu and
Buddhist:

Shiva temple, the main temple at Prambanan temple complex rising 47m high (130 feet)and measures 34m x 34m at its
base. The main temple houses the statue of Shiva Mahadewa, Ganesha, Durga Mahisashuramardhini, and Agastya on
each chamber of cardinal points. On the far right is stood Wishnu temple. Around the ballustrade of the Shiva temple
adorned with panels of bas reliefs narating the story from Ramayana. This ninth century temple complex was build by
Hindu Mataram Kingdom.

25
 Kalasan. According to Kalasan inscription it is the oldest temple built in the plain. This
early 8th century Buddhist temple built to honor female bodhisattva Tara.
 Sari. Once a sanctuary or monastery for Buddhist priests. 8th century. Nine stupas at the
top with two rooms beneath, each believed to be places for priests to meditate.
 Ratu Boko. Complex of fortified gates, bathing pools, and elevated walled stone
enclosure, all located on top of the hill south of Prambanan.
 Lumbung. Buddhist-style, consisting of one main temple surrounded by 16 smaller ones.
 Bubrah. Buddhist temple related to nearby Sewu temple.
 Sewu. This Buddhist temple complex is older than Prambanan temple. The original name
of this temple is Manjusrigrha and it was a royal buddhist temple of the kingdom. A main
sanctuary surrounded by many smaller temples. Well preserved guardian statues, replicas
of which stand in the central courtyard at the Jogja Kraton.

26
 Prambanan. A large compound of 9th century Shivaic Trimurti Hindu temple. The
construction of grand Hindu temple was probably the sign that Hinduism once again gain
royal patronage of Medang kings.
 Plaosan. Buddhist, probably 9th century. Thought to have been built by a Hindu king for
his Buddhist queen. Two main temples with reliefs of Bodhisattva and Tara. Also rows of
slender stupas.
 Sojiwan. Buddhist temple decorated with reliefs concerning education. The base and
staircase are decorated with animal fables. Sojiwan was probably the mortuary temple for
a buddhist queen, Sang Sanjiwana or Pramodhawardhani.
 Banyunibo. A Buddhist temple with unique design of roof.
 Barong. A Hindu temple complex with large stepped stone courtyard. Located on the
slope of the hill not far from Banyunibo and Ratu Boko.
 Ijo. A cluster of Hindu temple located near the top of Ijo hill. The main temple houses a
large lingam and yoni.
 Arca Bugisan. Seven Buddha and bodhisattva statues, some collapsed, representing
different poses and expressions.
 Gebang. A small Hindu temple discovered in 1937 located near the Yogyakarta northern
ring-road. The temple display the statue of Ganesha and interesting carving of faces on
the roof section.
 Gana. Rich in statues, bas-reliefs and sculpted stones. Frequent representations of
children or dwarfs with raised hands. Located in the middle of housing complex. Under
restoration since 1997.
 Sambisari. Discovered in 1966, this Hindu temple was buried in volcanic lahar 4m deep.
A main temple housen a large linggam and yoni with three smaller temple at the front.
 Kedulan. Discovered in 1994 by sand diggers, 4m deep. Square base of main temple
visible. Secondary temples not yet fully excavated. This temple shared similar design and
style with Sambisari.
 Morangan. Hindu temple complex buried several meters under volcanic ashes, located
northwest from Prambanan.
 Pustakasala. Discovered in 2009 buried in Indonesia Islamic University ground.
Together with Morangan these temple is the northernmost of temples discovered in this
area.

KEDU
The other plain is the Kedu Plain, also known as Progo River valley, is the fertile
volcanic plain that lies between the volcanoes, Mount Sumbing and Mount Sundoro to the
west, and Mount Merbabu and Mount Merapi to the east, roughly corresponds to present-
day Magelang and Temanggung Regency of Central Java, Indonesia.
The Progo River runs through the center of this plain, from its source on the slope of Mount
Sundoro to the southern coast of Java facing the Indian Ocean. It has been a significant
location in Central Javanese history for over a millennium, as it contains traces of
the Sailendra dynasty as well as Borobudur and associated locations. During the
colonial Dutch East Indies period, the Kedu Plain was located in the Kedu Residency, which
at that time covered what are now the Magelang Regency, Magelang City, and Temanggung
Regency administrative units.

27
The Kedu Plain hosts a large number of Hindu and Buddhist temples dated, from the 8th to
the 9th century. Because of this, the Kedu Plain is considered the cradle of classic Indonesian
civilization. The temples in the region include:

Stupas overlook the Kedu Plain

 Borobudur: The gigantic 8th century stone mandala Buddhist monument was built by
the Sailendras.
 Mendut: The 8th century Buddhist temple is housing three large stone statues
of Vairocana, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani.
 Pawon: The small 8th century Buddhist temple near the bank of Progo River is located
between Mendut and Borobudur.
 Ngawen: The 8th century Buddhist temple is located about 5 kilometers east of Mendut
temple.
 Banon: The ruins of a Hindu temple; located several hundred meters north of Pawon
temple. However, no significant remains of the temple have survived, thus, its
reconstruction is impossible. Only the statues of Shiva, Vishnu, Agastya,
and Ganesha have been discovered, which are now displayed at the National Museum of
Indonesia, Jakarta.
 Canggal: also known as Candi Gunung Wukir. One of the oldest Hindu temples in the
area. The temple is located in the Muntilan area, near the temple a Canggal
inscription connected with Sri Sanjaya, the king of Mataram Kingdom was discovered.
 Gunung Sari: The ruins of a Hindu temple on top of a hill, located near Candi Gunung
Wukir, on the outskirts of Muntilan.
 Umbul: in Grabag, Magelang; it served as a bathing and resting place for the kings
of Mataram

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 The map of Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of Kalingga , circa 6th to 7th century CE. Located
somewhere on the north coast of Central Java, Indonesia.

This plain lay in the Kingdom of the Kalingga which was one of the first Hindu-Buddhist
kingdoms in Central Java, located between present-day Pekalongan and Jepara. That is one
reason why there is a blend of Hindu and Buddhist temples in this area.

The kingdom was described as being surrounded by wooden fortresses, with the King residing
in a multiple storied palace covered with a roof made of the leaves of Arengga pinata trees.
The kingdom exported silver, gold and elephant tusks. The Kalingga kingdom was very
orderly and serene, and led by Queen Sima. It was a center of Buddhist studies and practice,
and the Chinese came to Kalingga to study Buddhism., which around that time became the
official religion in China. Two temples remain from the Kalingga Kingdom: Candi
Angin and Candi Bubrah in Tempur Village, the present day Jepara.
Kalingga (Javanese: Karajan Kalingga; 訶 陵 Hēlíng or 闍 婆 Dūpó in Chinese sources[1])
was a 6th-century Indianized kingdom on the north coast of Central Java, Indonesia. It was
the earliest Hindu-Buddhist kingdom in Central Java, and together
with Kutai and Tarumanagara are the oldest kingdoms in Indonesian history.

29
The archaeological findings and historical records from this period are scarce, and the
exact location of kingdom's capital is unknown. It is thought to be somewhere between
present-day Pekalongan or Jepara. A place named Keling subdistrict is found in northern
coast of Jepara Regency, however some archaeological findings near Pekalongan and Batang
regency shows that Pekalongan was an ancient port, suggests that Pekalongan might be an
altered name of Pe-Kaling-an. Kalingga existed between the 6th and 7th centuries, and it was
one of the earliest Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms established in Java. The historical record of this
kingdom is scarce and vague, and comes mostly from Chinese sources and local traditions.
Kalingga appeared in the 5th century which is thought to be located in the north of Central
Java . Information about the Kalingga Kingdom is obtained from inscriptions and records
from China . In 752, the Kalingga Kingdom became Sriwijaya's conquered territory because
this kingdom was part of a trading network, along with the Dharmasraya and Tarumanagara
Kingdoms which Srivijaya had previously conquered . The three kingdoms became strong
competitors of the Srivijaya - Buddhist trading network .

In the 15th–16th century the small city of Pekalongan emerged as a corridor for
communication between two powerful sultanates centred near Java’s northern coast: Cirebon,
to the west, and Demak, to the east. In the 17th century the regency of Pekalongan came
under control of the Mataram sultanate of south-central Java. When Mataram lost power in
the 18th century, it granted Pekalongan to the Dutch East India Company. In 1753 the Dutch
built a fort in Pekalongan city. The fort became a prison in the 19th century and was used as
an internment centre during the Japanese occupation (1942–45) of Java during World War II.
The structure has continued to function as a penitentiary in the 21st century. Today the
Pekalongan, (city) is the capital of the kabupaten (regency), Central Java (Jawa Tengah)
situated on the northern coastal plain of the island of Java.

Pekalongan Harbour, which lies within the city limits, is one of the principal fishing ports on
Java, and the city itself is home to one of the island’s largest fresh-fish markets. Pekalongan
city is also recognized as a major centre of batik production. Food (including fish)
processing, textile production, and the manufacture of chemical products are among the
important industries. Exports include batik, tea, rubber, locally refined sugar, and other
goods. Sugarcane, rice, kapok, cinchona, indigo, and corn (maize) are grown in the regency’s

30
fertile river valleys and coastal plains. Area regency, 323 square miles (837 square km); city,
17 square miles (44 square km). Pop. (2010) regency, 838,621; city, 281,434.
HISTORY

The Tukmas inscription was estimated to be originated from Kalingga period. It was
discovered on the western slope of Mount Merapi, at Dusun Dakawu, Lebak village,
Kecamatan Grabag, Magelang Regency, Central Java, and is written in Pallava
script in Sanskrit tells about a clear spring water that is so sacred that adored as the analogue
of holy Ganges's source in India. The inscription also bears Hindu signs and imageries, such
as trisula, kamandalu (water jar), parashu (axe), kalacengkha (shell), chakra and padma (red
lotus), those are symbols of Hindu gods.[5]
Another inscription dated from around the same period is Sojomerto inscription, discovered
in Sojomerto village, Kecamatan Reban, Batang Regency, Central Java. It is written in Kavi
script in Old Malay language, estimated dated from 7th century. The inscription tell about a
ruler named Dapunta Selendra, son of Santanu and Bhadrawati, and husband of Sampula.
Indonesian historian Prof. Drs. Boechari suggested that Dapunta Selendra was the ancestor
of Sailendras that later rule in Mataram Kingdom.
Both inscriptions suggest that c. 7th century on the northern coast of Central Java, once
flourish a Hindu Shivaist kingdom, today identified as Kalingga kingdom. Some oldest
Javanese candis are also can be found in mountainous surrounding areas on northern Central
Java, such as the Hindu temples of Dieng Plateau, and Gedong Songo temples, but they are
probably built in later period, during the early Mataram Kingdom. Historian suggested that
there was a link between this old kingdom with later kingdom flourish in Southern Central
Java Kedu Plain, the Sailendra of Mataram Kingdom.

The Chinese sources come from China and date back to the Tang Dynasty. According to the
Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, in 664 a Chinese Buddhist monk named Huining ( Huìníng)
had arrived in Heling and stayed there for about three years. During his stay, and with the
assistance of Jnanabhadra, a Heling monk, he translated numerous
Buddhist Hinayana scriptures.
In 674 the kingdom was ruled by Queen Shima, notorious for her fierce law against thievery,
which encouraged her people to be honest and uphold absolute truth. According to tradition,
one day a foreign king placed a bag filled with gold on the intersection in Kalingga to test the
famed truthful and honesty of Kalingga people. Nobody dared to touch the bag that did not
belong to them, until three years later when Shima's son, the crown prince, accidentally
touched the bag with his foot. The queen issued a death sentence to her own son, but was
over-ruled by a minister that appealed the queen to spare the prince's life. Since it was the
prince's foot that touched the bag of gold, so it was the foot that must be punished through
mutilation.[3] According to Carita Parahyangan, a book composed in later period,
Shima's great-grandson is Sanjaya, who is the king of Sunda Kingdom and Galuh Kingdom,
and also the founder of Mataram Kingdom.
Between 742 and 755, the kingdom had moved further east from the Dieng Plateau, perhaps
in response to the Buddhist Sailendras

The Buddhist king Panangkaran who ruled the Medang Kingdom started the construction of
the great Manjusrigrha Temple (‘House of Manjushri’, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom), which is
the original name of the Sewu Temple complex, the second largest Buddhist complex in

31
Indonesia after Borobudur, with 249 buildings. Archaeologists believe the original name for
the temple compound to be Manjusrigrha which is Sewu an eighth
century Mahayana Buddhist temple located 800 metres north of Prambanan in Central
Java, Indonesia. The word for a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Indonesian is "candi," hence the
common name is "Candi Sewu." Candi Sewu is the second largest Buddhist temple complex
in Indonesia; Borobudur is the largest. Sewu predates nearby "Loro Jonggrang" temple at
Prambanan. Although the complex consists of 249 temples, this Javanese name translates to
'a thousand temples,' which originated from popular local folklore (The Legend of Loro
Jonggrang).

Candi Sewu temple layout

Sewu is an eighth century Mahayana Buddhist temple located 800 metres north
of Prambanan in Central Java, Indonesia. The word for a Hindu or Buddhist
temple in Indonesian is "candi," hence the common name is "Candi Sewu." Candi Sewu is the
second largest Buddhist temple complex in Indonesia; Borobudur is the largest. Sewu
predates nearby "Loro Jonggrang" temple at Prambanan. Although the complex consists of

32
249 temples, this Javanese name translates to 'a thousand temples,' which originated from
popular local folklore (The Legend of Loro Jonggrang). Archaeologists believe the original
name for the temple compound to be Manjusrigrha.

CONSTRUCTION

Manjusrigrha inscription (792 CE), discovered in 1960 at the outer west perwara temple no. 202 (row 4
no. 37) of Sewu Buddhist temple.

According to the Kelurak inscription (dated from 782 CE) and the Manjusrigrha
inscription (dated from 792 CE), which were discovered in 1960, the original name of the
temple complex was probably "Manjusri grha" (The House of Manjusri). Manjusri is
a Bodhisattva from Mahayana Buddhist teachings that symbolizes the "gentle glory" of
transcendent wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā). Sewu Temple was built by the end of eighth century
at the end of Rakai Panangkaran's reign and was completed during the reign of his
successor, King Indra. Rakai Panangkaran (746–780 CE) was well known as a devoted
Mahayana Buddhist king who ruled the Medang Mataram Kingdom.
Built 70 years before the Hindu Shiva temple of Prambhanan, the Manjusrigrha temple
was the largest Buddhist temple in the Prambanan Plain region and the Borobudur was
completed 37 years later.
Located in the heart of Mataram, the temple served as the royal Buddhist temple of the
kingdom. Stately religious ceremonies were held here regularly. The Manjusrigrha inscription
(792) praises the perfect beauty of the prasada (tower) of this temple compound.
The Bubrah temple, (read later in this paper) is located several hundred meters south, and
the Gana temple, located is ob east of the Sewu temple. Both these are supposedlyguardian
temples for the Manjusrigrha complex, guarding the four cardinal directions around the Sewu
temple. Prior to the construction of Borobudur and Prambanan, Sewu likely served as the
kingdom's main temple. The temples are arranged in the mandala layout, which symbolizes
the universe in Buddhist cosmology.
Sewu temple was probably expanded and completed during the rule of Rakai Pikatan, a
prince who married a Buddhist princess from the Sailendra dynasty, Pramodhawardhani.
Most of his subjects retained their old religions after the court returned to favour Hinduism.
The proximity of the Sewu temple to Prambanan, a Hindu Temple, suggests that the Hindu
and Buddhist communities lived in harmony during the era in which the temples were built.
And the scale of the temple complex suggests that Candi Sewu was a royal Buddhist temple
that served as an important religious site.

33
Rediscovery

Although buried deep beneath the volcanic debris around Mount Merapi, the temple ruins
were not completely forgotten by the local Javanese inhabitants. However, the origins of the
temple were a mystery. Over the centuries, tales and legends infused with myths of giants and
a cursed princess were recounted by villagers. Prambanan and Sewu were purport to be of
supernatural origin, and in the legend of Loro Jonggrang they were said to have been created
by a multitude of demons under the order of Bandung Bondowoso. Such tales are most likely
the reason the temples were preserved through the centuries prior to the Java War (1825–
1830). The local villagers dared not remove any of the temple stones, believing the ruins to
be haunted by supernatural beings.
1. In 1733, Pakubuwono II granted the Dutch merchant Cornelius Antonie Lons
permission to make a sightseeing tour through the heartland of Mataram. Lons' report
of this trip contains the first known extant description of the Sewu and Prambanan
temples and in the years 1806–07, the Dutch archaeologist Hermann
Cornelius unearthed the Sewu temples.
2. During the Java War (1825–1830) some of the temple stones were carted away and
used in fortifications. In the years that followed the temples suffered from looting.
3. Many of the Buddha statues were decapitated and the heads stolen. Some Dutch
colonists stole sculptures and used them as garden ornaments, and native villagers
used the foundation stones as construction material.
4. Some of the temple's best preserved bas-reliefs, Buddha's head, and some ornaments
were carried away from the site and ended up in museums and private collections
abroad.
5. In 1867, Isidore van Kinsbergen photographed the ruins of Candi Sewu after an
earthquake had caused the dome in main temple to collapse.
6. In 1885 Jan Willem IJzerman, revising some plans of the temple complex made
earlier by Cornelius, made notes regarding the temple's condition. He noted that
several Buddha heads were missing.
7. By 1978 none of the Buddha heads had survived, all of them having been looted from
the site completely
8. In 1901 a new set of photographs was taken, sponsored by Leydie Melville.
9. In 1908 Theodoor van Erp [nl] initiated the clearing and reconstruction of the main
temple.
10. In 1915 H. Maclaine Pont drew the reconstruction of a temples of the second row. It
was de Haan who reconstructed the Perwara temples with the aid of Van Kinsbergen's
photographs.
11. Subsequently, the temple became a subject of study among archaeologists
Contemporary events
Since the early 20th century the temple has been slowly and carefully reconstructed, yet it has
not been completely restored. There are hundreds of temple ruins, and many stones are
missing. The main temple reconstruction and two of the apit temples on the east side were
completed in 1993 and inaugurated by President Soeharto on 20 February 1993.

34
The temple was severely damaged during the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake. The structural
damage was significant, and the central temple suffered the worst. Large pieces of debris
were scattered about on the grounds, and cracks between stone blocks were detected. To
prevent the central temple from collapsing, metal frame structures were erected on the four
corners and attached to support the main temple. Although some weeks later in 2006 the site
was reopened for visitors, the main temple remained closed for safety reasons. Today the
metal frame has been removed, and visitors may visit and enter the main temple.
The Sewu Temple often hosts the annual Vesak ceremony.

A lithograph of Tjandi Sewoe ruins near Prambanan, circa 1859

Image extracted from page 281 of volume 1 of Neerlands-Oost-Indie. Reizen over Java, Madura,(1852-
1857), by BUDDINGH, Steven Adriaan. Original held and digitised by the British Library.

35
 Candi Sewu
main temple at left and one of apit temple at right BELOW Aerial view of Sewu temple
near Prambanan shows the mandala layout of the main temple surrounds by smaller perwara
temples.

Candi Sewu Layout

36
An architectural model of Candi Sewu temple compound, reconstruct the complete condition of
the 8th century Sewu temple in Central Java, Indonesia.
The Sewu temple complex is the largest Buddhist compound in the Prambanan area,
with rectangular grounds that measure 185 meters north-south and 165 meters east-west.
There is an entrance on all four cardinal points, but the main entrance is located on the east
side. Each of the entrances is guarded by twin Dvarapala statues. These large guardian statues
have been better preserved, and replicas can be found at Jogja Kraton. There are 249
buildings in the complex are arranged in a Mandala pattern around the main central hall. This
configuration expresses the Mahayana Buddhist view of the universe. There are 240 smaller
temples, called Perwara (guardian) temples, with similar designs that are arranged in four
rectangular concentric rows. Two outer rows are arranged closer and consist of 168 smaller
temples, while two inner rows, arranged at certain intervals, consist of 72 temples. The 249
temples located in the second precinct were all made with a square frame but varied by
different statues and orientations. Many of the statues are now gone, and the arrangements on
the current site are not in the original orientations. The statues are comparable to the statues
of Borobudur and were likely made of bronze.

Along the north-south and east-west central axis at a distance of about 200 meters, between
the second and third rows of the smaller temple are located the apit (flank) temples, a couple
on each cardinal point facing each other. The apit temples are the second largest temples after
the main temple, however only eastern twin apit and a northern one still remain today. These
smaller temples encompass a larger sanctuary that has been heavily looted. Behind the fourth
row of smaller temples lies the stone paved courtyard where the main temple stood on the
center.

37
The nearby temples, Gana temple in the east and Bubrah temple in the south, are suggested as
the part of greater Manjusrigrha vajradhatu mandala complex. Both temples are located
around 300 metres from the Sewu main temple. There are northern and western ruins
discovered around the same distance from the main temple, however the stones was too
scarce for reconstruction. These temples suggested that indeed the Sewu temple compound
was completed with four additional temples, located 300 metres from the main temple, which
is corresponds with the mandala and the guardians of the directions concept.
The main temple measures 29 meters in diameter and soars up to 30 meters high. The
ground plan of the main temple is a cross-shaped 20-sided polygon. On each of the four
cardinal points of the main temple, there are four structures projected outward, each with its
own stairs, entrances and rooms, crowned with stupas, which form a cross-like layout. All of
the structures are made from andesite stones.
The main temple has five rooms, one large garbhagriha in the center and four smaller rooms
in each cardinal direction. These four rooms are all connected with outer corner galleries with
balustrades bordered by rows of small stupas. From the findings during the reconstruction
process, it was suggested that the original design of central sanctuary only consisted of a
central roomed temple surrounded by four additional structures with open portals. Doorways
were added later. The portals were narrowed to create door frames on which to attach wooden
doors. Some of the holes to attach doors are still visible. The doorways join the temples
together into one main building with five rooms.
The central chamber can be reached from the eastern room. The central chamber is larger
than other rooms with a higher ceiling and a taller roof. Now all the five rooms are
empty. However the lotus carved stone pedestal in the central chamber suggests that the
temple once contained a large bronze Buddhist statue (possible the bronze statue
of Manjusri), probably reaching a height of four meters. The statue is missing, probably
looted for scrap metal over the centuries. However another theory suggested that the main
statue was probably constructed from several stone blocks coated with vajralepa plaster.

The ruin of Bubrah temple in 2006, prior of reconstruction/ The makara stairs adornment of
Bubrah temple in 1900s

38
As an architectural masterpiece built in the 8th century and older than Borobudur and
Prambanan Temples, Sewu Temple has an important role in the development of archipelago’s
architecture. The background of the temple building can be known through the ornaments
that decorate parts of the temple. Ornaments contain certain meanings with Hindu-Buddhist
principles, not only as visual ornament elements, so the role of ornaments is important.
Ornaments are an artistic component that is added to decoration in crafts, including
architecture. Ornamentation cannot be separated from the socio-cultural background of the
community and the area of origin of the ornament, because ornamentation is a means of
communication to reduce culture from the previous generation to the next generation.
Therefore, it is necessary to further study the evolution or development of the forms and
meanings of architectural ornaments in the archipelago with a time series of architectural
developments in the Hindu-Buddhist era and traditional architecture, especially Java,
following the location of the temple. The purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of
forms, patterns, and meanings of Hindu-Buddhist architectural ornaments found in Sewu
Temple in their development towards traditional Javanese architecture. This research uses
descriptive qualitative method. This research found that there is a relationship between
1
Javanese architectural ornaments and architectural ornaments
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Evolution of Hindu–Buddhist Architectural Ornaments Into Javanese Traditional Architecture:

Case Study of Sewu Temple Ayu Ratna Pertiwi- Advances in Social Science, Education and
Humanities Research, volume 421 4th International Conference on Arts Language and Culture
(ICALC 2019)

39
Once a bustling city, Prambanan is a multi-religious temple-complex at the center of Java.
While the site is best known for its Hindu temples, it is also home to Candi Sewu, the largest
enterable Buddhist temple in all of Indonesia. Composed of hundreds of small stupas
surrounding a cruciform central shrine, the complex covers more than twenty-seven square
kilometers (seventeen square miles) and is replete with finely carved Buddhist deities. In the
spread of Indian religious ideas, Buddhists played an especially active role. Buddhist
communities found great sponsorship in Indonesia’s eighth- and ninth-century rulers. The
plethora of Buddhist figures at Candi Sewu proclaim the establishment’s religious dedication,
and the temple’s massive scale points to elite patronage.

40
Candi Sewu; Right: Sundaravarada-Perumal temple; south India, Tamil Nadu, Uttiramerur; Pallava period, 9th century; granite.
(RIGHT) Today, many of Candi Sewu’s freestanding buddhas are missing their heads. Such losses are due
to looting, intentional destruction, and forces of nature over the course of the last millennium.

The eighth and ninth centuries were a period of heightened contact between India and
Southeast Asia. Imagery and texts circulated along with the people who traveled across the
regions. Candi Sewu’s sculptures show close connections with Indian sculpture from this
period. See, for example, the lions that are positioned at corners along the temple’s base.
Much like the lion at a temple in Tamil Nadu, the animal sits back on its haunches, its tail
upturned and mouth open, and its head seems to support the structure above.

41
Relief carvings on surviving and restored buildings have better stood the test of time.
Prominent imagery includes bodhisattvas in palatial settings, gandharvas and devatas (minor
deities), and flying rishis (sages) who shower devotees with blessings as they enter the
temple. Bells and billowing garments evoke sound and movement.RIGHT - A flight of stairs
leads through a vestibule and into the central shrine, which quickly plunges into darkness.

In the middle of the chamber is an altar with an empty throne positioned high on a
semicircular platform.From the top, temple priests could have lustrated an image or a holy
person with sacred fluids and possibly flowers. https://asia.si.edu/collections-area/southeast-
asian/sacred-sites-in-southeast-asia-candi-sewu/

The Buddhist temple of Bubrah or Candhi Bubrah is a 9th-

century Buddhist temple located within the complex of the Prambanan Temple
Archaeological Park, in Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is located within Prambanan

42
or Kewu Plain, an archaeologically rich area dotted with numerous Hindu-Buddhist temples
dated circa 8th to 9th century CE. To visit Bubrah temple, visitors can go through
the Prambanan temple compound entrance.
The temple is located around 300 meters south from Sewu temple. Archaeologists suggest
that the temple is actually a part of the greater Sewu temple compound (Manjusrigrha
complex), as the southern temple marking the southern point of the mandala layout. This
suggestion is based on the fact that there is a similar-sized temple on the eastern side called
Candi Gana that marking the eastern end on Manjusrigrha mandala. On northern and western
sides around 300 metres from Sewu main temple, there were also ruins discovered, however,
the stones are too scarce to reconstruct. In conclusion, Bubrah temple were originally part of
four vanguard temples placed around 300 meters in four cardinal points from the main temple
of Sewu. Bubrah is the guardian temple of southern direction, according to mandala
and guardians of the directions concept.
The original name of this temple is unknown, however the local Javanese named the temple
"candi bubrah", which means "ruins temple" in the Javanese language. The name reflect the
conditions of this temple during its discovery, which was a heap of 2 metres tall stone
ruins. Bubrah means broken, in ruins or disorderly in Javanese, it has been in a state of ruins
for many years, until it was reconstructed between 2011 and 2017. The temple is a part
of Prambanan Temple Compounds, a World Heritage Site since 1991.
It is located between Sewu temple compound in the north and Lumbung temple in the south.
Administratively, this temple is located in Bener Hamlet, Bugisan Village, Prambanan
District, Klaten Regency, Central Java . Unlike the Prambhanan. Bubrah temple is a
Buddhist temple, and was built around the 9th century during the era of the Mataram
kingdom that ruled Central Java and some parts of Eastern Java. The temple is closely related
to Sewu temple which is located around 300 metres to the north. [2] Bubrah temple believed
was constructed around the same period or slightly later after the completion of nearby Sewu
and Lumbung temple, all three being a Buddhist-style mandala. The Sewu complex was built
by Rakai Panangkaran hailed as Shailendra Wamsatilaka, or the ornament of the Shailendra
dynasty. Bubrah temple seems to be added later to complete Manjusrigrha (Sewu) vajradhatu
mandala as the southern shrine dedicated as the guardian of directions. Thus possibly Bubrah
temple was constructed after the reign of Panangkaran, either during the reign
of Dharanindra, or possibly Samaragrawira, which means the temple was constructed in the
early 9th century.
After the move of the capital to eastern Java circa the 11th century, the temple was neglected.
For centuries later, it fell into disrepair, buried under Mount Merapi volcanic debris and
shaken by earthquakes.
The temple was in ruins during its rediscovery back in the early 19th century, along with
nearby Prambanan and Sewu temple compound. During its rediscovery, the temple took form
of a 2 metres tall mounds of stone, thus the gave the name Bubrah which in Javanese means
"ruins". Throughout the 20th century, nothing much had been done to restore and reconstruct
the temple, as the temple stones were left scattered around the area.
In 1992, the temple was included within the area of Prambanan Archaeological Park or
Prambanan Temple Tourism Park, along with nearby Lumbung, Sewu, and Prambanan
temples, registered as Prambanan Temple Compound and recognized as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Between 2011 and 2017 the temple had undergone reconstruction. The project developed in 7
stages, and was completed on 14 December 2017, inaugurated by Muhajir Effendy,

43
Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture. The reconstruction took 7 years and 11 billion
rupiah cost.
The temple plan measures 12 x 12 metres and facing east side, with flight of stairs, portico
and portal facing east. The design of the temple is similar to the Apit temple within the Sewu
temple compound and Sojiwan temple not far south. The roof is lined with rows of smaller
stupas, with larger main stupa as the pinnacle of the structure.

44
 III
Explaining SANJAY- SHAILENDRA-SARIVIJAI

“…There are things known and things unknown, and in between are the doors…” Jim
Morrison

Sanjaya or Sanjay Srivijaya is a Sanskrit- Sailendra, Syailendra or

(Sanskrit: सञ्जय, derived name: Selendra) was the name
meaning "victory") or विरीजयरी
रीविजय , Śrīvijaya. Śrī of a
Sanjaya Gavalgana is means "fortunate", notable Indianised dynast
an advisor from the "prosperous", or y that emerged in 8th-
ancient Indian Hindu "happy" and Vijaya century Java, whose reign
war epic Mahābhārata. means "victorious" or signified a cultural
In Mahabharata—An "excellence".The renaissance in the
ancient story of a war Srivijaya regionThe Shailendras
between the Pandavas Empire controlled were active promoters
and the Kauravas—the modern-day Indonesia of Mahayana Buddhism a
blind king and much of the Malay nd covered the Kedu
Dhritarashtra is the Archipelago from the Plain of Central Java with
father of the principals seventh to twelfth Buddhist monuments, one
of the Kaurava side. It centuries. The empire of which is the
means means traded extensively with colossal stupa of Borobud
“conquering,” India and China, ur, now
“triumphant,” or incorporating Buddhist a UNESCO World
“victory.” Sanjay and Chinese political Heritage Site.
name meaning practices into their
is Victory; Lord traditions. Srivijaya was
Shiva; also a religious centre in
Dhritarashtra's the region. It adhered
Charioteer; to Mahayana
Triumphant; Caring. Buddhism and soon
The dynasty became the stopping
promoted Hinduism on point for Chinese
the island. Buddhist pilgrims on
their way to India. The
kings of Srivijaya even
founded monasteries at
Negapattam (now

45
 Nagappattinam) in
southeastern India.

Early History

As early as the 1st century CE Indonesian

vessels made trade voyages as far as Africa. Picture: a ship carved on Borobudur, c. 800 CE.
The history of Indonesia has been shaped by its geographic position, natural resources, a
series of human migrations and contacts, wars and conquests, as well as by trade, economics
and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,000 to 18,000 islands stretching along
the equator in Southeast Asia. The country's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island
and international trade; trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history. The area of
Indonesia is populated by peoples of various migrations, creating a diversity
of cultures, ethnicities, and languages.

Example of Rice Terraces in Indonesia//Megalithic statue found in

Tegurwangi, Sumatra, Indonesia, 1500 CE
The Indonesian archipelago was formed during the thaw after the Last Glacial Maximum.
Early humans travelled by sea and spread from mainland Asia eastward to New
Guinea and Australia. Early Indonesians were animists who honoured the spirits of the dead
believing their souls or life force could still help the living. Ideal agricultural conditions, and
the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the 8th century BCE, allowed villages,

46
towns, and small kingdoms to flourish by the 1st century CE. These kingdoms (little more
than collections of villages subservient to petty chieftains) evolved with their own ethnic and
tribal religions. Java's hot and even temperature, abundant rain and volcanic soil, was perfect
for wet rice cultivation. Such agriculture required a well-organized society, in contrast to the
society based on dry-field rice, which is a much simpler form of cultivation that does not
require an elaborate social structure to support it.
Buni culture clay pottery flourished in coastal northern West Java and Banten around 400
BCE to 100 CE. The Buni culture was probably the predecessor of
the Tarumanagara kingdom, one of the earliest Hindu kingdoms in Indonesia, producing
numerous inscriptions and marking the beginning of the historical period in Java.
Early kingdoms -Hindu Buddhist

8th century Borobudur Buddhist monument, Sailendra dynasty, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world/1600-
year-old stone inscription from the era of Purnawarman, king of Tarumanagara, founded in Tugu sub-district
of Jakarta

Indonesia like much of Southeast Asia was influenced by Indian culture. From the 2nd
century, through the Indian dynasties like the Pallava, Gupta, Pala and Chola in the
succeeding centuries up to the 12th century, Indian culture spread across all of
Southeast Asia.
References to the Dvipantara or Yawadvipa, a Hindu kingdom in Java and Sumatra appear in
Sanskrit writings from 200 BCE. In India's earliest epic, the Ramayana, Sugriva, the chief
of Rama's army dispatched his men to Yawadvipa, the island of Java, in search of Sita.
According to the ancient Tamil text Manimekalai Java had a kingdom with a capital called
Nagapuram. The earliest archaeological relic discovered in Indonesia is from the Ujung
Kulon National Park, West Java, where an early Hindu statue of Ganesha estimated from the
1st century CE was found on the summit of Mount Raksa in Panaitan island. There is also
archaeological evidence of Sunda Kingdom in West Java dating from the 2nd-century,
and Jiwa Temple in Batujaya, Karawang, West Java was probably built around this time.
South Indian culture was spread to Southeast Asia by the south Indian Pallava dynasty in the
4th and 5th centuries and by the 5th century, stone inscriptions written in Pallava scripts were
found in Java and Borneo.
A number of Hindu and Buddhist states flourished and then declined across Indonesia. Seven
rough plinths dating from the beginning of the 4th century CE were found in Kutai, East
Kalimantan, near the Mahakam River known as the Yupa inscription or "Mulavarman
Inscription" believed to be one of the earliest Sanskrit inscriptions of Indonesia, the plinths
were written by Brahmins in the Sanskrit language using the Pallava script of India recalling
of a generous king by the name of Mulavarman who donated a huge amount of alms to

47
Brahmin priests in his kingdom, the kingdom was known as the Kutai Martadipura
Kingdom located in present East Kalimantan Province, believed to be the oldest and first
Hindu kingdom of Indonesia.

Tarumanagara and Sunda

One such early kingdom was Tarumanagara, which flourished between 358 and 669 CE.
Located in West Java close to modern-day Jakarta, its 5th-century king, Purnawarman,
established the earliest known inscriptions in Java, the Ciaruteun inscription located
near Bogor. And other inscriptions called the Pasir Awi inscription and the Muncul
inscription. On this monument, King Purnawarman inscribed his name and made an imprint
of his footprints, as well as his elephant's footprints. The accompanying inscription reads,
"Here are the footprints of King Purnavarman, the heroic conqueror of the world". This
inscription is written in Pallava script and in Sanskrit and is still clear after 1500 years.
Purnawarman apparently built a canal that changed the course of the Cakung River, and
drained a coastal area for agriculture and settlement purpose. In his stone inscriptions,
Purnawarman associated himself with Vishnu, and Brahmins ritually secured the hydraulic
project.
India (Bharat) Connect
There were several trade routes between India and the Far East. One route started from
Bharukaccha to the coast of Suvarnabhumi and Yavadvipa- a term for modern Jāvā island-
Derivable forms: yavadvīpaḥ (यवद्वीपः).Yavadvīpa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the
terms yava and dvīpa (द्वीप). The next route started from Masulipatam and went across Bay
of Bengal to the Eastern Peninsula.

48
Indian Boat, From Rajrajeswar Temple, Kototlpur, Hooghly, West Bengal, 1694 CE. Photo by Partha
Sanyal. Second map is from the paper “Austronesian Shipping in the Indian Ocean: From Outrigger Boats
to Trading Ships” (2016).

49
This was the most direct route for Yavadvipa (Java), Suvarṇadvipa (Sumatra ), Champā
(Annam) and Kamboja (Cambodia). As this route was through the high seas, a special type of
ship known as colandia was required.
Ptolemy informs us about another route, which was generally adopted by the traders of
Kalinga. The ships starting from Polura (modern Gopalpur), near the mouth of the Ganjam,
crossed the Bay of Bengal for the Eastern Peninsula in the Far East.
For the traders of Mathura, Kausambi, Vārāṇasi and Campa the most convenient port was
Tamralipti. From Tamralipti the ships sailed on the open sea for Suvarnabhumi and other
countries like Yavadvipa, Campā and Kamboja.
When a regular sea-route between India and China became popular, the port of Tamralipti
(Tamluk in West Bengal) became the most suitable port for a trader from China trading with
North India. A trade mission from Funan, for India, in the 1st c. CE, actually landed on the
port of Tamralipti.
Around the same period, in the 6th to 7th centuries (501–700 CE), the Kalingga
Kingdom was established in Central Java northern coast, mentioned in Chinese account. The
name of this kingdom was derived from ancient Indian kingdom of Kalinga, which suggest
the ancient link between India and Indonesia. Sadhabas (or Sadhavas) were
ancient mariners from the Kalinga region, which roughly corresponds to modern Odisha,
India. They used ships called Boitas to travel to distant lands such as South-East Asia to carry
out trade.The early hours of Kartik Purnima (the full moon day in October and November)
was considered an auspicious occasion by the Sadhabas to begin their long
voyages. Coconuts, earthenware, sandalwood, cloth, lime, rice, spices, salt, cloves, pumpkins,

50
silk sarees, betel leaves, betel nuts, elephants, precious and semi-precious stones were the
main items of trade. Even women went on voyages as well and were known as Sadhabanis -
Odia navigators were instrumental in
spreading Buddhism and Hinduism in East and Southeast Asia. In addition, they
disseminated knowledge of Indian architecture, epics such as the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata, Brahmic scripts writing system and Sanskrit loan words which are present
in many Southeast Asian languages from different language families such
as Khmer, Thai, Cham, Balinese etc.Maritime trade declined only in the 16th century, with
the decline of the Gajapati Empire.

The political history of Indonesian archipelago during the 7th to 11th (601–1100 CE) around
centuries was dominated by Srivijaya based in Sumatra and Sailendra that dominated
southeast Asia based in Java and constructed Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in
the world. The history prior of the 14th and 15th centuries (1301–1500 CE) is not well known
due to the scarcity of evidence. By the 15th century (1401–1500 CE), two major states
dominated this period; Majapahit in East Java, the greatest of the pre-Islamic Indonesian
states, and Malacca on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, arguably one of the greatest of
the Muslim trading empires, this marked the rise of Muslim states in the Indonesian
archipelago.
Mataram

51
Sewu temple in Special Region of Yogyakarta//Prambanan in Java was built during the Sanjaya
dynasty of Mataram Kingdom; it is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia.
Mataram Empire
Mataram Empire, sometimes referred to as Mataram Kingdom, was an Indianized
kingdom based in Central Java around modern-day Yogyakarta between the 8th and 10th
centuries. The kingdom was ruled by the Sailendra dynasty, and later by the Sanjaya dynasty.
The centre of the kingdom was moved from central Java to East Java by Mpu Sindok. An
eruption of the volcano Mount Merapi in 929, and political pressure from Sailendrans based
in the Srivijaya Empire may have caused the move. The first king of Mataram, Sri Sanjaya,
left inscriptions in stone. The monumental Hindu temple of Prambanan in the vicinity of
Yogyakarta was built by Pikatan. Dharmawangsa ordered the translation of
the Mahabharata into Old Javanese in 996.
In the period 750 CE – 850 CE, the kingdom saw the blossoming of classical Javanese art and
architecture. A rapid increase in temple construction occurred across the landscape of its
heartland in Mataram (Kedu and Kewu Plain). The most notable temples constructed in
Mataram are Kalasan, Sewu, Borobudur and Prambanan. The Empire had become the
supreme power not only in Java but also over Srivijayan Empire, Bali, southern Thailand,
some Philippine kingdoms, and Khmer in Cambodia.
Later in its history, the dynasty divided into two dynasties based on their own religion,
the Buddhist and Shivaist dynasties. Civil war was unavoidable and the outcome was
Mataram Empire divided into two powerful kingdom based on region and religion.
The Shivaist dynasty of Mataram kingdom in Java led by Rakai Pikatan and the Buddhist
dynasty of Srivijaya kingdom in Sumatra led by Balaputradewa. The hostility between them
didn't end until in 1006 when the Sailendran based in Srivijaya kingdom incited rebellion by
Wurawari, vassal of Mataram kingdom and sacked Shivaist dynasty's capital in Watugaluh,
Java. Srivijaya kingdom rose into undisputed hegemonic Empire in the era as the result. Yet
the Shivaist dynasty survived and successfully reclaimed the east Java in 1019 then
descended to Kahuripan kingdom led by Airlangga son of Udayana of Bali.
The Sanjaya–Shailendra relationship has been uncertain. Poerbatjaraka theorized that there
was no distinct Sanjaya dynasty and one dynasty, Shailendra, ruled central Java. The
kingdom was called Mataram (Javanese: mātaram), with its capital in the Mataram]] area.
Sanjaya and his offspring belonged to the Shailendra family, who were initially Shaivist.
Another theory suggests that the Sanjaya dynasty was forced into northern Java by the
Shailendra dynasty, which emerged around 778. Evidence for this event is based on
the Kalasan inscription. The Sanjaya and Shailendra dynasties co-existed during this period
in central Java, which was characterized by peace and cooperation.
The association of Shailendra with Mahayana Buddhism began after the conversion of Raja
Sankhara (Rakai Panaraban or Panangkaran) to Buddhism. [3] Later Shailendran kings,
successors of Panangkaran, also became followers of Mahayana Buddhism and gave it royal
patronage in Java until the end of Samaratungga's reign. This theory is based on the Raja
Sankhara inscription (now missing), the Sojomerto inscription, and the Carita
Parahyangan manuscript. Shaivism regained royal patronage again from the reign
of Pikatan to the end of the Mataram Kingdom.
The Shailendra family used the Old Malay language in some of their inscriptions, which
suggests the dynasty's origin in Sumatra and their connections with Srivijaya. This theory
posits that the Shailendras, with their strong connections to Srivijaya, gained control of

52
central Java and ruled the rakais (local Javanese lords); this included the Sanjaya,
incorporating the dynasty's kings into their bureaucracy. The dynastic court was apparently in
the southern Kedu Plain, near Magelang (north of Yogyakarta).
The Javanese kingdoms maintained a close relationship with the Champa polities of mainland
Southeast Asia as early as the Sanjaya dynasty. Like the Javanese, the Chams are
an Austronesian people. An example of their relationship can be seen in the architecture of
Cham temples, which share a number of similarities with temples in central Java built during
the Sanjaya dynasty.
Crown prince Rakai Pikatan married Pramodhawardhani (833–856), a daughter of the
Shailendra king Samaratungga. The influence of the Hindu Sanjaya began to replace the
Buddhist Shailendra in Mataram. Rakai Pikatan overthrew King Balaputra, son
of Samaratungga and the brother of Pramodhawardhani. In 850, the Sanjaya dynasty became
the sole ruler in Mataram. This ended the Shailendra presence in central Java and Balaputra
retreated to rule in Srivijaya, Sumatra.
Information about the Sanjaya dynasty is also found in the 907 Balitung inscription; when a
ruler died, he assumed a divine form. From this inscription, scholars estimated the sequence
of the Sanjaya kings:[5]: 88–89, 91, 92, 108, 126–127

 Sanjaya (732–760)
 Panangkaran (760–780)
 Panungalan (780–800)
 Samaragrawira(Rakai Warak) (800–819)
 Rakai Garung (819–838)
 Rakai Pikatan (838–850)
 Rakai Kayuwangi (850–898), also known as Lokapala
 Balitung (898–910)
During the Sanjaya dynasty, classic Javanese literature blossomed. Translations and
adaptations of classic Hindu literature into Old Javanese were produced, such as the Kakawin
Ramayana. Around the 850s, Pikatan began construction of the Prambanan temple in central
Java; it was later completed and expanded by King Balitung. The Prambanan temple complex
is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia, rivaling Borobudur (the
world's largest Buddhist temple).
Sanjaya kings after Balitung were:

 Daksa (910–919)
 Tulodong (919–924)
 Wawa (924–929)
 Mpu Sindok (929–947)
In 929, Mpu Sindok moved the Mataram court from central Java to eastern Java for unclear
reasons. Possible causes include an eruption of the Merapi volcano, a power struggle, or
political pressure from the Shailendra dynasty in the Srivijaya Empire. The move to eastern
Java marked the end of the Sanjaya dynasty, and it was followed by the Isyana dynasty.
Srivijaya-Sriwijaya was a kingdom on Sumatra which influenced much of the Maritime
Southeast Asia. From the 7th century, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished as a
result of trade and the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism that were imported with
it.Srivijaya was centred in the coastal trading centre of present-day Palembang. Srivijaya was

53
not a "state" in the modern sense with defined boundaries and a centralised government to
which the citizens own allegiance. Rather Srivijaya was a confederacy form of society
centred on a royal heartland. It was a thalassocracy and did not extend its influence far
beyond the coastal areas of the islands of Southeast Asia. Trade was the driving force of
Srivijaya just as it is for most societies throughout history. The Srivijayan navy controlled the
trade that made its way through the Strait of Malacca.

The territory of the Srivijaya empire. Historically, Srivijaya was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia//The

depiction of Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa, the first king of Srivijaya

By the 7th century, the harbours of various vassal states of Srivijaya lined both coasts of the
Straits of Melaka. Around this time, Srivijaya had established suzerainty over large areas of
Sumatra, western Java, and much of the Malay Peninsula. Dominating the Malacca
and Sunda straits, the empire controlled both the Spice Route traffic and local trade. It
remained a formidable sea power until the 13th century. This spread the ethnic Malay culture
throughout Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and western Borneo. A stronghold of Mahayana
Buddhism, Srivijaya attracted pilgrims and scholars from other parts of Asia.
The relation between Srivijaya and the Chola Empire of south India was friendly during the
reign of Raja Raja Chola I but during the reign of Rajendra Chola I the Chola Empire
attacked Srivijaya cities. A series of Chola raids in the 11th century weakened the Srivijayan
hegemony and enabled the formation of regional kingdoms based, like Kediri, on intensive
agriculture rather than coastal and long-distance trade. Srivijayan influence waned by the
11th century. The island was in frequent conflict with the Javanese kingdoms,
first Singhasari and then Majapahit. Islam eventually made its way to the Aceh region of
Sumatra, spreading its influence through contacts with Arabs and Indian traders. By the late
13th century, the kingdom of Pasai in northern Sumatra converted to Islam. The last
inscription dates to 1374, where a crown prince, Ananggavarman, is mentioned. Srivijaya
ceased to exist by 1414, when Parameswara, the kingdom's last prince, fled to Temasik, then
to Malacca. Later his son converted to Islam and founded the Sultanate of Malacca on the
Malay peninsula.

54
Map of the expansion of the Srivijaya empire, beginning in Palembang in the 7th century,
then extending to most of Sumatra, then expanding to Java, Riau Islands, Bangka
Belitung, Singapore, Malay Peninsula (also known as: Kra Peninsula), Thailand, Cambodia,
South Vietnam, Kalimantan, Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, and ended as the Kingdom
of Dharmasraya in Jambi in the 13th century.
Srivijaya was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-
day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia.[4] Srivijaya was an important
centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th to the 11th century AD. Srivijaya was the
first polity to dominate much of western Maritime Southeast Asia. Due to its location,
Srivijaya developed complex technology utilizing maritime resources. In addition, its
economy became progressively reliant on the booming trade in the region, thus transforming
it into a prestige goods-based economy.
The earliest reference to it dates from the 7th century. A Tang dynasty Chinese monk, Yijing,
wrote that he visited Srivijaya in year 671 for six months.[6][7] The earliest known inscription
in which the name Srivijaya appears also dates from the 7th century in the Kedukan Bukit
inscription found near Palembang, Sumatra, dated 16 June 682.[8] Between the late 7th and
early 11th century, Srivijaya rose to become a hegemon in Southeast Asia. It was involved in
close interactions, often rivalries, with the neighbouring Mataram, Khmer and Champa.
Srivijaya's main foreign interest was nurturing lucrative trade agreements with China which
lasted from the Tang to the Song dynasty. Srivijaya had religious, cultural and trade links
with the Buddhist Pala of Bengal, as well as with the Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East.
Although it was once thought of as a maritime empire, new research on available records
suggests that Srivijaya was primarily a land-based polity rather than a maritime power, fleets
were available but acted as logistical support to facilitate the projection of land power. In
response to the change in the maritime Asian economy, and threatened by the loss of its

55
dependencies, the kingdoms around the Malacca Straits developed a naval strategy to delay
their decline. The naval strategy of the kingdoms around the Malacca Strait was mainly
punitive; this was done to coerce trading ships to be called to their port. Later, the naval
strategy degenerated to raiding fleet.
The kingdom ceased to exist in the 1025 CE after several raids were launched by Chola
empire upon their ports. After Srivijaya fell, it was largely forgotten. It was not until 1918
that French historian George Cœdès, of l'École française d'Extrême-Orient, formally
postulated its existence.
Srivijaya is a Sanskrit-derived name: वि
विजय
री , Śrīvijaya. Śrī[12] means
रीजयरी "fortunate",
[
"prosperous", or "happy" and Vijaya means "victorious" or "excellence".Thus, the combined
word Srivijaya means "shining victory", "splendid triumph", "prosperous victor", "radiance of
excellence" or simply "glorious". According to the Kedukan Bukit inscription, dated 605
Saka (683), Srivijaya was first established in the vicinity of today's Palembang, on the banks
of Musi River. It mentions that Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa came from Minanga Tamwan.
The exact location of Minanga Tamwan is still a subject of discussion. The Palembang theory
as the place where Srivijaya was first established was presented by Cœdes and supported by
Pierre-Yves Manguin. Soekmono, on the other hand, argues that Palembang was not the
capital of Srivijaya and suggests that the Kampar River system in Riau where the Muara
Takus temple is located as Minanga Tamwan.
Other than the Kedukan Bukit inscription and other Srivijayan inscriptions, immediately to
the west of modern Palembang city, a quantity of artefacts have been revealed through
archaeological surveys commenced since the 20th century. Artefacts unearthed includes large
amount of Chinese ceramics and Indian rouletted ware remains, also the ruins of stupa at the
foot of Bukit Seguntang. Furthermore, a significant number of Hindu-Buddhist statuary has
been recovered from the Musi River basin. These discoveries reinforce the suggestion that
Palembang was the center of Srivijaya. Nevertheless, Palembang left little archaeological
traces of ancient urban settlement. This is probably because of the nature of Palembang
environment — a low-lying plain which frequently flooded by Musi River. Expert suggests
that the ancient Palembang settlement was formed as a collection of floating houses made
from thatched materials, such as wood, bamboo and straw roof. The 13th century Chinese
account confirmed this; in his Zhu Fan Zhi, Zhao Rukuo mentioned, "The residents of Sanfo-
tsi (Srivijaya) live scattered outside the city on the water, within rafts lined with reeds." It
was probably only Kedatuan (king's court) and religious structures were built on land, while
the people live in floating houses along Musi River.

Early 20th-century historians who studied the inscriptions of Sumatra and the neighboring
islands thought that the term "Srivijaya" referred to a king's name. In 1913, H. Kern was the
first epigraphist that identified the name "Srivijaya" written in a 7th-century Kota Kapur
inscription (discovered in 1892). However, at that time he believed that it referred to a king
named "Vijaya", with "Sri" as an honorific title for a king or ruler.[15]
The Sundanese manuscript of Carita Parahyangan, composed around the late 16th century
in West Java, vaguely mentioned about the name "Sang Sri Wijaya". The manuscript
describes princely hero that rose to be a king named Sanjaya that — after he secured his rule
in Java — was involved in battle with the Malayu and Keling against their king Sang Sri
Wijaya.
Subsequently, after studying local stone inscriptions, manuscripts and Chinese historical
accounts, historians concluded that the term "Srivijaya" was actually referred to

56
a polity or kingdom. The main concern is to define Srivijaya's amorphous statehood as
a thalassocracy, which dominated a confederation of semi autonomous harbour cities in
Maritime Southeast Asia.

Talang Tuwo inscription, discovered in Bukit

Seguntang area, tells the establishment of the sacred Śrīksetra park.
Little physical evidence of Srivijaya remains.[17] There had been no continuous knowledge of
the history of Srivijaya even in Indonesia and Maritime Southeast Asia; its forgotten past has
been resurrected by foreign scholars. Contemporary Indonesians, even those from the area
of Palembang (around where the kingdom was based), had not heard of Srivijaya until the
1920s. The Srivijayan historiography was acquired, composed and established from two
main sources: the Chinese historical accounts and the Southeast Asian stone inscriptions that
have been discovered and deciphered in the region. The Buddhist pilgrim Yijing's account is
especially important in describing Srivijaya, when he visited the kingdom in 671 for six
months. The 7th-century siddhayatra inscriptions discovered in Palembang and Bangka
Island are also vital primary historical sources. Also, regional accounts that some might be
preserved and retold as tales and legends, such as the Legend of the Maharaja of Zabaj and
the Khmer King also provide a glimpse of the kingdom. Some Indian and Arabic accounts
also vaguely describe the riches and fabulous fortune of the king of Zabag. It's likely that the
Zabag-Khmer story was based on Javanese overlordship over Cambodia.
Srivijaya, and by extension Sumatra, had been known by different names to different peoples.
The Chinese called it Sanfotsi, Sanfoqi or Che-li-fo-che (Shilifoshi), and there was an even
older kingdom of Kantoli, which could be considered the predecessor of
Srivijaya. The Arabs called it Zabag or Sribuza and the Khmers called it Melayu.[21] While
the Javanese called them Suvarnabhumi, Suvarnadvipa, Melayu, or Malayu. This is another
reason why the discovery of Srivijaya was so difficult. [21] While some of these names are
strongly reminiscent of the name of Java, there is a distinct possibility that they may have
referred to Sumatra instead.
Palembang and its relevance to the early Malay state suffered a great deal of controversy in
terms of its evidence build-up through the archaeological record. Strong historical evidence
found in Chinese sources, speaking of city-like settlements as early as 700 AD, and
later Arab travelers, who visited the region during the 10th and 11th centuries, held written
proof, naming the kingdom of Srivijaya in their context. As far as early state-like polities in
the Malay Archipelago, the geographical location of modern Palembang was a possible
candidate for the 1st-millennium kingdom settlement like Srivijaya as it is the best described
and most secure in historical context, its prestige was apparent in wealth and urban
characteristics, and the most unique, which no other 1st-millennium kingdom held, was its
location in junction to three major rivers, the Musi River, the Komering River, and the Ogan
River. The historical evidence was contrasted in 1975 with publications by Bennet Bronson
and Jan Wisseman. Findings at certain major excavation sites, such as Geding Suro,
Penyaringan Air Bersih, Sarang Wati, and Bukit Seguntang, conducted in the region played

57
major roles in the negative evidence of the 1st-millennium kingdom in the same region. It
was noted that the region contained no locatable settlements earlier than the middle of the
second millennium.
Lack of evidence of southern settlements in the archaeological record comes from the
disinterest in the archeologist and the unclear physical visibility of the settlement themselves.
Archeology of the 1920s and 1930s focused more on art and epigraphy found in the regions.
Some northern urban settlements were sited due to some overlap in fitting the sinocentric
model of city-state urban centers. An approach to differentiate between urban settlements in
the southern regions from the northern ones of Southeast Asia was initiated by a proposition
for an alternative model. Excavations showed failed signs of a complex urban center under
the lens of a sinocentric model, leading to parameters of a new proposed model. Parameters
for such a model of a city-like settlement included isolation in relevance to its hinterland. No
hinterland creates for low archaeological visibility. The settlement must also have access to
both easy transportation and major interregional trade routes, crucial in a region with few
resources. Access to the former and later played a major role in the creation of an extreme
economic surplus in the absence of an exploited hinterland. The urban center must be able to
organize politically without the need for ceremonial foci such as temples, monuments and
inscriptions. Lastly, habitations must be impermanent, being highly probable in the region
Palembang and of southern Southeast Asia. Such a model was proposed to challenge city
concepts of ancient urban centers in Southeast Asia and basic postulates themselves such as
regions found in the South, like Palembang, based their achievements in correlation with
urbanization.
Due to the contradicting pattern found in southern regions, like Palembang, in 1977 Bennet
Bronson developed a speculative model for a better understanding of coastal-oriented states
in Insular Southeast Asia, such as insular and peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, and
western Indonesia. Its main focus was the relationship of political, economic and
geographical systems. The general political and economic pattern of the region seems
irrelevant to other parts of the world of their time, but in correlation with their maritime trade
network, it produced high levels of socio-economic complexity. He concluded, from his
earlier publications in 1974 that state development in this region developed much differently
than the rest of early Southeast Asia. Bronson's model was based on the dendritic patterns of
a drainage basin where its opening leads out to sea. Being that historical evidence places the
capital in Palembang, and in junction of three rivers, the Musi River, the Komering River,
and the Ogan River, such model can be applied. For the system to function appropriately,
several constraints are required. The inability for terrestrial transportation results in
movements of all goods through water routes, lining up economical patterns with the
dendritic patterns formed by the streams. The second being the overseas center is
economically superior to the ports found at the mouth of the rivers, having a higher
population and a more productive and technologically advanced economy. Lastly, constraints
on the land work against and do not developments of urban settlements.
An aerial photograph taken in 1984 near Palembang (in what is now Srivijaya Archaeological
Park) revealed the remnants of ancient man-made canals, moats, ponds, and artificial islands,
suggesting the location of Srivijaya's urban centre. Several artefacts such as fragments of
inscriptions, Buddhist statues, beads, pottery and Chinese ceramics were found, confirming
that the area had, at one time, dense human habitation.[29] By 1993, Pierre-Yves Manguin had
shown that the centre of Srivijaya was along the Musi River between Bukit Seguntang and
Sabokingking (situated in what is now Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia). Palembang is
called 'Giant Harbour', this is probably a testament of its history as once a great port.

58
The recent troves discovered from the muddy sediments in the bottom of Musi river seems to
confirms that Palembang was indeed the commercial centre of Srivijaya kingdom. In 2021
numbers of treasures were surfaced from shallows and riverbed by local fishermen that turns
to be treasure divers. The troves includes coins of certain periods, gold jewelries, Buddhist
statues, gems, colourful beads, and Chinese ceramic fragments. However, these troves are
immediately lost for the historical knowledge, since local treasure hunters immediately has
sold them to international antiquities dealers before archaeologists can properly study
them. These discoveries has led to the treasure rush in Musi river in 2021, where locals has
formed groups of treasure divers operating in some parts of Musi river in and around
Palembang.
Jambi

Muaro Jambi Buddhist temple

compound, a possible location of Srivijaya's religious center
Some scholar argues that the centre of Srivijaya was located in Muaro Jambi, and not
Palembang as many previous writers suggested. In 2013, archaeological research led by
the University of Indonesia discovered several religious and habitation sites at the Muaro
Jambi Temple Compounds, suggesting that the initial centre of Srivijaya was located
in Muaro Jambi Regency, Jambi on the Batang Hari River, rather than on the originally-
proposed Musi River. The archaeological site includes eight excavated temple sanctuaries
and covers about 12 square kilometers, and stretches 7.5 kilometers along the Batang Hari
River, while 80 mounds (menapos) of temple ruins, are not yet restored. The Muaro Jambi
archaeological site was Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist in nature, which suggests that the site
served as a Buddhist learning center, connected to the 10th century famous Buddhist
scholar Suvarṇadvipi Dharmakīrti. Chinese sources also mentioned that Srivijaya hosts
thousands of Buddhist monks.
Compared to Palembang, Muaro Jambi has richer archaeological sites, i.e. multiple red brick
temples and building structures along the Batang Hari river. On the other hand, no
comparable temple or building structure ever discovered in Palembang. The proponent of
Muaro Jambi theory as Srivijaya's capital pointing out that the descriptions written by I-
Tsing and Chau Ju-kua, the description of Srivijaya realms by the Cholas, also the
archaeological findings, suggests that the Srivijaya capital fits Muaro Jambi's environs better
than the marshy Palembang. The study also compares the environs, geographical location,
and the economic wealth of both cities; arguing that Jambi, located on the mouth of Batang
Hari river basin with its connection to Minangkabau hinterland was the centre of gold trade in
the area,that described as the fabulous wealth of Srivijaya.

59
Central Java
In the second half of the eighth century, the Srivijayan mandala seem to have been ruled by
the Sailendra dynasty of Central Java. Several Arabic sources mentioned that Zabag (the
Javanese Sailendra dynasty) ruled over Sribuza (Srivijaya), Kalah (a place in the Malay
peninsula, probably Kedah), and Ramni (a place in Sumatra, probably Lambri). However, it
was unknown whether Srivijaya's capital has moved to Java or Srivijaya simply became a
subordinate of Java
Other places
Another theory suggests that Dapunta Hyang came from the east coast of the Malay
Peninsula, and that the Chaiya District in Surat Thani Province, Thailand, was the centre of
Srivijaya.[39] The Srivijayan Period is referred to as the time when Srivijaya ruled over
present-day southern Thailand. In the region of Chaiya, there is clear evidence of Srivijayan
influence seen in artwork inspired by Mahayana Buddhism. Because of the large amount of
remains, such as the Ligor stele, found in this region, some scholars attempted to prove
Chaiya as the capital rather than Palembang. This period was also a time for art. The
Buddhist art of the Srivijayan Kingdom was believed to have borrowed from Indian styles
like that of the Dvaravati school of art.[41] Some scholars believe that Chaiya probably comes
from Srivijaya. It was a regional capital in the Srivijaya empire. Some Thai historians argue it
was the capital of Srivijaya itself, but this is generally discounted.
Formation and growth
Siddhayatra

The Kedukan Bukit inscription displayed in the National

Museum of Indonesia
Around the year 500, the roots of the Srivijayan empire began to develop around present-
day Palembang, Sumatra. The Kedukan Bukit inscription (683)—considered as the oldest
inscription related to the kingdom of Srivijaya, discovered on the banks of the Tatang River
near the Karanganyar site, states about the "glorious Srivijaya", a kadatuan (kingdom or
polity) which was founded by Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa and his retinue. He had embarked
on a sacred siddhayatra journey and led 20,000 troops and 312 people in boats with 1,312
foot soldiers from Minanga Tamwan to Jambi and Palembang. Many of this armed forces
gathered under the Srivijayan rule would have been the sea people, referred to generally as
the orang laut. In establishing its power, Srivijaya had first to consolidate its position in
Southeast Sumatra, which at that time consists of numbers of quasi-independent polities ruled
by local Datus (chieftain).
From the Old Malay inscriptions, it is notable that Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa launched a
maritime conquest in 684 with 20,000 men in the siddhayatra journey to acquire wealth,
power, and 'magical powers'. Under the leadership of Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa,
the Melayu Kingdom became the first kingdom to be integrated into Srivijaya. This possibly
occurred in the 680s. Melayu, also known as Jambi, was rich in gold and held in high esteem

60
at the time. Srivijaya recognised that the submission of Melayu would increase its own
prestige.
The empire was organised in three main zones: the estuarine capital region centred
on Palembang, the Musi River basin which served as a hinterland, and competitor estuarine
areas capable of forming competitor power centres. The areas upstream of the Musi
River were rich in various commodities valuable to Chinese traders. The capital was
administered directly by the ruler, while the hinterland remained under local datus or tribal
chiefs, who were organised into a network of alliances with the Srivijaya maharaja or king.
Force was the dominant element in the empire's relations with competitor river systems such
as the Batang Hari River, centred in Jambi.
The Telaga Batu inscription, discovered in Sabokingking, eastern Palembang, is also
a siddhayatra inscription, from the 7th century. This inscription was very likely used in a
ceremonial sumpah (allegiance ritual). The top of the stone is adorned with seven nāga heads,
and on the lower portion there is a type of water spout to channel liquid that was likely
poured over the stone during a ritual. The ritual included a curse upon those who commit
treason against Kadatuan Srivijaya.
The Talang Tuwo inscription is also a siddhayatra inscription. Discovered in Seguntang Hill,
western Palembang, this inscription tells about the establishment of the
bountiful Śrīksetra garden endowed by King Jayanasa of Srivijaya for the well-being of all
creatures. It is likely that the Seguntang Hill site was the location of the Śrīksetra garden.

IV
Srivijaya: Vanished Great Mandala

61
SRIVIJAYA IN A NUTSHELL
Fast Facts

1. Name: Srivijaya Empire

2. Origin: Unified Indianized kingdoms that established economic control over the
Straits of Malacca
3. Language: Ancient Malay
4. Religion: Buddhism (minor Hinduism)

Era: 7th-13th Centuries CE

Location: Centered on Sumatra, Java, and Peninsular Malaysia.

Capital: Palembang

Decline: Attacks from the Chola dynasty weakened Srivijaya and they were soon
replaced by more powerful Javanese kingdoms.

Glossary
Buddhism
Dharmic religion centered on the belief of karma and release from the cycle of reincarnation.
Based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
Cham
Austronesian ethnic group native to Southeast Asia that once controlled the Hindu Champa
civilization in the region of modern Vietnam. Today, the Cham people are a minority in
Vietnam and largely practice Islam.
Champa
An Indianized Hindu kingdom in ancient Vietnam known for constructing Tháp Chàm, their
iconic Cham Towers dedicated to Shiva and other Hindu deities.
Chenla Kingdom
Early period (6th-9th Centuries CE) of independent Khmer states before being united into the
Khmer Empire by Jayavarman II.
Dvaravati
Mon-Burmese ethnic group based in modern Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. Responsible for the
introduction of Buddhism (Theravada sect) to Thailand.
Hinduism
Dharmic religion centered on the belief of karma and release from the cycle of reincarnation.
It stems from Vedic teachings and one of the oldest extant religions in the world.
Khmer Empire
Hindu-Buddhist kingdom which ruled much of Southeast Asia from their capital at Angkor.
Strait of Malacca
Narrow waterway between Sumatra and the Malaysian Peninsula that has been one of the
busiest shipping lanes in the world throughout history.
Srivijaya Empire
Empire based in Sumatra which controlled or influenced Buch of the Malay archipelago circa
600-1200 CE.
thalassocracy
A maritime society that uses its navy to project power.

62
Vajrayana Buddhism
Sect of Buddhism that embraces tantric practices and mysticism.

Cultural Profile: Srivijaya, Maritime Empire of

Ancient

B rief history of the Srivijaya Empire, a maritime power based in Sumatra that
controlled ancient Indonesia and the China-India trade routes.

The Straits of Malacca are often cities as the busiest commercial shipping route on Earth. Fly
into any major airport along the Straits of Malacca today — be it Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,
or Penang — and you will see the narrow strip of water (2.8 km at its narrowest) filled with
dozens to hundreds of cargo ships.
This trend has remained unchanged for over 2000 years, when these waterways were also
used in transit between the cultural goliaths of China and India, and were ruled over by
the Srivijaya

Who Are the Srivijaya?

The Srivijaya empire was a thalassocracy (a seaborne empire) and a commercial sea-power
that thrived between the 8th and 13th centuries. A large portion of this empire is what is now
known as Indonesia. It was formed on the island of Sumatra, which had a strong influence on
Southeast Asia.

Srivijaya, also known as Sri Vijaya or Sriwijaya, was a Buddhist empire in Indonesia.
It was a seaborne empire and played an important role in the expansion of Buddhism
between the 8th and 12th centuries. It was a powerful state at one point in time due
to its excellent maritime resources and trade.
This article focuses on the complete history of the culture and civilization of the Srivijaya
empire. To know more about its historical background, religious practices, and rapid cultural
and economic growth, keep reading!

63
Origins of the Srivijaya
For well over 2000 years, the sea lanes between India and China have been maintained as a
vital commercial shipping route. Just as massive amounts of freighters pass trough the straits
surrouning Malaysian peninsula today, ancient traders would likewise make similar voyages
based on he predictable seasonal weather patterns.
Along the trade routes, small pockets of of locals began to adopt Indianized cultures, societal
structures, and belief systems. Along the Mainland Pacific coast, these included the Funan,
Champa, and Tambralinga, while on the Indian Ocean coast, kingdoms flourished along the
Straits of Malacca, including at Lembah Bujang in Northern Malaysia, and the Melayu
Kingdom of Sumatra, which would later evolve into Srivijaya.
It is believed that the empire began around the year 500 in Sumatra. According to the
Kedukan Bukit inscription, the empire of Srivijaya was founded by Dapunta Hyang Sri
Jayanasa. Under his leadership, a classical Malay Buddhist kingdom known as the Melayu
kingdom became the first to be integrated with Srivijaya.
The empire was the first major Indonesian kingdom and also its first commercial sea power.
It controlled the Strait of Malacca, and thereby the India-China trade route, gaining power
over much of the trade at sea.
Though there are not many historical records to support this theory, historians believe that by
the 7th century, the kingdom of Srivijaya had established suzerainty over many areas
belonging to Sumatra, Western Java, and the Malay peninsula.

Srivijaya Name Origins

“Srivijaya” is derived from the Sanskrit word, which translates to “fortunate,” “prosperous,”
“glorious,” and other synonymous words of triumph and happiness.
Historians believe that the empire may have been named after a king who shared the same
name, H. Kern, an epigraphist and linguist, believed that the term “Vijaya” might have
referred to a king’s name, with “Sri” being a title of respect.
The other variations in the spelling, such as Sri Vijaya and Sriwijaya, are based on the
Sundanese and Javanese pronunciations.

History of the Srivijaya Empire

Although the empire was a symbol of greatness and prosperity for many centuries, it
remained almost entirely forgotten after its disappearance in the 1200s.
Although Srivijaya left few archaeological remains, the discovery of this ancient and
powerful empire by the historian George Cœdès in the 1920s brought Indonesia’s former
glory to light. It was also a frame of reference for how ancient globalization, maritime trade,
and foreign relations had formed the Indonesian civilization.
In the 20th century, it was referred to by Indonesian nationalist intellectuals to prove the
Indonesian identity within the state before the establishment of the Dutch colonial state.

Trade and Economic Power

Sumatra was known as the ‘Land of Gold’ due to its richness in natural resources. It was a
source of cloves, camphor, tortoiseshell, pepper, aloeswood, and sandalwood, all of which
contributed to the empire’s growing business of trade.
Srivijaya was the first Indonesian commercial sea power. It drew most of its riches and power
from its considerable naval fleet and the maritime trade that fleet enabled. By the second half
of the 7th century, Srivijaya had become an important and wealthy Asian power.

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Srivijaya also controlled the Sunda and Malacca straits and remained an indisputable sea
power until the 13th century.

Conquests and Expansion of Srivijaya

Historians believe that the empire conquered most of southern Sumatra and the neighboring
islands as well. According to the inscriptions, the empire also launched a war against Java in
the late 7th century. By the end of the 8th century, many western Javanese kingdoms were
under the rule of the empire.
In the same century, Srivijaya managed to conquer Langkasuka on the Malay Peninsula.
Within no time, Pan Pan and Tambralinga also came under Srivijayan influence. All these
kingdoms on the peninsula transported goods across the peninsula’s isthmus.

The Srivijayans’ Exploration

Between the 9th and 12th centuries, explorers from the Srivijayan empire have gone in search
of new lands for trade and commercial development. Navigators, sailors, and traders engaged
in trade with Borneo, Philippines archipelago, Eastern Indonesia, coastal Indochina, and
Madagascar.
The migration to Madagascar is believed to have taken place around 830 CE. It is also
speculated that the settlers from Srivijaya may have colonized Madagascar.
The Srivijayan explorers reached Manila by the 10th century. A 10th-century Arab account
called Ajayeb al-Hind records an invasion in Africa. The invaders are believed to have been
the Malay people of Srivijaya. The main reason for this invasion was to acquire coveted
African commodities like ivory and tortoiseshell for the Asian market. It is also presumed
that they captured black slaves from Bantu tribes.

Geography of Srivijaya
The territories and cities controlled by Srivijaya were primed for easy access to the sea. Even
in their homeland of Sumatra, the rulers of Srivijaya paid little attention to the affairs of the
inland cultures. This seafaring nature instead brought them into contact with exotic. Cultures
more often than their inland neighbors, as well as spreading Sriviujayan influence was far out
as Philippines, and even Madagascar.

Srivijaya in Sumatra and Java

The maritime influence of Srivijaya was focused along the coastlines and riverways
extending inland. Beyond this, the rulers of Srivijaya did not concern themselves too deeply
with the affairs of their inland neighbors. Because of this, many inland cultures continued to
thrive apart from the Indianized states, such as the Batak culture around Lake Toba or the
megalithic culture of the Pasemah Highlands.

Meanwhile, Srivijaya had a strong relationship with Mataram, an inland culture based on
Java. Mataram had more in common with mainland contemporaries, such as Dvaravati, in
that they based their cultures on stable settlements and rice cultivations. They were also
monumental builders in a way that the Srivijaya were not.
The dynamic of the relationship between Mataram and Srivijaya is still debated, however,
they appears to be some periods where Mataram was also the dominant of the two.

Srivijaya in Mainland Southeast Asia

Although their center of power was in the islands of Sumatra and Java, Srivijaya had contact
with, influence over, and even conflicts with the contemporary cultures of Mainland
Southeast Asia. As their power expanded, many of the small and formerly independent

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kingdoms were brought under the control of Srivijaya, including Indianized states such as
Tambralinga, Chaiya, and Kedah in modern-day Thailand and Malaysia.
Evidence also exists of conflicts between Srivijaya and both the Champa Kingdom of
Vietnam and the pre-Angkorian Khmers (Chenla Kingdom) of Cambodia.

Srivijaya in China
Srivijaya was highly regarded as a both a powerful trade empire and bastion of Buddhism by
the Chinese. Buddhist pilgrims from China seeing to travel to their religion’s roots in India
would often pass through Srivijaya on their way. It was common practice for these pilgrims
to remain in Srivijaya for unto two years studying scriptures and learning the language.

Culture and Beliefs of the Srivijaya

The Srivijaya empire is known for its Buddhist religious beliefs and practices. Let’s look at
their complex cultural beliefs and how this formed their way of life and living.

Religious Beliefs
The kingdom was one of the most prominent religious centers in the region. The kings of
Srivijaya played a major part in the expansion and establishment of Buddhism in many places
that they conquered or interacted with, such as Java and the Malayasian Peninsula.
Pilgrims of any religion were encouraged to spend time interacting with the monks in the
capital city of Palembang, before heading for India.
The Srivijayan realm had numerous Buddhist temples. It is believed that these sites served as
monastic Buddhist learning centers, which students and scholars from all over Asia visited.
Historians are convinced that Palembang alone housed over 1000 monks who had dedicated
their lives to teaching and training traveling scholars in Buddhism.
One of the most popular forms of Buddhism in the empire was Vajrayana Buddhism. This
was a mystical form of the religion and involved supernatural powers through yantras. This
form of Buddhism originated in India but was possibly passed on to the empire because of
strong trade connections between the two regions.
The influence and the importance of Buddhism were so dominant at the time that an
inscription gives an account of how a particular king did his best to claim a role as a religious
figure because he believed associating himself with Buddhism would elevate his image and
popularity with the public.

Srivijaya Architecture
Unlike many of the other Indianized kingdoms in Southeast Asia, Srivijaya was not a culture
of monumental builders. There are some examples of refined brick Buddhist architecture,
such as the temple complex at the Muaro Jambi. However, most public and residential
buildings, and settlements in general, were not heavily fortified cities, but rather wooden
homes built either or with easy access to water.
Modern Palembang in Southern Sumatra was home to the ancient capital of Srivijaya.
Surrounding the city are hundreds of artificial canals and islands which have yodeled many
Srivijaya artifacts. Poopulating these canals today are wooden home that are built on stilts or
floating on the water, mirroring in many ways the way their Srivijaya ancestors once lived.

Srivijaya Artwork
Commercial trade flourished in the empire, and with that came the proliferation of art. Most
of the art was influenced by Buddhism in an attempt to spread the religion through the trade
of art. Furthermore, the art of Srivijaya was greatly influenced by the Indian art of the Gupta
and Pala empires.

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There were also numerous Buddhist sculptures that were discovered by archaeologists in
Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Additionally, Chinese artworks were very popular in the
kingdom, leading to an escalation in various art styles in pottery, fabrics, and silks.

What Happened to the Srivijaya?

By the 11th century, Srivijaya had been weakened due to continuous warfare with Java and
the Chola dynasty from India. The Cholas systematically plundered the Srivijayan ports along
the Malacca strait, until they captured the Srivijayan king in Palembang.
These attacks marked the beginning of the end of the empire. The empire slowly started to
lose its unity and began to fragment. Finally, it lost its remaining power in 1288, when the
Singhasari empire from East Java invaded their empire.
Despite its far-reaching influence, the empire quickly and suddenly disappeared into
obscurity.

Cities of the Srivijaya

1. Palembang
South Sumatra, Indonesia
GPS: -3.01485, 104.73436
2. Muaro Jambi (Jambi)
Jambi, Indonesia
GPS: -1.47763, 103.66707
3. Batujaya
Jakarta, Indonesia
GPS: -6.05634, 107.15491
4. Singapura (Singapore)
Singapore, Singapore
GPS: 1.34789, 103.87427
5. Tambralinga (Nakhon Si Thammarat)
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
GPS: 8.41206, 99.96645
6. Chaiya
Surat Thani, Thailand
GPS: 9.38461, 99.18544

Monuments of the Srivijaya

1. Borobudur
Central Java, Indonesia
GPS: -7.60721, 110.20334
2. Candi Muara Takus
Riau, Indonesia
GPS: 0.33456, 100.64098
3. Candi Muaro Jambi
Jambi, Indonesia
GPS: -1.47763, 103.66707
4. Candi Bahal Portibi Temples
North Sumatra, Indonesia
GPS: 1.40516, 99.73049

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 5. Wat Long
Surat Thani, Thailand
GPS: 9.38213, 99.19039

Thalassocracy

Srivijaya’s success was to create and then manage a system by which lesser monarchs
maintained their own status and local loyalty arrangements while conforming to the overall
interests of the Srivijayan monarchy. The concept of a Mandala was of a set of dependent
relationships in which rulers maintained their autonomy within a common interest
framework. It was at the heart of an Indian notion of kingship and government, a series of
concentric circles of fealty and obligation headed by one supreme leader. The pre-eminent
lord led by virtue of his accomplishments, while bonds with lesser nobles were cemented
through marriages.

The Srivijayan Mandala was based on the city’s geographical position dominating the
Melaka strait. From there it could control trade and ensure fair distribution of its revenues.
Dispersed entities had their own commercial interests and their own supplies of ships and
sailors. They paid tribute to Srivijaya; in return they enjoyed the benefits of being part of a
larger entity which could provide protection and trade access. Over time this loose hegemony
came to include all the trading ports of the peninsula, and those on the Gulf of Thailand and
Mekong delta, but Srivijaya was content to be first among nominal equals. It also ensured
that its own sailors, with their intimate knowledge of the rocks and shoals, were kept happy
with a fair share of trade income – otherwise they would resort to piracy.

Local rulers retained many of the characteristics of traditional Malay datus (chieftains), who
relied heavily on personal leadership qualities. But grafted on to this were Indian ideas about
the divine nature of kingship within an all-encompassing system of beliefs and codes. These
required the monarch to provide honest government and to attend to the welfare of his
subjects in return for their loyalty, which in turn would be rewarded…. A Persian writing in
Arabic in the tenth century noted that parrots in Palembang could speak many languages
including Arabic, Persian and Greek.

The Guangzhou Massacre

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Palembang also benefited commercially from the expansion of Arab and Persian trade with
China, while the Abbasid empire dominated its region and the Tang era was one of prosperity
in China. Srivijaya’s political clout probably waned as the Arabs used their own ships as well
as Nusantarian ones. Their merchants came to dominate trade – but they still needed
Srivijayan ports and sailors. So Srivijaya still collected its dues. After an initial interruption,
it also benefited from a massacre of foreign traders in Guangzhou in 878 that forced the
traders to move their bases to other ports.

The scale of the Guangzhou massacre, carried out by rebels opposing the Tang dynasty, gives
an idea of the size of the trade: it supported a foreign community that was several thousand
strong, comprising Muslim Arabs and Persians, Parsees, Jews, Hindus, and Greek, Armenian
and Nestorian Christians. A century earlier, in 758, Arab, Persian and other merchants had
plundered the city after being infuriated by the greed of Chinese officials. This followed an
incident in 684 when Kunlun merchants had killed the governor of Guangzhou. The series of
troubles illustrates both the wealth that trade generated and the weakness of Chinese imperial
control over a distant province where Sinicization was still far from complete….

The industrial scale of trade is shown in the wreck of a ninth century ship in the treacherous
waters near Belitung Island between Sumatra and Borneo. It carried 60,000 pieces of Chinese
ceramics probably destined for Basra. Mostly made to standard designs, some had Buddhist
motifs, others Islamic calligraphy. There were even ceramic pots inscribed under the glaze
with Manichean writing. This was a religion which had once thrived in Persia, central Asia
and western China and, though much reduced by competition and persecution, lingered on
until about the fourteenth century. China in turn bought cotton textiles from India, muslin and
damask from Syria, frankincense from Arabia and indigo, ivory, precious woods,

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tortoiseshell and aromatic oils from a variety of locations to the south and west. Although
maritime archaeological evidence of this is lacking, there are plenty of Chinese written
records.

Malagasy Genes and African Echoes

Language is the starting point for uncovering another forgotten manifestation of Nusantaria
and its intercontinental maritime role. It is the key to the solution of one of the mysteries of
the first millennium Ce: the first permanent human settlement of Madagascar. The island
marks the most westward expansion of Austronesian language and culture, its settlement
roughly coinciding with the Pacific push from Polynesia to New Zealand, Hawaii and Rapa
Nui (Easter Island).

The world’s fourth largest island at 592,000 square kilometres, Madagascar lies only 200
kilometres from the trading ports on the east coast of Africa and yet lay uninhabited by
humans until the arrival of Nusantarian seafarers from 7,000 kilometres away. This
remarkable feat has gone largely unrecorded in written history, so it can only be pieced
together from scientific evidence and inferences from Arab and other sources. Much else can
be inferred or guessed at, but with, as yet, limited proof.

Even the modern name ‘Madagascar’ (‘Madagasikara’ in the Malagasy language) has its
origin in ignorance and confusion. It was first used by the traveller Marco Polo, who never
went there. He confused it with Mogadishu, the trading port on the Somali coast, and
compounded the error with a corrupted transliteration.

The main settlement may have occurred during the period of Srivijayan ascendancy in
Nusantaria but does not appear to have been politically driven. All that is Malagasy Genes
and African Echoes known for sure is that the language of Madagascar is basically
Austronesian but with a significant number of words from the Bantu language from Africa,
and some from Indian and Arab sources. Language origin does not itself prove that people
from Nusantaria were the first settlers. But the genetic evidence does. The gene pool of the
island’s population today shows that it is of roughly 50 percent Nusantarian island origin….

Indian Ocean Trade Triangle

Nusantarian commerce in the western Indian Ocean did not suddenly vanish, leaving the
settlements cut off from their roots. Ships from Java and Sumatra continued to play a role in
Indian Ocean trade at least until the thirteenth century, not least in the slave trade. In the mid-
tenth century an Arab ship encountered off Mozambique a group of raiders described as
‘Waqwaq’. ‘Waqwaq’ was a vague term used by Arabs to denote peoples from the extreme
south or east, hence probably Nusantarian. (Waqwaq was the subject of myths about islands
where girls grew on trees.) East Africa was a source of slaves for hundreds of years, with the
Baghdad-based Abbasid empire the main market. The Zanj slaves became so numerous that
they became a major factor in the long-lasting anti-Abbasid rebellion which led to the sack of
Basra in 871. This horrific event was widely written about in near contemporary Arab
literature, including Muhammad el-Tabari’s History of Prophets and Kings and Muhammad
al-Biruni’s Chronology of Ancient Nations. Some slaves were even sold in China. A Chinese,
Zhu Yu, writing around 1100, recorded that wealthy people in Guangzhou employed what
they called ‘devil slaves’ from Africa…

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’Tremble and Obey: The Zheng He Voyages

China’s engagement with Nusantaria during the Yuan era has been overshadowed by the
attention given to the voyages of Zheng He in the early Ming dynasty. The seven voyages
between 1405 and 1433 of the fleets headed by Zheng’s so-called ‘Treasure Ships’ were
remarkable demonstrations of Chinese naval power. The voyages abruptly ceased as Ming
China became more concerned with internal and land border issues than with seas where they
faced no threats. But they did have a lasting impact on the Chinese trading and migration
presence across Nusantaria….

The fleets never failed to leave a mark and a message of Chinese power. It was power
wielded more benignly than by the Yuan dynasty even if the underlying assumption was that
non-Chinese must bow before the emperor – and so must Chinese settled in the region. The
sheer size and number of its ships was awe-inspiring. A mere envoy would never need a
heavily armed fleet. That he returned with ‘treasures’ such as a giraffe from Africa, not to
mention a vast collection of precious objects from other exotic places, also helped establish
the Zheng He voyages as memorable, particularly for Chinese, for centuries afterwards. Chau
Ju-kua had referred to the African coast, to Zanzibar and people with fuzzy hair, and gave
vague descriptions of zebras and giraffes. (10) A few individual Chinese had probably been
there previously on Arab or Nusantarian ships. But to go there and bring back these creatures
was more memorable, at least to later generations, than the rote messages of fealty to the
emperor.

Today, the voyages are often presented as peaceful exercises in exploration, diplomacy and
trade promotion. In reality the emperor’s goal was to make himself respected and feared
around the southern and western seas and emphasize the superiority of things Chinese. At the
same time, however, the emperor presented himself as an impartial peacemaker in dealing
with foreign states: ‘I do not differentiate between those here and those there.’ He was the

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father figure who issued orders to others not to fight each other, as in a directive to Cambodia
and Champa, ordering Siam not to harass Melaka. More broadly, as the Xuande emperor
claimed in 1429: ‘I serve Heaven by treating the people as my children. In the 10,000 states
within the four seas, I try to provide prosperity and abundance.’ The emperor’s sway was
mostly rhetoric, the succinct if empty expression of China’s sense of being above all others
and occasionally, as in the case of the voyages, given substance by the presence of Zheng
He’s large force. The purpose of that demonstration of power was insufficiently clear in
Beijing, however, leaving the Chinese at the time less impressed than the foreigners. This
was to be China’s last, until very recent, attempt to extend towards the tropical regions of
Nusantaria and the Indian Ocean. Dislike of the heat and humidity may have played a role,
reflecting an earlier imperial comment about deployment there:

“The government of our present dynasty, out of affection for the army and for the good of
humanity, deemed it advisable that our troops should no longer be kept in this pestilential
climate for the purpose of guarding such an unprofitable territory.”

The voyages contributed nothing to global knowledge of navigation, winds and currents.
Zheng He visited places that had already been in communication with each other for a
millennium. The Zheng He trade legacy is also debatable, because the voyages were just a
three-decade episode in a boom in Asian trade which began around 1400 and involved
Europe and the Muslim world as well as China, and to which Japan also contributed. But they
did make China itself more aware of the world and of the southern seas in particular. The
voyages helped development of Nusantarian trade with China in which the already
established Chinese Muslims, sometimes intermarried with other foreign Muslims as well as
local women, played a major role. These connections speeded the advance of Islam in the
archipelago as trade boomed during the following two centuries.

The ending of the Ming voyages has been seen as short-sighted and opening the way for
European entry into Nusantaria in the next century. But it was for legitimate economic
reasons: the cost of inducing tributes was far ahead of any possible gains from trade. Nor did
China face any obvious security threats from the southern seas, in contrast to the northern and
western frontiers. The end of the voyages did not mean the end of trade, which continued
thanks both to demand from a prospering China (and Europe) and the Chinese presence in the
ports of the mercantile zone. But it did mean the end, for the next 500 years, of China’s
attempts to control Nusantaria.

The Indian Ocean trade routes connected Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa,
beginning at least as early as the third century BCE. This vast international web of routes
linked all of those areas as well as East Asia (particularly China).
Long before Europeans "discovered" the Indian Ocean, traders from Arabia, Gujarat, and
other coastal areas used triangle-sailed dhows to harness the seasonal monsoon
winds. Domestication of the camel helped bring coastal trade goods such as silk, porcelain,
spices, incense, and ivory to inland empires, as well. Enslaved people were also traded.’

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Classic Period Indian Ocean Trading
During the classical era (4th century BCE–3rd century CE), major empires involved in the
Indian Ocean trade included the Achaemenid Empire in Persia (550–330 BCE), the Mauryan
Empire in India (324–185 BCE), the Han Dynasty in China (202 BCE–220 CE), and
the Roman Empire (33 BCE–476 CE) in the Mediterranean. Silk from China graced Roman
aristocrats, Roman coins mingled in Indian treasuries, and Persian jewels sparkled in
Mauryan settings.

Another major export item along the classical Indian Ocean trade routes was religious
thought. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism spread from India to Southeast Asia, brought by
merchants rather than by missionaries. Islam would later spread the same way from the 700s
CE on.

Indian Ocean Trade in the Medieval Era

During the medieval era (400–1450 CE), trade flourished in the Indian Ocean basin. The rise
of the Umayyad (661–750 CE) and Abbasid (750–1258) caliphates on the Arabian Peninsula
provided a powerful western node for the trade routes. In addition, Islam valued merchants—
the Prophet Muhammad himself was a trader and caravan leader—and wealthy Muslim cities
created an enormous demand for luxury goods.
Meanwhile, the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties in China also emphasized
trade and industry, developing strong trade ties along the land-based Silk Roads, and
encouraging maritime trade. The Song rulers even created a powerful imperial navy to
control piracy on the eastern end of the route.
Between the Arabs and the Chinese, several major empires blossomed based largely on
maritime trade. The Chola Empire (3rd century BCE–1279 CE) in southern India dazzled

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travelers with its wealth and luxury; Chinese visitors record parades of elephants covered
with gold cloth and jewels marching through the city streets. In what is now Indonesia,
the Srivijaya Empire (7th–13th centuries CE) boomed based almost entirely on taxing trading
vessels that moved through the narrow Malacca Straits. Even the Angkor civilization (800–
1327), based far inland in the Khmer heartland of Cambodia, used the Mekong River as a
highway that tied it into the Indian Ocean trade network.
For centuries, China had mostly allowed foreign traders to come to it. After all, everyone
wanted Chinese goods, and foreigners were more than willing to take the time and trouble of
visiting coastal China to procure fine silks, porcelain, and other items. In 1405, however,
the Yongle Emperor of China's new Ming Dynasty sent out the first of seven expeditions to
visit all of the empire's major trading partners around the Indian Ocean. The Ming treasure
ships under Admiral Zheng He traveled all the way to East Africa, bring back emissaries and
trade goods from across the region.
Europe Intrudes on the Indian Ocean Trade
In 1498, strange new mariners made their first appearance in the Indian Ocean. Portuguese
sailors under Vasco da Gama (~1460–1524) rounded the southern point of Africa
and ventured into new seas. The Portuguese were eager to join in the Indian Ocean trade
since European demand for Asian luxury goods was extremely high. However, Europe had
nothing to trade. The peoples around the Indian Ocean basin had no need for wool or fur
clothing, iron cooking pots, or the other meager products of Europe.
As a result, the Portuguese entered the Indian Ocean trade as pirates rather than
traders. Using a combination of bravado and cannons, they seized port cities like Calicut on
India's west coast and Macau, in southern China. The Portuguese began to rob and extort
local producers and foreign merchant ships alike. Still scarred by the Moorish Umayyad
conquest of Portugal and Spain (711–788), they viewed Muslims in particular as the enemy
and took every opportunity to plunder their ships.
In 1602, an even more ruthless European power appeared in the Indian Ocean: the Dutch
East India Company (VOC). Rather than insinuating themselves into the existing trade
pattern, as the Portuguese had done, the Dutch sought a total monopoly on lucrative spices
like nutmeg and mace. In 1680, the British joined in with their British East India Company,
which challenged the VOC for control of the trade routes. As the European powers
established political control over important parts of Asia, turning Indonesia, India, Malaya,
and much of Southeast Asia into colonies, reciprocal trade dissolved. Goods moved
increasingly to Europe, while the former Asian trading empires grew poorer and
collapsed. With that, the two-thousand-year-old Indian Ocean trade network was crippled, if
not completely destroyed.

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The Majapahit Empire: The Short Life of an Empire that Once Defeated the Mongols
The Mongols are perhaps best known as one of history’s greatest conquerors. As they
extended their borders, numerous empires were destroyed and dynasties replaced. Perhaps
less well-known is the Mongol (under Kublai Khan’s Yuan Dynasty of China) expedition to
Java. This expedition ended in a Mongol defeat, and gave rise to one of the last major
powers in the Southeast Asian region, the Majapahit Empire.
Usurpation and a Mixed Story
The story of the Majapahit Empire begins at the end of the 13th century AD in the
Singhasari Kingdom with Raden Wijaya (the founder of the Majapahit Empire), and
Jayakatwang (the last ruler of the Singhasari Kingdom). Raden Wijaya’s father-in-law was
Kertanegara, whose throne was usurped by Jayakatwang. Raden Wijaya, however, was
pardoned, and was given Trowulan in East Java. This site would later serve as the capital of
the Majapahit Empire. According to the Chinese sources, prior to Jayakatwang’s treachery,
Kertanegara had incurred the anger of Kublai Khan. Kertanegara had refused to pay tribute
to the Yuan Dynasty, mistreated the Yuan envoy, and even challenged Kublai Khan. As a
result, the Emperor decided to punish Kertanegara by dispatching 1000 ships to subdue his
kingdom.
The Javanese sources, however, paint an alternate picture. Instead of depicting Kertanegara
as refusing to pay tribute to the Mongols, the king is said to have been a friendly vassal. The
expedition sent by Kublai Khan to Java was not meant to punish Kertanegara, but to aid

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Raden Wijaya. This is because Raden Wijaya had sent an urgent envoy to the Emperor
requesting for aid against Jayakatwang. Furthermore, Raden Wijaya also promised to offer
Kublai Khan the pick of the most beautiful princesses in the Singhasari Kingdom

The Bajang Ratu Gate and Wringin Lawang, two examples of Majapahit Architecture,
Trowulan, East Java, Indonesia ( Wikimedia Commons )

Raden Wijaya Tricks and Defeats the Mongols

Regardless of the different versions of events, a Mongol expedition led by Shi-bi, Ike Mese
and Gaoxing was sent to Java in 1293. Raden Wijaya allied himself with the Mongol forces,
and defeated Jayakatwang. After this victory, Raden Wijaya was allowed to return to his
capital for the alleged purpose of preparing the tribute due to the Yuan Dynasty. Raden
Wijaya had no intention of becoming a vassal of the Mongols and decided to drive the
expedition force out of Java. He succeeded in doing so by launching a surprise attack on the
army’s camp. The demoralized Mongols withdrew to their ships and sailed back to China,
after losing over 3000 men.
Powerful Majapahit Empire
Raden Wijaya was crowned as the Majapahit Emperor, and the Empire began to expand
slowly. Additionally, due to its strategic position on the spice trade route, the Majapahit
Empire grew immensely wealthy by levying duties on goods shipped through its area of
control. The golden age of the Majapahit Empire, however, is said to have been during the
reign of Hayam Wuruk, the fourth ruler of the empire. Hayam Wuruk, who ruled from 1350
to 1389, was assisted by an equally formidable prime minister, Gajah Mada.

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Terracotta head believed to be a representation of Gajah Mada, Trowulan, East Java, Indonesia
RIGHTDeified portrayal of Raden Wijaya as Harihara (the half Shiva, half Krishna god). Jakarta, Indonesia
RIGHT The Rise of the Wealthy and Pura Maospahit "Majapahit Temple." Denpasar, Bali.

During his premiership, Gajah Mada had successfully added Bali, Java and Sumatra to the
Majapahit Empire. Although Gajah Mada died around 1364, the expansion of the empire
continued. By 1365, the entire Malay Archipelago, with the exception of Sri-Vijaya and two
of its colonies, were conquered by the Majapahit Empire. In 1377, Palembang, the capital of
Sri-Vijaya, fell to Hayam Wuruk’s troops. The Kingdom of Singapura, an offshoot of Sri-
Vijaya, was also later conquered. Nevertheless, this rival was not entirely destroyed, and its
descendants would later return to cause trouble to the Majapahit Empire.
The Short-Lived Majapahit Empire Falls
The Majapahit Empire was short-lived, as its power began to shortly after Hayam Wuruk’s
death. At the beginning of the 15th century AD, a war of succession that lasted for four
years broke out. At the same time, Islam was spreading in the region, and many kingdoms
were converting to this faith. Amongst these was the rising Sultanate of Malacca, founded
by the last Raja of Singapura.
Remaining as Hindu-Buddhists, the Majapahit Empire was unable to compete with its
Muslim neighbors, and continued to disintegrate, finally collapsing in either 1478 or the
early 16th century AD.

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Featured image: The northeastern corner of an Indonesian national monument. In this
section the Majapahit Empire is depicted including Gajah Mada at the nearest right. Jakarta,
Indonesia.

REFERENCES
. Szczepanski, Kallie. "Indian Ocean Trade Routes." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020,
thoughtco.com/indian-ocean-trade-routes-195514https://www.thoughtco. com/indian-
ocean-trade-routes-195514

https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Majapahit-Empire-
map.jpg?itok=r3-QtC0c By Ḏḥwty

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 ABOUT DR UDAY DOKRAS

© Dr. Uday Dokras-

DEAN
INDO NORDIC AUTHORS’ COLLECTIVE
Institute of International Historiography
B.Sc., B.A. (managerial economics) LL.B. Nagpur University, INDIA
Graduate Studies, Queen’s University,Kingston, CANADA
Graduate Diploma in Law & PhD, Stockholm University, SWEDEN
Vaastu and Astrology Consultant
6
Holder of the WORLD RECORDS
Highest number of research Papers and Books written
Hindu Temples
Buddhism
Vaastu
2 - Worldwide Book of Records

#1 x6
2 - Unique World Record
1-INDIA Book of RECORDS
1-Kalam Book of Records
700- BOOKS & 2400 RESEARCH PAPERS- in academia.edu.
3 million Readers as on 1 June, 2024.

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Dr.Uday Dokras, a leading historiographer, is Ranked as #1 in the world in SIX categories
for having written the highest number of books and research papers on-Vedic Architecture,
Dhamma, (including Borobudur Buddhism), Angkor Wat (Vrah Vishnuloka), Shivagriha at
Prambanan, Design elements of the ancient Kingdoms of Dvaravati and Vandan in Indo
China.

A senior management professional in HR domain prior to his retirement, he was Group Vice -
President of MZI Group in New Delhi and has anchored Human Relations in Go Air ( Go
Airlines India Pvt Ltd-Mumbai) , Hotel Holiday Inn; Lata Mangeshkar Hospital and Medical
College- amongst other corporate entities. Resident of Sweden for 12 years, where he studied
and worked, he anchored HR in Stadbolaget RENIA, SSSB.

He has studied in Nagpur for B. Sc. B.A. (Economics) and LLB.

He has done his Graduate Studies from Canada at the Queen's University, Kingston
He has a PhD, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Apart from that he has done a Management Training Program in Singapore.
A scholar of the Swedish Institute for 5 years, he has been an Edvard Cassel Fund and
Wineroth Fund Awardee.

In 1984 he was involved with the Comparative Labor Law Project of the University of
California, Los Angeles, U.S.A. He was also visiting lecturer there.
In 1985 he was invited by the President of Seychelles to do a study of the efficacy of the
labor laws of Seychelles.

Author of thousands of research papers and almost 640 + books, his brief life sketch is part of
the English study text book of 7 th Class Students in Sweden -“Studying English-
SPOTLIGHT 7”- and 8th Class students in Iceland - SPOTLIGHT 8- and Lausnir.

His books adorn many International Libraries and the US Library of Congress has awarded
him a copyright. A prolific writer and decipherer of ancient mysteries. Is currently Consultant
in Vedic Architecture and Dean of the Indo Nordic Authors’ Collective, Stockholm,
SWEDEN and President of the International Institute of Historiography, Tampare ,
FINLAND.
Dr Dokras has his family in Gurugram, India-Australia and New Jersey, USA.

2700 Research Papers and 780 BOOKS written by DR UDAY DOKRAS

Referred to in more than 200+ research papers and theses .Contributor to various magazines and
literary Fora.

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World#1 Honorifics by following Agencies & other titles
Largest Number of Religious Research papers written by an individual-world-
record
https://www.worldwideworldrecords.com/post/largest-number-of-religious-
research-papers-written-by-an-individual-world-record-by-uday-dokras
MOST ARTICLES ON DHAMMA
https://www.uniqueworldrecords.com/records/posts/most-articles-on-
dhamma

Maximum number of books written on Hindu Temples by an Individual

https://www.worldwideworldrecords.com/post/maximum-number-of-books-
written-on-hindu-temples-by-an-individual-world-record-by-dr-uday-
dokras#:~:text=The%20World%20Record%20For%20Maximum,The
%20Worldwide%20Book%20Of%20Records.

Highest number of articles and books written on Hindu Buddhist Temples

of Indonesia( Including Borobudur and Prambanan)

Highest number of Research Papers/ Books (Literary endeavours) published

by an Individual- UNIQUE Book of world records

Maximum sociocultural research papers uploaded by an

individual on a single website INDIA BOOK of RECORDS
[email protected]

Award and honor Bahujan Hitai Sangh award for writing

highest number of books and Research on BOROBUDUR

https://www.academia.edu/110112500/
Bahujan_Hitai_Sangh_Fetes_dr_Uday_for_highest_number_of
_Books_and_Research_papers_written_on_BOROBUDUR
The Jain Foundation presented the Jaina Achiever Trophy to Dr Uday Dokras
for his prolific writings on historiography of Jainism and Jain religious
structures and contributing erudite articles to numerous Jain Journals such as
Nagabharana: Recent Trends in Jainism Studies and SWASTIKA: Epigraphy,
Numismatics, Religion and Philosophy
https://www.academia.edu/110112203/
Jaina_award_to_Dr_Uday_Dokras
Economic Times (20 July 2022) mentions and acknowledges contribution of
Dr. Uday to design elements of New Parliament House of India vis-a-vis
Dwarpals or door guardians.
https://www.academia.edu/109139672/
Design_components_of_the_new_Parliament_complex_of_INDIA_inspired_by
_the_author_Dr_Uday_Dokras_work

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 https://
drive.google.com/file/d/1rr86sEWr4SVN4pdIMHkS-lqmKF6jl5nR/view?usp=sharing

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From the Newspaper Times of India March 24, 2018

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Iceland & Sweden- both countries use the English Text book
SPOTLIGHT-one of the lessons in which is about Dr Uday Dokras
https://mms.is/sites/mms.is/files/atoms/files/
7057_spotlight_8_nem.pdf (page 44)

Prof. S.Deshpande,Past President of the Indian Institute of

Architects, New Delhi INDIA releasing the book of Dr Dokras
HINDU TEMPLES on the web in CARONA times ( May 2020)

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 Meditation Center Project
for HARIOM Cow Shelter by
Dr Uday Dokras

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Design Consultant to
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 OCTAGONAL Meditation Center for REIKI
MASTER-
Mrs.Tracey Stanfield,Fish Creek, AUSTRALIA

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