Batutulis story: Retracing Sunda's cultural heritage<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In 1533, the king of the Sunda kingdom, Surawisesa Jayaperkosa,
\nerected a monument marking the 12th anniversary of his father's
\ndeath in an elaborate sraddha ceremony, which is a Hindu
\ntradition.<\/p>\n
Almost 470 years later, Minister of Religious Affairs Said
\nAgiel Munawar dug around the monument and under the inscribed
\nstone in the misguided belief that a treasure could be found
\nthere, which would be enough to repay the country's US$130
\nbillion in domestic and foreign debts, so he said.<\/p>\n
Outrage, ridicule and contempt followed the minister's actions
\n-- which he said were based on a tip from a \"wise man\" -- from
\nthe President, the Sundanese community, the archaeological
\ncommunity and the general public.<\/p>\n
But what exactly is this monument that everybody is talking
\nabout, and why all the fuss about a stone?<\/p>\n
The monument may not be much to look at: It is just a slab of
\nstone inscribed with nine lines of Kawi script in the ancient
\nSundanese language, but its meaning and role in Sundanese culture
\nand history go beyond measure.<\/p>\n
Located in a village in Bogor, West Java, which bears the same
\nname as the monument, the Batutulis inscription tells of the
\ngreat deeds of King Sri Baduga Maharaja Ratu Haji of the Sunda
\nkingdom, whose capital was called Pakuan Pajajaran.<\/p>\n
The king, who reigned from 1482 to 1521, was said to have
\nordered a moat to be built around his capital to protect it from
\ninvading Islamic kingdoms. He also had built a network of roads
\nmade of rocks for easier traveling, and he established a
\nprotected forested area.<\/p>\n
Sri Baduga, also known as King Siliwangi, also ordered the
\nconstruction of hills -- believed now to be the Badigul hills of
\nRancamaya, West Java -- to represent the sacred Gede Mountain,
\nand a lake to represent the sacred Lake Warna (Telaga Warna), for
\nthe Hindu religious ceremonies of his people.<\/p>\n
\"I suppose he thought that to worship the gods, it would be
\neasier for his people if he replicated the sacred mountain and
\nlake closer to his capital, rather than going to far-away Mount
\nGede and then to Telaga Warna,\" a senior archaeologist from the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, Ayatrohaedi, said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the king's deeds, the inscription also mentions two
\nof the king's ancestors, his father King Dewa Niskala, who
\nreigned from 1475 to 1482, and his grandfather King Wastu
\nKancana, who sat on the throne from 1371 to 1475.<\/p>\n
\"It is very important to uncover the complete history of the
\nSunda kingdom,\" another University of Indonesia senior
\narchaeologist, Hasan Djafar, explained.<\/p>\n
The Sunda kingdom's history goes back to at least the 10th
\ncentury, according to the Kebon Kopi inscription dated 932 A.D.,
\nHasan said, adding that the kingdom's capital was often moved
\naccording to the whims of the king, including to Cirebon and
\nKawali in Ciamis.<\/p>\n
Sri Baduga was the sixth king to have reigned at Pakuan
\nPajajaran, which was established in 1340 by King Ragamulya, his
\ngreat-great grandfather.<\/p>\n
King Ragamulya's son and Sri Baduga's great grandfather,
\nLinggabuana, died in the famous Bubat war in 1357 against the
\nMajapahit King Hayam Wuruk.<\/p>\n
\"Linggabuana refused to give away his daughter to the Javanese
\nking, and according to the Sundanese, he upheld the people's
\ndignity by doing so, that's why he was called Prabu Wangi and all
\nkings after him Siliwangi (he that replaces Prabu Wangi),\"
\nAyatrohaedi, who is also Sundanese, said.<\/p>\n
At the peak of its power, the Sunda kingdom had six major
\nseaports along the north coast of West Java, the most important
\nof which was Sunda Kalapa, which in later times developed into
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Ayatrohaedi said that after Sri Baduga's death, the later
\nkings faced the threat of Islamic kingdoms' expansions, such as
\nthat from Banten.<\/p>\n
\"That's one of the reasons why a treasure is so unreasonable.
\nThe kings couldn't possibly have had enough time to bury any
\nbecause they were constantly under fire,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Under this threat, Sri Baduga's son Surawisesa (1521-1535)
\nsigned an agreement with the Portuguese, who by then had captured
\nMalaka, to establish a godown and fort at Sunda Kalapa in return
\nfor protection against the Islamic army. The agreement was
\ncommemorated with a stone monument -- the padrao -- dated 1522.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, before the Portuguese could initiate the
\nagreement, the port was taken over by Muslim leader Fatahillah in
\n1527.<\/p>\n
The kingdom finally declined after 1576 during the reign of
\nRagamula Surya Kancana, due to Islamic influence.<\/p>\n
The area around the Batutulis inscription is believed to be
\nthe location of Pakuan Pajajaran, the capital of the Sunda
\nkingdom, where at least five keraton (palaces) existed.<\/p>\n
Hasan said that according to reports by the Dutch East India
\nCompany (VOC), the inscribed stone was known to the Dutch since
\nat least 1687, and that besides the Batutulis inscribed stone,
\nruins of the former city wall, city gate, statues and various
\nancient buildings could also be found in the area.<\/p>\n
In fact, Pakuan Pajajaran was believed to have stretched from
\nthe Cisadane River in the south to the Ciliwung River in the
\nnorth, an area much larger than the present five-meter-by-five-
\nmeter boundary of the Batutulis site.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody should be allowed to dig in that area at all, because
\naccording to law, the site is a location that contains or is
\npresumed to contain items of cultural heritage, together with the
\nsurroundings, which require safeguarding,\" Hasan, also a
\nSundanese, said.<\/p>\n
Both Hasan and Ayatrohaedi plan to make an archaeological
\nresearch proposal to the government to find out the extent of
\nPakuan Pajajaran, which would include a surface survey, satellite
\nimaging and excavations.<\/p>\n
\"Our heritage is very important to us, and even if he (Said
\nAgiel) did find treasure, he would not be allowed to sell it, not
\nthe heritage of our ancestors,\" Ayatrohaedi said.<\/p>\n
Law No. 5\/1992 concerning Items of Cultural Property<\/p>\n
Article 26: Whosoever intentionally damages or destroys items of
\ncultural property or the site together with the immediate
\nsurroundings in which such property is located, or brings, moves,
\ntakes away, or changes the shape, form and\/or color, restores, or
\ndismantles part of the items of cultural property or valuable
\nitems without the permission of the government shall be subject
\nto a maximum of 10 years in prison and\/or a maximum fine of Rp
\n100 million.<\/p>",
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