Banten abounds in archeological treasures

Banten abounds in archeological treasures

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): Once a glittering sultanate and bustling
seaport, the past glory of Banten on the northwest coast of Java
is now fading.

Banten, once the center of the Pakuan Padjadjaran Hindu
kingdom and one of the most powerful Islamic sultanates in Java,
was a major gateway to the island of Java between the 16th and
17th century.

Business in Banten at this time thrived. Traders coming from
China, India, Turkey, Britain, Portugal and the Netherlands were
frequent visitors to the old Banten harbor in the present-day
village of Karangatu, north of Banten.

Spice, silk, Chinese ceramics, gold, jewelry and other Asian
goods attracted European merchants. Banten was a pioneer in
international trade. Banten, which covered present-day Serang,
Pandeglang, Lebak and Tangerang, was also known as an educational
center for Islamic studies.

Hasan Muarif Ambary, professor of archaeology at the National
Archaeological Research Center, believes the past triumphs of
Banten can be traced through folklore, ancient manuscripts,
religious books and cultural materials, including architecture,
technology, the arts and the social patterns of the Banten
community.

"Banten owns very rich archeological remains, both from the
pre-Hindu, Hindu and Islamic periods. These remains show how
important the area was in the past," he said.

In a comprehensive study of Banten, included in his book
Menemukan Peradaban, Jejak Arkeologis dan Historis Islam (In
Search of Civilization, Archeological Traces and Islamic
History), Ambary divided the history of Banten into several
periods: the Hindu era, also called the Banten Girang period; the
Islamic sultanate; Dutch colonialism; Japanese occupation; and
contemporary Banten.

From the 12th to the 15th century, Banten was part of the
Hindu Kingdom of Pakuan Padjadjaran, which was centered in Banten
Girang in what is present-day Serang.

The indigenous Baduy in Banten are said to belong to the
ancient Padjadjaran people.

The Islamic period started in 1525 when Sunan Gunung Jati, one
of the Wali Songo (ten respected Islamic leaders who spread Islam
in Java), and Maulana Hassanudin from the Demak sultanate brought
Islam to Banten and other areas of West Java.

Ambary said that during this period, Banten experienced an
intense religious and cultural transformation from Hinduism to
Islam. Power shifted from the Padjadjaran kingdom to an Islamic
sultanate led by Maulana Hassanudin. The capital city was moved
from Banten Girang to Surosowan, and Banten grew as a megalopolis
during the reign of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa.

"Evidence shows that Banten was an important place in the
past, especially during the Islamic period," Ambary said.

Its treasures, including the Grand Mosque, the ruins of the
Kaibon and Surosowan palaces, the Tasik Ardi lake complex, the
octagonal minaret, the Klenteng Chinese temple and many other
precious legacies, are a mixture of East and West.

Tolerance

"Banten was an open place with broad-minded leaders who
accepted cultural and religious differences," Ambary said.

The mixture of Islam and Hinduism, and East and West are
clearly reflected in the architectural legacy, he said.

Tasik Ardi lake, believed to have been a place of seclusion
for Banten's sultans and a source of fresh water for the
community, is one such example. The landscape and buildings
surrounding the lake are a rich blend of Hindu and Islamic
architecture. The gate to the lake was built in the form of a
Bentar, a style of Hindu architecture.

The Kaibon and Surosowan palaces also show an intense
combination of Hindu and Islamic influences.

The mix of Eastern and Western styles also enrich Banten's
architectural heritage. Tiyamah and an octagonal minaret in the
great mosque of Banten clearly demonstrate the meeting of local,
Chinese and Western influences.

Tiyamah was designed by Portuguese architect Lucazs Cardel,
while the 30-meter-high minaret was designed by a Chinese named
Cek-ban-cut.

"All these material things actually manifest the social and
political patterns of the people of Banten during that period,"
Ambary said.

His study shows the Muslim sultans were progressive and
tolerant toward non-Islamic communities. They allowed "foreign
architects" to design buildings for religious activities. They
also allowed Chinese residents to build their own places of
worship, including the Klenteng Chinese temple and Vihara
Buddhist temple. A Hindu community also existed in Banten during
the Islamic sultanate period.

Banten was a melting pot of various ethnic groups, including
the indigenous Sundanese, the Javanese, the seafaring Bugis from
South Sulawesi, the Madurese and native Chinese.

According to the late archaeology professor Kuntjaraningrat,
Banten was once an advanced royal territory with highly cultured
people.

The capital city of Surosowan was a well-ordered urban center,
with 33 distinct communities divided according to the profession
of community members.

The Banten sultanate began to crumble with the landing of
Captain Cornelis de Houtman and the first Dutch ship in Banter
harbor in l596.

The then multinational trading system was destroyed
by the monopolistic practices of the Dutch traders. In the early
l8th century, Dutch governor General Daendels dissolved the
Banten sultanate and divided it into three small regencies.

The Dutch then took control of the economic and social
structures of Banten.

"Political intervention from the Dutch angered the people of
Banten and planted in them the seed of hatred toward outsiders,
the Dutch especially," Ambary said.

Since this time, the people of Banten have been plagued with
disaster and anguish. They have been involved in wars and
conflicts with the Dutch. The eruption of Krakatau volcano in the
early l9th century and Japanese occupation made matters worse for
the people of Banten.

"Because of these ongoing traumas, a lot of people from Banten
are stern, defensive and reticent," he said.

Some sought alternative forms of mysticism, while others
retained their strong Islamic belief.

"The long history of Banten has shaped the lives of its
present-day residents, who now play less important roles on the
current social and political stages," he said.

In facing the era of industrialization and globalization,
Banten should revitalize its past achievements or it will
continue to be excluded from development.