Batutulis story: Retracing Sunda's cultural heritage

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In 1533, the king of the Sunda kingdom, Surawisesa Jayaperkosa, erected a monument marking the 12th anniversary of his father's death in an elaborate sraddha ceremony, which is a Hindu tradition.

Almost 470 years later, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agiel Munawar dug around the monument and under the inscribed stone in the misguided belief that a treasure could be found there, which would be enough to repay the country's US$130 billion in domestic and foreign debts, so he said.

Outrage, ridicule and contempt followed the minister's actions -- which he said were based on a tip from a "wise man" -- from the President, the Sundanese community, the archaeological community and the general public.

But what exactly is this monument that everybody is talking about, and why all the fuss about a stone?

The monument may not be much to look at: It is just a slab of stone inscribed with nine lines of Kawi script in the ancient Sundanese language, but its meaning and role in Sundanese culture and history go beyond measure.

Located in a village in Bogor, West Java, which bears the same name as the monument, the Batutulis inscription tells of the great deeds of King Sri Baduga Maharaja Ratu Haji of the Sunda kingdom, whose capital was called Pakuan Pajajaran.

The king, who reigned from 1482 to 1521, was said to have ordered a moat to be built around his capital to protect it from invading Islamic kingdoms. He also had built a network of roads made of rocks for easier traveling, and he established a protected forested area.

Sri Baduga, also known as King Siliwangi, also ordered the construction of hills -- believed now to be the Badigul hills of Rancamaya, West Java -- to represent the sacred Gede Mountain, and a lake to represent the sacred Lake Warna (Telaga Warna), for the Hindu religious ceremonies of his people.

"I suppose he thought that to worship the gods, it would be easier for his people if he replicated the sacred mountain and lake closer to his capital, rather than going to far-away Mount Gede and then to Telaga Warna," a senior archaeologist from the University of Indonesia, Ayatrohaedi, said.

Apart from the king's deeds, the inscription also mentions two of the king's ancestors, his father King Dewa Niskala, who reigned from 1475 to 1482, and his grandfather King Wastu Kancana, who sat on the throne from 1371 to 1475.

"It is very important to uncover the complete history of the Sunda kingdom," another University of Indonesia senior archaeologist, Hasan Djafar, explained.

The Sunda kingdom's history goes back to at least the 10th century, according to the Kebon Kopi inscription dated 932 A.D., Hasan said, adding that the kingdom's capital was often moved according to the whims of the king, including to Cirebon and Kawali in Ciamis.

Sri Baduga was the sixth king to have reigned at Pakuan Pajajaran, which was established in 1340 by King Ragamulya, his great-great grandfather.

King Ragamulya's son and Sri Baduga's great grandfather, Linggabuana, died in the famous Bubat war in 1357 against the Majapahit King Hayam Wuruk.

"Linggabuana refused to give away his daughter to the Javanese king, and according to the Sundanese, he upheld the people's dignity by doing so, that's why he was called Prabu Wangi and all kings after him Siliwangi (he that replaces Prabu Wangi)," Ayatrohaedi, who is also Sundanese, said.

At the peak of its power, the Sunda kingdom had six major seaports along the north coast of West Java, the most important of which was Sunda Kalapa, which in later times developed into Jakarta.

Ayatrohaedi said that after Sri Baduga's death, the later kings faced the threat of Islamic kingdoms' expansions, such as that from Banten.

"That's one of the reasons why a treasure is so unreasonable. The kings couldn't possibly have had enough time to bury any because they were constantly under fire," he said.

Under this threat, Sri Baduga's son Surawisesa (1521-1535) signed an agreement with the Portuguese, who by then had captured Malaka, to establish a godown and fort at Sunda Kalapa in return for protection against the Islamic army. The agreement was commemorated with a stone monument -- the padrao -- dated 1522.

Unfortunately, before the Portuguese could initiate the agreement, the port was taken over by Muslim leader Fatahillah in 1527.

The kingdom finally declined after 1576 during the reign of Ragamula Surya Kancana, due to Islamic influence.

The area around the Batutulis inscription is believed to be the location of Pakuan Pajajaran, the capital of the Sunda kingdom, where at least five keraton (palaces) existed.

Hasan said that according to reports by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), the inscribed stone was known to the Dutch since at least 1687, and that besides the Batutulis inscribed stone, ruins of the former city wall, city gate, statues and various ancient buildings could also be found in the area.

In fact, Pakuan Pajajaran was believed to have stretched from the Cisadane River in the south to the Ciliwung River in the north, an area much larger than the present five-meter-by-five- meter boundary of the Batutulis site.

"Nobody should be allowed to dig in that area at all, because according to law, the site is a location that contains or is presumed to contain items of cultural heritage, together with the surroundings, which require safeguarding," Hasan, also a Sundanese, said.

Both Hasan and Ayatrohaedi plan to make an archaeological research proposal to the government to find out the extent of Pakuan Pajajaran, which would include a surface survey, satellite imaging and excavations.

"Our heritage is very important to us, and even if he (Said Agiel) did find treasure, he would not be allowed to sell it, not the heritage of our ancestors," Ayatrohaedi said.

Law No. 5/1992 concerning Items of Cultural Property

Article 26: Whosoever intentionally damages or destroys items of cultural property or the site together with the immediate surroundings in which such property is located, or brings, moves, takes away, or changes the shape, form and/or color, restores, or dismantles part of the items of cultural property or valuable items without the permission of the government shall be subject to a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of Rp 100 million.