Kingdoms in the Sunda Region
As is known, this cultural parade showcases the Mahkota Binokasih Sanghyang Pake, the coronation crown of the Sunda kings, made in the Galuh Kingdom and now kept at the Museum Prabu Geusan Ulun in Sumedang.
Pre-Tarumanagara Period
The Sunda region refers to the area stretching from the western tip of Java Island, now known as Banten Province, followed by the area now called the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, to parts of the area now called Central Java Province from the northern coast of Brebes to the southern coast of Cilacap. What kingdoms once existed in this Sunda region?
A Chinese record from the year 132 mentions that King Pien of the Ye-tiao kingdom lent his golden seal and purple ribbon to Maharaja Tiao-pien. According to G. Ferrand, a French historian, Ye-Tiao is the name given by the Chinese for Yawadwipa, while Tiao-pien is the Chinese pronunciation of the Sanskrit name Dewawarman (Krom, 1931: 61-62).
The Wangsakerta manuscript reports the existence of the Dewawarman Dynasty complete with its reign in the Salakanagara Kingdom from the beginning of the Christian era, which is historically difficult to prove. However, based on the principle put forward by Gilbert Garraghan (1956), it is stated that in the absence of sources, secondary sources like this can be used, although considered very weak evidence, until new evidence is found.
Tarumanagara Kingdom
The first centre of power in the Sunda region, which has evidence in the form of primary sources such as inscriptions about its existence, and also one of the earliest in the Archipelago, is the Tarumanagara Kingdom. To this day, the famous Tarumanagara king known is Purnawarman. Written sources reporting on Tarumanagara are Chinese records, from Fa-hsien in 414, the Sui and Tang Dynasties, as well as seven stone inscriptions.
In 414, a Chinese monk returning from a pilgrimage to India had his ship caught in a storm and stranded in a place called Ye-po-ti. According to the monk Fa-hsien, in Ye-po-ti there were few Buddhists. They were generally Brahmins, and more followed “impure” religions. Furthermore, records from the Sui Dynasty mention that in 528 and 535, envoys came from T’o-lo-mo located in the south.
Meanwhile, sources from the Tang Dynasty also mention that in 666 and 669, envoys came from T’o-lo-mo (Moens, 1937: 363). It can be confirmed that T’o-lo-mo is a place name in the Sunda region. Because from the fifth century, a number of archaeological remains related to Tarumanagara were found, it is not wrong if the term T’o-lo-mo is adjusted to Taruma(nagara) (Poerbatjaraka, 1951: 28).
Other sources in the form of inscriptions found in distant areas, from Batu Tumbuh hamlet in North Jakarta (one), through the Ciampea area, Bogor (five), and to Cidanghiang in the Pandeglang area, Banten (one). The seven inscriptions are the Ciaruteun Inscription (Ciampea, Bogor) located on the edge of the Ciaruteun River near the mouth of the Cisadane; the Kebon Kopi Inscription located in Muara Hilir hamlet, Cibungbulang; the Pasir Koleangkak Inscription located in the rubber plantation area of Jambu (Nanggung District, Bogor); the Tugu Inscription found in Batu Tumbuh hamlet, North Jakarta (Krom, 1915: 19). The Cidanghiang or Lebak Inscription found in Lebak hamlet (Munjul District, Pandeglang); the Muara Cianten Inscription; and the Pasir Awi Inscription (Krom, 1931: 28, 32).
Looking at the distribution of inscriptions, it can be estimated that the influence of the Tarumanagara Kingdom during Purnawarman’s reign at least covered parts of the Sunda region from Pandeglang Regency, Cisadane-Tangerang in the west, Bogor Regency in the south, Jakarta area in the north, Bekasi and Karawang areas in the east (Soeroso, 2002: 1). The centre of the kingdom or palace of Tarumanagara has not been known for certain until now. Poerbatjaraka places the Tarumanagara Kingdom between areas drained by the Citarum River, and land east of the Cisadane, namely Karawang, Bogor, and Jakarta.
Even by analysing the word “Chandrabhaga” consisting of two words each “chandra” and “bhaga”, it is finally confirmed that the kingdom’s centre is not far from the Bekasi River (Poerbatjaraka, 1951: 12-15). On the other hand, Verstappen and Noorduyn state that from a morphological perspective, Lagoa (now Lagoa subdistrict, North Jakarta), where the Tugu inscription was found, better meets the criteria as the location of Tarumanagara’s capital (Verstappen, 1928: 228-307).
Sunda Kingdom
In the Kebonkopi II inscription, the sentence “barpulihkan haji sunda” is written, which other translations are: “restoration of power to the Sunda King”. In the Pustaka Pararatwan i Bhumi Jawadwipa parwa I sarga 3 page 79 manuscript, regarding “Sunda” it is explained as follows:
…. / telas karuhun hana ngaran desya sunda / tathapi ri sawaka ring rajya taruma // tekwan ring usana kangken ngaran kitha sundapura//
Translation: ‘Indeed, in the past there was a name for the Sunda region but it became a subordinate of the Taruma kingdom. In the past it was named Sundapura (Sunda City)’.
In 669 AD, Sri Maharaja Linggawarman, the twelfth king of Tarumanagara, ended his rule. As his successor, Sang Tarusbawa, the son-in-law of Sri Maharaja Linggawarman, who married his daughter named Dewi Manasih. The younger sister of Dewi Manasih, namely Dewi Sobakancana, was married to Dapuntahyang Sri Jayanasa, the king of Srivijaya.
The end of Sri Maharaja Linggawarman’s reign also marked the end of the Warman Dynasty’s power in Tarumanagara because the name of the kingdom was changed by Sri Maharaja Tarusbawa to the Sunda Kingdom. The change of the kingdom’s name was caused by Sang Tarusbawa feeling the need to immortalise t