Tracing former grandeur of Islamic Mataram

Tracing former grandeur of Islamic Mataram

Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

Three yellow, spherical stones, one of which has a diameter of
half a meter, lie on a black stone altar.

Smoke continues to waft from the incense burning in a
fireplace next to the altar stone. A well-built man tries to lift
the stones one by one. However, he can raise only the smallest
above his head.

These stones, or Batu Bulat, are some of the relics from the
Islamic Mataram Kingdom now lying scattered around Kotagede.

It is a prevailing belief among those making pilgrimage to the
Petilasan site of the kingdom in Kotagede, Yogyakarta, that
whoever can lift Batu Gateng, the local name of the stones, can
be sure that his wishes will be granted.

These three stone balls were reportedly the playthings of the
son of Panembahan Senapati (the founder of the Islamic Mataram
Kingdom), Raden Rangga, who was born outside the wedlock between
Panembahan Senapati and Kanjeng Nyai Rara Kidul, the queen of the
South Sea. Therefore, Raden Rangga was considered to have magical
power. He used these heavy round-shaped stones as marbles.

Some historians believe, however, that the stones were
canonballs from the times of Sultan Agung, the royal title
assumed by one of Panembahan Senapati's sons, Raden Mas Rangsang,
who succeeded him when he died in 1601.

Sultan Agung ruled Mataram from 1613 to 1645. During his rule
Mataram reached the peak of its grandeur. Sultan Agung attacked
the Dutch VOC fort in Batavia (now Jakarta) in two consecutive
years, 1628 and 1629.

It is very likely that these three stone balls, made of
massive stone, were the cannon balls of Kyai Pancawura, the
cannon that Mataram soldiers used when they attacked Batavia.
This cannon is now kept at the Surakarta Palace.

While we cannot verify which version is right about these
balls, they are held as objects of cultural interest in the Small
House in Kampung Dalem. Here you can also find the throne of the
Mataram Kingdom.

Called Watu Gilang (hard stone), this throne is square-shaped
black stone measuring 1 square meter. There are several
inscriptions on this stone, including, in Latin (Ita Movetur
Mundus), in French (Ainst vale MondeE), in Dutch (Zogart de
wereld) and in Italian (Cosi van il Monde).

Inserted among these foreign expressions is a sentence reading
"Ad Aeternam Memoriam SortisS Infelicis", which means something
like,"in memory of a not too good fate". In addition, there are
also several other long sentences and abbreviations carved on
this stone plaque.

Pilgrims that visit this place also consider this stone throne
sacred. They burn incense in front of it. Besides, you can find
on the surface of almost every stone fine traces left by previous
visitors. On the surface of side of the stone throne facing east,
you can find a concave part the size of the head of an adult.

It is said that this concave part was formed when Ki Ageng
Mangir Wanabaya was thrown onto the stone by Panembahan Senapati
when Mangir knelt down to pay respect to Senapati.

As the story goes, when Panembahan Senapati was king he had an
invincible enemy with magic powers. This archenemy was Ki Ageng
Mangir Wanabaya, who lived in Mangir, now part of Bantul regency.

To defeat his enemy, Panembahan Senapati employed a trick. He
sent his daughter, Pembayun, to lure Ki Ageng Mangir. Finally,
Pembayun, disguised as a "ledhek" (a travelling dancer) could
persuade Mangir to marry her.

One day, as he had to show obedience to his father-in-law, Ki
Ageng Mangir came to Mataram to pay respects to Panembahan
Senapati. It was when he was kneeling down that Panembahan
Senapati threw him onto Watu Gilang. Mangir died instantly and
was buried in the royal cemetery in Kotagede.

Ki Ageng Mangir's graveyard is located now at the back of
Kotagede Mosque and is part of the graveyard of Panembahan
Senapati and his family.

However, uniquely, half of the grave stone of Ki Ageng Mangir
lies inside the cungkup (a small house for the dead) and the
other half lies outside it. This symbolizes that Mangir was
acknowledged as the king's son-in-law but at the same time he was
also the king's enemy.

The Kotagede graveyard and Watu Gateng are now popular
atractions in the former site of Mataram Kingdom. The graveyard
is located to the south of Kotagede market while Watu Gateng is
situated some 700 meters to the south of the cemetery.

The area around the graveyard used to be the royal yard, a
fact that can be proven with the presence of the former Mataram
Grand Mosque, a banyan tree, alleys and ancient houses, forts and
Sendang Saliran bathing pool.

It is believed that the site where Watu Gilang and Watu Gateng
are now located used to be the center of the palace, as its
present name, Kampung Dalem (the Village Inside), suggests.

When you enter the graveyard compound, you seem to be
transported into the past. The buildings you see seem to be those
you could find during the Mataram era. An old banyan tree gives
its shade to the open public building. Hundreds of years old,
this banyan tree brings peace to those taking shelter under it.

Even today, many pilgrims pray under this huge tree. One of
the caretakers of the place said that many soldiers come to pray
for a blessing under this banyan tree before they are sent to the
battlefield. To avert danger, they usually pick up one of the
fallen leaves to keep with them. "They ask their ancestors to
bless them with safety during their assignment,' he said.

After you pass this huge banyan tree, you can find the main
gate, facing east. The gate is made of bricks and looks like a
temple in East Java or a temple in Bali. In the shape of
Paduraksa, this gate has a three-layered roof with the door made
of carved wood.

Likewise, the fence and the gates in this compound all reflect
the blend of Hinduism and Islam. Meanwhile, behind the gate you
can find a partition that makes it necessary for you to turn
right before you can get to the yard of the Mataram Grand Mosque.

The mosque, built during the times of Panembahan Senapati, is
still in good repair because it is well taken care of and has
been renovated several times. The unique characteristics of the
mosque is that it has four pillars made of full teakwood in its
main hall and that it is provided with small "jagang" (a water
channel) that goes round the entire building of the mosque.

Truly, the mosque reflects a cultural blend of our
forefathers.

Behind the Grand Mosque lies the graveyard of Panembahan
Senapati and his family. Not everybody is allowed to go into this
graveyard and even if you get permission to enter this compound,
you can just do it at any time.

Only on certain days, such as on the night of Kliwon (Tuesday
and Friday on the Javanese calenda)r can you make your pilgrimage
here. Even then you must don your traditional Javanese dress.

Even if you do not wish to enter the graveyard, its
environment is enough to make you imagine the grandeur of the
Mataram Kingdom of the past. In front of the gate to the
graveyard, you can see several ancient public halls and a number
of rare trees that provide good shade, night and day.

You can take a rest here and enjoy the asceticism in a quiet
place far away from the hubbub of Yogyakarta city, which is about
8 km to the north-west of Kotagede.

Photo Captions:

Photo A :

JP/Tarko Sudiarno

Two women in mukenah (usually white outfit specially designed for
pray) are about to go to the Grand Mosque to pray. They passed a
typical brick gates which design was usually found in Hindu
temples in East Java.

Photo B :

JP/Tarko Sudiarno

The spherical yellow stones batu bulat or locally known as Batu
Bateng, believed to be cannonballs from the time of Sultan Agung,
now are kept at the former site of Mataram Kingdom which located
in Kotagede.

Photo C :

JP/Tarko Sudiarno

The caretaker or locally known as juru kunci of the historic site
of formerly kingdom of Mataram sits inside his typical wooden
house with high and detailed ceiling.