Visit to Mulawarman Museum Reveals the Genealogy of Six Kingdoms in East Kalimantan

KOMPAS.com - If you want to learn about the history of East Kalimantan (Kaltim), one place you must visit is the Mulawarman Museum. The museum management presents a visual genealogy of six major kingdoms in the region. “Penyajian silsilah ini adalah langkah edukatif kami agar generasi muda tidak melupakan akar sejarah leluhurnya,” said Sugiyono Ideal, Head of Administration, UPTD Mulawarman State Museum, as quoted by Antara, Friday (22/5/2026). “Each information panel presents a sequential list of the names of kings or sultans and their periods of rule in a systematic manner to help visitors,” Sugiyono added. Visitors can begin their historical journey from the 13th century, when the Kutai Kartanegara Kingdom was established. The royal seat was in Kutai Lama. Next they can explore the history of the Paser region via the information board for the Kingdom of Sadurengas. This kingdom originated from the tale of Princess Betung who was crowned as the first queen in 1575. Another draw of the exhibition is the Sultanate of Berau, which began to govern the local population from the 14th century. However, historical records show a major change in the 19th century. The Sultanate of Berau subsequently split into two new realms. The split of the Berau Sultanate gave birth to two new kingdoms, namely the Sultanates of Gunung Tabur and Sambaliung, each governing its own central administration independently. The Mulawarman Museum also presents information about the Sultanate of Bulungan, based in Tanjung Palas since the 17th century. The museum management is optimistic about this new approach, hoping to attract students’ attention and increase tourist visits.