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A letter from Prince Java. These military victories did not only between the world of the pesantren and vorstendommen (Priests-kingdoms) pesantrens continued their role as
Suryakusuma Raganata mean the loss of potential competitors that of the palace. Apparently, traditional areas as minor palaces that might institutions that competed with the
of Pamekasan to the to the central palace, Mataram, but also pandita ratu and the continuing of the challenge his suzerainty. The alliance palaces, which had become centers
Governor General of the the severance of Java’s international institution of perdikan or “exempted of Trunajaya, the prince of Madura with and symbols of power. In the process,
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VOC in 1749. economic relations. And, the VOC land” were the major causes of conflict his father in law, the ruler of Kajoran, a specific type of tradition emerged. If
Source: Yayasan Lontar. endeavored to prevent Java from in the multiple-palace political system in the “abode of the righteous”, to fight in other places a tradition of integration
restoring its role as an important trading Java. Sunan Gunung Jati from Cirebon, Amangkurat I of Mataram in 1670, the emerged with Islam at the core of strong,
center. Suspicious, Mataram monitored Sunan Giri, Sunan Kudus and the other king who in 1646 had killed thousands supportive myths, in Java, a “tradition
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all forms of the growth of politics and Walis were not just religious scholars of ulama and their families, showed of dialogue” emerged. This tradition first
trade that might occur in the coastal in the strictest sense --- wandering that the separation of the palace and of all has to be seen as the outcome
regions. Amangkurat I (1645-1677), religious teachers or preachers--- but the Islamic boarding schools pesantren of ongoing cultural encounters and
Sultan Agung’s successor, closed all they were also the rulers of their own had entered the minor palaces into the accommodation during the Islamization
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ports when he saw that commercial regions. In other words, they were multiple-palace political system. process. It resulted in the destruction
activities had started to be resumed. the rulers of minor palaces. So, in the The destruction of the ruling ulama of the Siwa-Buddhist kingdoms and the
Unlike Sultan Agung who was quite multiple-palace Javanese tradition they dynasties did not obliterate boarding emergence of centers of political Islam
satisfied with the formal recognition of were also potentially challenged by the schools as centers of religious and palace centers that had converted
his power, Amangkurat I preferred to central palace. Sultan Agung’s military teaching. Pesantren also had other to Islam. However, this tradition was the
wipe out all local aristocrats, including his movement against the coastal regions political functions. They were places arena where continuity and the impetus
closest family members. 35 (except Cirebon that was respected by of refuge for disillusioned nobles. Like towards socio-cultural change had to find
Mataram) clearly shows that the central
One of the most important regions Sultan palace indeed treated the Priester- markets, pesantrens as learning centers shared possibilities. Anthropologically
Agung conquered and Amangkurat I 36. Perdikan was an institution in the pre-Islamic of a universal religion entertained we may see this as proof that the realm
subsequently destroyed was Giri, whose era, which was established by royal decree in cosmopolitan tendencies. However, since of the abangan element had to cope
ruler was nicknamed “the Pope” in which a village or region was handed over to they implicitly were also propagation with the continuing penetration of ideas
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the notes of the Dutch in the early 17th religious institutions. As a sign of the grace of institutions they could keep their proposed by santri elements, the
the king, the village or the land was exempt from
century. The destruction of the Pandita scrutiny and taxes for the king. On this ancient cosmopolitan attitudes in check in adherents of the pesantren world view.
Ratu region, which had become the institution view see B. Schrieke, “Iets over het order to fit local conditions. Pesantren Seen from the political and cultural
Perdikan Instituut”, TBG, LVIII, 391-423, 1919,
center of Islamization for the eastern 391-423. About boarding school Perdikan, see leaders were ulama who were often perspective, this tradition of dialogue was
part of chains of an international type of
part of the archipelago, was one of Claude Guillot, Le role historique des perdikan ou a situation where one side may assume
the summits of the separation process “village frames”: Le Cas de Tegalsari”, Archipel, teacher-student networks that acted as that the other was its challenger. Or if
30, 1985, pp. 137-162.
cultural brokers. In this atmosphere,
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35. H.J. de Graaf, De regering van Sunan 37. De Graaf,De Eerste Moslimse Vorstendommen Broken”, CSHS, II, 2: 228-249.
Mangkurat 1, Tegal Wangi Vorst van Mataram, op Java, Studien Over de Staatkundige 38. De Graaf, De regering van Sunan Mangkurat I. 40. An anthropological meaning of the sense was
1646 - 1677, Leiden: VKITLV, Martinus Njjhoff, Geschiedenis van de 15de en 15de en 16de Eeuw. 39. This has been discussed by C. Geertz, “The introduced by C. Geertz in The Religion of Java,
1961. . Javanese Kijaji: the Changing Role of a Cultural Glencoe: XX, Free Press, 1960.

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