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but traditional historiographies have to exists when there is a king. It is similar i.e. God Almighty. This is what various Hasanuddin (1653-1669), the king of
provide cultural accountability to dramatic in the Javanese tradition. Anecdotal tomb stones remind people through Gowa, who had to face the VOC attacks
events people experienced. events reported by Dutch envoys show quotes from Qur’anic verses or from under Speelman (1666):
that the king is an essential element of the Hadith. This is also repeated in the
Perhaps it is here that we may see Tajus-Salatin. And this also is always “Tuanku Sultan who is very shana
the superiority of this genre within the the kingdom. This is precisely what the sung in odes to kings or he is reminded The Perfect, Wise, and Prudent
chronicles always underline and it is
traditional literary tradition. Traditional symbolized by the king’s bold titles. In by various traditional historiographies.
historiography is like a “forum” of ideas, other words, the kingdom must first of all Each veneration, moreover, and every Knowing the fourteen knowledges
when two things must be reconciled be seen as the extension of the person historical myth, also simultaneously Begot the essence of the four
and harmonized: the concept of what of the ruler and not as an organization contains an expectation of the ruling complete truths
should happen and what had happened. or a power structure. Therefore, as king and advice to his later successors.
From the attempts to describe and discussed above, the envisioned ideal In fact, the purpose of writing history Then it was also said that “his majesty
explain two opposing things, traditional state is actually a “moral state” reflected books is explicitly mentioned in the is the beloved of the Last Prophet”.
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historiography must not only question by the just character of the king: “the Sejarah Melayu, and in many other Both examples show the king as a ruler
the nature of power, as will be discussed (supposedly) pure spring”. texts, such as the Hikayat Merong who is not only just but also a man who
later, but also seek the ideological basis Mahawangsa. In other words, it also was has reached the highest level of gnosis
of the formation of the Islamic political But the king, not like the kingdom or a literary convention. It may even be (ma’rifat). Again we see that a state
tradition, which is closely related to the the state, is not an abstract concept. A that a poem that seemed to have been or kingdom is a reflection of the king’s
local socio-cultural situation. king is a person, who either because aimed at Sultan Riayat Shah known in personality.
of his destiny or because of something the Acehnese tradition as al-Mukallam
The Ideal Raja: Appraisal and else holds the reins of power. A just or was not written by Hamzah Fansuri, Based on a similarly Sufi way of thinking
History unjust king is an actual and concrete nevertheless, its content is an illustration but in the form of a discourse colored
living figure. His presence and the by local culture, the Serat Centini, an
For the Tajus-Salatin, the kingdom manifestation of his power have an effect of the ideal king. encyclopedic work dating back to 18
th
cannot be separated from the king. In on civilized society within the circle of “Shah Allam the just king century Java, depicts the real world,
one of its stories it mentions that the his power. That is the reason why some which is like the shadow-puppet theatre
“presence of the king in the kingdom matters have to be maintained also. Our perfect King of the Poles played by a puppeteer. “The real
is like the spirit within the body. When Not only the legitimacy of his power The divine saint the perfect connector puppeteer is the king himself. He is the
the spirit is separated from the body, should be guarded but also the people’s The wise king, the perfect 63 deputy of the Prophet. The Prophet is
surely the body will perish.” Milner’s loyalty to him must be fortified, but the the representative of God Almighty. The
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comparative study on Malay-Islamic king should also be reminded of the In the same tone, Inche Amin, the author Prophet and the king are the embodiment
kingdoms also shows that a kingdom reciprocal responsibility between himself of the Syair Mengkasar illustrates Sultan of God.” 65
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61. Khalid edition, 1966: 68. and his people as well as between 63. Al-Attas, 1966: 44-5; cf. Brakel’s objections 64. Skinner, 1962.
62. Milner, 1982, 1983: 82. himself and the higher power above him, (1979: 79-8; and Drewes & Brakel, 1986: 18-24). 65. Quoted by Moedjanto, 1986.

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