Page 187 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE
P. 187

The fortress of Tolucco,   the Maranao rulers to remain firm in   dwellings for scholars, thinkers and                 remembered. The tradition of kings
                                                                   77
          which was a Portuguese   their opposition against the Spanish.    authors of religious texts. Ibn Battuta’s            being surrounded by scholars would
          stronghold during the    He was also a defender of and fighter   report about Samudra Pasai and Tome                   continue, although later on religious
          attack against Ternate.   for Islam. A contemporary Spanish      Pires’ testimony about the ruler-traders              life had become bureaucratized. This
          It was built by Fransisco   report says that Sultan Qudarat was   who were surrounded by mullahs are                   was a reasonable thing, said the Tajus
          Serão in 1540.           highly respected by his people who paid   evidence that this was common in                    Salatin (quoting the Sifat as-Salatin
                                   him homage as if he were Muhammad       Islamic kingdoms. Not only Iskandar                   as its source), “let the king always be
          Source: Directorate of
          History and Cultural     himself. The reason was that he was a   Thani and his empress who later                       longing for companions who are people
          Values, Ministry of      Moro who was very brave, intelligent,   became his successor, Sultanah Tajul                  of knowledge and who are adamant
                                                                                                                                                   83
          Education and Culture    and highly capable, in addition to faithful   Alam Safiatudin, saw how also scholars          to do religious work”.  Because it was
          of the Republic of       to “his cursed religion”, and also the one   competed for a place in the palace in            in this way a just situation could be
                                                                    78
          Indonesia, 2013.         who was always followed by success.     order to advance their religious beliefs.             achieved and finally cosmic unity could
                                   So, it is not surprising that the king was   Even Sultan Agung experienced this.              be realized.
                                   very concerned about any successful     Sultan Agung was very much upset by                   However, the historical dynamics related
                                   attempts of the Spanish that attracted   the criticisms launched by scholars from             to this natural necessity resulted in
                                   Muslims to Catholicism. But, it seems,   Tembayat, but how close he was with                  structural diversity and even in different
                                   also because of his Islamic politics,   his advisers. According to Dutch reports,             political traditions in each kingdom. This
                                   Manguindanao policies were aimed at     the scholar who was most familiar with                only became evident when the formation
                                   attracting foreigners to settle, to marry   Sultan Agung was “Kalifagypan” (maybe             of this ideal had entered the historical
                                   local girls and to convert to Islam. “Many   his correct name was Haji Fachrudin).            arena --in fields that combined ideal
                                   slaves who have fled stay here”, said   He, the report said, was a man of                     desire with structural necessity. At that
                                   a Dutch report, “and many Chinese       manners.  Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa                      point a choice had to be made. At that
                                                                                   80
                                   had converted to Islam and been given   was reportedly also to have often                     moment a constellation of power had to
                                   wives by the Sultan (Sultan Baharaman,   been surrounded by a congregation of                 be determined and its ideological basis
                                   the successor of Qudarat), because      scholars. Foreign reports mention many                had to be formulated. In other words, the
                                   everyone who comes here is received     scholars who came from the Middle East,               process of the formation of the political
                                                                                                 81
                                   with open arms”. 79                     through Surat, to Bantan.  Of course,                 and power tradition had sbegan. We can
                                                                           the loyality of Sheikh Yusuf of Gowa’s
                                   Most of these exemplary kings were also   loyalty when he joined Sultan Ageng in              thus also say that a structural difference
                                   thinkers and the protectors of religious   his fight against the VOC  was always              came up between one centers of power
                                                                                                 82
                                   knowledge and merciful providers of                                                           with the other centers.
                                   77.  Majul, 139.                        80.  de Graaf, 1986: 106-7,120.                       83.  Khalid’s edition, 1966: 75.
                                   78.  Quoted in Mastura, 1984: 32-33.    81.  Schrieke, 1956 II: 241-242.
                                   79.  Laarhoven, 1987.                   82.  Tjandrasasmita, 1967.



          178  Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives                                                                                                                    Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives  179
   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192