Page 98 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

A portrait of an old it is known today. The conquest of this that of Banten. Within the community, plantations. Therefore, the conquest of areas with a very high potential for
mosque in Minangkabau. harbor city simultaneously ruled out the especially in West Java, Cirebon was Sunda Kelapa was economically very the production of goods that could be
possibility of cooperation between the already regarded as the center of strategic. Sunda Kelapa was a busy traded in international markets. The third
Source: Directorate of
History and Cultural Portuguese and the Pajajaran kingdom. Islamization. harbor for trade in commodities and this ruler of the kingdom, Maulana Yusuf
Values, Ministry of With military aid from Demak, the Banten It is important also to note that the is what had attracted the Portuguese’s (reigning from 1570 to 1586), expanded
Education and Culture authorities managed to prevent this development of these two sultanates interest to establish economic ties with his territory by conquering Pakuwan,
of the Republic of possibility. –especially Banten– also supported the Pajajaran, the ruler of Sunda Kelapa the capital of Pajajaran, now known
Indonesia Nurullah’s role in Banten appears to development of the maritime economy before it was taken over by the sultanate as Bogor, after which the kingdom of
have been limited to that of laying the on the north coast of Java as a result of of Banten. Pajajaran practically ceased to exist.
foundation of the Islamic kingdom. Soon the massive influx of Muslim traders from Still within the framework of economic Unlike his predecessors, Maulana Yusuf
after successfully having consolidated the Malay world after the fall of Malacca. interests, it is crucial to mention that the was known for his attempts to expand
the political power of the kingdom, he Located on the coast of the Java Sea, second ruler of Banten, Hasanuddin, his empire. During his reign, Banten
handed the seat of power over to his Banten became a new trading center that expanded his power to Lampung and attacked Palembang out of Lampung,
son, Hasanuddin; meanwhile, he himself was visited by many international traders. surrounding areas in the south Sumatra. which had long been part of Banten
decided to build his own kingdom in Banten was also strategic as a “gateway” These areas were very important for territory, it was during this expansion he
another area, Cirebon. It has been to the eastern parts of the archipelago, the economic development of the died in the battlefield.
difficult to find the reasons behind especially Maluku, which were renowned Kingdom, especially their plantation The major impact of the maritime trade
Nurullah’s decision to leave Banten and for their production of pepper and products such as pepper that attracted for the development of Islamic kingdoms
to move to Cirebon; however, as told by spices. Historians noted the presence of many international traders. Therefore, along the north coast of Java and
historians, religious motives, especially merchants from Turkey, Arab, Persia, as J. Kathirithamby-Wells asserted, the also in other areas in the archipelago
his wish to devote himself to spiritual life Bengal, and Gujarat, in addition to the rising demand for pepper in international further influenced Demak’s political
and the spread of Islam, seemed to play Chinese who had settled long before markets was the basis of Banten’s interest in the eastern part of Java. As
a dominant role. This can be explained, and who had become the subjects of growth along with Aceh rather than the was the case of West Java, the ruler of
for example, by the fact that after his the Sultanate. fall of Malacca to the Portuguese. The Demak appeared to have “tolerated” the
arrival in Cirebon it is not recorded with argument is that after the fall of Malacca establishment of the Islamic kingdoms in
any certainty whether he consolidated Moreover, the presence of international only areas that produced pepper could East Java and they had a relatively large
his political power apart from building a traders was also supported by the fact develope into large Islamic kingdoms, degree of autonomy like Kudus, Jepara,
royal palace as he had done in Banten. It that Banten –like Aceh in Sumatra– was such as Aceh and Banten, and Ternate Gresik and Surabaya. The rulers of these
seems that he required a large mosque a region that produced goods that were kingdoms, as will be explained below, still
to be built in imitation of the mosque of sold in international markets, especially and Makassar in the eastern part of the recognized Demak as the center of the
Demak. From this we can understand pepper. In contrast to Central Java, which archipelago. Islamic sultanates in Java. However, at
why Cirebon had its own religiously was more suitable to agriculture, Banten Similarly, in a later development, the same time, rulers who had the status
spiritual prestige that even surpassed and West Java were more suitable for Banten expanded politically only in of religious scholars, so-called “raja-

88 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 89