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than though the spectacles of fiqh or
174 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
occurred in the past thrown backwards. Sejarah Melayu, which was written at
the law. However, before we continue History had become a myth that provided
with this, as having been said above, a an intimate atmosphere among others by
king is not an abstract concept. A king “resolving” all the possibilities of “what
is an empirical reality. Thus, a king had was believed” with “what happened”. It
proof his legitimacy as ruler. He also was the myths that became part of the
had to account to his people for his cultural consciousness. Myths were what
actions, and to the normative tradition. constituted and simultaneously received
Accountability is also the ideological tool validation in the knowledge system of the
to ensure the continuity of the dynasty cognitive community.
and to increase his power. Perhaps, in Thus, the Sejarah Melayu, the Babad
this respect, Berg was right that one of Tanah Jawi, and the Tarsila in the Sulu
66
the functions of the works of court poets and Mangindanao traditions confronted
was to enlarge a king’s magical powers. themselves in their efforts to offer the
The constrained bureaucratic system in basic legitimacy of the institution of the
practice was more in need of other styles ruling dynasty. For it was in this context
of more integrative tools. that, the king’s presence and his power
It is in this effort to accountability that were acceptable. So Senapati, the
works like the Tajus-Salatin could serve founder of the Mataram dynasty was
as points of reference as to how the termed the legitimate heir, because he
ideal should be. But whatever the case, was not only a descendant of Brawijaya
that ideal had to meet real facts. The (the last king of Majapahit) but also the
dialogue between the ideal necessity and first Sunan Giri (one of the Wali Sanga).
historical reality was unavoidable. Thus, If this were not enough, the Babad
historical experience was also provided Tanah Jawi states that he was also the
with normative significance. It was the recipient of the wahyu cakraningrat and
67
provision of normative significance to the husband of Nyai Loro Kidul. The
history that formed one of the elements 67. On this see Anderson, 1972, Moertono, 1968,
of the mythologizing process, a process Moedjanto, 1986. Because “the mythical blanket”
that covered Senapati is so thick, Berg, in his
that sometimes turned history into review of de Graaf’s book on Senapati (1954)
empirical knowledge about events that doubted that this figure was historically real. Berg
tended to treat him as a mythological figure. This
66. Berg, 1938/1974: 84. incited a heated debate between Berg dan de
seen without considering the relationship
the palace of the sultanate of Johor, the between Sulu (as the female “provider”)
successor of the Sultanate of Malacca, and other Malay world (Raja Baginda)
(bu finally complete at Samalanga, a and the center of Islam (Abu Bakr, who
“province” of the Sultanate of Aceh) was also a descendant of the Prophet). 69
offers a picture that the Sultanate of Although the validity of their foundations
Malacca was originated from Palembang, differed, the Islamic power centers in
where the son of Alexander the Great Southeast Asia share some important
alighted. In this way, Johor became a similarities. All of their great kings
link in the uninterrupted chain. Moreover, are remembered and portrayed as
Malacca also played an important role conquerors and the unifiers of their
as a center of Islamic propagation. In kingdom, defenders of religion, and
fact, if necessary, Malacca could also monopoly holders of power, and wielding
try to stand up to Pasai’s position as the supreme religious authority. Whatever
68
center of religious learning. The Tarsila its motive, something Berg suspected
also states that the organization of the as being due to the failure of the ruler
70
first supra-village style of power center of Mataram to defeat conquer Batavia,
was established by Sharif Kabungsuan, it is clear that Sultan Agung was the
king who initiated the process of the
a maulana a disseminator of Islam. Not
institutionalization of Islam into Javanese
only that, he was also a descendant of tradition. But not only because his name
the Prophet. It was the same in Sulu.
The fundament of the royal tradition lived on in the Babad Tanah Jawi. He
is told to have had two palaces, one in
was laid by Raja Baginda, who came the Southern Ocean and one in Kota
from Minangkabau. This was confirmed
Gede. The Southern Ocean palace is
by his son-in-law, Sayyid Abu Bakar, a the ---mythological--- abode where he
preacher. He became the first king of
Sulu. So, the Sultanate of Sulu cannot be lived with Nyai Roro Kidul, the perennial
spouse of the Mataram rulers. Kota
Graaf on the possibility of using a chronicle as a Gede, in its turn is real and, according
historical source.
68. See Roolvink, 1965. The Sultan of Malacca to historical observations made by a
inquired about a religious problem of which he Dutch rapporteur was “spacious and
already knew the outcome, but the Sultan of Pasai 69. Majul, 1973: 6-7.
was unaware of this. This is told in one of the
versions of the Sejarah Melayu. 70. Berg, 1955.
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 175