Page 62 - E-BOOK SEJARAH DAN BUDAYA INDONESIA

HISTORY OF JAVA TRIBES

Historians believe that the origins of the Javanese tribe came from the Greeks, in China.
Historian from the Netherlands, Prof. Dr.H.Kern revealed his research in 1899. He mentioned that
regional languages in Indonesia are similar to each other. Then he concluded that the language
came from the same root family, namely the Austronesian family. This is what historians believe
as the origin of the formation of the Javanese Tribe. It is said that the Javanese people came from
the Keling or Kalingga Kingdom in South India. One of the Princes of the Keling Kingdom who
was excluded due to the power struggle left the kingdom and was followed by his followers. Prince
Rivet went very far from the kingdom. Finally, Prince Keling found a small uninhabited island and
worked together to build a settlement with his followers, which was later named Javacekwara.
This makes the descendants of the prince and his followers considered the ancestors of the
Javanese tribe.

ETYMOLOGY

The origin of the name "Java" can be traced to a Sanskrit chronicle that mentions an island
called yavadvip(a) (dvipa means "island", and yava means "barley" or also "grain"). Whether this
grain is barley (Setaria italica) or rice, both have been widely found on the island in the pre-Indian
influence.It is possible that the island has had many previous names, including the possible origin
of the word ja which means "far".Yavadvipa is mentioned in the Indian epic, the Ramayana.
Sugriwa, panglima wanara (ape-man) of Sri Rama's army, sends his emissary to Yavadvip ("Java
Island") in search of Dewi Shinta.[4] Then based on Indian literature, especially the Tamil
literature, it is called the Sanskrit name yāvaka dvīpa (dvīpa = island).

62