Page 108 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

revolution”, in which Islam occupied knowledge. Meanwhile, the ties with the of Islamization. In the eastern part of came from various regions in Java and The Mosque of Indrapuri
the most important position within the Ottoman Empire were further recognized Java, it conquered territories that went they included Pangeran Bonang, Sunan in Aceh is a silent
formation of the world view that came to as having been particularly important in through a process of Islamization such Makdum Sampang, Kyai Pambuyan witness of the arrival of
consider pre-Islamic times as the age encouraging Acehnese rulers to wage as Tuban, or regions that still adhered and Sunan Gunung Jati. The ruler of Islam in Indonesia.
of darkness. This latter assumption was war, though unsuccessfully, against to Hindu-Buddhist beliefs since they Demak had appointed them as prayer Source: Directorate of
further elaboration upon by Azyumardi the Portuguese in Malacca in 1615 and had been under Majapahit as Wirasari leaders in the mosque and as teachers History and Cultural
Azra, a leading historian from the UIN 1629. There is no clear evidence of the in 1528, Madiun in 1529, Blora in 1530, on various disciplines of Islamic teaching. Values, Ministry of
Jakarta, in his work on the networks direct involvement of the Ottoman Empire and Surabaya and Pasuruan in 1531 This suggests that, as the first Islamic Education and Culture
of Malay scholars in the Middle East. in the attack, but it may be assumed, and 1535 respectively. Meanwhile, kingdom in Java, Demak played a key of the Republic of
Azra proved that since the 16 century that the closely interwoven connection Lamongan, Blitar, and Wirasaba were role in the Islamization of Javanese Indonesia.
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the ties between the Malay-Indonesian with the Ottoman Empire had instigated conquered in 1541 and 1542. A year society.
Archipelago and the Middle East had not attacks on territories that had fallen into later, Demak also conquered mount This role became increasingly clear
been limited to trade, but also included the hands of non-Muslim rulers. After Penanggungan, which had become the in the Islamization of West Java.
intellectual and religious levels. Through all succesful attack against Malacca last bastion for the Hindu-Buddhist elites. Demak supported the establishment
the Nusantara scholars who studied in was economically very strategic for the The expansion efforts continued up to of an Islamic Kingdom in Cirebon and
Mecca and Medina like Hamzah Fansuri, control of the trade routes in the western Panarukan and Blambangan. Banten. Demak also sent Nurullah,
Nuruddin ar-Raniri and Abdurrauf al- parts of the archipelago. The expansions into the eastern part then known as Sunan Gunung Jati,
Singkili, Islam in the archipelago came of Java were made in conjunction with to establish its power in Banten and
more directly under the influence of the Along with the rise of Aceh in the conversion of the local communities Cirebon, along with the conversion of
Islamic discourse in the Middle East. Sumatra, Java was also undergoing an to Islam. For that reason, Demak was their inhabitants to Islam. The two power
Religious scholars became responsible intensive process of Islamization. The subsequently well recognized as the centers developed into great Islamic
for religious-intellectual transmission in establishment of Demak (1516) was power behind the Islamization of Java. kingdom with important contributions to
the archipelago. an important stage in the process of The Demak mosque, built around the the Islamization process of the Sunda
Islamization in Java because it meant
Following the arguments of the two the end of Majapahit and the begining second half of the 15 century, was region which had been under control
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scholars, the development of trade in of a new period . If the Islamization believed by Javanese community to of the Hindu kingdom Pajajaran. This
Aceh had put the kingdom on an axis had previously been based in coastal have been the rallying center of the mainly took place after the north coast
closely connected to other trade centers economic centers like Tuban, Gresik, “nine saints” (Wali Sanga), a group of of Java had become more crowded
in different parts of the Muslim world Panarukan, Pati, Jepara and Kudus saints responsible for the Islamization by Muslim traders who alighted there
like the Middle East and the Ottoman of Java. One section of the Hikayat after the conquest of Malacca. At that
Empire. In his Bustan al-Salatin, by the establishment of Demak this Hasanuddin, a text about the kings of time, the traders had spread to the
Nuruddin ar-Raniri described Aceh as process were made in accordance with Banten, mentions the names of the eastern part of the archipelago so that
having scholars from the Middle East centralized royal policy. prayer leaders (imam) in the Demak Banten and Cirebon soon became the
who taught various disciplines of Islamic Demak expanded its power by way mosque. They were the saints (wali) who centers of trade and Islamization. In fact,

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