Page 183 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

exists when there is a king. It is similar i.e. God Almighty. This is what various Hasanuddin (1653-1669), the king of In attempts to explain the characteristics
in the Javanese tradition. Anecdotal tomb stones remind people through Gowa, who had to face the VOC attacks of just conduct, the Tajus-Salatin says
events reported by Dutch envoys show quotes from Qur’anic verses or from under Speelman (1666): that it is truly subjective. What the king
that the king is an essential element of the Hadith. This is also repeated in the “Tuanku Sultan who is very shana perceives as right, be it an action or a
the kingdom. This is precisely what the Tajus-Salatin. And this also is always law imposed upon him, will also be felt
chronicles always underline and it is sung in odes to kings or he is reminded The Perfect, Wise, and Prudent well by the people. Contrarily, what he
symbolized by the king’s bold titles. In by various traditional historiographies. Knowing the fourteen knowledges feels is bad for him, is also bad for the
other words, the kingdom must first of all Each veneration, moreover, and every people. So the simple rule is common
be seen as the extension of the person historical myth, also simultaneously Begot the essence of the four sense. This is the beginning of justice,
of the ruler and not as an organization contains an expectation of the ruling complete truths and this is also the main basis of true
or a power structure. Therefore, as king and advice to his later successors. “sovereignty”. “Sovereignty”, then, is
discussed above, the envisioned ideal In fact, the purpose of writing history Then it was also said that “his majesty not merely the foundation of power
64
state is actually a “moral state” reflected books is explicitly mentioned in the is the beloved of the Last Prophet”. legitimacy, but in fact is also a reflection
by the just character of the king: “the Sejarah Melayu, and in many other Both examples show the king as a ruler of shared feelings. “Sovereignty” is
(supposedly) pure spring”. texts, such as the Hikayat Merong who is not only just but also a man who rooted in the unity between the people
Mahawangsa. In other words, it also was has reached the highest level of gnosis and the king. Moreover, it is based on
But the king, not like the kingdom or (ma’rifat). Again we see that a state
the state, is not an abstract concept. A a literary convention. It may even be or kingdom is a reflection of the king’s justice, is a step to approach the king,
king is a person, who either because that a poem that seemed to have been personality. the creature, to God ---as he becomes
of his destiny or because of something aimed at Sultan Riayat Shah known in “the divine saint, the perfect connector”.
else holds the reins of power. A just or the Acehnese tradition as al-Mukallam Based on a similarly Sufi way of thinking The normative objective to be achieved is
unjust king is an actual and concrete was not written by Hamzah Fansuri, but in the form of a discourse colored the entire cosmos. Irrespective whether
living figure. His presence and the nevertheless, its content is an illustration by local culture, the Serat Centini, an it is reflected in odes or in advice, cosmic
th
manifestation of his power have an effect of the ideal king. encyclopedic work dating back to 18 unity is the overall ideological basis of
on civilized society within the circle of “Shah Allam the just king century Java, depicts the real world, the Islamic kings in Southeast Asia;
his power. That is the reason why some Our perfect King of the Poles which is like the shadow-puppet theatre not only are they always depicted by
matters have to be maintained also. played by a puppeteer. “The real using mystical idiom, they are also often
Not only the legitimacy of his power The divine saint the perfect connector puppeteer is the king himself. He is the involved in a mystic sphere regardless of
should be guarded but also the people’s The wise king, the perfect 63 deputy of the Prophet. The Prophet is the style or the nature of their monistic
loyalty to him must be fortified, but the the representative of God Almighty. The understanding. It is not exaggerated to
king should also be reminded of the In the same tone, Inche Amin, the author Prophet and the king are the embodiment say that, apart from their differences,
reciprocal responsibility between himself of the Syair Mengkasar illustrates Sultan of God.” 65 most works produced by the court poets
and his people as well as between 63. Al-Attas, 1966: 44-5; cf. Brakel’s objections 64. Skinner, 1962. or palace writers can only be understood
himself and the higher power above him, (1979: 79-8; and Drewes & Brakel, 1986: 18-24). 65. Quoted by Moedjanto, 1986. by using a mystical approach rather

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