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