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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
 66
 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
                                  68
 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
                                                                                   70
 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
 67
 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.



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