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open”.  This chronicle also tells us   to shake their heads at the violence   whereas Iskandar Muda was portrayed   the Maranao rulers to remain firm in
 71
 that the king often prayed in the Haram   committed by Iskandar Muda (1607-1636)   as a religious scholar who opposed   their opposition against the Spanish.
                                                                                  77
 Mosque in Mecca. The Babad Nitik   against anyone attempting to challenge   wujudiyah monistic thinking. The result of   He was also a defender of and fighter
 Sultan Agung says that this great king   his rule.  But for Nuruddin al-Raniri, the   this difference is clearly reflected in the   for Islam. A contemporary Spanish
 74
 beat Minangkabau and Palembang   author of the Bustanus Salatin, the sultan   construction of political traditions.  report says that Sultan Qudarat was
 by using his magical power and that   was no less than the defender of religion,   The 17  century was the era of the rise   highly respected by his people who paid
                th
 he Islamized the royal families of both   and the upholder of the law and religious   of exemplary kings: bold, just, and wise.   him homage as if he were Muhammad
 kingdoms.  Indeed, these things cannot   morality. His conquests were not to   They were always well remembered in   himself. The reason was that he was a
 72
 be validated by historical proof, and the   increase his power. The event took place   the collective memory and in tradition   Moro who was very brave, intelligent,
 myth will simply disappear because   because of the will of God over the fate   as the defenders of and the fighters for   and highly capable, in addition to faithful
 75
 of the lack of historical backing to   of mankind.  Iskandar Muda, according   religion and even though they failed, they   to “his cursed religion”, and also the one
                                                                                   78
 th
 substantiate it. Indeed, Sultan Agung,   to the Adat Aceh (from the 18  century)   are remembered as such nonetheless   who was always followed by success.
 76
 not only expanded the kingdom of   laid the basis of the law in Aceh.  He   Such was the attitude towards Sultan   So, it is not surprising that the king was
 Mataram by vindicating the political and   combined several villages into a larger   Hasanuddin of Gowa, the “rooster from   very concerned about any successful
 trade centers on the coast, but also by   residential units, which were centered on   the east” (in Speelman’s phrase, now   attempts of the Spanish that attracted
 making himself the Khalifatullah Sayidin   a mosque. In accordance to the Shafi’i   used as the symbol of the Gowa district).   Muslims to Catholicism. But, it seems,
 Panatagama, the “representative of God   school of jurisprudence the construction   Similarly, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa (1651-  also because of his Islamic politics,
                                                 Manguindanao policies were aimed at
 and the regulator of religion.” He was   of a mosque was justified if it had forty   1683) had to meet the attacks of the VOC   attracting foreigners to settle, to marry
 the Panembahan, the local ruler, who   congregated people. Thus, the social   that conspired with the crown prince. Or   local girls and to convert to Islam. “Many
 had become susuhunan--- the title that,   organization of the kingdom followed   Sultan Baabullah (1570-1583) of Ternate,   slaves who have fled stay here”, said
 before him, had only been carried by the   worship regulations.  who, albeit briefly, managed to avenge   a Dutch report, “and many Chinese
 saints--- and the Sultan, the Muslim ruler   In this way, history (in the empirical   the betrayal of the Portuguese who had   had converted to Islam and been given
 of an empire. The Dutch report also tells   sense) and myth (as something that is   killed his father, Sultan Khairun (1570).  wives by the Sultan (Sultan Baharaman,
 how the sultan forced Dutch prisoners to   considered true) mutually reinforced the   the successor of Qudarat), because
 convert to Islam. 73  ruler’s claim as the “one in authority” or   In the history of the Manguindanao   everyone who comes here is received
          Sultanates’ struggle against Spanish
 Beaulieu, the French admiral, and   the “crown of the universe”. What differed   occupation, Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan   with open arms”. 79
 other European witnesses were forced   was that Sultan Agung’s mythical style   Qudarat (1619-1671) is the king most   Most of these exemplary kings were also
 represented kejawen mystical thought,
 71.  De Graaf, 1986.  remembered. When he ruled, the   thinkers and the protectors of religious
 72.  Quoted by Moedjanto, 1986: 62-63. Of course,   74.  Lombard, 1981: 35-64. For another foreign   competing sultanates in Manguindanao   knowledge and merciful providers of
 this story is merely a myth. On the Islamization of   report on the reign of the authoritarian Iskandar   accepted him as a unifier. But more than
 Palembang, see Abdullah, 1987: 201-204, and on   Muda, see Reid.  77.  Majul, 139.
 Minangkabau, see Abdullah, 1966.  75.  Iskandar (ed.)   that, he was also a brave warrior. He   78.  Quoted in Mastura, 1984: 32-33.
 73.  De Graaf, 1986: 107-108.   76.  Drewes & Voorhoeve, 1958.  also revived the spirit of his neighbors,   79.  Laarhoven, 1987.



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