Sejarah Banten
Encyclopedia
Sejarah Banten is a Javanese
chronicle
containing stories of conversion to Islam in Indonesia. The manuscripts of the chronicle date from the late nineteenth century, although two are known to be copies written from the originals in the 1730s and 1740s.
Due to the scarcity and limitations of primary historical records, Sejarah Banten, is one of a number of accounts of Indonesian legends that scholars use to help illuminate aspects of the spread of Islam in Indonesia, the dominant religion in the Indonesia
n archipelago since the sixteenth century. Similar to the Babad Tanah Jawi
("History of the Land of Java"), Sejarah Banten, there are magical events, however, conversions are not specifically described nor is there emphasis on formal and tangible conversion rituals such as The Confession of Faith
and circumcision.
where Islam was not established until the eighteenth century. The daughter of Balambangan's ruler is critically ill, but recovers when Molana Usalam gives her betel nut
to chew. She is given to Molana Usalam in marriage but Molana Usalam declines the offer when the princess refuses to adopt his religion of Islam. Moalana Usalam leaves the pregnant princess when he departs Balambangan. Her son is subsequently thown into the sea in a chest, similar to the story of Moses
as found in the Bible
and sura
XX of the Qur'an
. The chest was pulled out of the sea at Gresik and the boy is raised as a Muslim. He becomes the first Sunan
of Giri.
Javanese language
Javanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
containing stories of conversion to Islam in Indonesia. The manuscripts of the chronicle date from the late nineteenth century, although two are known to be copies written from the originals in the 1730s and 1740s.
Due to the scarcity and limitations of primary historical records, Sejarah Banten, is one of a number of accounts of Indonesian legends that scholars use to help illuminate aspects of the spread of Islam in Indonesia, the dominant religion in the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n archipelago since the sixteenth century. Similar to the Babad Tanah Jawi
Babad Tanah Jawi
Babad Tanah Jawi , is a generic title for a large number of manuscripts written in Javanese language. Their arrangements and details vary, and no copies of any of the manuscripts are older than the eighteenth century....
("History of the Land of Java"), Sejarah Banten, there are magical events, however, conversions are not specifically described nor is there emphasis on formal and tangible conversion rituals such as The Confession of Faith
Confession of Faith
A Confession of Faith is a statement of doctrine very similar to a creed, but usually longer and polemical, as well as didactic.Confessions of Faith are in the main, though not exclusively, associated with Protestantism...
and circumcision.
Story of Sunan Giri
According to the Sejarah Banten, a foreign holy man, Molana Usalam comes to Balambangan in the Eastern Salient of JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
where Islam was not established until the eighteenth century. The daughter of Balambangan's ruler is critically ill, but recovers when Molana Usalam gives her betel nut
Betel nut
The Areca nut is the seed of the Areca palm , which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as "betel nut" as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves.-Description:...
to chew. She is given to Molana Usalam in marriage but Molana Usalam declines the offer when the princess refuses to adopt his religion of Islam. Moalana Usalam leaves the pregnant princess when he departs Balambangan. Her son is subsequently thown into the sea in a chest, similar to the story of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
as found in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
XX of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. The chest was pulled out of the sea at Gresik and the boy is raised as a Muslim. He becomes the first Sunan
Sunan (Indonesian title)
Sunan is the shorter version of "Susuhunan", both used as an honorific in Java Indonesia.According to Hamka in his book Dari Perbendaharaan Lama the word derived from a Javanese word for position of hands in reverential salutation, done with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers...
of Giri.