Medang Kingdom
The Medang or Mataram Kingdom was a Hindu–Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the 8th and 10th centuries CE. It was based in Central Java, and later in East Java. Established by King Sanjaya, the founder of the Sanjaya dynasty, the kingdom was ruled by the Sailendra and Sanjaya families. By 850, the kingdom had become the dominant power in Java and was a serious rival to the hegemonic Srivijaya Empire.The earliest account of the Medang Kingdom is in the Canggal inscription, dated 732, discovered in Canggal village, southwest of the town of Magelang. This inscription, written in Sanskrit using the Pallava script, tells of the erection of a lingga on the hill in the Kunjarakunja area, located on a noble island called Yawadwipa (Java) which was blessed with abundance of rice and gold. This inscription tells that Yawadwipa was ruled by King Sanna, whose long reign was marked by wisdom and virtue. After Sanna died, the kingdom fell into disunity. Sanjaya, the son of Sannaha (Sanna's sister) ascended to the throne. He conquered the areas around his kingdom, and his wise reign blessed his land with peace and prosperity for all of his subjects.
Sanna and Sanjaya are Parahyangan, a book from a later the history of Pasundan . Sanna was defeated by retreated to Mount Merapi. Later, kingdom and ruled West Java, Bali. He also battled the their king, Sang Srivijaya). | also described in the Carita period which mainly describes This book mentions that Purbasora, King of Galuh, and Sanjaya reclaimed Sanna's Central Java, East Java, and Malayu and Keling (against - |
According to the CE and written in the Kalasan temple was erected by Sailendravamxatilaka , who persuaded to construct a holy (boddhisattvadevi) Tara and build a vihara the Sailendra realm. village to a sangha (Buddhist | Kalasan inscription, dated 778 Pranagari script in Sanskrit, the the will of Guru Sang Raja Panangkaran (Sanjaya's successor) building for the goddess (monastery) for Buddhist monks from Panangkaran also awarded Kalaxa monastic community). |
Around the middle of the between the Sanjaya and the the Sanjaya ruler, the offspring of the and the princess Tara. This in Java; Balaputra capital in Sumatra, where he The Balaputra defeat and recorded in Shivagrha Rakai Kayuwangi, Pikatan's | 9th century, relations Sailendra deteriorated. In 852, Pikatan, defeated Balaputra, Sailendra monarch Samaratunga ended the Sailendra presence retreated to the Srivijayan became the paramount ruler. the victory of Pikatan was inscription dated 856, edicted by successor. |
However, this dual proposed by Bosch and De Casparis Indonesian historians in later proposed by Poerbatjaraka, kingdom and one dynasty, the capital in the Mataram area , and the Sailendra. | Sailendra—Sanjaya dynasties theory was opposed by some period. An alternate theory, suggests there was only one kingdom called Medang, with the the ruling dynasty being - |
Most of the time, the was located in Mataram, near modern Yogyakarta and reign of Rakai Pikatan, the Later, in the reign of this time to Poh Pitu. Unlike unable to pinpoint the exact although most historians agree Kedu Plain, somewhere Temanggung regencies. Later, court was moved back to the | court of the Medang Kingdom somewhere on the Prambanan Plain Prambanan. However, during the court was moved to Mamrati. Balitung, the court moved again, Mataram, historians have been locations of Mamrati and Poh Pitu, that both were located in the around the modern Magelang or during the reign of Wawa, the Mataram area. |
The complex stratified refined aesthetic taste in art through the various scenes in various temples dated from the | ancient Javan society, with its and culture, is evidenced narrative bas-reliefs carved on Medang era. |
The bas-reliefs from temples of this period, especially from Borobudur and Prambanan describe occupations and careers other than agricultural pursuit; such as soldiers, government officials, court servants, massage therapists, travelling musicians and dancing troupe, food and drink sellers, logistics courier, sailors, merchants, even thugs and robbers are depicted in everyday life of 9th century Java. These occupations requires economy system that employs currency. The Wonoboyo hoard, golden artifacts discovered in 1990, revealed gold coins in shape similar to corn seeds, which suggests that 9th century Javan economy is partly monetized. On the surface of the gold coins engraved with a script "ta", a short form of "tail" or "tahil" a unit of currency in ancient Java.
The King was regarded as the paramount ruler or chakravartin, where the highest power and authority lies. The king, the royal family and the kingdom's officials had the authority to launch public projects, such as irrigation works or temple construction. The kingdom left behind several temples and monuments. The most notable ones are Prambanan, Sewu, and the Plaosan temple compound. The palace where the King resided was mentioned as kadatwan or keraton, the court was the center of kingdom's administration. Throughout its history, the center of Medang kingdom was mostly situated in and around Prambanan Plain, named as Mataram, however during the reign of other kings, the capital may shifted to other places. Several other courts and capital cities were mentioned, such as Mamrati and Poh Pitu, location unknown but probably somewhere in Kedu Plain. In later Eastern Java period, other centers were mentioned; such as Tamwlang and Watugaluh (near Jombang), also Wwatan (near Madiun).
The Wonoboyo hoard to the wealth, art, and achievement of the Medang Kingdom. intricate artwork and technical goldsmith. The hoard was estimated King Balitung. The treasure belonging to a noble or a member of | golden artifacts also attest culture as well as the aesthetic The artifacts show the mastery of the ancient Javanese to date from the reign of has been identified as the royal family. |
Since the beginning of Mataram kings seemed to favour construction of Gunung Wukir Hindu inscription by king Sanjaya. Panangkaran and the rise of Buddhism began to blossomed and Kalasan, Sari, Mendut, Pawon and and Sewu temples testify in Central Java. The court from the reign of During the reign of Pikatan, regain court's favour, grand Shivagrha . | its formation, the Medang Shivaist Hinduism, such as the temple as mentioned in Canggal However during the reign of Sailendras influence, Mahayana gain court favour. The the magnificent Borobudur the Buddhist renaissance patronage on Buddhism spanned Panangkaran to Samaratungga. Shivaist Hinduism began to signified by the construction of - |
From the 9th to mid 10th centuries, the Medang Kingdom witnessed the blossoming of art, culture and literature, mainly through the translation of Hindu-Buddhist sacred texts and the transmission and adaptation of Hindu-Buddhist ideas. The bas-relief narration of the Hindu epic Ramayana was carved on the wall of Prambanan Temple. During this period, the Kakawin Ramayana, an old Javanese rendering was written. This Kakawin Ramayana, also called the Yogesvara Ramayana, is attributed to the scribe Yogesvara circa the 9th century CE, who was employed in the court of the Medang in Central Java. It has 2774 stanzas in the manipravala style, a mixture of Sanskrit and archaic Javanese prose. The most influential version of the Ramayana is the Ravanavadham of Bhatti, popularly known as Bhattikavya. The Javanese Ramayana differs markedly from the original Hindu.
The name of the Medang Laguna Copperplate discovered in Manila, inscriptions, written in the Kawi containing numerous loanwords non-Malay vocabulary elements between Old Javanese and Old people or officials of the inter-insular trade and foreign the Philippines, and that kingdoms in Indonesia and the | Kingdom was written in the Inscription, dated 822 saka , Philippines. The discovery of the script in a variety of Old Malay from Sanskrit and a few whose origin is ambiguous Tagalog, suggests that the Medang Kingdom had embarked on relations in regions as far away as connections between ancient Philippines existed. |
Another theory capital city eastward was to or was motivated by river valley was considered for the control of maritime parts of archipelago, being Maluku spice trade. | suggests that the shift of avoid a Srivijaya invasion, economic reasons. The Brantas to be a strategic location trade routes to the eastern especially vital for control of the - |
Sindok moved the moved it again to Watugaluh. with the Tambelang and Jombang, East Java. A later king, to Wwatan, identified as Madiun. Dharmawangsa also Mahabharata into Old Javanese in | capital to Tamwlang and later Historian identify those names Megaluh area near modern Dharmawangsa, moved the capital again the Wotan area near modern ordered the translation of the 996. |
Related Sites for Medang Kingdom
- Java Indonesia History: Prehistory and Early Kingdoms | Java … read Medang Kingdom
- History of Mataram Hindu - Free Book Reviews | Book Summaries ... read Medang Kingdom
- Indonesia History - Mataram / Medang - 752-1045 read Medang Kingdom