Padang Roco Inscription

Padang Roco Inscription

The Padang Roco Inscription, also known as Prasasti Padang Roco, is an ancient inscription that was discovered near the source of the Batanghari river in the Padangroco temple complex, Nagari Siguntur, Sitiung, Dharmasraya Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The inscription is dated to the year 1286 CE and is written in Old Malay using the Pallava script.

The inscription provides important historical information about the ancient Malay kingdom of Dharmasraya, which was located in the area that is now West Sumatra. It mentions a king named Sri Tribhuwanaraja Mauliwarmadewa who ruled over the kingdom, as well as several other rulers and officials who held important positions in the kingdom. The inscription also describes the various religious practices and rituals that were observed in the kingdom, including the worship of Hindu deities.

The Padang Roco Inscription is considered to be one of the most important historical artifacts from the ancient Malay world, and it has provided valuable insights into the political, social, and religious practices of the region during the 13th century CE. The inscription is now housed in the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta, where it can be viewed by the public.

The Padang Roco Inscription, discovered in 1911 near the Batanghari river source in Padangroco temple complex, Nagari Siguntur, Sitiung, Dharmasraya Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia, is an ancient Javanese inscription carved on four sides of a rectangular stone base that served as the pedestal for the Amoghapasa statue. The back of the statue also features an inscription known as the Amoghapasa inscription dated from a later period in 1347 CE.

The Padang Roco Inscription is written in two languages, Old Malay and Sanskrit, using ancient Javanese letters. It is dated 1208 Saka or 1286 CE, which is contemporaneous with the Singhasari kingdom in Java and the Melayu Kingdom Dharmasraya in Sumatra. The inscription narrates how, under the orders of King Kertanegara of Singhasari, a statue of Amoghapasa Lokeshvara was transported from Bhumijawa to Svarnabhumi (Sumatra) and erected at Dharmasraya. This gift made the people of Svarnabhumi, particularly their king Tribhuwanaraja Mauliwarmmadewa, very happy.

In 1347, Adityawarman moved the statue to the Rambahan site near the Langsat River, the source of the Batanghari River, and added an inscription to the back of the statue. The Padang Roco Inscription, however, remained in the Padang Roco area. Today, the inscription is housed at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta, with inventory code numbers D.198-6468 for the inscription base and D.198-6469 for the statue part.