A South Indian folk in the South-East .. - 21. The Southern Region and Its Great Dravidian Sacred Land"
The
Southern Region and Its Great Dravidian Sacred Land"
A
South Indian folk in the South-East ..
Last Sunday, during the holiday, I visited the
National Museum in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. I have been continuously
writing blog posts about Indonesian historical records, especially the
connections between India and Indonesia, with a focus on the historical links
between South India and Indonesia.
Due to workload constraints, I was unable to
write continuously. However, my recent visit to the museum has rekindled my
interest in writing about the historical narratives of Indonesian kings. As a person deeply interested in their way of life, I naturally find myself
searching for contemporaneous rulers in my own country's history. The names
that immediately come to mind are the great maritime kings, especially those
who navigated and conquered the waters of the Srivijaya, Sumatra, and Malay
archipelago—such as Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I.
NATIONAL
MUSEUM, JAKARTA, INDONESIA
Rajaraja Chola I ruled from CE 985 to CE 1014. His son, Rajendra Chola I, ruled from CE 1012 to CE 1044.
Even though I saw numerous ancient artifacts
and sculptures in the archaeological section of the museum, my thoughts kept
revolving around the era of my own ancestors and their influence. It is said
that what the heart desires will eventually come to us.
One such great ruler of Indonesia was King
Airlangga, who was born in Bali in CE 990 and passed away in East Java at Candi
Belahan in CE 1049. Born as a prince of a small kingdom in East Java during the
golden age of the Chola dynasty, he went on to establish the powerful
Medang-Kahuripan Empire, extending his rule from Bali to Central Java. The name
Airlangga or Ayir Langga means "Water that leaps"—symbolizing the
hardships he overcame, much like the concept of cosmic dissolution (Pralaya) where
everything is submerged in water before a new beginning.
AIRLANGGA'S STATUE (SITTING ON GARUDA)
He ascended the throne with the title Sri
Maharaja Rakai Halu Sri Lokeswara Dharmawangsa Airlangga
Anantawikramottunggadewa. His father, Udayana, belonged to the Warmadewa
dynasty of Bali, and his mother, Mahendradatta, was a princess from the Isyana
dynasty of Central Java. After marrying Udayana, she was known as Gunapriya
Dharmapatni. This Isyana lineage ruled over Central Java and extended its
influence even to West Kalimantan, often clashing with the mighty Srivijaya
Empire.
RAJA RAJA
CHOLA AND THE SRIWIJAYA KING
It was during this time that Rajaraja Chola
maintained friendly relations with the Srivijaya Kingdom. However, his son
Rajendra Chola launched a large naval expedition and successfully invaded and
captured Srivijaya, establishing Chola supremacy in the region. (Now, you can
see how Airlangga’s story is connected to South Indian political history!)
Dharmawangsa sought to challenge Srivijaya’s
dominance and, in CE 990, launched a naval expedition against them. However,
this campaign failed, and Srivijaya retaliated by conspiring with King Wurawari
of Lwaram to destroy Mataram. During Airlangga's wedding at the royal palace in
Watugaluh, Mataram’s capital, a surprise attack was launched. The entire royal
family, including his father Udayana and King Dharmawangsa, was massacred.
Airlangga, only 16 at the time, escaped with his bodyguard Narottama and took
refuge in the forest.
For 13 years, he lived as a hermit in Mount Wonogiri before gathering loyalists in CE 1019 and reclaiming his inheritance.
He consolidated his rule, established the Kingdom of Kahuripan, and forged
peace with Srivijaya. However, he remained cautious, waiting for the right
moment to expand his kingdom.
The Baru inscription, written in Old Javanese
script in CE 1030, is a crucial historical document found in Surabaya in 1913.
It is now housed in the National Museum in Jakarta. This inscription played a
key role in my research.
It states that the decree was issued by King
Airlangga to his minister Sri Sanggrama Vijayadharmaprasada Tungga Devi and
bears the royal Garuda seal, confirming it as an official government
proclamation. Interestingly, this minister was none other than Airlangga’s
eldest daughter, a crown princess who renounced her royal privileges to become
a Buddhist monk.
The Baru inscription grants tax exemptions to
the village of Baru in recognition of its people’s support during a military
campaign. These villagers provided logistical support to Airlangga’s army,
allowing them to set up camps and fight against regional adversaries like the
Hasin Kingdom, which was aligned with Srivijaya. After achieving victory and
consolidating power over Central and East Java, Airlangga rewarded the
villagers by making Baru a tax-free settlement.
Key Passages from This Inscription
This inscription declares that this village
no longer belongs to King Airlangga. It affirms that only the officials of
the village hold administrative authority, independent of the king’s direct
control.
Instead of calling himself a generous
benefactor, the emperor acknowledges that the decision was made based on the
counsel of his key court members—Samgat Landayan Rarai Mpu Bama and Samgat
Lucem Rarai Pu Manuritan. What an extraordinary display of humility by this
great ruler!
Furthermore, the inscription provides precise
details on who is subject to taxation. It specifies different categories
of taxpayers, including maritime traders, skilled professionals, and artisans.
The text also makes a remarkable distinction regarding taxation for the Warga
Kilalan (an elite social class), indicating that taxes could be levied on
them.
Additionally, it describes Special Economic Zones where villages were granted tax exemption, allowing them to retain
the right to collect and manage their own revenues. These tax-free regions
followed a well-defined system, demonstrating the sophistication of economic
governance at the time.
The
Presence of South Indians in Ancient Java
It is fascinating to see that people from
South India were documented in inscriptions from over a thousand years ago in
the Eastern Archipelago. Let us examine a phrase from an old Javanese inscription:
"Çrĩ Mahãrãja ri maniratna singhasana
makadatwan ri wwatan mas..."
This translates to:
"The Maharaja, seated upon the bejeweled throne in the golden palace,
declares..."
What is even more striking is that the
inscription lists various foreign communities by their place of origin,
and this is where we find the mention of South Indians.
A later inscription, dated 1021 CE,
issued by the same king, provides an even clearer reference:
Tax Record No. 14
"i kanaŋ wārggā kilalān kliŋ āryyā
sińhala paņdikira dravida campa kmir rĕmĕn mambaŋ senamukha..."
This inscription, along with two others—the Turunhyang
A Inscription and the Patakan Inscription—repeats the classification
of these foreign groups, mentioning:
- Kling –
People from Kalinga (modern Odisha, India), known for their maritime
expertise.
- Sińhala –
Sinhalese traders from Sri Lanka.
- Āryyā – A
term used for non-Dravidian people.
- Paņdikira – A
combined reference to the Pandyas of Tamil Nadu and the people of Kerala.
- Dravida – A
direct reference to the Tamil people, who were collectively known as
Dravidians.
- Campa –
Traders from Champa (modern Vietnam).
- Kmir – The
Khmer people of Cambodia.
- Rĕmĕn
(or Mon) – The Mon people of Burma (Myanmar).
The Legacy
of the Dravidian Connection
Tamil poet Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai
poetically described South India as:
"The Southern Land and Its Great
Dravidian Sacred Nation"
Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai
Remarkably, over a thousand years ago, South India was already known across vast maritime distances, as evidenced by inscriptions found in Java.
Even Rabindranath Tagore referred to
South Indians using the term Dravida, recognizing the deep-rooted
identity of these people.
In ancient Javanese records, we see that Pandyas
and Keralites were sometimes grouped under a single term, "Pandikira",
possibly due to the Pandya dynasty’s long-standing rule over the western
regions along the Western Ghats. However, the term Dravida was always
used to refer to the Tamil-speaking people. This serves as solid historical
evidence that the Dravidian identity was well-known and recognized across vast
regions for centuries.
Continuing
the Journey
Our exploration of the seafaring Tamil
people is far from over. There is still much to uncover about their
incredible voyages and lasting influence across Southeast Asia.
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