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December 5, 2024 | 09:48 am
The Kutai Kingdom is known as the oldest Hindu kingdom in Indonesia. This kingdom even has a long history as the beginning of the birth of other kingdoms in Indonesia. The name Kutai is known by historians after the discovery of an inscription called Yupa.
The Yupa inscription is identified as a historical relic influenced by Hindu and Buddhist religions, and written in Sanskrit using Pallava script. Through this inscription, the name King Kudungga was found as the founder and First King of the Kutai Kingdom.
Historians interpret that the name Maharaja Kudungga is the original Nusantara name that has not been influenced by the Indian language.
Meanwhile, his descendants such as King Mulawarman and Aswawarman are considered to have been greatly influenced by Hindu culture originating from India. Here is a summary of more information about the history of the Kutai Kingdom.
The Formation of the Kutai Kingdom
Based on the Indonesian History Module for Grade X, the Kutai Kingdom was initially named the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom. The establishment of this kingdom was led by Maharaja Kudungga who held the posthumous title of Dewawarman, also as the first king of the Kutai Kingdom.
According to the official Cultural website of the Ministry of Education, experts believe that during the reign of King Kudungga, Hindu influence began to enter his region. King Kudungga was initially a tribal chief leading the area.
With the emergence and development of Hindu influence (from India) in East Kalimantan, changes occurred in the form of governance. From tribal governance led by tribal chiefs, it turned into a kingdom with a king as the head of government.
In the kingdom system, the king is considered a descendant of a god who must be worshiped by his subordinates and people. Therefore, the king has the right to govern absolutely and hereditarily based on the caste line.
The existence of the Kutai Kingdom is known from inscriptions shaped as seven stone yupa (pillars). This Yupa inscription is dated to the year 475 AD (5th century) and is the oldest inscription found in Indonesia.
Of the seven Yupa stones, only three can be read. According to the Faculty of Law at the Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra, some important information that can be inferred from the inscription includes the following:
- Genealogy: Shows the lineage of Maharaja Kudungga, the founder of the Kutai Kingdom.
- Charity Location: Maharaja Mulawarman gave charity of 20,000 cattle to the Brahmins at the sacred place "Waprakeswara."
- Golden Age: King Mulawarman, descendant of Maharaja Kudungga, reached a golden age by holding a grand feast, and to commemorate it, a stone monument was erected by the Brahmins.
The First King of the Kutai Kingdom
King Kudungga was the first king of the Kutai Kingdom. It is estimated that Kudungga still had an Indonesian culture before the influence of Hinduism entered his region. From his name, experts estimate that he did not embrace Hinduism at all.
With the influx of Hindu influence, Kudungga changed his government structure into a kingdom. Kudungga's position, which was initially a tribal chief, changed as he proclaimed himself as a king. Subsequently, the succession of kings was done hereditarily.
If during Kudungga's time Hinduism was not embraced, then during Aswawarman's time, his son or perhaps his son-in-law, Hinduism began to be adopted. The vratyastoma ceremony held, in the context of Hindustan, usually aims to remove the punishment of someone expelled from the caste.
However, in the case of the Kutai Kingdom, experts speculate that the purpose of this ceremony is different. This ceremony is a sign of accepting Hinduism and someone entering a caste.
During Aswawarman's reign, the territorial domain of Kutai expanded further. This is evidenced by the implementation of the Asmawedha Ceremony, which involved the release of horses to establish the boundaries of the Kutai Kingdom's territory.
The greatest king of the Kutai Kingdom is King Mulawarman. He is the son of King Aswawarman who succeeded him. Mulawarman is also mentioned frequently in the Kutai Inscription as it is highly likely that the Kutai Inscription was made during his reign.
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