DEVRAJAS of INDONESIA

Dr Uday Dokras
Connection between Devaraja and the Ramayana
Where did the idea of devaraja come from? Who knows?

We will offer one plausible explanation, which has no scholarly foundation whatsoever. Only
the wealthy classes could read. Therefore the sophisticated ideas of Buddhism or Hinduism
could not be read by the bulk of the people. To remedy this situation the stories of Hinduism
were spread because they could be understood by all. One of the most widely disseminated
stories of all time, as we’ve mentioned earlier in this lengthy tome, was and is the Ramayana.
To refresh your memory Rama is a prince who is an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the
supreme gods of Hinduism. Vishnu incarnates to save the world of humans as well as the
world of the gods. This story told over and over, dramatized, sculpted, and painted,
inculcated the consciousness of entire cultures. Inspired by this powerful literature the
populace would hope that their King would be the incarnation of Vishnu and the King might
think himself a divine incarnation.

In the West Either God Or Man: In the East a Continuum

Again let us stress the difference between East and West. In the Biblical West there is an
unbridgeable gulf between God and human, while in the East there is a continuum between
god and man. The whole Vishnu story is based on regular divine incarnation. In some ways
Buddhism could be called the Way for Everyman to move up the continuum to achieve
Divinity.

In the Biblical West we have an Either/Or Polarity based upon the man/god duality, while in
Asian East we have a Both/And Continuum. In this Eastern sense Jesus’ statement that he

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was the son of God would have just meant that he was closer than the rest of us. In fact it has
been suggested that he studied in the East in India, where he might been exposed to the
Man/God Continuum. If this was the case then modern Christianity is based upon a colossal
misunderstanding. When Jesus said that he was the son of god, he was actually only
affirming humanity’s connection with divinity. God is in all of us. We are only attempting to
realize our God nature - our Buddha nature. Jesus was successful.

Hinduism refers to uncovering the divinity within, Buddhism talks about realizing our own
true nature, Taoism speaks about constantly purifying in order to allow our Self to manifest
as purely as possible and Yoga emphasizes the need to transcend the Duality. The Sailendra
kings who produced Borobudur were of this nature to a greater extent. On this continuum
their subjects and the king himself considered that he had purified enough to have reached
this sacred state. Indeed the Sailendra kings also worshipped Shiva as another manifestation
of Buddha. Shiva was considered the god of the Ascetic, who was a Yogi, who had
transcended the Duality. Hence the yogi/king could experience reality directly because he had
transcended the Verbal Duality through a rigorous program of meditation and practicing
austerities. This is Yoga - restraint. Through the practice of Yoga the king realized his
Buddha nature - In the realization of his Buddha nature, he naturally manifested as a
Bodhisattva in this world. This could be called the purified human or it could be called god-
like. It pretty much amounts to the same thing. To reiterate the Javanese king practiced Yogic
asceticism in order to cleanse his inner self of all the social accretions so that he could lead
his population to the enlightenment of Bodhisattva-hood.

Mandala Self vs. Territorial Self

The mandala organization of the country and empire was further reflected in the pyramid
architecture. This huge monument was the central point of the spiritual empire. The mandala
conception of the self is quite different than what we will call the territorial conception of the
self. The territorial sense of self is the traditional one. We are our Body. The mandala sense
of self says that we are the point where our consciousness is. The body is merely one of our
spheres of influence rather than really being our self. Our self is merely the point of
consciousness - which is everything, rather than being the external body, which is merely an
emanation from the middle. Just as the mandala empire was maintained by treating her
subjects well, similarly the mandala self is maintained by treating the body well rather than
by ignoring her needs. Both emanate from the center to influence those around by virtue of
the personal power that it is generated internally.

In order to generate personal power, the internal self must be pruned of excess ballast that
will sink the boat or prevent the balloon from rising to the Heavens. Focusing an entire
culture on creating a spiritual masterpiece upon the Earth is to transform the whole culture
into a Bodhisattva. Hence the Sailendra dynasty generated a Bodhisattva culture, which
attempted to assist all of humanity in their quest to polish their luminous Egg of cultural
accretions so that they could manifest clearly. However the more that the Self or Self-Culture
grasps territoriality as the foundation of personal boundaries the greater the reduction in
spiritual power because it is just too fat to resonate with the Universal harmonies.

The Javanese God-kings first Devarajas

The valley between the Progo and Opak Rivers in the central valley of Java, is one of the
most bountiful on earth because of lava and volcanic ash that falls regularly from Mount
Merabi and other volcanic mountains in the vicinity. The farmers have a guaranteed surplus

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with which to supply the needs of an Empire. And they did. While power has gradually
shifted to the northwest coast, the kingdoms of Java began and extended from this
agricultural center. The ancient city of Yogyakarta, noted on the map on page 211, was a
locus for human emergence.

This fertile plateau was the birthplace of devarajas, god-kings. In a Sanskrit inscription from
684 AD to commemorate the building of a park we have the first clear cut example of a ruler
presenting himself as a divine religious leader. In this King’s prayer, he assures the reader
that building this park will bring merit to all involved. He goes on to say that while disloyalty
to the king brings death that obedience brings eternal bliss. In such a way these rulers aligned
themselves with the gods in bringing agony or ecstasy to their populace. If the ruler
manifested divine qualities then those around him were attracted to his court and kingdom.
This idea was the foundation of the mandala kingdom.

The Javanese were worshippers of Shiva, called Shaivites - presumably because of the many
active volcanoes on Java and on the surrounding islands. Shiva, one of the three main gods of
Hinduism, was noted for being an ascetic, as well as the god of destruction. As such he was
considered the consummate Yogi. Hence these Kings were also ascetics like Shiva.
The Javanese, being of a flexible mind, were also Buddhists. Under the influence of
Mahayana Buddhism this god-king became a Bodhisattva, a divine being who was meant to
assist people on their path to enlightenment. Whether on my mainland or my islands, my
kings have regularly played the role of the compassionate one, the Bodhisattva - providing
the means of personal salvation to others.

As such they attempted to maintain their country as a holy land, by providing an environment
where religion could flourish. This was a huge responsibility. It meant keeping the peace,
protecting religious sites, encouraging spiritual practices such as purification and scriptural
study, and teaching his people about the religious significance of life on the earth. Along

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these lines my Bodhisattva Kings were meant to help his subjects along the spiritual path by
providing them with opportunities for spiritual advancement and growth.

The Sailendra Dynasty & Borobudur

These cultures were hit from two directions because of the alternation of the monsoons.
When the winds blew one way it would bring the Indian traders and their culture in and the
Chinese home. When it blew the other way it would bring the Chinese and their culture back
and the Indian traders home. This cycle exposed my island cultures to both Chinese and
Indian culture. As we’ve mentioned one of these cultural meeting points was at Palembang,
where Chinese, Hindu, and local scholars congregated to study Hindu and Buddhist thought.
Another place that became a cultural spreading center of both Buddhism and Hinduism was a
plateau on Java ruled by the Sailendra dynasty, a vassal state to the Srivijaya Empire.

Common culture of India binds my region

Indian influence had reached Indonesia in the 1st century AD, but the first Indianized
kingdoms emerged in west Java, Sumatra and Borneo in the middle of the millennium from
the 3rd to 6th centuries. There was a certain prestige associated with the adoption of Indian
political forms. It was also a convenient way of shifting loyalties and energies from the clan
and family to the greater nation.

Prior to this the people of my islands and my mainland all participated in a cult of ancestors.
This spirit or ancestor worship seems to be a universal among your species. While we land
masses are very rooted already, honoring the spirits of your forefathers allows you ephemeral
humans to sink some roots into the past. It gives you a sense of continuity that extends past
your short century on the planet.
Of course the problem with this clan worship is that it tends to separate you from other clans
or tribes because you worship different spirits. This sense of difference frequently
degenerates into aggression and warfare. One way of joining disparate tribes was through the
worship of national heroes. In this way the patriotism of the nation replaces the tribalism of
ancestor worship. Of course the larger nations tend to separate themselves into warring
groups because they too worship different spirits.

The next globalization of this innate spirit worship has to do with worshipping the same gods.
Hence the tribes of my area could all worship the same Hindu gods, This religious
universality not only bound them to their nation but also to my entire territory, as well. Thus
India’s maharajah system combined with their Hindu gods united my humans in a way that
they never had been before. My central Java kingdom, who were speaking a Austronesian
dialect, communicated directly with the contemporary Khmer kingdom of Chenla, who spoke
a Austroasiatic dialect. Both these kingdoms and more were in constant cultural contact with
both Sri Lanka, the Tamils of southern India, and the Burmese, who spoke respectively an
Indo Aryan, Dravidian, and Sino-Tibetan language. Thus the culture of India connected clans,
tribes and nations who spoke languages from 5 different language families. Note these are not
dialects; they are more different than Spanish and English.

Of course the next stage of human belligerence has to do with competing universal gods
connected to competing nation spirits. This is the modern state of affairs. Hence the Christian
nations have been battling the Muslim nations which have been battling the Jewish nation for
over a thousand years. When they stop the religious wars they revert to wars of nationalism.
You humans are certainly an aggressive species. It is almost as if there is nothing to fight
over, you will find something.

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Unfortunately your modern cult of science has killed all the spirits of your ancestors, the
spirits of nations, and the gods, which leaves you poor pathetic humans rootless, swept away
by the latest fad or political idea. Your innate sense of family loyalty which connects you
with past and future has been washed away by a supposedly scientific rational nationalism -
which threatens to destroy my planet - for your species at least. Better to root yourself in my
Earth and extend your spine to the Heavens to maintain an autonomy from the mob mentality
that seems to dominate your behavior - leading you to your demise - like a moth to a flame.

Borobudur - architectural Buddhism

One such ‘opportunity’ was supporting the king by helping in the construction of temples. In
this way they could earn religious merit. There are even inscriptions which reveal that local
Javanese princes ‘cheerfully’ participated in these projects. rather than being required to by
law. The rulers of the Sailendra dynasty manifested the concept of the devaraja on a grand
scale. During their rule they constructed many religious monuments designed to instruct their
people and the following generations to enter on the path to enlightenment. The most famous
of these monuments is Borobudur, a Buddhist masterpiece of superior grandeur and beauty.
Consisting of 1.3 million stone blocks, it was carved and constructed by 50,000 Javanese
over 50 years. At 115 feet tall atop a 403 foot square, it is still the largest Buddhist stupa in
the world.

This area became historical in 732 CE, when a Hindu noble, Sanjaya, established a kingdom
called Mataram in one of the fertile central valleys of Java. In 775 CE his kingdom began
construction on a monument to commemorate the introduction of Hinduism to Java - near the
confluence of the Progo River and its tributaries. Ten years later this Hindu kingdom was
replaced by the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty, vassals to the Srivijaya Empire. Accordingly
they shifted the orientation of the temple to Buddhism. It took 50 more years to complete this
architectural monument at Borobudur. Revered for less than 200 years, it seemed to have
been buried by volcanic ash in the 11th century, possibly by an eruption of one of the many
active volcanoes. It was lost until the Dutch discovered and uncovered it in 1907.

Although Borobudur is built in the style of the Indian tjandis with a pyramidal structure, the
Javanese introduced their own innovations. The Indian tjandis were meant to house the gods -
provide them a home - a resting spot - a sophisticated spirit house. However Borobudur was
not just meant as a memorial or shrine of the gods, a place of worship. Instead it was meant to
be an architectural representation of Buddhist philosophy. It was designed to represent
complex metaphysical theories. At this level it was completely original. As such it provided
the pattern for Angkor.

The temple mountain at Borobudur, like the Indian tjandi, was constructed from a solid mass
of stone, 2 million cubic feet around small hill, with little or no interior space - certainly no
internal shrines. (In contrast the Khmer temples of Angkor are noted for their vast amount of
empty space created by structural pillars.)

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Based upon the supreme mystical power of the mandala, Borobudur has 10 stories
corresponding with the 10 stages until Buddhist Enlightenment. The first level is the entry
level. The next five are associated with the 5 Buddhas which represent the entire external
Universe - the vajra-dhatu - the realm of total reality. This group of 5 Buddhas is familiar in
the diverse areas of Tibet, Japan, and northeast India. These levels are all squarish, having a
zigzag external design on their corners which is similar to the Hindu yantra.

The next three levels are all circular terraces with stupas on top. They represent the 3
Buddhas of the esoteric tradition associated with Tantric Buddhism - the garbha-dhatu - the
womb of innermost secrets. The 10th level is empty, representing the final goal of
Enlightenment, the abandonment of attachment to Form. This is the Void of the Vairocana
Buddha.

On the walls of each level there are sculptured relief panels, 1500 over all, which represent
the trials and traps on the journey to enlightenment. The zigzag corridors and prescribed
direction concealed the Buddhist statuary so that the adherent wouldn’t be dsitracted by what
lay ahead and could focus upon the lesson at hand. Thus on one level the entire monument is
a Buddhist teaching device.

The Sacred Mountain

On another level this enormous pyramid is meant to be viewed as a sacred mountain. The
sacred mountain has many parallels in religion. The most immediate is Mount Meru of Hindu
mythology. Frequently these tjandis, upon which Borobudur was based, were meant to be
temporal representations of Mount Meru, a mythical mountain in the center of the Universe,
which connects god and man.

This merged neatly with native beliefs. As with many early cultures the Javanese had always
worshipped sacred places. Seeing as how their central plane had 6 active volcanic mountains,

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ranging in height from 6000 to over 10,000 feet, the Javanese had great respect for
mountains. Mount Merabi, an active volcano in the vicinity of Borobudur, had already been
dedicated to Shiva - the entire mountain, not just a temple.

Javanese Devaraja contrasted with other god kings

Hence in constructing this mountain temple, the king was fulfilling his role as Bodhisattva.
This public project established this idea on many planes simultaneously. As Bodhisattva, the
king was constructing a teaching device to aid in the quest for enlightenment for his people.
The king was also building this sacred mountain to establish his correspondence with the
gods. Finally he was providing an external circumstance where a maximum of his subjects
could earn merit towards enlightenment by service to their king, who was actually god or
Buddha on earth.

The Javanese devaraja - their god/king is to be differentiated from the Pope or Mohammed
who are merely meant to be God’s representatives rather than God or Allah himself. The
Roman and Chinese Emperors were worshipped in their own right as divine beings. However
in each of these circumstances the ruler was worshipped as one of many gods, not as the god.
Indeed there has always been a tendency, even today, for humans to worship a powerful ruler
as a link between the divine and temporal world. This is expressed in the idea of fulfilling
manifest destiny or the divine right of kings in the West or as the Mandate of Heaven in
China. These manifestations of godlike powers are on the political plane only, while my
devarajas manifest on the spiritual plane.

Many god kings in the rest of the world built elaborate burial shrines as a testament to their
power on earth. As examples we have the Egyptian pyramids or the burial mounds of the
Chin Emperor of China. In contrast Borobudur was not meant to glorify the Javanese king in
any way. It was not meant as form of king worship or as a burial shrine. As a monument it
was and is merely meant to spread Buddhism.
The Javanese notion of Bodhisattva-king puts a greater spiritual responsibility upon the
royalty than in the aforementioned circumstances. While in the Chinese tradition the Emperor

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has the duty to rule well, as expressed through Confucianism, this does not include assisting
his subjects in their quest for enlightenment. The rulers in the west may have been
worshipped but it was only for their manifestation of external power and nothing to do with
their role as a spiritual leader. In many tribes there existed a chief and a shaman, one to deal
with the political the other to do with the spiritual. In modern times we have priests and
politicians. While the political and religious leader of a culture merges from time to time into
one person, most of the time he is thought of as a representative of the gods rather than as a
god himself. In Java this was different. The king was not just representing the gods, he was
the god himself. This wouldn’t bear so much attention except that this idea of devaraja -
god/king, was continued by the Khmer in Cambodia and then in Thailand, even up to the
present.

Java’s Prambanam temple complex

While the Sailendra Dynasty lasted less than 100 years, they also built other religious
monuments on this fertile mountain plateau. To indicate the direct borrowing from Indian
architecture, one was called Tjandi Ngawen and the other Tjandi Mendut.
The Sailendra Dynasty, who had their roots in the Sumatran based Srivijaya Empire,were
peaceful invaders. The Sanjaya family who they had replaced were not destroyed. They had
simply moved to the sidelines. With the ascendancy of the Sailendra Dynasty the Sanjaya
family bowed out to become a vassal state on their perimeter. With the decline of the
Sumatran dynasty the Sanjaya family reasserted control over the valley in the middle of the
9th century and the Sailendra court moved to Sumatra.
Legend has it that a Sanjaya prince married a Sailendra princess to become king. Because of
the paucity of historical information, it is not clear if his was a military takeover or if he were
merely stepping in to fill a power vacuum. Because religious construction normally comes to
a halt during times of military stress we prefer the second explanation.

The temple building frenzy continued unabated under this renewed Hindu kingdom of
Mataram for another 30 years. It was not even close to being over yet. Under the Mahayana
Buddhism of the Sailendra dynasty the Hindu worship of Shiva and Vishnu was not
eliminated or even suppressed.
Similarly the other way around. The Sanjaya family, showing typical Javanese tolerance,
created some more Buddhist temples, Candi Sari and Candi Plaoson. Close by on the same
plateau they also went on to build some Hindu temples called the Prambanam complex.
There was no decline in quality. They continued to create the first class art of Java. Here is a
map of all the temples that were created during this century.

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In opposition to the moral didacticism of Buddhism, symbolized by relatively squat
Borobudur, these Hindu temples, dedicated to Shiva, Hindu literature and aesthetics, soared
skyward. As contrasted with the Buddhist tjandis many of these had interior space and
included sculpture in the round. One of the most impressive of these is called Lara Janggrang.
It was built about 900 CE. It is a colossal work meant to represent Mount Meru, the cosmic
mountain of Hinduism. It reminds one of the temples of Angkor with its vegetal lotus
structure shown below.

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size perspective here is someone at one of the entryways.

Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, the three gods of Hinduism are all represented. It also includes
representations of the Kala monster, which represents Time, vomiting scrolls. Plus it includes
sculptural representations in stone of many Hindu stories. Including - the Ramayana.
Reiterating its timeless themes: a parent’s binding love of their child, combined with the
necessity of breaking free to fulfill an individual destiny - the transforming power of romantic
love - the necessity of seeking assistance from friends to achieve one’s ends. These universal
themes are combined with some unique concepts primary of which is the possibility and
perhaps probability that a god has incarnated in each of us to accomplish a divine mission.
This mission has to do with driving away or conquering the dark forces. This cosmic battle
not only assists the individual to accomplish his or her individual goals but also assists the
rest of humanity as well as the gods themselves. Further the whole story comes to a happy
ending because of forgiveness.

In many ways the Khmer temples of Angkor were more in the tradition of these Hindu
temples than the Buddhist stupas of Borobudur. Further their kingdoms were contemporary
with each other. They probably even shared some of the same craftsman, especially after the
fall of these Java kingdoms in the early 900s due to volcanic activity.

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This efflorescence of temple building in Java came to an abrupt halt with the eruption of
some local volcanoes in about 930 AD. As evidence one of the temples, while covered with 3
feet of ash, is well preserved - showing no signs of decay or looting. It seems to have been
suddenly abandoned, like the buildings of Pompeii. Evidence suggests that the population
suddenly dropped, going to the coast. Hence from 732 CE to 930 CE, about 200 years, this
culture on the Javanese plateau created multiple architectural religious masterpieces and then
suddenly disappeared.
Like the Khmer of Angkor, the Malay of Java must have thought that their kingdom was
destined to last forever - aligned as they were with the gods. Unfortunately for them the
Universe had other plans.

Legitimization of leadership
Another function of the temple building was to legitimize leadership. Prior to the advent of
the maharajah system from India the Malays had organized themselves in smaller egalitarian
tribes. The hierarchical organization of Hinduism and China, with the potential for nation and
empire building was foreign to the Malays. Hence to establish legitimacy for his court
the devaraja hit upon the idea of employing large percentages of the population in these
public works projects. This not only bound them to the new aristocracy for employment, but
also was a cultural bonding experience. Previously the individual might have considered
himself a part of his tribe with no need for a centralized government. However once he was
involved in one of these national projects, it would increase his tendency to identify with the
larger group. Hence these national temple building projects were not only to legitimize the
power of the king they were actually the method of actually building a sense of nation in the
populace. Participation led to a shift from tribal identification to national identification.
In many ways these massive temples created the nation rather than being a manifestation of
national or religious pride. This may have been why each successive king kept building these
temples, almost feverishly. It legitimized their rule and created the idea of nation as opposed
to tribe. Further the emphasis upon Buddhist and Hindu mythology minimized the
importance of spirit and ancestor worship, which was so prevalent in that area.

This is a global phenomenon - the replacement of pride in family heritage with national
identification and patriotism. This is quite apparent in modern American society where many
people have little knowledge of ancestry and could care less, while the city, state, and
especially national pride and patriotism is stressed in all the cultural propaganda from our
education system and media. The theory that the state was created by the temple building is
supported by the rapid demise of these Javanese kingships once the temple building ceased.
We already saw a similar phenomenon in the Khmer civilization of Cambodia.

The Devaraja vs. the Bodhisattva king

While the art and temples of the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms were quite different, the
practical role of these rulers of Java was nearly identical. The Hindu king was considered
a devaraja -a god-king, and the Buddhist king was considered a Bodhisattva, Buddha’s
helper. However they both tended to the spiritual well being of their people. Both type of
kings inspired their subjects to create religious monuments. And in both cases the religious
monuments were meant to incorporate religious philosophy. Because the practical
manifestations of the two types of kings is so similar, we use the terms interchangeably.
Buddhist object to this merger of their kings. The devaraja of Hinduism is based upon faulty
understanding of human divinity, they thought. Gods and kings are both illusion. Internal
growth through dispelling ignorance is the only reality. In our quest for personal
enlightenment we reject the supernatural as well as worldly power.

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Yet from a Hindu perspective and in contrast they embrace the supernatural and the caste of
warrior-king. In actual practice the Hindu god-king and the Buddhist Bodhisattva king were
both meant to assist the spiritual growth of their subjects by ruling wisely. The words of your
two religious philosophies contain significant differences and emphases, but the end result
was the same for the people.

One reason that Buddhism faded out in India was that all of their teachings were already
incorporated in Hinduism. While Buddhism divided humanity into two categories, those on
the serious quest and the rest, called householders, Hinduism more effectively dealt with the
social obligations of each class. Although Hinduism could be criticized for being too
obsessive in its class distinctions, Buddhism could be criticized for its simplistic view of
humanity.
This is why Mahayana Buddhists allow for the persistence of local traditions as long as there
is a Buddhist overlay. They even tolerate Hinduism as long as the practitioner acknowledges
the superior ideas of the Buddha. Practical Buddhism. Witness both Borobudur and the Hindu
temples standing almst “side by side.Alternately the Hindus easily accommodated Buddhism
as one of our myriad cults.This is why they got along so famously.

The Malay cultures blended the tenets and gods of this diverse cultural mix into one. For
instance the Buddhist Sailendra kings were also Shaivites, worshippers of the Shiva, a Hindu
god.This is not contradictory at all. Remember that an underlying tenet of Mahayana
Buddhism was that any god or goddess could be worshipped externally as long as the
worshipper understood that it was only Form, which was all illusion. For instance the Chinese
worshipped their own gods under the auspices of Buddhism, not the Hindu gods.

On the other hand the Malays mixed up the Hindu gods, not the Chinese gods, with their
Buddhism. As an example, on the central plateau of Java, there is both Borobudur which is
distinctly Buddhist and also the impressive Lara Janggrang, the exquisite Hindu temple
devoted to Shiva. In fact the Buddhist temple of Borobudur was completed by the same
Hindu ruler who created Lara Janggrang. Being neighbors, the Khmer of Cambodia were no
different than the Malays Their syncretic religious field, like ours, mixed Hindu gods with
Buddhism rather than the Chinese gods.

A Khmer Prince ( who created Angkor Wat) returns from his education in Java
In the brief 100 years of the Sailendra dynasty of the Srivijaya Empire, the kings
as devarajas created a series of monuments on the high mountain plateau on my island of
Java. During this period a young Khmer prince had been sent to Java for upbringing and
education. There had already been a long history of connection between Cambodia and Java.
The Javanese even considered themselves descendants of the Funanese of Cambodia.

This Cambodian prince was exposed to the Javanese concept of the devaraja connected with
their pyramid building - these god kings creating their own Mount Meru. Inspired by the
great Javanese culture this young Cambodian prince, who was being held as hostage or was
merely being educated abroad, escaped or just returned home to Cambodia with grandiose
ideas. This was in 790 AD, when Borobudur was still in the middle of its 50 years of
construction. Jayavarman II was the name of this Java educated Khmer Prince who returned
to Cambodia and founded the Khmer Empire which eventually created Angkor Wat.

Summarizing

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The Khmer of Cambodia founded an Indianized kingdom, which was a mixture or blending
of Hindu culture with an indigenous stone cutting culture which had already been around for
over a thousand years. However, the Khmer were part of the your greater Southeast Asian
cultural web. As such they were heavily influenced by the Sailendra dynasty of the Java
based Srivijaya Empire, which traced its roots to the first Khmer kingdom of Funan - from
which Angkor derived.

In terms of the cultural energy.

Due to the geographical location of Cambodia with its proximity to the Gulf of Thailand, the
city of Vyadhapura became the first important Southeast Asian entrepôt. Because of the
influx of foreign traders and the resulting wealth the native tribal culture was mixed with the
Hindu culture to create the kingdom of Funan. This was symbolized by the marriage of the
Naga Princess with a Hindu prince, whose child was the Khmer.

As a result of Chinese civil wars, which impoverished their best client, combined with
disastrous floods which destroyed their port city of Vyadhapura, the Funan kingdom declined
in economic and cultural importance. While Funan was replaced politically by the Chenla
kingdom as the dominant kingdom of mainland Southeast Asia, the cultural and political
energy of the Funan actually shifted to the island based Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra and
Java, which had captured the China trade by controlling the trade routes and funneling the
profits through Palembang in Sumatra. This new entrepôt, which supplanted the Funanese
entrepôt, generated the wealth and cultural exchange which created the new mandala empire.

Our Khmer prince was then educated in Java under one of the most artistic dynasties of the
Srivijaya Empire, the Sailendra. He returned to Cambodia with great visions which re-
energized the Southeast Asian mainland. Extending irrigation techniques that were already in
place, he was able to feed a larger population due to multiple annual growing seasons.
Further he inspired the local population to create great works of art which bound them
together as a community. This was related with the idea of the devaraja or god king concept
of the Srivijaya Empire. The Southeast Asian king as a Buddhist Bodhisattva was responsible
for inspiring and educating his people - leading them to spiritual transformation and growth.

After quite a few centuries this Khmer temple building sputtered out - probably due to
ecological, as well as cultural devolution. At this point the Thai people, pushed out of
Southern China by Genghis Kahn and the Mongols, moved into the mainland of Southeast
Asia. They conquered the Khmer but they also assumed their spiritual, cultural and political
mantle. The Thai continued the tradition of the devaraja, which they maintain to this day -
particularly in Bangkok, but in Thailand in general. The Thai King, named after Rama of
the Ramayana, looks after the spiritual health of the country by encouraging the local culture
and funding the creation and renovation of temples, which employs the artistic community as
well as providing for the edification of the greater community, including the rest of the world.
In short all countries of Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia are connected into a neat little
bundle which goes back thousands of years.

My Intermediate Empires

Srivijaya’s Story (7th- 11th AD)

We left the Srivijaya Empire at the point that the Khmer Empire was established at Angkor in
and about 900 CE. The Srivijay empire had a good life, as empires go and lasted from the 7th
to 13th centuries of the modern era. The peak of their power was about 800 AD. They

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dominated the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, as well as the Malay Peninsula.
Although theirs was an Indianized kingdom with a courtly culture, the prosperity and political
strength was based upon a relationship with China. China considered Srijijay as her imperial
representative. As such she supported channeling her trade through the principle Srivijay port
of Palembang on the island of Sumatra.

Palembang was the center of the mandala of the political power. Srivijay was a mandala
empire with no real boundaries. My overlordship issued gradually. No armies. They
maintained control of their vassal states through cultural and economic politics. Economically
they attempted to provide a protective and mutually beneficial trading arrangement to all by
enforcing a peaceful environment.
Further Palembang, was the heartland for 4 centuries, until her fall to the Chola dynasty early
in 2nd millennium, was a major cultural center and nexus between India and China. I -ching,
a Buddhist pilgrim from China, visited in 671 AD on a 20 day voyage from Canton in
southern China on his way to India. He recommended Palembang as an excellent Buddhist
center. To indicate the international flavor the art of Palembang reveals artistic network with
Mon Dvaravati kingdom of the mainland, where Thailand is now. They both made bronze
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
It is said that the Khmer Empire, who created Angkor in the Tonle Sap region of Cambodia
between the 9th to the 13th centuries was inspired by Srivijay. Theirs too wa a most
impressive mandala empire. Their devaraja, their god-king, more than anyone else,
transformed the physical environment to reflect the connection between the state and heaven.
Their water system, based upon ancient Indian techniques, was most intricate. It supplied the
kingdom with 3 to 4 crops of rice per year. This abundance supported 1 million people in the
vicinity of Angkor. Each of Angkor’s king regularly built a new capital to reflect their
flexibility. Finally however they located permanently and surrendered their mandala
flexibility

Anyway in the heyday the Chinese relied on Srivijay people to do all her foreign shipping -
her import/export business. China considered them as one of her barbarian vassals and
provided us with tributary trade. In exchange Srivijay provided her merchants with a safe
base in the islands of Indonesia. The trade began growing in the 5th and 6th centuries, but
with the Chinese civil wars, trade dropped off in the late 6th and early 7th centuries. With the
rise of the stable Tang dynasty Srivijay wanted to capture the lucrative China trade. First the
rulers in Palembang pretended to be vassals to cater to the Chinese ego. Second the rulers
determined to control all the harbors in the region by controlling the Straits of Malacca
through Palembang. Prior to this there had been many small harbor kingdoms. This militancy
is reflected in some of the old Malay inscriptions.
The power of Srivijay maharajahs depended on the alliance with those who possessed
warships - the Chinese. Plus a China connection gave lots of prestige. There is no mention of
piracy in the Arab accounts of the time. They governed and ruled through positive
reinforcement nationally and individually. The subjects were rewarded with wealth, posts of
honor, and supernatural rewards for cooperating. In such a way a this maritime Malay
grouping was formed which was the Srivijaya Empire.

They were powerful as long as Palembang was a thriving entrepôt. The bounty of the rulers
depended on the tributary status with China, which needed a great and secure entrepôt. The
early Malay history is one of this Sino Malay alliance. The Chinese felt that Srijijay
maharajas were her imperial agents. Unfortunately the Malay unity was undermined when
Chinese began doing her own shipping in the 10th century. After this there was no single

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entrepôt anymore. The mandala centralization collapsed and Srivijay were left prey to the
next invader, which happened to be the Chola dynasty of southern India.

The Story of the Chola Dynasty (11th- 13th AD)

Like Srivijaya, Chola was a political dynasty - Tamils from southern India to be exact. The
wave of Chola expansion began about 750 AD, when my dynasty established control of the
southern part of the Indian peninsula. From here their maritime culture expanded into the Sea
of Bengal, conquering Ceylon. They then took control of the Malay Peninsula. Intent on
eliminating the middle man in the lucrative spice and silk trade between Southeast Asia and
the Arabs and the Africans, they launched a naval attack on the Srivijaya Empire in 1025 AD.
The force of the attacks, like a wave, crashed with so much force that it washed away the
entrepôt of Palembang which had been the source of wealth and prestige for Srivijaya. In
typical Malay fashion the Srivijay just moved to another port in Java, but this effectively sent
their Empire into a long decline.

This military victory eliminated Srivijaya as the middle man and enabled Chola people to
establish control over most of the ports of call and transit areas which were used to connect
the traders of the Indian Ocean with the traders of Eastern Asia. From this point they were
able to trade directly with China. Now they were the new middle man for the valuable spices
sold at high profits in Europe. The prosperity from this trade fueled the Empire for another
few hundred years. This was the golden age between the 11th and 13th centuries. Then their
wave lost its forward momentum, fragmented and dissolved back into the great sea of
humanity. At our peak they were invincible and then suddenly only traces in the sand -
nothing more. The Chola, Tamil dynasty of southern India was replaced by the Java based
Majapahit Empire. The reason was that the Cholas could not hold on to the new territory but
cfreated a vassel state and most of they sailed back to Tamil lands. Theirs was a plundering
conquest- also to eliminatge the piracy of the Srivijay.

The Majapahit Empire (13th-to16th AD)

Majapahit was the last Indianized kingdom in Indonesia. In many ways it was a continuation
of the Srivijaya Empire. Once back the Chola disintegrated due to problems at home, his
vassal states began to reassert themselves. Among those were remnants of the Srivijaya
Empire. They had moved to Java from their Sumatran capital of Palembang when attacked by
the Chola culture. Having bided their time for a few hundred years they moved to insert
themselves into the power vacuum.

The Mongols, who had just conquered China under Kublai Khan sent an emissary. The court
evidently didn’t treat the emissary with respect because the Muslim culture in the Middle
East executed their emissary, the Mongols obliterated and overran many cities - killing many
of people. Because Java was so far away, it took some time before the Mongols found out
how their emissary was treated. However when they did they immediately organized
themselves for revenge. Somehow they arranged for their famous horseman to be shipped to
Java to avenge this insult to their culture. By the time they arrived a new ruler was in place
who didn’t even remember what had happened.
Vijaya, a descendant of Sanjaya, who founded the Mataram kingdom of Java in the 8th
century, was vying with Srivijaya’s court for power. He befriended the Mongols, got them to
expel the ruler, and then convinced them to go home, leaving him in charge. This was 1277
AD, the beginning of the Golden Age.

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Majapahit Empire, while similar to Srivijaya, was actually a resurrection of the Mataram
kingdom of Java. The rivalry with Srivijaya went back to the 8th century. Sanjaya, after
founding our Mataram kingdom, initiated the construction of the first Hindu temple on our
fertile island. Then the Sailendra dynasty of Srivijaya pushed them. A mere century later they
were displaced and then built more Hindu and Buddhist temples on the central plateau in
Java. This Golden Age was interrupted by the eruption of a volcano. To indicate the
importance of each of our traditions, the Sanjaya family is still the royal family of Java to this
day. And when the last Prince of Srivijaya converted to Muslim, all of the Malay followed in
his lead.

While competing for political dominance we islanders shared a common culture. Our
kings.like theirs, were ascetics, who were revered as Shiva-Buddhas. They had an obligation
to the gods to cleanse our kingdom, the holy land of Java, and thus the world, of impurities,
by permeating the world with their royal divinity. With this mission in mind they attempted
to maintain the country as a literary temple.
In the typical mandala politics of the region, the kings ruled by prestige rather than by force.
The king was responsible for keeping the peace so that trade could occur rather than waging
war on his neighbors with a strong military. The kings of the dynasty made regular tours of
the countryside to ensure that citizens were being taken care of. The influence of Javanese
Empire was considerable although only demanded homage and tribute. Note that this was
similar to the political system of our allies, the Chinese.

Because there was very little military strength involved in maintaining our influence, the
power of our Empire depended upon the prestige of our king,Accordingly the golden age of
the Majapahit Empire coincided with the rule of our greatest king, Hayam Wuruk.
Unfortunately he died in 1389. Everything - good and evil, great and small, is consumed by
the Fire of Time. There was a power struggle to take his place. Many vassal states arose to fill
the vacuum slowly fragmenting.1

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Mataram and Srivijaya

Another kingdom—Mataram— arose as Srivijaya began to flourish in the early eighth

century, in south-central Java on the Kedu Politically, the two hegemonies were probably
more alike than different. The rulers of both saw themselves and their courts
( kedatuan, keratuan, or kraton) as central to a land or realm ( bhumi), which, in turn, formed
the core of a larger, borderless, but concentric and hierarchically organized arrangement of
authority. In this greater mandala, an Indic-influenced representation of a sort of idealized,
“galactic” order, a ruler emerged from constellations of local powers and ruled by virtue of
neither inheritance nor divine descent, but rather through a combination of charisma
( semangat), strategic family relationships, calculated manipulation of order and disorder,
and the invocation of spiritual ideas and supernatural forces.

The exercise of power was never absolute, and would-be rulers and (if they were to
command loyalty) their supporters had to take seriously both the distribution of benefits
(rather than merely the application of force or fear) and the provision of an “exemplary
center” enhancing cultural and intellectual life. In Mataram, overlords and their courts do not,
for example, appear to have controlled either irrigation systems or the system of weekly
markets, which remained the purview of those who dominated local regions ( watak) and
their populations. This sort of political arrangement was at once fragile and remarkably
supple, depending on the ruler and a host of surrounding circumstances. *

Very little is known about social realities in Srivijaya and Mataram, and most of what is
written is based on conjecture. With the exception of the religious structures on Java, these
societies were constructed of perishable materials that have not survived the centuries of
destructive climate and insects. There are no remains of either palaces or ordinary houses, for
example, and we must rely on rare finds of jewelry and other fine metalworking (such as the
famous Wonosobo board, found near Prambanan in 1991), and on the stone reliefs on the
Borobudur and a handful of other structures, to attempt to guess what these societies may
have been like. (The vast majority of these remains are Javanese.) A striking characteristic of
both Srivijaya and Mataram in this period is that neither—and none of their smaller rivals—
appear to have developed settlements recognizable as urban from either Western or Asian
traditions. On the whole, despite evidence of socioeconomic well- being and cultural
sophistication, institutionally Srivijaya and Mataram remained essentially webs of clanship
and patronage, chieftainships carried to their highest and most expansive level.

REFERENCES
1. Posting Lebih BaruPosting LamaBeranda
2.Szczepanski, Kallie. "The Shailendra Kingdom of Java."Thought Co, Feb. 11, 2020,
thoughtco.com/the-shailendra-kingdom-of-java-195519.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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by K.P. Landon. The Far Eastern Quarterly 9 (3): 271–277.
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 G. Coedes. 1934. On the Origins of the Sailendras of Indonesia. Journal of the
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 K.R. Hall. 1985. Maritime Trade and State Development in Early South East
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 M. Vickery. 2003–2004. Funan Reviewed: Deconstructing the Ancients. Bulletin de l'
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