National Museum, Kota Kapur Inscription



A TRIP TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

On Friday, May 20, 2011 me and my friends, Cintya, Raras, Hana, Adis, Adira, Della, Kiki, Kayrana, Akla, and Eka went to the Museum Gajah or better known as the National Museum. The museum is located in central Jakarta, precisely at Jl. Merdeka Barat 12. We went there with the intent to carry out the third historical task. We left about half past two, after the Friday prayer. In addition to its location far enough away from our schools, rather than Labschool Kebayoran jammed trip to the National Museum takes approximately 1 hour. Arriving there, we pay the entrance fee of Rp. 2000,-.

NATIONAL MUSEUM

National Museum  is located on Jl. Merdeka Barat 12, Jakarta Pusat. Prior to the National Library building located at 27 Jalan Salemba, Central Jakarta was established, including the Museum Gajah's collection of manuscripts of ancient texts. The manuscripts and collections of Museum Gajah are kept in the National Library. National Museum of the Republic of Indonesia is one manifestation of European influence, especially in the time of the spirit of the Enlightenment, which appears at about 18 AD. This building was built in 1862 by the Dutch Government under Governor-General JCM Radermacher in response to the association Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen aimed at reviewing the scientific research in the Netherlands Indies. The museum was inaugurated in 1868, but the institutional forerunner of the Museum was born in 1778, precisely on 24 April, at the time of formation Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen by government are tightly guarded. The conditions of collections with conservation. Mainly is a collection of papers that need careful handling. Often the collection of damaged which replaced with artificial materials. While this reduces the authenticity, but it remains to consider the aesthetic and original works of the conserved form. Reconstruction efforts are often found to replace the badly damaged collections. In general, this museum shows the general attitude in most of Asia who prefer the restoration rather than keeping many authenticate.

The collections comes from archaeological excavations, a collector since the time of grant and the purchase of the Dutch East Indies. Collection of ceramics and ethnographic in National Museum is the largest and most comprehensive in the world. This museum is the first and largest museum in Southeast Asia.

National Museum collects a lot of ancient objects from around the archipelago. Among other things belonging to the collection are ancient statues, inscriptions, objects and other ancient craft items. The collection is categorized into the ethnography, bronze, prehistoric, ceramics, textiles, numismatic, historical relics, and other valuable objects.

First of all we visited the archipelago located in the old building. There are collections of ancient objects from around the archipelago. The collection consists of various kinds, ranging from statues, handicraft items, textiles, ceramics, historical relics, and other valuables from various places. After visiting the archipelago, we visited the new building, where the ancient collections are more diverse. Building with 4 floor has a wide range of collections such as inscriptions, custom homes, jewelry, fabrics, and so forth. I also chose to take the inscription of the City of Lime as my historical task.

KOTA KAPUR INSCRIPTION

Kota Kapur Inscription is the Srivijaya  archaeological found on the west coast island of Bangka. This inscription is located in the village of Kota Kapur, District of West Mendo, Regency of Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands Province. More precisely, the site is situated in Mendo River which empties into the Strait of Bangka. This inscription is named according to the invention of a small hamlet called "Kota Kapur". The inscription on the stele is written in script Pallawa and use the Old Malay language, and is one of the oldest document written in Malay. The inscription was discovered by J.K. van der Meulen in December 1892. The inscription was first analyzed by H. Kern, an expert in epigraphy who worked on the Dutch in Batavia Genootschap Bataviaasch. At first he considered "Srivijaya" is the name of a king. George Coedes who later revealed that Srivijaya was credited with the name of a great empire in Sumatra in the 7th century AD, the powerful empire and once ruled the western part of the Archipelago, Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand.

The existence of Kota Kapur Inscription is very closely related to the Bangka Strait waters are often crossed by boats of local fishermen and foreign. Historically, in the 1700s in the river that were located about 21 miles from Kota Kapur (Penagan) is often the case of robbery against ships passing by the robbers and pirates are lurking around the Strait of Bangka (Kota Kapur and surrounding areas) . The news about the rampant piracy is heard by the King of Srivijaya, Sultan Akhmad Badaruddin. In response to these conditions, the King of Srivijaya sent troops to eliminate them. Envoy King Srivijaya conquered the robbers and bandits. Then, so that no more disruption to passing ships and also endanger the kingdom of Srivijaya, there was made an inscription which contains the agreement of the robbers with the King of Srivijaya. The inscription was later known as the Kota Kapur Inscription, because the inscription was made in Kota Kapur. Inscription agreement contains audience loyalty that goes in the power of Srivijaya, including the island of Bangka and surroundings, and be obedient and submissive to all rules and regulations established by the King of Srivijaya, and the elimination of all forms of robbery and rebellion in each territory of Sriwijaya.

The inscription was once buried in the ground because it is not treated. In 1892 the inscription was discovered by JK. Fander Meulend (Dutch), which at that time served as Administrator in Sungai Selan. The carving on the stele consists of ten lines by using the script Pallawa in Sanskrit. In 1978, the area of the site was found by villagers pedestal inscription Kota Kapur. The inscription which has a length of 30 cm, width 52 cm, and weighs 7 kg is now being home interpreter Site maintained by Kota Kapur. In this area of research has been conducted twice by the National Archaeological Team in collaboration with the Archaeological Team of France in 1994 and 1995. In this site, visitors can see ruins of the temple at the time of the kingdom of Srivijaya, dozens of ceramics, the castle ground about three feet tall, trench under the former fortress-like tunnel excavation the archaeologists who are looking for a building structure foundation inscription of the temple and the former of Kota Kapur, pavilion-like buildings that store historical items, and pieces of well-preserved statue. In this area there is a standing stone archway resembling a height of about 75 feet as a sign of the discovery of this site by JK. Fander Meulend. This area is an area that many historical sites reveal the old stories about the glory of the kingdom of Srivijaya, making it suitable for visitors to tread history trail (memorial journey or a trip to historical sites) of Sriwijaya in defeating the robbers and pirates.

Kota Kapur Inscription is one of five stone inscription made by Dapunta curse Hiyaŋ, a ruler of Srivijaya Kadātuan. This is complete contents of the inscription Lime City, as transcribed and translate by Coedes:

Siddha titam hamba nvari i avai kandra kayet ni paihumpaan namuha ulu lavan tandrun luah makamatai tandrun luah vinunu paihumpaan hakairum muah kayet ni humpa unai tunai.

Umentern bhakti ni ulun haraki. unai tunai kita savanakta devata mahardika sannidhana. manraksa yan kadatuan çrivijaya. kita tuvi tandrun luah vanakta devata mulana yan parsumpahan.

paravis. kadadhi yan uran didalanna bhami paravis hanun. Samavuddhi lavan drohaka, manujari drohaka, niujari drohaka talu din drohaka. tida ya.

Marppadah tida ya bhakti. tida yan tatvarjjawa diy aku. dngan diiyan nigalarku sanyasa datua. dhava vuathana uran inan nivunuh ya sumpah nisuruh tapik ya mulan parvvanda datu çriwi-

jaya. Talu muah ya dnan gotrasantanana. tathapi savankna yan vuatna jahat. makalanit uran. makasuit. makagila. mantra gada visaprayoga. udu tuwa. tamval.

Sarambat. kasihan. vacikarana.ityevamadi. janan muah ya sidha. pulan ka iya muah yan dosana vuatna jahat inan tathapi nivunuh yan sumpah talu muah ya mulam yam manu-

ruh marjjahati. yan vatu nipratishta ini tuvi nivunuh ya sumpah talu, muah ya mulan. saranbhana uran drohaka tida bhakti tatvarjjava diy aku, dhava vua-

tna niwunuh ya sumpah ini gran kadachi iya bhakti tatvjjava diy aku. dngan di yam nigalarku sanyasa dattua. çanti muah kavuatana. dngan gotrasantanana.

Samrddha svasthi niroga nirupadrava subhiksa muah vanuana paravis chakravarsatita 608 din pratipada çuklapaksa vulan vaichaka. tatkalana

Yan manman sumpah ini. nipahat di velana yan vala çrivijaya kalivat manapik yan bhumi java tida bhakti ka çrivijaya.

Translation (In Bahasa Indonesia)

Keberhasilan ! (disertai mantra persumpahan yang tidak dipahami artinya)

Wahai sekalian dewata yang berkuasa, yang sedang berkumpul dan melindungi Kadātuan Śrīwijaya ini; kamu sekalian dewa-dewa yang mengawali permulaan segala sumpah !

Bilamana di pedalaman semua daerah yang berada di bawah Kadātuan ini akan ada orang yang memberon tak yang bersekongkol dengan para pemberontak, yang berbicara dengan pemberontak, yang mendengarkan kata pemberontak;

yang mengenal pemberontak, yang tidak berperilaku hormat, yang tidak takluk, yang tidak setia pada saya dan pada mereka yang oleh saya diangkat sebagai datu; biar orang-orang yang menjadi pelaku perbuatan-perbuatan tersebut mati kena kutuk biar sebuah ekspedisi untuk melawannya seketika di bawah pimpinan datu atau beberapa datu Śrīwijaya, dan biar mereka

dihukum bersama marga dan keluarganya. Lagipula biar semua perbuatannya yang jahat; seperti meng ganggu :ketenteraman jiwa orang, membuat orang sakit, membuat orang gila, menggunakan mantra, racun, memakai racun upas dan tuba, ganja,

saramwat, pekasih, memaksakan kehendaknya pada orang lain dan sebagainya, semoga perbuatan-perbuatan itu tidak berhasil dan menghantam mereka yang bersalah melakukan perbuatan jahat itu; biar pula mereka mati kena kutuk. Tambahan pula biar mereka yang menghasut orang

supaya merusak, yang merusak batu yang diletakkan di tempat ini, mati juga kena kutuk; dan dihukum langsung. Biar para pembunuh, pemberontak, mereka yang tak berbakti, yang tak setia pada saya, biar pelaku perbuatan tersebut

mati kena kutuk. Akan tetapi jika orang takluk setia kepada saya dan kepada mereka yang oleh saya diangkat sebagai datu, maka moga-moga usaha mereka diberkahi, juga marga dan keluarganya

dengan keberhasilan, kesentosaan, kesehatan, kebebas an dari bencana, kelimpahan segala­nya untuk semua negeri mereka ! Tahun Śaka 608, hari pertama paruh terang bulan Waisakha (28 Februari 686 Masehi), pada saat itulah

kutukan ini diucapkan; pemahatannya berlangsung ketika bala tentara Śrīwijaya baru berangkat untuk menyerang bhūmi jāwa yang tidak takluk kepada Śrīwijaya.

This inscription is carved on a stone monument shaped triangular-facet with a height 177 cm, 32 cm wide at the bottom, and 19 cm at the top. Stele inscriptions Sriwijaya City Limestone is first discovered, long before a new inscription Kedukan Bukit was found on November 29, 1920, and Talang Tuo Inscription found a few days earlier ie on 17 November 1920. Kota Kapur Inscription, along with other archaeological discoveries in the area, are relics of the Srivijaya and open up new insights about the days of Hindu- Buddhism in those days. This inscription is also opening an overview of patterns of people living in the 6th century and the 7th century against the background of Hinduism and Buddhism.