Belanjong pillar
Encyclopedia
The Belanjong pillar, also Blanjong pillar (Indonesian
: Prasasti Blanjong), is a pillar established in 914 CE in the harbour of Belangong, in the southern area of Sanur in Bali
.
The pillar was established by king Sri Kesari Warmadewa
, the first king of the Balinese Warmadewa dynasty
and bears a long inscription where the king describes his military campaign in the island. It is located in the Belanjong (Blanjong) Temple, where it is housed under a protective enclosure, and is often decorated and partially covered with devotional cloth.
The inscription is written in both the Indian Sanskrit
language and Old Balinese language, using two script, the Nagari script and the Old Balinese script (which is used to write both Balinese and Sanskrit). The Old Balinese in pre-Nagari script in on one side of the pillar, while the Sanskrit inscription in Pallava
-derived old Javanese script (also called Kawi script) is on the other side. The mix of language and script suggest that the objective of the inscription was not to communicate locally to the Balinese people, but rather to be established as a symbol of power and authority.
The pillar testifies to the connections of Bali with the Sanjaya Dynasty
in Central Java
. According to the inscription, Sri Kesari was a Buddhist king of the Sailendra Dynasty leading a military expedition, to establishing a Mahayana
Buddhist government in Bali. The inscription also tells about the success of military expeditions of offshore islands, either Nusa Penida
or faraway Maluku
. This is the first known inscription in which a Balinese king recorded his name.
Two other inscription by Kesari are known in the interior Bali, which suggest conflicts in the mountainous interior of the island.
The pillar is dated according to the Indian Saka calendar, in the year 836 saka.
According to French historian George Coedès
:
The pillar was only discovered in 1932, and has remained were it was initially found.
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
: Prasasti Blanjong), is a pillar established in 914 CE in the harbour of Belangong, in the southern area of Sanur in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
.
The pillar was established by king Sri Kesari Warmadewa
Sri Kesari Warmadewa
Sri Kesari Warmadewa was the first king of Bali to leave a written inscription. He authored the inscription on the 914 CE Belanjong pillar in southern Sanur. The inscription It is written in both the Indian Sanskrit language and Old Balinese language, using two script, the Nagari script and the...
, the first king of the Balinese Warmadewa dynasty
Warmadewa dynasty
The Warmadewa dynasty, also Varmadeva dynasty, was a regnal dynasty in the island of Bali.-History:It is considered that the dynasty was founded by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in the 10th century...
and bears a long inscription where the king describes his military campaign in the island. It is located in the Belanjong (Blanjong) Temple, where it is housed under a protective enclosure, and is often decorated and partially covered with devotional cloth.
The inscription is written in both the Indian Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
language and Old Balinese language, using two script, the Nagari script and the Old Balinese script (which is used to write both Balinese and Sanskrit). The Old Balinese in pre-Nagari script in on one side of the pillar, while the Sanskrit inscription in Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
-derived old Javanese script (also called Kawi script) is on the other side. The mix of language and script suggest that the objective of the inscription was not to communicate locally to the Balinese people, but rather to be established as a symbol of power and authority.
The pillar testifies to the connections of Bali with the Sanjaya Dynasty
Sanjaya Dynasty
The Sañjaya Dynasty was an ancient Javanese dynasty that ruled the Mataram kingdom in Java during first millennium CE. The dynasty was an active promoter of Hinduism in ancient Java.-Origin and formation:...
in Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
. According to the inscription, Sri Kesari was a Buddhist king of the Sailendra Dynasty leading a military expedition, to establishing a Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Buddhist government in Bali. The inscription also tells about the success of military expeditions of offshore islands, either Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida is an island southeast of Bali island, Indonesia. Administratively, the island is a district of Klungkung regency. There are two small islands nearby: Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The Badung Strait separates the island and Bali. The interior of Nusa Penida is hilly with a maximum...
or faraway Maluku
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
. This is the first known inscription in which a Balinese king recorded his name.
Two other inscription by Kesari are known in the interior Bali, which suggest conflicts in the mountainous interior of the island.
The pillar is dated according to the Indian Saka calendar, in the year 836 saka.
According to French historian George Coedès
George Coedès
Georges Cœdès was a 20th century scholar of southeast Asian archaeology and history. Coedès was born in Paris to a family of supposed Hungarian-Jewish emigres. In fact, the family was known as having settled in the region of Strasbourg before 1740. His ancestors were working for the royal Treasury...
:
The pillar was only discovered in 1932, and has remained were it was initially found.