Luso Sundanese padrão
Encyclopedia
The Luso Sundanese padrão is a stone pillar commemorating the Sunda
–Portuguese
treaty, better known as the Luso
-Sundanese Treaty of Sunda Kalapa.
and Cirebon, the Hindu king of Sunda
, Sri Baduga, Prabu Siliwangi, sought assistance from the Portuguese
at Malacca
. He therefore sent his son, Crown Prince Prabu Surawisesa, Ratu Samian (Sang Hyang) to Malacca in 1512 and again in 1521, in order to invite the Portuguese to sign a peace treaty, to trade in pepper, and to build a fort at his main port of Sunda Kalapa.
By 1522 (the same year in which Magellan's global circumnavigation was completed), the Portuguese were ready to form a coalition with the Sunda King in order to gain access to his profitable pepper trade.
The commandant of the fortress of Malacca at that time was still Jorge de Albuquerque. In 1522, he sent a ship, the São Sebastião under Captain Henrique Leme, to Sunda Kalapa with valuable gifts for the king of Sunda. Two written sources detail the concluding of the treaty: the original Portuguese document of 1522, with the text of the treaty and the signatures of the witnesses; and João de Barros
’s report in his book Décadas da Ásia, printed not before 1777 or 1778.
According to these sources, the Portuguese upon their arrival were welcomed warmly by the former crown prince, now King Prabu Surawisesa Jayapercosa (also called Ratu Sang Hyang and, by the Portuguese, Ratu Samian); Barros called him King Samião. This Sundanese ruler agreed to an arrangement of friendship with the king of Portugal
and decided to grant the Portuguese a fortress at the mouth of the Ciliwung River
where they could load as many ships as they wished with black pepper
. In addition, he pledged that from the day when the building of the fortress began he would each year give one thousand sacks (altogether, more than 20 tons) of pepper to the Portuguese king. The treaty was executed in two copies, one for the king of Sunda, one for the king of Portugal; each was signed on August 21, 1522. The Sundanese king's deputies were the chief mandarin, Padam Tumangu; the mandarins Sangydepaty and Benegar; and the xabandar of the land, named Fabian.
"On the said day", these mandarins and other honorable men, together with Henrique Leme and his entourage, went to the very place where the fortress should be constructed at the mouth of the river, on the "land called Sunda Kalapa". There they erected a memorial stone, called a padrão
, in what is now the Tugu sub-district of North Jakarta. It was a custom of the Portuguese to set out a padrão when they discovered a new land. The National Museum of Jakarta now holds that memorial stone.
Because of troubles in Goa
, India, the Portuguese failed to keep their promise to come back the following year to construct the fortress. They did not return to the Java Sea until November, 1526, when they arrived in six ships from Bintan under the command of Francisco de Sá.
Sunda Kingdom
The Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...
–Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
treaty, better known as the Luso
Luso
-Other:* a prefix meaning Portuguese .* Historical, legal, geographical, and political writing to refer to those countries that have a significant Portuguese influence in language and Portuguese cultural heritage.* a term used to describe a person of Portuguese heritage, origin, or ethnicity.*...
-Sundanese Treaty of Sunda Kalapa.
History
Because of the growing Islamic force in DemakSultanate of Demak
The Sultanate of Demak was Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present day city of Demak. A port fief to the Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in the last quarter of the 15th century, it was influenced by Islam brought by Arab and...
and Cirebon, the Hindu king of Sunda
Sunda Kingdom
The Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...
, Sri Baduga, Prabu Siliwangi, sought assistance from the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
at Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
. He therefore sent his son, Crown Prince Prabu Surawisesa, Ratu Samian (Sang Hyang) to Malacca in 1512 and again in 1521, in order to invite the Portuguese to sign a peace treaty, to trade in pepper, and to build a fort at his main port of Sunda Kalapa.
By 1522 (the same year in which Magellan's global circumnavigation was completed), the Portuguese were ready to form a coalition with the Sunda King in order to gain access to his profitable pepper trade.
The commandant of the fortress of Malacca at that time was still Jorge de Albuquerque. In 1522, he sent a ship, the São Sebastião under Captain Henrique Leme, to Sunda Kalapa with valuable gifts for the king of Sunda. Two written sources detail the concluding of the treaty: the original Portuguese document of 1522, with the text of the treaty and the signatures of the witnesses; and João de Barros
João de Barros
João de Barros , called the Portuguese Livy, is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his Décadas da Ásia , a history of the Portuguese in India and Asia.-Early years:...
’s report in his book Décadas da Ásia, printed not before 1777 or 1778.
According to these sources, the Portuguese upon their arrival were welcomed warmly by the former crown prince, now King Prabu Surawisesa Jayapercosa (also called Ratu Sang Hyang and, by the Portuguese, Ratu Samian); Barros called him King Samião. This Sundanese ruler agreed to an arrangement of friendship with the king of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and decided to grant the Portuguese a fortress at the mouth of the Ciliwung River
Ciliwung River
Ciliwung is a river that passes through Jakarta, Indonesia. The river flows from its source near Puncak on the highlands of West Java to the Jakarta Bay....
where they could load as many ships as they wished with black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
. In addition, he pledged that from the day when the building of the fortress began he would each year give one thousand sacks (altogether, more than 20 tons) of pepper to the Portuguese king. The treaty was executed in two copies, one for the king of Sunda, one for the king of Portugal; each was signed on August 21, 1522. The Sundanese king's deputies were the chief mandarin, Padam Tumangu; the mandarins Sangydepaty and Benegar; and the xabandar of the land, named Fabian.
"On the said day", these mandarins and other honorable men, together with Henrique Leme and his entourage, went to the very place where the fortress should be constructed at the mouth of the river, on the "land called Sunda Kalapa". There they erected a memorial stone, called a padrão
Padrão
A padrão was a large stone cross inscribed with the coat of arms of Portugal that was placed as part of a land claim by numerous Portuguese explorers during the Portuguese Age of Discovery...
, in what is now the Tugu sub-district of North Jakarta. It was a custom of the Portuguese to set out a padrão when they discovered a new land. The National Museum of Jakarta now holds that memorial stone.
Because of troubles in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India, the Portuguese failed to keep their promise to come back the following year to construct the fortress. They did not return to the Java Sea until November, 1526, when they arrived in six ships from Bintan under the command of Francisco de Sá.