The Sultanate of Cirebon
Encyclopedia
The Sultanate of Cirebon (Indonesian
: Kesultanan Cirebon, Sundanese
: Kasultanan Cirebon) was a sultanate in West Java
founded in the sixteenth century. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati
, who also established the Sultanate of Banten
.
The sultanate lay in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Cirebon
on Java's north coast. Today there are four kratons (palaces) in Cirebon; Kraton Kasepuhan, Kraton Kanoman, Kraton Kacirebonan, and Kraton Keprabonan.
and Bali
at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In his lontar manuscripts, which are saved in the Bodleian Library
of Oxford University in England since the sixteenth century, the border of the Sunda kingdom in the west is Sunda Streats and in the east is Cipamali river (present day kali Brebes) and Ciserayu river (present day Serayu River
) in Central Java Province.
One source proclaiming the fact is a report from Tomé Pires
, a Portuguese explorer. He wrote in his report:
Pires also wrote that:
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....
: Kesultanan Cirebon, Sundanese
Sundanese language
Sundanese is the language of about 27 million people from the western third of Java or about 15% of the Indonesian population....
: Kasultanan Cirebon) was a sultanate in West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
founded in the sixteenth century. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati
Sunan Gunungjati
Sunan Gunungjati was one of the Wali Songo, or Nine Apostles of Islam. He founded the Sultanate of Bantam, as well as the port town of Cirebon on the north coast of Java...
, who also established the Sultanate of Banten
Sultanate of Banten
The Sultanate of Banten was founded in the 16th century and centered in Banten, a port city on the northwest coast of Java; the contemporary English spelling of both was Bantam...
.
The sultanate lay in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Cirebon
Cirebon
Cirebon is a port city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java near the provincial border with Central Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at .The seat of a former Sultanate, the city's West and Central Java border location have...
on Java's north coast. Today there are four kratons (palaces) in Cirebon; Kraton Kasepuhan, Kraton Kanoman, Kraton Kacirebonan, and Kraton Keprabonan.
History
Cirebon was part of Sunda kingdom as stated on travel records of Prince Bujangga Manik, a Hindu Sundanese monk who visited all of the holy Hindu sites in JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and 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...
at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In his lontar manuscripts, which are saved in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
of Oxford University in England since the sixteenth century, the border of the Sunda kingdom in the west is Sunda Streats and in the east is Cipamali river (present day kali Brebes) and Ciserayu river (present day Serayu River
Serayu River
-References:...
) in Central Java Province.
One source proclaiming the fact is a report from Tomé Pires
Tomé Pires
Tomé Pires was an apothecary from Lisbon who spent 1512 to 1515 in Malacca immediately after the Portuguese conquest, at a time when Europeans were only first arriving in South East Asia...
, a Portuguese explorer. He wrote in his report:
Some people affirm that the Sunda kingdom take up half of the whole island of Java; others, to whom more authority is attributed, say that the Sunda kingdom must be a third part of the island and an eight more. It ends at the river chi Manuk. The river intersects the whole island from sea to sea in such away that when the people of Java describe their own country, they say that it is bounded to the west by island of Sunda. The people hold that whoever passes this strait (the river Cimanuk) into the South Sea is carried off by violent currents and unable to return.
Pires also wrote that:
The people of Sunda are said to be truthful. They, with great city of Dayo, the town and lands and port of Bantam, the port of Pontang, the port of Cheguide, the port of Tangaram, the Port of Tangaram, the port of Calapa, the port of chi Manuk.