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Self-proclaimed Javanese 'kings' gain followers, money
The ruckus over “Keraton Agung Sejagat” (World Empire) has not settled, yet the Indonesian internet sphere was once again rocked by the emergence of the so-called Sunda Empire-Earth Empire in Bandung, West Java, claiming to be on a mission to settle the country’s debts at the World Bank
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span>The ruckus over “Keraton Agung Sejagat” (World Empire) has not settled, yet the Indonesian internet sphere was once again rocked by the emergence of the so-called Sunda Empire-Earth Empire in Bandung, West Java, claiming to be on a mission to settle the country’s debts at the World Bank.
A nine-minute video disseminated on YouTube and Facebook showed a man in a room full of people wearing flat light blue caps, passionately explaining the existence of the Sunda Empire-Earth Empire, saying that he was one of the empire’s “governors general”.
“Sunda Empire-Earth Empire is a Sun empire, an Earth empire. It doesn’t link to Sundanese [people] because this is a hereditary empire from dynasty to dynasty and currently it is the Sundakala dynasty,” said the man whose name was written in the video as HRH Rangga.
He claimed that Bandung was a city for the world’s diplomatic corps and that the group meeting carried out there was to inform all countries they could register with the empire, which would fight "to settle debts at the World Bank by 2020".
As unusual as the claims seem, the meeting was still followed attentively by dozens of group members and other video footage shows members, all in black military-like uniforms, listening to a speech of its leader in an outdoor event.
Before the Dutch occupation, Java, like other islands in Indonesia and the territory of neighboring countries, consisted of several kingdoms.
Majapahit, a Hindu-Buddhist empire that existed from the 13th to 16th centuries on Java, was recorded to have tributaries that included inhabitants of present-day Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and parts of the Philippines.
Sunda was a Hindu kingdom that existed on Java between the seventh and 16th centuries with an area that possibly included present-day West Java, Banten and Jakarta.
These kingdoms, however, collapsed amid political turbulence in Southeast Asia, including the arrival of Islam, the Dutch occupation and the formation of the present-day Republic of Indonesia.
Today, the government still acknowledges descendants of several hereditary kingdoms through their royal status and claims of properties, but none of them are granted administrative powers, except for the sultanate in Yogyakarta with Sultan Hamengkubuwono X leading the province as governor.
Despite the meeting and the internet fame, Rangga and his Sunda Empire group have almost no legal claims to royal titles and properties. In response to the video, Bandung National and Political Unity Office (Kesbangpol) head Ferdi Ligaswara confirmed that Sunda Empire-Earth Empire was not registered and that the police would further investigate its activities in the capital of West Java.
Before Sunda Empire-Earth Empire, people were shocked by the “Keraton Agung Sejagat” group in Purworejo regency, Central Java, claiming to be the successor to Majapahit.
The Central Java Police have named Totok Santoso Hadiningrat and Fanni Amanadia, who had proclaimed themselves to be “king and queen”, suspects of fraud after they had allegedly solicited funds of up to Rp 3 million (US$219) from each person wishing to follow them.
These recent cases were hardly the first. A former member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) from Bali, Arya Wedakarna, also claimed himself to be “king of Majapahit”, saying he had been appointed in 2009 at Besakih Temple in Bali and given the title Sri Wilatikta Tegeh Kori Kresna Kepakisan I.
Although he is still regarded as one of the descendants of a vassal ruler of the island during the occupation by Majapahit in the 14th century, his claim to be “king” is still widely disputed among the Balinese. Regardless of the controversy, he was elected to be a DPD member representing the province in the 2014 general election.
The emergence of unlisted kingdoms has invited discussions among academics and historical observers who are concerned that they not only might take more victims in the future but might also trigger disputes.
A lecturer and historian from Yogyakarta-based Sanata Dharma University, Heri Priyatmoko, said the phenomenon showed that Indonesians were still dazzled by the past grandeur of the ancient kingdoms and some tried to make personal gains from it.
“It appears that history is a ‘fertile land’ for committing public deception, although for many internet users in the country, these ‘kings’ have become a joke,” he said.
He added that society should be vigilant over the deceptive motives behind the groups and should remain alert and check the backgrounds of those who proclaim themselves kings.
“[Under the law] the groups’ existence and the increasing followers can be interpreted as rebellion,” Heri said.
A cultural and historical researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Alie Humaedi, said that more than just being a case of deception, the phenomenon was dangerous because it allowed people to gain power over others.
“In Purworejo, for example, there is an area where residents strongly believe in myths and claim their place to be a past royal territory older than the Mataram kingdom, on the grounds that they have different cultural and linguistic features than other areas,” he said.
Alie said the concept of historic relations of kinship and spirituality is very important among the Javanese and since it was easy to be romanticized, it is possible that there would be more “kingdoms” in the future.
“[They are] created by people with a desire of power,” the LIPI researcher said.
