TRACING THE LEGITIMACY OF SULTAN AGUNG: SKI AND BRIN STUDY PROGRAM RESECTS MATARAM'S POWER
TRACING THE LEGITIMACY OF SULTAN AGUNG: SKI AND BRIN STUDY PROGRAM RESECTS MATARAM'S POWER
YOGYAKARTA (ski.uin-suka.ac.id) - What makes the power of a sultan considered legitimate in the eyes of his people: lineage, the blessing of the ulama, or symbols that are deliberately built through sacred texts and buildings? This question became the common thread of the Hidden Group Discussion entitled "Power and Legitimacy in the Sultanate of Mataram during the Time of Sultan Agung", which was held on Thursday (9/7/2026) in the Master's Room on the 2nd Floor, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta.
This forum is the result of the synergy between the History and Culture of Islam Study Program (SKI) Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, with two research units under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN): the Research Center for Religious Treasures and Civilization, and the Archaeology, Language, and Literature Research Organization. The two sent researchers to sit at the same table with campus academics, dissecting the golden era of Mataram from the political, religious, and cultural sides.
Four Points of View, One Problem
Acting as the moderator, Dr. Wahyu Iryana, M.Hum., directed the course of the discussion, which presented four cross-disciplinary speakers. The Javanese script and script were discussed by Prof. Dr. Maharsi, M.Hum., while Prof. Dr. Ibnu Burdah, M.A., completed the discussion from a different point of view.
Acting as the moderator, Dr. Wahyu Iryana, M.Hum., directed the course of the discussion, which presented four cross-disciplinary speakers. The Javanese script and script were discussed by Prof. Dr. Maharsi, M.Hum., while Prof. Dr. Ibnu Burdah, M.A., completed the discussion from a different point of view.
The discussion then shifted to the physical traces of power. Dr. Uki Sukiman, M.Ag., highlighted material relics and spatial planning, while Drs. Muhammad Chawari, M.Hum., brought an archaeological perspective to read the remaining artifacts. Archaeologist Sinarno also provided input, accompanied by the History and Culture of Islam Study Program lecturers who served as a discussion team.
These various points of view meet at one point: how power is not only inherited, but also maintained and displayed through various mediums—from text, space, to building.
From the Land of Jawi Chronicles to the Tomb Complex
Throughout the discussion, the researchers traced traces of the legitimacy of Sultan Agung through a number of primary sources: archipelago chronicles such as the Tanah Jawi manuscript, records of Mataram's military expansion to Surabaya, and structural studies of the sacred cemetery complex, which has been read as a symbol of the ruler's closeness to the spiritual realm.
Throughout the discussion, the researchers traced traces of the legitimacy of Sultan Agung through a number of primary sources: archipelago chronicles such as the Tanah Jawi manuscript, records of Mataram's military expansion to Surabaya, and structural studies of the sacred cemetery complex, which has been read as a symbol of the ruler's closeness to the spiritual realm.
The question and answer session that accompanied the presentation was live. A number of critical questions and offers of new theoretical frameworks from participants helped to expand the direction of the discussion, far from just a one-way presentation.
Opening Space for New Hypotheses
The Dean of the Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Prof. Dr. Nurdin, S.S., M.A., who opened this event, called the collaboration with BRIN a real step to strengthen Islamic historical and cultural research in the country, a meeting that brings together the academic strength of the campus with national research resources.
The Dean of the Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Prof. Dr. Nurdin, S.S., M.A., who opened this event, called the collaboration with BRIN a real step to strengthen Islamic historical and cultural research in the country, a meeting that brings together the academic strength of the campus with national research resources.
From this cross-disciplinary forum, the historians, archaeologists, and philologists involved succeeded in formulating a number of new historical hypotheses about Mataram during the time of Sultan Agung. The formulation is expected to be a foothold for re-reading the Islamic history of the archipelago in a more in-depth and evidence-based manner, not just a legacy of hereditary stories.