Kutai is a historical region in what is now known as
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan (Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3. ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
on the island of
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
and is also the name of the
native ethnic group of the region (known as ''Urang Kutai'' or "the Kutai people"), numbering around 300,000 who have their own language known as the
Kutainese language
Kutai is a Malayic language spoken by 300,000 to 500,000 people. It is the native language of the Kutai people (, Kutai: ''Urang Kutai''), the indigenous ethnic group which lives along the Mahakam River in Borneo, especially in North Kalimantan, ...
which accompanies their own rich history. Today, the name is preserved in the names of three regencies in
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan (Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3. ...
province which are the
Kutai Kartanegara Regency
Kutai Kartanegara Regency (abbreviated as ''Kukar'') is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has a land area of 27,263.10 km2 and a water area of 4,097 km2, geographically located between 1°18′40″S and 116°31′36 ...
, the
West Kutai Regency
West Kutai Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kutai Barat) is a regency (''kabupaten'') in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan. It previously covered a much greater area, with a population of 165,091 at the 2010 Census, but in December 2012 the five no ...
and the
East Kutai Regency
East Kutai Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kutai Timur) is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has an area of 35,747.50 km2 and had a population of 253,904 at the 2010 census and 434,459 at the 2020 census. The town of Sangatta is the ...
with the major river flowing in the heart of the region known as the
Mahakam River
The Mahakam River (Indonesian: ''Sungai Mahakam'') is third longest and volume discharge river in Borneo after Kapuas River and Barito River, it is located in Kalimantan, Indonesia. It flows from the district of Long Apari in the highlands of ...
. Kutai is known to be the place of the first and oldest
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
kingdom to exist in East Indies Archipelago, the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom which was later succeeded by the Muslim Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate.
Kingdoms of Kutai
Historically, there have been two kingdoms which ruled in the region of Kutai which are:
*Kutai Martadipura Kingdom (399–1635), a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
kingdom
*Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate (1300–1844), a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
kingdom
Kingdom of Kutai Martadipura
The Kutai Martadipura Kingdom (locally known as ''Kerajaan Kutai Martadipura'') is a 4th-century or perhaps much earlier
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
kingdom located in the Kutai area,
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan (Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3. ...
.
Its capital is believed to be the current
Muara Kaman district located in
Kutai Kartanegara Regency
Kutai Kartanegara Regency (abbreviated as ''Kukar'') is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has a land area of 27,263.10 km2 and a water area of 4,097 km2, geographically located between 1°18′40″S and 116°31′36 ...
and is one of, if not the earliest ancient kingdom(s) in Indonesian history. Muara Kaman district which is currently one of the many districts in Kutai Kartanegara regency is proven to be the place where the capital of the kingdom once stood, it is proven by an ancient remnant of a
megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
stone known as
Lesong Batu, believed to have been used to make the
Yupa inscriptions during the 4th century AD. The seven stone pillars, or
yūpa
A Yūpa (यूप), or Yūpastambha, was a Vedic sacrificial pillar used in Ancient India. It is one of the most important elements of the Vedic ritual.
The execution of a victim (generally an animal), who was tied at the Yūpa, was meant to b ...
(“sacrificial posts”), have been found in Kutai, Kaman Estuary, near the
Mahakam River
The Mahakam River (Indonesian: ''Sungai Mahakam'') is third longest and volume discharge river in Borneo after Kapuas River and Barito River, it is located in Kalimantan, Indonesia. It flows from the district of Long Apari in the highlands of ...
.
[Kutai Kingdom](_blank)
on Melayu Online The plinths bear an inscription in the
Pallava script
The Pallava script or Pallava Grantha, is a Brahmic scripts, Brahmic script, named after the Pallava dynasty of South India, attested since the 4th century AD. As epigrapher Arlo Griffiths makes clear, however, the term is misleading as not all o ...
of India reading "A gift to the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s" in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
. The style of the script has been dated to the last half the 4th century.
It is believed these religions were brought to Indonesia around the 2nd and 4th centuries, respectively, when Indian traders arrived on the islands of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
,
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
and
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
.
The names of three rulers are known from the inscriptions. The first ruler mentioned is
Kuḍungga, the “lord of men” (narendra), his son Aśwawarman, styled the “founder of the dynasty” (vaṇśa-kartṛ) and grandson of the first and son of the later,
Mulavarman
Sri Mulavarman Nala Dewa (spelled Mulawarman in Indonesian), was the king of the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom located in eastern Borneo around the year 400 CE. What little is known of him comes from the seven Yupa inscriptions found at a sanctuary ...
called the “lord of kings” (rājendra). As the name "Kuṇḍungga" does not seem to be a name of Sanskrit-Hinduistic origin while the other two are, it is presumed he was a leader of local origin (
Dayak people
The Dayak (; older spelling: Dajak) or Dyak or Dayuh are one of the native groups of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic groups, located principally in the central and southern interior of Borneo, each ...
) and it was his son Aśwawarman that adopted the Hinduistic belief.
The origin of Kudungga has long been debated, some sources also argue that he was of Indian origin, presumably a descendant from the royalties of the
Magadha empire, as Dayak people back then lived in the inner jungle parts of
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
not in the coastal areas, while others argued that the name is similar to
Bugis
The Bugis people (pronounced ), also known as Buginese, are an ethnicity—the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassar and Toraja), in the south-western province of Sulawe ...
name of ''Kadungga'', with several inscriptions similar to what is found in Kutai were found in Sulawesi.
[Marwati Djoened Poesponegoro & nugroho notosusanto, 1993. ''Sejarah nasional Indonesia II''. Balai pustaka:Jakarta] During the reign of King Mūlawarman, he is the one who let the
Yūpa inscriptions be made, and it was believed to be made by the
Brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru o ...
which received alms from Mulavarman. While nothing of the military actions of his two predecessors is known, ''"Raja"'' Mūlawarman is stated to have conquered his neighbors in battle. He is also said to have increased the land of Kutai by a Vedic ritual known as the "
Asvaredjwa", a ritual also performed by Indian rulers of the past. This ritual required a horse released to his land. The footsteps of the freely roaming horse were taken as evidence that this land belonged to his kingdom. Mulawarman was also known for his tribute of gold to his God. The name of his kingdom is not mentioned on the inscriptions nor do any other documents in other countries relate to a kingdom at this time in this region. It is not known what became of the kingdom after these pillars had been erected. It may be possible that the name Kutai, as in Tuñjung Kute of the 1365 Javanese
Majapahit
Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
poem
Nāgarakṛtāgama is as ancient and reflects the original name used a thousand years earlier.
Lesong Batu Megalith stone
![Lesong Batu Muara Kaman](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Lesong_Batu_Muara_Kaman.JPG)
The
Lesong Batu is a
megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
stone located in Muara Kaman district,
Kutai Kartanegara Regency
Kutai Kartanegara Regency (abbreviated as ''Kukar'') is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has a land area of 27,263.10 km2 and a water area of 4,097 km2, geographically located between 1°18′40″S and 116°31′36 ...
believed to be the remnants to make the ancient
Yupa inscriptions during the
4th century AD
The 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini/Common era) was the time period which lasted from 301 ( CCCI) through 400 ( CD). In the West, the early part of the century was shaped by Constantine the Great, who became the first Roman ...
.
Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara
![Mahkota Sultan Kutai 6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Mahkota_Sultan_Kutai_6.jpg)
The Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate (locally known as ''Kesultanan Kutai Kertanegara ing Martadipura'') was established around the end of the
13th century AD
The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 ( MCCI) through December 31, 1300 ( MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar.
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched from Eastern Asia to Easter ...
in the region of Tepian Batu or
Kutai Lama. The first known ruler is known to be
Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti, who was thought to have ruled from 1300 to 1325.
Aji Pangeran Sinum Panji Mendapa, who ruled 1635–1650, was able to conquer the kingdom of Kutai Martadipura and merged the two realms thus becoming "Kutai Kartanegara Ing Martadipura".
In 1667, the Dutch
V.O.C. attacked
Makassar
Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Med ...
on the island of
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
leading to the downfall of the
Bugis
The Bugis people (pronounced ), also known as Buginese, are an ethnicity—the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassar and Toraja), in the south-western province of Sulawe ...
Kingdom of
Gowa
Gowa (''Makassar language : '') is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency in the province of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It has an area of 1,883.33 km2 and a population of 652,329 at the 2010 census, increasing to 765,836 at the 2020 census; the of ...
. Some of the Bugis under the leadership of Lamohang Daeng Mangkona or Pua Ado I immigrated to Kutai on neighboring Borneo (Kalimantan) and the ruler of Kutai allowed them to settle in Kampung Melantai around the Karang Mumus River, now known as Kampung Selili. This settlement eventually developed into the modern town of
Samarinda
Samarinda is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The city lies on the banks of the Mahakam River with a land area of . Samarinda ranks first on East Kalimantan Human dev ...
.
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
took hold in the region since the 17th century (most of the Bugis were Muslims) and Aji Muhammad Idris, ruling 1732–1739?, was the first ruler to have an Islamic name.
After a civil war Aji Imbut, after finally becoming the ruler as Aji Muhammad Muslihuddin in 1780, moved the capital in 1782 from Pemarangan to Tepian Pandan.
The name of the capital city eventually developed from Tangga Arung to its present form of
Tenggarong
Tenggarong is a town in and the capital of Kutai Kartanegara Regency of East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The former Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate's capital was likewise located in Tenggarong.
Historically, the then capital was called ''Tepian P ...
.
In 1844, following the repulse of
James Erskine Murray's expedition and attempt to settle, the Dutch defeated the Sultan Aji Muhammad Salehudin, forcing him into exile, and took direct control of Kutai.
The
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese invaded the region in 1942 and acknowledged a "Kooti Kingdom", that was a subject of the
Tenno
The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...
. In 1945 Kutai joined, along with its neighbours, into the East Kalimantan federation.
In 1949 Kutai finally became part of the
United States of Indonesia
The United States of Indonesia ( nl, Verenigde Staten van Indonesië, id, Republik Indonesia Serikat, abbreviated as RIS), was a short-lived federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies (except ...
.
Kutai governance now
Currently, the region of Kutai is part of the
Kutai Kartanegara Regency
Kutai Kartanegara Regency (abbreviated as ''Kukar'') is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has a land area of 27,263.10 km2 and a water area of 4,097 km2, geographically located between 1°18′40″S and 116°31′36 ...
headed by a regent (known locally as ''Bupati'') which is under the auspices of the regional government of
East Kalimantan Province. Meanwhile, the Sultan of Kutai currently still exists and resides in the Kutai Palace (''Kedaton''), but administratively, the governance is conducted by the regional government of the Republic of Indonesia, not the sultanate. The Sultan holds an honorary status in Kutai and is highly respected by Kutai people. During the festival of
Erau
Erau is an Indonesian biennial cultural festival, taking place in the city of Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. The word ''Erau'' is derived from the Kutai word ''eroh'', meaning crowded, noisy, joyful.
Legend of Erau
The legen ...
, he will be the guest of honour accompanied by the local government officials such as the governor of East Kalimantan and the Regent of Kutai Kartanegara.
The Kutai People
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Temenggoeng van Kendisik met familie en notabelen te Kutai Muara Pahu Borneo TMnr 10001688](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Temenggoeng_van_Kendisik_met_familie_en_notabelen_te_Kutai_Muara_Pahu_Borneo_TMnr_10001688.jpg)
The Kutai people, or known locally as ''Urang Kutai'' is the ethnic group which their ancestors are believed to be descendants of the
Dayak Ot Danum people
Ot Danum (also known as Dohoi, Malahoi, Uud Danum or Uut Danum) people are a subethnicity of the Dayak people (hence also referred as Dayak Ot Danum) dwelling at the upper reaches of south Kapuas River, and along the Schwaner range, bordering Wes ...
that have already embraced
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and currently live on the banks of the great
Mahakam River
The Mahakam River (Indonesian: ''Sungai Mahakam'') is third longest and volume discharge river in Borneo after Kapuas River and Barito River, it is located in Kalimantan, Indonesia. It flows from the district of Long Apari in the highlands of ...
,
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan (Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3. ...
. They are native to the city of
Tenggarong
Tenggarong is a town in and the capital of Kutai Kartanegara Regency of East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The former Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate's capital was likewise located in Tenggarong.
Historically, the then capital was called ''Tepian P ...
,
Kutai Kartanegara Regency
Kutai Kartanegara Regency (abbreviated as ''Kukar'') is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has a land area of 27,263.10 km2 and a water area of 4,097 km2, geographically located between 1°18′40″S and 116°31′36 ...
, the
West Kutai Regency
West Kutai Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kutai Barat) is a regency (''kabupaten'') in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan. It previously covered a much greater area, with a population of 165,091 at the 2010 Census, but in December 2012 the five no ...
and the
East Kutai Regency
East Kutai Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kutai Timur) is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has an area of 35,747.50 km2 and had a population of 253,904 at the 2010 census and 434,459 at the 2020 census. The town of Sangatta is the ...
.
The Kutai Language
The traditional language of the region is referred to as
Tanggarong Kutainese language (''Bahasa Kutai Tenggarong''), such as
Banjarese to the south,
Kota Bangun Kutainese to the west,
Beraunese to the north, and other languages spoken in coastal east Borneo.
Language Map
on www.ethnologue.com This language belongs to the large Austronesian family of languages.
Gallery
See also
* Kutai Kartanegara Regency
Kutai Kartanegara Regency (abbreviated as ''Kukar'') is a regency of East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It has a land area of 27,263.10 km2 and a water area of 4,097 km2, geographically located between 1°18′40″S and 116°31′36 ...
* Kutai National Park
Kutai National Park is a lowland national park located on the east coast of Borneo Island, in the East Kalimantan province of Indonesia, ranging approximately 10 to 50 km north of the equator.
Geography
The park is located north of th ...
References
*Kutai Martadipura
** Vogel, J.Ph. 1918 The yūpa inscriptions of King Mūlavarman from Koetei (East Borneo). Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 74:216–218.
**Chhabra, B.Ch. 1965 Expansion of Indo-Aryan culture during Pallava rule (as evidenced by inscriptions). Delhi: Munshi Ram Manohar Lal. 50–52, 85–92;
**Casparis, J.G. de 1975 Indonesian palaeography: a history of writing in Indonesia from the beginning to c. A.D. 1500. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 14–18
External links
Explanation of the Kutai Kingdoms
Example of Kutai language
Kutai traditional music
The Museum of Mulawarman
Description of the Erau
a traditional yearly Kutai culture festival.
{{coord missing, Indonesia
Historical regions
Former countries in Borneo
Precolonial states of Indonesia
Hindu Buddhist states in Indonesia
Kutai
Kutai is a historical region in what is now known as East Kalimantan, Indonesia on the island of Borneo and is also the name of the native ethnic group of the region (known as ''Urang Kutai'' or "the Kutai people"), numbering around 300,000 who ...
Ethnic groups in Indonesia
Historical Hindu kingdoms