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Kutai is a historical region in what is now known as East Kalimantan,
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 Gui ...
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 have their own language known as the Kutainese language which accompanies their own rich history. Today, the name is preserved in the names of three regencies in East Kalimantan province which are the Kutai Kartanegara Regency, the West Kutai Regency and the East Kutai Regency with the major river flowing in the heart of the region known as the Mahakam River. Kutai is known to be the place of the first and oldest Hindu 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 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 kingdom located in the Kutai area, East Kalimantan. Its capital is believed to be the current Muara Kaman district located in Kutai Kartanegara Regency 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 (“sacrificial posts”), have been found in Kutai, Kaman Estuary, near the Mahakam River.Kutai Kingdom
on Melayu Online
The plinths bear an inscription in the Pallava script 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 ( ...
priests" in Sanskrit. 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,
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 mo ...
and Sulawesi. 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 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) 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 not in the coastal areas, while others argued that the name is similar to Bugis 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 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 poem Nāgarakṛtāgama is as ancient and reflects the original name used a thousand years earlier.


Lesong Batu Megalith stone

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 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 Rom ...
.


Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara

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 Eastern Eur ...
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 on the island of Sulawesi leading to the downfall of the Bugis Kingdom of Gowa. 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.
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
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 n ...
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 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 position is derived from "the wi ...
. 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 (exce ...
.


Kutai governance now

Currently, the region of Kutai is part of the Kutai Kartanegara Regency 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 leg ...
, 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

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 monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
and currently live on the banks of the great Mahakam River, East Kalimantan. 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, the West Kutai Regency and the East Kutai Regency.


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 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 ...


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 KingdomsExample of Kutai languageKutai 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 Ethnic groups in Indonesia Historical Hindu kingdoms