Sunan is the shorter version of "

Susuhunan Susuhunan, or in short version Sunan, is a title used by the monarchs of Mataram and then by the hereditary rulers of Surakarta, Indonesia. Additionally in Bali and Yogyakarta, so-called " Kings of kings" reigned with this title, while their k ...

", both used as an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

in the island of

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 ...

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 ...

. According to

Hamka Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, better known by his pen name Hamka (17 February 1908 – 24 July 1981) was an Indonesian ʿālim, philosopher, writer, lecturer, politician and journalist. First affiliated with the Masyumi Party, until it was d ...

in his book ''Dari Perbendaharaan Lama'' the word derived from a Javanese word for position (''susunan'') of hands in reverential salutation, done with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, and bowing. This arrangement which has some similarities with Indian "

namaste ''Namaste'' (, Devanagari: नमस्ते), sometimes called ''namaskar'' and ''namaskaram'', is a customary Hindu non-contact manner of respectfully greeting and honouring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is found on the In ...

" is called "''sembah''", which is used to honor and praise. From this "Susuhunan" can mean someone to give the "susunan"/"sembah" to a revered person. Another word for "''Susuhunan''" is "''Sesembahan''".HAMKA, Prof. Dr., ''Dari Perbendaharaan Lama'', Page 244, Cet. II, Pustaka Panjimas, Jakarta, 1982 This title is given by the Javanese and

Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...

to rulers, clerics and even deities. A common usage is for the 'Sunans', or the Nine Saints (

Wali Songo The Wali Songo (also transcribed as Wali Sanga) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word ''wali'' is Arabic for "trusted one" ("gua ...

), who were the spreaders of Islam in Java. Also, Sunan Ambu (Queen Mother/Goddess Mother) is a female deity revered by the Sundanese.

Other Uses

Other missionaries, besides the Wali Songo, have also received the title of Sunan, especially those who were involved in the early spread of Islam in Java. These include: * Sunan Bangkalan * Sunan Bungkul *

Sunan Dalem Sunan Dalem, (died 1545) whose real name was Sheikh Maulana Zaenal Abidin, is a Wali propagator of Islam from Gresik, East Java. He is known as the successor to the second Sultanate of Giri Kedaton since 1506, after his father Sunan Giri Sunan ...

Sunan Geseng Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

Sunan Ngadilangu Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

Sunan Ngerang Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

* Sunan Ngudung *

Sunan Prawata Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

Sunan Sendang Duwur Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

* Sunan Tembayat *

Sunan Wilis Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

Sunan Lawu Sunan may refer to: *Hadith collections in Islam: **Sunan Abi Da'ud **Sunan al-Tirmidhi **Sunan al-Sughra ** Sunan Ibn Maja *Sunan (Indonesian title), honorary title in Java island, Indonesia *Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, in Gansu, China * Sunan- ...

References

{{reflist Honorifics Noble titles of Indonesia

Other Uses

See also

References