The Saga of the Minto Stone
The Sangguran charter, also known as the Minto stone, is one of the most historically significant artifacts to have been removed from Indonesia during the colonial era. This impressive stone stele, inscribed in 928 CE, offers a rich tapestry of insights into the culinary practices, material culture, and social dynamics of early medieval Java. Despite the stone’s current residence in Scotland, its textual contents have the power to transport us back to a time when the center of Javanese political and economic power was shifting from the central to the eastern part of the island.
Through a comprehensive philological study of the inscription, coupled with a comparative analysis of contemporaneous sources, this article seeks to unravel the layers of history embedded within the Sangguran charter. From the rituals surrounding its initial dedication as a royal land grant to the sumptuous feast that accompanied the occasion, the inscription provides a unique window into the dietary preferences and commensality practices of the Javanese elite in the early 10th century. By piecing together the linguistic and archaeological evidence, we can begin to reconstruct the culinary landscape of pre-Islamic Java, enriching our understanding of this pivotal period in the region’s history.
The Minto Stone’s Journey through Time
The story of the Sangguran charter’s odyssey begins in the mountainous region northwest of the modern-day city of Malang, where the massive stone stele was originally erected in 928 CE. This was a momentous occasion, as the village of Sangguran was officially designated as a sīma (a type of royal land grant) to support the daily offerings and upkeep of a nearby Śaiva temple. The ceremony was marked by the presentation of valuable gifts to the king, high-ranking officials, and other dignitaries – a lavish affair that culminated in a grand communal feast.
Over two centuries later, in 1812, the stone came to the attention of a Scottish military engineer named Colin Mackenzie, who was touring the region on behalf of the British colonial administration. Mackenzie arranged for the stone to be transported to Surabaya and then shipped to India, where it was presented as a gift to Lord Minto, the Governor-General at the time. The Sangguran charter thus became a trophy of British imperialism and Oriental studies, eventually finding its way to Minto’s ancestral estate in the Scottish Borders, where it has remained ever since.
The stone’s displacement from its original setting in Java has not diminished its significance as a cultural heritage object for the Indonesian people. In recent decades, the local community in Ngandat, the likely site of ancient Sangguran, has actively sought to commemorate and engage with the inscription’s legacy. An annual celebration is held each August to mark the charter’s initial dedication, and a replica of the stele has been erected in the village to serve as a tangible connection to this revered piece of the nation’s history.
Deciphering the Sangguran Charter
The Sangguran charter is one of the best-preserved stone inscriptions from pre-Islamic Java, with the text clearly visible on three of its four faces. However, despite its fame and prominence, the textual contents of the inscription have received relatively little scholarly attention compared to the ongoing debates surrounding its colonial history and potential repatriation.
Our research team has conducted a comprehensive re-examination of the Sangguran charter, drawing upon the latest advances in Old Javanese epigraphy and the growing corpus of Sindok-era inscriptions. This has allowed us to produce the first fully reliable text edition and translation of the inscription, shedding new light on its historical significance.
Establishing the Provenance
The stone’s provenance has been the subject of some confusion and misinformation over the centuries. Raffles, the pioneering British historian of Java, initially claimed that the stone had been “found near Surabaya,” but this was an inaccurate statement. Subsequent scholars, such as Kern and Krom, have convincingly traced the stone’s origins to the Malang region, based on its similarities to other inscriptions from that area and the testimony of Mackenzie’s own records.
Through a careful analysis of the toponyms mentioned in the inscription, we can situate the ancient village of Sangguran in the vicinity of the present-day Ngandat, a few kilometers northwest of Malang. The “neighboring villages” named in the charter – Paṅkuan, Tugaran, Ḍahu, Kḍi-Kḍi, and Buṅkaliṅan – can be identified with modern-day settlements in the same general area, further corroborating this localization.
Deciphering the Inscription
The Sangguran charter is written in a clear, well-preserved Old Javanese script, with only minor instances of damage or illegibility. Previous editions of the text, such as those by Brandes, Sarkar, and Hasan Djafar, have provided a solid foundation for our work. However, our direct examination of the stone, supplemented by high-resolution 3D imaging, has allowed us to make significant advances in deciphering previously unclear or missing sections of the inscription.
One of the key improvements is our reading of the opening Sanskrit stanza, which had been partially obscured in earlier versions. By comparing this stanza to an identical one found in the Sugih Manek inscription from 915 CE, we have been able to reconstruct the full text with confidence. This provides an important link to the broader cultural and literary traditions of early medieval Java, as such Sanskrit invocations were commonly used to preface Javanese inscriptions and manuscripts.
Historicizing the Sangguran Charter
The Sangguran charter is a crucial document for understanding the transition between the Central Javanese and East Javanese periods of Javanese history, a complex and often misunderstood process. By closely examining the textual evidence, we can begin to challenge some of the prevailing narratives and offer a more nuanced interpretation of this pivotal moment in the island’s past.
Rethinking the Central-East Java Transition
The conventional view holds that the Sangguran charter marks the end of the Central Javanese period, as the center of power shifted to East Java in the early 10th century. This perspective is based in part on the invocation formula used in the inscription, which refers to the “palaces of the kings” at Medang, a site traditionally associated with the Mataram kingdom of Central Java.
However, our analysis suggests that this interpretation oversimplifies the nature of the transition. The invocation formula, with its references to multiple royal palaces, likely reflects a more complex reality in which the locus of power was not confined to a single geographical location. Furthermore, the inscription shows a striking continuity in the administrative personnel between the reigns of Wawa and Sindok, the kings who bookend this pivotal period. This points to a more gradual, rather than abrupt, shift of the center of government to the eastern part of the island.
By reevaluating the epigraphic evidence, we can begin to move beyond the prevailing theories of a disastrous volcanic eruption or other cataclysmic event driving the relocation of the Javanese capital. Instead, the Sangguran charter suggests a more orderly transition, with Sindok’s accession to the throne appearing to be a preordained outcome of Wawa’s reign.
Feasting and Commensality in Early Java
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Sangguran charter is its detailed description of the ceremony and feast that accompanied the designation of Sangguran as a royal land grant. This passage provides a unique window into the culinary practices and social dynamics of the Javanese elite in the early 10th century.
The inscription lists a profusion of food and drink items that were consumed during the event, ranging from various meat and fish dishes to specialized preparations like kuravu (a coconut-based condiment) and tambul (betel leaf and nut accompaniments). The text also mentions the use of specific serving vessels, such as the añjap tray, and the arrangement of the feast participants according to their social status.
By comparing this feast description to similar passages found in other inscriptions from the reign of Sindok, we have been able to identify a recurring template that appears to have been part of the official protocol for sīma dedications during this period. This allows us to build a more comprehensive understanding of the materiality and rituals associated with communal dining in early medieval Java.
Moreover, the Sangguran charter’s meticulous documentation of the feast menu offers valuable insights into the dietary preferences and culinary traditions of the Javanese elite at the time. The diversity of ingredients, preparation methods, and serving styles attests to a sophisticated gastronomic culture, one that was closely tied to the social and ritual fabric of Javanese society.
Restoring the Sangguran Charter’s Legacy
The Sangguran charter’s journey has been a long and winding one, from its original location in the Malang highlands to its current home on the Scottish Borders. Despite its physical displacement, the stone has maintained its significance as a cultural heritage object for the Indonesian people, serving as a tangible link to the nation’s pre-Islamic past.
In recent years, the local community in Ngandat has taken commendable steps to commemorate and engage with the inscription’s legacy. The annual celebration commemorating the charter’s dedication, complete with ritual performances and a feast inspired by the inscription’s contents, is a testament to the enduring power of this ancient text.
However, the Sangguran charter’s true value extends far beyond its status as a symbol of cultural identity. As this article has demonstrated, the inscription’s textual contents hold tremendous potential for enriching our understanding of early medieval Javanese history, particularly in the realms of culinary practices, material culture, and the complex dynamics of political transition.
By continuing to invest in the linguistic and philological expertise necessary to decipher and interpret these ancient texts, Indonesia can ensure that the Sangguran charter and other such inscriptions are not merely passive icons, but living documents that can shed light on the rich cultural heritage of the archipelago. As the discourse surrounding the repatriation of colonial-era artifacts intensifies, it is crucial that this intangible knowledge be recognized as an equally valuable form of cultural patrimony.
Whether the Minto stone ultimately returns to Indonesia or remains in Scotland, its true significance lies in the insights it can provide into the past. By restoring the Sangguran charter to its rightful place in history, we can honor the enduring legacy of this remarkable artifact and the people who produced it centuries ago.
