KUTAI
BRIEF HISTORY
The ruler converted to Islam in 1565. Contact with the outside world gradually expanded, thereafter. The Dutch first visited the area in 1635, under Gerrit Thomassen Pool, but achieved little and retired. Bugis mariners arrived in 1721, defeated the ruler, established a permanent settlement at Samaranda and took control of the principality of Pasir. In time, they intermarried with the local Malays and Dayaks. They became a permanent feature of the state and serving as the ruler's soldiers and policemen.
Under Bugis influence, Islam took a more prominent role in state affairs. The ruler assumed the Islamic title of Sultan ca. 1732 and implemented a number of religious decrees. Nevertheless, traditional Hindu practices continued to enjoy a pre-eminent place in cultural affairs.
The arrival of the British during the Raffles administration increased European interest in Kutai. Explorers and military officers visited and wrote about its unique culture. However, it wasn't until 1825 that permanent relations were established with the Sultan. In the meantime, commercial relations had progressed quite rapidly with British traders in Singapore. Rattan, gutta-percha and bees-wax, amongst the major exports. This did not please the Dutch and they appointed a local civil administrator in 1846.
During and after the Banjarmasin War of 1859-1863 the government of the Netherlands East Indies increased their control over Borneo, mainly through a system of contracts with the local rulers.
The late nineteenth and early twentieth century saw rapid economic development throughout coastal Borneo. Kutai was perhaps the greatest beneficiary of this expansion, particularly after the discovery of rich oil deposits. The local treasury saw its income boosted by successes in mining operations and oil, as well as trading operations. For much of the 1920's the sultan's treasury revelled in huge surpluses, becoming a net lender not only to the other princely states but also to the government of the NEI itself. An important legacy of those times is the former Royal Palace, a superb example of Art Deco in the tropics.
The sultanate suffered much during the second world war, the local oil industry attracting considerable military activity from both the Japanese and the allies. Luckily, the state escaped the worst of the Japanese atrocities, suffered by most of the other Borneo states in 1943 and 1944. The names "Balikpapan" and "Samaranda" remain emblazoned forever, on the flags and battle honours of several Commonwealth military units.
Kutai became a part of the state of Greater Siak in 1947, joining that of Kalimantan Timur in 1948. Two years later it became a self-governing monarchy within greater Indonesia, but lost this status in 1960, after the establishment of the unitary republic.
The royal family continued to hold a very high degree of respect and even veneration amongst the people of Kutai. This did not endear them to the new administrators serving Jakarta. They instigated a period of intimidation and humiliation, in which they arrested Sultan Aji Muhammad Parikesit and members of his family on trumped up charges. They arranged for the confiscation and public burning of the regal uniforms and clothing, seized the palace, expelling the Royal family and turning it into a museum. Nevertheless, the Royal family continued to be held in high regard and a long campaign aimed at restoring the ancient kingdom begun. After a thirty-year struggle, the government finally yielded in 1999. The late Sultan's son was installed as Sultan Haji Aji Muhammad Saleh ud-din II in later 2001.
STYLES & TITLES:
The ruling prince: H.H. Sri Paduka Sultan Haji Aji (personal reign name) al-Adil Khalifat ul-Muminin, Sultan of Kutai Karta Negara, with the style of His Highness.
The principal wife of the ruling prince: Aji Ratu (personal title).
The Heir Apparent: Pangeran Ratu.
The eldest son of the ruling prince, by a junior wife: Putra Sukma.
The other sons of the ruling prince: Aji (personal name), (personal title).
The daughter of the ruling prince: Aji Putri (personal name), (personal title).
The grandsons, and other male descendants of the ruling prince, in the male line: Aji (personal name).
The granddaughters, and other female descendants of the ruling prince, in the male line: Aji (personal name).
NOBLE TITLES:
The sultanate has a system of five, non-hereditary noble titles in the following descending order of precedence:
1) Pangeran - limited to senior princes of the Royal house, usually those holding one of the great offices of state.
2) Temenggong.
3) Radin.
4) Demang.
5) Kyai.
RULES OF SUCCESSION:
Male primogeniture, the sons of royal wives taking precedence over those of the junior wives.
ORDERS & DECORATIONS:
None known.
GLOSSARY:
Aji: prince.
Aji Putri: princess, usually limited to the daughters of a ruler.
Beraja Nanti: the adat book of laws prescribing the means of administration for the state and customs.
Dayang: title held by ladies of noble birth.
Demang: a junior title of nobility, frequently conferred on Dayak chiefs.
Hakim Mahakamah Islam: the great officer of state responsible for the administration of Islamic judicial and religious law.
Kepala manang: the collective term for the heads of the great Buginese aristocratic families.
Kyai: a junior title of nobility.
Maharaja: "great prince or ruler", the usual title for the ruler of Kutai during the Hindu period.
Mangku Sukma: a non-Royal regent.
Mantri-negri: great officers of state.
Pangeran: Princely title conferred on senior princes of the Royal house, after they have attained their majority.
Pangeran Mangku Putra: Prince Regent, usually the brother of a deceased sovereign, and uncle of a minor ruler.
Pangeran Ratu: the eldest son and Heir Apparent of the Sultan, when borne of a Royal wife.
Pangeran Sukma: the eldest son of a Sultan, borne of a non-Royal wife.
Patih: title of regents when there is nobody eligible to be Prince Regent.
Pau Adu: Commissioner of Police.
Perdana-mantri: the first great officer of state, or Chief Minister.
Radin: title of nobility conferred on members of the Royal house, as well as, senior nobles.
Ratu: title conferred on the Royal wives of the ruler and on senior princesses after marriage, especially if their mothers are of Royal descent.
Shahbandar: Minister for Ports and Customs.
Temenggong: a senior title of nobility, usually conferred on great territorial magnates, Dayak chiefs or those holding high government office.
SOURCES:
Kesultanan Kutai Kartanegara: http://kutaikartanegara.com/kesultanan/
S.C. Knappert, "Beschrijving van de onderafdeeling Koetai", Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsh Indië. Koninklijk Instituut voor de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsh-Indië, The Hague, 1905, Deel LVIII, pp. 575-654.
S.W. Tromp, "Uit de Salasila van Koetei", Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsh Indië. Koninklijk Instituut voor de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsh-Indië, The Hague, 1888. Deel XXX VII, pp. 1-108.
J.R. Wortmann, "Milestones in the History of Kutai, Kalimantan-Timur, Borneo". Borneo Research Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 1, Maine USA, June 1971.
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
H.H. Sri Paduka Sultan Haji Aji Muhammad Saleh ud-din II, Sultan of Kutai Kutai Karta Negara.
D. Tick, Pusat Dokumentasi Kerajaan-Kerajaan di Indonesia "Pusaka".
John D. McMeekin
M. Agri Winata, CEO & Webmaster of KutaiKartanegara.com.
Copyright©Christopher Buyers, January 2002 - June 2006