Prince Dipannegara's Sufi Narrative

 

Prince Dipannegara's Sufi Narrative

On a gloomy day, July 29, 1825, a group of soldiers under the leadership of Chevallier surrounded a house in Tegalrejo. Followers of Danurejo IV also rushed to storm the residence of Prince Dipanegara. That day was historic, the thumping of cannons and the sound of gunshots witnessed the five years of Dipanegara resistance, marking the beginning of the Java War (1825-1830).

Diponegoro does not remain silent. He chose to step aside to prepare a mature resistance by inviting all laskar and his followers. He strengthened the ranks in the hilly area of ​​Selarong, in the southwest area of ​​Yogyakarta. The prince's family was evacuated to an area called Dekso.

Dipanegara's house in Tegalrejo was burned down by Chevallier's guards. The fire of anger engulfed the house where Dipanegara looked after his family, cradling his children. The fire that burned the house, at the same time fueled the anger of Dipanegara and his followers for waging the Java War, the legendary resistance of Javanese warriors and laskar Santri, in the first half of the nineteenth century. Dipanegara witnessed how the Dutch people's passion for colonialism had reached its peak, overthrowing the power of the kingdoms in Java by infiltrating the inner circle of rulers, bribing some officials and then taking power to steal the wealth of the common people.

News of the burning of Dipanegara's house and the outbreak of the Java War quickly spread to the Bagelen, Pajang and surrounding areas. In Surakarta, several Bayat clerics and laskar santri commanded by Kiai Maja and Tumenggung Prawirodigdo moved to help Dipanegara. The nobles of Yogyakarta also came close to the headquarters of the Dipanegara struggle. Sentot Prawirodirdjo, the young senopati son of Raden Ronggo Prawirodirdjo III, joined the front row.

The war launched by Dipanegara used the "dedhemitan" war strategy, aka "gebag ancat nrabas glass". Namely, the strategy of raiding suddenly and then quickly disappearing behind dark forests, caves, hills and other hiding places. Pakubuwono Vi suggested this war tactic. This was a war strategy that the Dutch soldiers and their followers feared, resulting in huge casualties and financial losses that almost bankrupted the Dutch East Indies government.

Seeing the trend of victory obtained by the troops and followers of Dipanegara, General De Kock did not remain silent. He carried out divisive diplomacy and pitted each other. De Kock slyly managed to deceive Sunan Pakubuwono VI, Mangkunegara II, Paku Alam I and several key royal figures to help the Dutch. The Diponegoro War lasted for five years, including the longest war in Javanese history. This was the episode of the war that marked the historical phase in Dutch colonialism and Europeans in the archipelago. As well as, marking the phase shift of the Dutch East Indies government's policy in the colonies.

Sufism in Diponegoro, Tarekat Laskar Santri

The study of the Dipanegara war attracted the attention of several researchers, including Peter Carey (1981, 2007, 2014), Saleh As'ad Djamhari (2004) and several scholars who reviewed the history of Java in the early 19th century. is a network of students that surrounds Dipanegara. In fact, this santri network played an important role in strengthening Dipanegara's struggle, with the knot of Sufi kiai, namely Kiai Maja, Kiai Hasan Besari, Kiai Umar and Kiai Taftazani, as well as several other kiai as nodes of the struggle in Bagelen, Semarang, Pajang, Rajegwesi and other regions. other.

In addition, the reference to Dipanegara's Sufism also seems to be obscured by the chivalry narrative that surrounds him. The study of Peter Carey (2014) only mentions the faintness of Dipanegara's Sufism, which is contrasted with the narrative of knights as leaders of the Javanese people.

Then, what is the narration of Prince Dipanegara's Sufism?

In Martin van Bruinessen's study, ' Orders and Politics', it is revealed how the Sufism movement became the trigger for the struggle against colonialism. The Sammaniyah Order in Palembang, became a network of resistance to the colonial regime, which was illustrated in the Menteng War, 1819.

The Sammaniyah Order that developed in Palembang was brought by the students of Shaykh Abdusshamad al-Falimbani, at the end of the 18th century. The Santri of Shaykh Shamad who studied in the holy land, when making the pilgrimage and settled to deepen the treasures of Islam. Shaikh Shamad, is the author of the book hidayat as-salikin, a Sufistic literary work that is an important reference in the treasure of Malay literacy. Shaykh Abdusshamad's work is based on the book Ihya and Bidayat al-Hidayah by Imam al-Ghazali.

In the Chronicle of Dipanegara, a narrative of the struggle and dedication of the prince is recorded to free the Javanese people from the clutches of the invaders. The Chronicle of Dipanegara, Dandanggula (XVI) narrates:

Even Setewer mulia said goodbye

Datan is for sagung who speaks

Nulya is here again

The general did not know

Worry more

People are dying

The man is the woman

Even if it's a child

There are many martyrs

All of Java

From the narration, the free translation:

Setewer (General de Kock's envoy, William Stavers) then said goodbye

Without saying anything

Then the war started again

By order of the General (de Kock) without notice

War is even more violent

Many were killed

Men and women

Although children, when caught

Killed so many martyrs

All over Java

 

Prince Dipanegara's struggle was also based on jihad as the Sabil war, to expel the invaders who were labeled as infidel regimes. This text, contained in the pupuh Dandanggula (XXII), Prince Dipanegara writes:

 

The Islamic army is fighting

Against martyrs please accept

Subhanahu taalane

To his faith

Nulya there is parmaning widi

Den Ayu Gusti Wet

My father obeyed

Thank you to Hyang Suksma

Sri Narendra mulya is called

Wet Martanagara

 

Free translation:

Muslims perform sabil

And Sahid may be accepted

Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala

His faith

Then get God's grace

Den Ayu Gusti Wet (Princess Dipanegara)

Obey his father's advice

So much gratitude to the One who controls the soul

Then he called

Wet Martanagara

From the narration of the Babad Dipanegara, one can think about how the Java War was not only a matter of the sentiments of court power. The Javanese war is a symbol of how the struggle against the colonial regime was driven by Islamic knots, and synergized with the leaders of the Javanese court. The war that lasted five years was proof that the Javanese people never gave up on colonialism. There is no term that the archipelago was colonized for 350 years, because the resistance continued until the early 20th century.

In historical records, tarekat networks played an important role in resisting the colonial regime. Among them, the resistance in South Kalimantan (1859-1862), Haji Rifai Kalisalak (1859), the Cianjur-Sukabumi incident (1885), the Cilegon-Banten peasant rebellion (1888), and the Garut incident (1919).

In Banjarmasin, the 'Beratif Baamal' teaching is known. This teaching comes from the tradition of the Sammaniyah tarekat led by a teacher. The followers of this tarekat come in droves for allegiance, then do dhikr together, and read ratib until they are unconscious. After that, they attacked the colonial army to the point of ignoring the danger. This movement covers almost the entire Continent of Lima and the area that is currently the Central and North Hulu Sungai, South Kalimantan. In practice, the followers of the Sammaniyah teachings use the mosque's knot and the prayer room as a reference for the movement.

In the Dipanegara narrative, the tarekat network is one of the keys to strengthening the struggle movement. Peter Carey's study, Destiny: The Life of Prince Dipanegara of Yogyakarta, 1785-1855 , revealed that Prince Dipanegara adhered to Wahdatul Wujud's Sufism. During his life, Prince Dipanegara often read the book 'al-Tuhfah al-Mursalah ila Ruhin Nabiy' by the Sufi figure from India, Muhammad ibn Fadhilah al-Burhanpuri. This book is circulated in the Muslim community in various parts of the world, even translated into Javanese. Prince Dipanegara was inspired by this book, in perpetuating his Islamic traditions and practices.

Wahdatul Wujud is an understanding that believes in the unification of existence or existence between creatures and the Creator. In the Javanese tradition, this concept is known as 'manunggaling kawula Gusti', which is the unity of existence between creatures/servants and their God. Sufi figures who were influenced by the teachings of Wahdatul Wujud, among them Ibn 'Arabi, Sheikh Siti Jenar, and Hamzah Fansuri.

Throughout the story of Prince Dipanegara's struggle, it is evidence that his dedication to defending the people from colonialism is his endeavor against colonialism. Unfortunately, Dipanegara's sufistic narrative is often obscured by the narration of knights who are symbols of Javanese court-power. Dipanegara's Sufism became the lifeblood of all the energy of his struggle, it is this narrative that needs to be rewritten with stories of wisdom that surround his life.