High relief at Monas in Jakarta, depicting Gajah Mada taking his Palapa oath.

The Palapa oath (Indonesian: Sumpah Palapa) was an oath taken by Gajah Mada, a 14th-century Prime Minister of the Javanese Majapahit Empire described in the Pararaton (Book of Kings). In this oath Gajah Mada swore that he would not rest, as long as he had not succeeded in unifying Nusantara (the Maritime Southeast Asia). The oath was taken during his inauguration as Majapahit Amangkubhumi (Prime Minister) that took place in 1256 Saka (1334) or 1258 Saka (1336).[1]

The oath

The main source of the Palapa oath is taken from the middle Javanese manuscript, Pararaton, which states:[2]: 363 

Sira Gajah Madapatih amangkubhumi tan ayun amuktia palapa, sira Gajah Mada: "Lamun huwus kalah nusantara isun amukti palapa, lamun kalah ring Gurun, ring Seran, Tañjungpura, ring Haru, ring Pahang, Dompo, ring Bali, Sunda, Palembang, Tumasik, samana isun amukti palapa".

Translation:

[Eventually] Gajah Mada became patih mangkubumi, [but] did not want to amukti palapa. Gajah Mada [swore], "If I have conquered the Nusantara Archipelago, [then] I will amukti palapa. If [I have] conquered Gurun, Seram, Tanjungpura, Haru, Pahang, Dompo, Bali, Sunda, Palembang, Tumasik, then I will amukti palapa."

Interpretation

Petrus Josephus Zoetmulder defines amukti palapa as "enjoying a state where everything can be taken", or simply "enjoying pleasure"; while according to Slamet Muljana it means "enjoying rest".[2]: 364 

From this manuscript, historians have learnt several names of places and polities in Nusantara that at the time the oath was taken were not under Majapahit suzerainty, and were targeted by Gajah Mada's ambitious expansive campaign.

Places described in Palapa oath

Gajah Mada statue in front of Telecommunication Museum in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta. Palapa, Indonesia's first telecommunication satellite was named after the Palapa oath.

Completion

It is possible that the Sunda kingdom became vassalized by Majapahit after the Bubat tragedy of 1357. It ultimately regained independence at unknown year.[3] The subjugation of Sunda by Majapahit means that Gajah Mada has finally fulfilled his Palapa oath:[4]

... Tunggalan padompo pasunda. Samangkana sira Gajah Mada mukti palapa, sawelas tahun amangkubhumi. (The Dompo incident coincided with the Sunda incident. That's when Gajah Mada amukti palapa, [after] eleven years became mangkubumi.)[2]: 384 

Legacy

The Palapa oath is used as the name of the Indonesian telecommunication satellite Palapa, a Boeing-made satellite. The program was started in February 1975 and the satellite was launched on 9 July 1976, from Cape Caneveral, United States. The name Palapa was chosen by President Suharto and means 'fruits of labor', also signifying the Indonesian effort to unify the Indonesian archipelago through telecommunication technology.

A university-wide orientation session for freshman students at Gadjah Mada University, PPSMB Palapa, is named after the oath.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sita W. Dewi (9 April 2013). "Tracing the glory of Majapahit". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Purwanto, Heri (2023). Pararaton: Biografi Para Raja Singhasari–Majapahit. Tangerang Selatan: Javanica. ISBN 978-623-98438-4-7.
  3. ↑ Hall, D.G.E. (1981). A History of South-East Asia (4th ed.). London: The Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-349-16521-6.
  4. ↑ Nugroho, Irawan Djoko (2011). Majapahit Peradaban Maritim. Suluh Nuswantara Bakti. p. 214. ISBN 978-602-9346-00-8.
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