SEKELOMPOK pelajar tertegun di depan sebuah lukisan besar di Museum Banten Lama. Usai membaca keterangan singkat yang terpasang tepat di bawahnya, mata mereka kembali memelototi gambar dua tokoh dalam satu bingkai tersebut, seperti ingin lebih yakin lagi. “Wah ini semacam duta besar. Sayang enggak ada tulisan lengkapnya ya,” ujar seorang pelajar kepada temannya.
Keduanya adalah bagian rombongan pelajar dari Jakarta, yang sengaja datang dengan dua bus untuk mengunjungi tempat-tempat bersejarah di Banten. Kompleks Banten Lama di Desa Banten, Kec. Kasemen, sekitar 10 km ke arah utara dari pusat kota Serang, merupakan salah satu tempat favorit untuk wisata ziarah dan sejarah bagi para pelancong.
Selain menyimpan berbagai benda peninggalan masa lalu, di museum itu memang terdapat lukisan dua tokoh Kerajaan Banten pada masa Sultan Haji (1672-1687). Yakni Ki Ngabei Nayawipraja dan Ki Ngabei Jayasedana. Dua orang inilah yang dikirim Sultan Haji untuk bertemu Raja Charles II di London, Inggris pada tahun 1681.
Catatan tertulis mengenai perjalanan kedua dubes tersebut, memang tidak bisa ditemukan dimuseum itu atau pada buku-buku sejarah popular. Andai saja seorang ahli purbakala, Ny. S. Soeleiman, yang bekerja sebagai atase kebudayaan di KBRI London, tidak menyalin tulisan Ny. Fruin Mees pada tahun 1953, maka informasi tentang hubungan diplomatik dua kerajaan tersebut tidak akan segera diketahui.
Sultan Haji Abunhasri Abdul Kahhar naik tahta memimpin Kerajaan Banten pada tahun 1672. Keberangkatan Nayawipraja dan Jayasedana, bukanlah untuk jalan-jalan biasa. Terdapat alasan politik-ekonomi yang mendasarinya. Saat itu persaingan pengaruh antara Inggris dan Belanda di Nusantara begitu kuat.
Banten sebagai sebuah kerajaan besar, sejak lama menjadi tempat persinggahan berbagai bangsa. Kerajaan ini memiliki Bandar besar, yang menjadi tempat transaksi dagang bertaraf internasional. Inggris dan Belanda bersaing ketat untuk menancapkan pengaruhnya di Banten.
Orang-orang Inggris mendekati kalangan istana. Mereka meyakinkan Sultan Haji untuk bekerja sama dengan Kerajaan Inggris sebagai cara jitu menyingkirkan Belanda. Maka diutuslah dua dubes ke Inggris, dengan menumpang kapal layar “London” dengan nakoda John Danielson. Mereka berangkat bersama rombongan pada 10 November 1681 dan tiba di Sungai Thames tanggal 29 April 1682, atau mengarungi lautan selama 5,5 bulan.
Keduanya membawa oleh-oleh untuk Raja Charles II berupa lada, kayu bahar, jahe, cengkeh, cendera mata berlian, burung merak emas dan batu permata. Raja Charles II menerima kedua dubes dalam sebuah acara kehormatan pada 14 Mei 1682. Raja kemudian menganugerahkan gelar bangsawan sir kepada keduanya. Nayawipraja bergelar Sir Abdul, sedangkan Jayasedana mendapat gelar Sir Achmet.
Setelah berada di London selama 3,5 bulan, rombongan dari Banten berpamitan kepada Raja Charles II pada 5 Juli 1682. Mereka pulang dengan kapal “Kemphoon” pada 23 Agustus 1682 dan tiba di Banten tanggal 20 Januari 1683.
Berabad-bad kemudian, pada 11 Desember 2003 kantor berita Reuters, Inggris melaporkan tentang penemuan koin-koin misterius asal Banten di pinggiran Sungai Thames, London. Ratusan koin itu ditemukan tertanam dalam lumpur. Disebutkan, koin-koin yang berasal dari abad ke-17 itu punya lubang segi enam di tengahnya. Ada tulisan dalam bahasa Arab Melayu berbunyi "Pangeran Ratou ing Bantam" (Lord King at Bantam). Yang dimaksud Bantam, tidak lain adalah Banten.***
THE JOURNEY OF BANTAM AMBASSADORS TO ENGLAND IN 1682.
On 11th December 2003, Reuters, England featured the MisteriousCoins from Banten, with the anouncement: “A string of coins from Java, Indonesia was found
buried in the mud at the side of the River Thames, London”. All those coins from the 17 th. century has a six sided hole at the middle, 90 pieces string together with an Arabian inscription (Malayian):
“Pangeran Ratou ing Bantam” (Lord King at Bantam). According to The British Museum coin experts: “ These are the first Java coins revealed in London”
Thursday morning, 10th November 1681. Slaves were busy mounting goods into “London” ship directed by Captain John Danielszn, to be presented to the King of England : 200 bags of pepper, a set of diamonds and gemstones, golden peacock ornamented with opal stones and many other presents, amounting to 12.000 Reals. That day, thirty-three Bantamese people under the command of Ngabei Naya Wipraya and Ngabei Jaya Sedana embarked on a journey to England as official representatives of Sultan Abdul Kahar Aboen Nassar known as Sultan Hadji or Sultan Muda (Young Sultan). One of the slaves died during the journey. The ship arrived in England on 29th April 1682, at the river Thames, near the town Erith.
King Karel II received them twice at Windsor Palace, with all the noble formalities as was usually given to all foreign countries guests. Ngabei Naya Wipraya and Ngabei Jaya Sedana were both given the title “Knight” as Sir Abdul and Sir Achmet. They were really honoured as special guests during their two and a half months stay in England, sightseeing all around London, visiting England's Government high officials and The British East Indian Company.
Palace high officials gave them generous hospitality, taking them around with palace carriages, enjoying comedian performance “The Tempest of Shakespeare”, Westminster
Abbey, King Hendrick VII Chappel, Monsieur Thouberti famous school and even sailing on the Thames till Morta Lake. Those Banten coins taken along by one of the Banten's representative should have fallen during this journey on the river Thames. They were also given the opportunity to visit the Royal Prince of York and his daughter the later Queen Anna to be. People came flocking wherever they went, never were foreign guests given such majestically receival! Their excotic appearance as the first East Indian ambassadors could be the most appealing factor. One of Bantam's cook died on 15th May 1682 and burried at St.
James Park in front of Hyde Park.
On 23th August 1682, Banten's represtentatives went home on the ship “Kemphoorn”
passing through the town Duyns, bringing along gifts from King Karel, some letters adressed to the King of Bantam and contracts with The British East Indian Company. They arrived at Banten in January 1683, but they saw that Banten was far different with the one they had left behind. In the end of 1681, a big dispute broke between Sultan Hadji and his father Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa or Sultan Tua (Old Sultan). The dispute getting worse and worse and climaxed when Sultan Tua attacked the Surosowan Palace in Banten. The Sultan Muda could not cope with it any longer and asked for VOC's shelter and help.
VOC's military company under the command of Isaack St. Martin and Francois Tack including mixed native militery company attacked and gain victory over Sultan Tua's force surrounding Surosowan. But the war wasn't over yet. Sultan Tua went to his home at Tirtayasa as his base camp and continue fighting. This war between son and father continued till the year 1683. On 14th March 1683 Sultan Tua was finally captured through his own son treachery.
Foreign traders took the Sultan Tua's side at the beginning of the war as Sultan Muda really looked forward to establish good relations with VOC. As soon as he won the reign, on 14th April 1682 the first order came out that all English people and also Danish, French and Portuguese were not allowed to stay in Banten any longer! When Banten's representatives were honoured and taken round London, at almost the same time English people were thrown out of Banten by Sultan Muda!
Realizing the recent situation in Banten the captain of the ship “Kemhoorn” got really angry towards Banten's people and put those on his ship ashore at Caringin. Presents boarded were only conveyed through the Dutch government, consisting of 9 boxes of guns, mirrors, knives, sadles, 17 cans of refined water, 1 box of lanterns and “A very ugly dog” (could be a bulldog) given by King Karel II.
From an independent kingdom resisting the VOC it now became Batavia's play toy as Sultan Hadji had given full monopoly authority over all the Kingdom's territories. He did not even dare to move a step without VOC's advice and consent. That was the tragically beginning of the downfall of Banten as a big independent Sultanate Kingdom!
On 11th December 2003, Reuters, England featured the MisteriousCoins from Banten, with the anouncement: “A string of coins from Java, Indonesia was found
buried in the mud at the side of the River Thames, London”. All those coins from the 17 th. century has a six sided hole at the middle, 90 pieces string together with an Arabian inscription (Malayian):
“Pangeran Ratou ing Bantam” (Lord King at Bantam). According to The British Museum coin experts: “ These are the first Java coins revealed in London”
Thursday morning, 10th November 1681. Slaves were busy mounting goods into “London” ship directed by Captain John Danielszn, to be presented to the King of England : 200 bags of pepper, a set of diamonds and gemstones, golden peacock ornamented with opal stones and many other presents, amounting to 12.000 Reals. That day, thirty-three Bantamese people under the command of Ngabei Naya Wipraya and Ngabei Jaya Sedana embarked on a journey to England as official representatives of Sultan Abdul Kahar Aboen Nassar known as Sultan Hadji or Sultan Muda (Young Sultan). One of the slaves died during the journey. The ship arrived in England on 29th April 1682, at the river Thames, near the town Erith.
King Karel II received them twice at Windsor Palace, with all the noble formalities as was usually given to all foreign countries guests. Ngabei Naya Wipraya and Ngabei Jaya Sedana were both given the title “Knight” as Sir Abdul and Sir Achmet. They were really honoured as special guests during their two and a half months stay in England, sightseeing all around London, visiting England's Government high officials and The British East Indian Company.
Palace high officials gave them generous hospitality, taking them around with palace carriages, enjoying comedian performance “The Tempest of Shakespeare”, Westminster
Abbey, King Hendrick VII Chappel, Monsieur Thouberti famous school and even sailing on the Thames till Morta Lake. Those Banten coins taken along by one of the Banten's representative should have fallen during this journey on the river Thames. They were also given the opportunity to visit the Royal Prince of York and his daughter the later Queen Anna to be. People came flocking wherever they went, never were foreign guests given such majestically receival! Their excotic appearance as the first East Indian ambassadors could be the most appealing factor. One of Bantam's cook died on 15th May 1682 and burried at St.
James Park in front of Hyde Park.
On 23th August 1682, Banten's represtentatives went home on the ship “Kemphoorn”
passing through the town Duyns, bringing along gifts from King Karel, some letters adressed to the King of Bantam and contracts with The British East Indian Company. They arrived at Banten in January 1683, but they saw that Banten was far different with the one they had left behind. In the end of 1681, a big dispute broke between Sultan Hadji and his father Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa or Sultan Tua (Old Sultan). The dispute getting worse and worse and climaxed when Sultan Tua attacked the Surosowan Palace in Banten. The Sultan Muda could not cope with it any longer and asked for VOC's shelter and help.
VOC's military company under the command of Isaack St. Martin and Francois Tack including mixed native militery company attacked and gain victory over Sultan Tua's force surrounding Surosowan. But the war wasn't over yet. Sultan Tua went to his home at Tirtayasa as his base camp and continue fighting. This war between son and father continued till the year 1683. On 14th March 1683 Sultan Tua was finally captured through his own son treachery.
Foreign traders took the Sultan Tua's side at the beginning of the war as Sultan Muda really looked forward to establish good relations with VOC. As soon as he won the reign, on 14th April 1682 the first order came out that all English people and also Danish, French and Portuguese were not allowed to stay in Banten any longer! When Banten's representatives were honoured and taken round London, at almost the same time English people were thrown out of Banten by Sultan Muda!
Realizing the recent situation in Banten the captain of the ship “Kemhoorn” got really angry towards Banten's people and put those on his ship ashore at Caringin. Presents boarded were only conveyed through the Dutch government, consisting of 9 boxes of guns, mirrors, knives, sadles, 17 cans of refined water, 1 box of lanterns and “A very ugly dog” (could be a bulldog) given by King Karel II.
From an independent kingdom resisting the VOC it now became Batavia's play toy as Sultan Hadji had given full monopoly authority over all the Kingdom's territories. He did not even dare to move a step without VOC's advice and consent. That was the tragically beginning of the downfall of Banten as a big independent Sultanate Kingdom!
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar