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| Literacy is crucial for the Dayak in facing modernity and outside narratives. Illustration by AI. |
PONTIANAK - The Dayak Research Center (DRC) : Literacy is more than the ability to read and write—it is a tool of civilization. It helps communities preserve identity, uncover historical roots, and shape a vision for the future.
For the Dayak people of Borneo, literacy has become increasingly vital as the pressures of modernity and the dominance of external narratives threaten to obscure local histories.
In this context, revisiting ancient texts such as Pararaton and Nagarakretagama is not merely an academic exercise. It is an urgent act of cultural affirmation—one that reasserts the historical presence and contributions of Dayak territories to the larger story of the Indonesian archipelago.
Names in the Margins of Empire
Names like Tanjungpura and Bakulapura, referenced in the Nagarakretagama (1365) by Mpu Prapanca and the Pararaton, are not just obscure geographical mentions. They are evidence of Borneo’s political and cultural standing in the expansive network of Javanese kingdoms during the classical period.
Tanjungpura, located along the western coast of what is now known as Kalimantan, is believed to have been one of the region’s early civilizational centers, with trade and cultural links to Majapahit. Bakulapura, strategically situated at the mouth of a major river, points to the existence of a sophisticated local polity.
Yet, in Indonesia’s national historical narrative, Dayak lands and peoples are often reduced to footnotes or omitted entirely. This is where literacy becomes essential—not just as a skill, but as a means of historical reclamation. It allows the Dayak to retrieve scattered fragments of their past, articulate their strategic roles in regional history, and construct a counter-narrative that is both just and contextually grounded.
Literacy, then, is not just about reading books—it’s about reading the past. It means reading traces, symbols, oral traditions, and artifacts that still reside in Dayak villages today.
A Cultural Mission, Not Just Academia
The revitalization of literacy among Dayak communities is not merely an academic pursuit—it is a cultural mission. It is about reviving collective memory, documenting tacit knowledge, and nurturing historical awareness among younger generations.
By restoring awareness of Tanjungpura and Bakulapura within the grand arc of Nusantara history, the Dayak are not simply rewriting their past. They are reclaiming a place in a civilizational landscape from which they were long excluded.
A Forgotten Island at the Heart of Empires
Borneo—known as Kalimantan in Indonesia—is the third-largest island in the world and sits at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, bordered by Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. It has a rich, layered history, some of which is preserved in ancient Javanese texts like Pararaton and Nagarakretagama, two epic works from the zenith of the Singhasari and Majapahit kingdoms.
In these texts, Borneo is referenced through names laden with meaning—names that signify the island’s connection to imperial Java and its cultural and political orbit.
Tanjungpura in the Pararaton
Pararaton, a 14th-century chronicle of Singhasari’s kings and the rise of Majapahit, refers to Borneo as Tanjungpura. This suggests the island’s significance in Singhasari’s geopolitical ambitions. Under King Kertanegara, Singhasari aimed to extend its influence across the archipelago, including distant regions like Borneo.
One of the most iconic passages in Pararaton is Gadjah Mada’s Sumpah Palapa - Palapa Oath, in which the Majapahit prime minister vowed to abstain from worldly pleasures until he had subdued the entire archipelago. Borneo—Tanjungpura—was among the territories imagined within this grand political vision.
The name Tanjungpura, possibly meaning “Cape City,” may describe a landform protruding into the sea—a geographic metaphor for Borneo’s long, tapering shape. It also hints at the island’s role as a node in regional maritime trade routes.
Bakulapura in the Nagarakretagama
Written by court poet Mpu Prapanca in 1365, Nagarakretagama refers to Borneo as Bakulapura, reaffirming its inclusion in Majapahit’s imperial reach. This name, too, evokes the idea of a “cape” (bakula)—another allusion to geography, but also to the kingdom’s place in the trade and diplomacy networks of the time.
Majapahit’s ambitions stretched far beyond Java, encompassing the Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, and parts of Borneo. With its abundant natural resources—timber, spices, resins—Borneo played a key role in these economic networks.
Under the leadership of King Hayam Wuruk and Prime Minister Gadjah Mada, Majapahit sought not only conquest, but also political alliances across the archipelago. In this vision, Borneo was not a peripheral frontier but a vital partner in an interconnected regional system.
From Margins to Center
The connection between Tanjungpura, Bakulapura, and the Javanese empires underscores how Java’s influence extended outward—not only through military expansion but through diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange. When Singhasari fell in 1292, Majapahit took up its mantle, integrating places like Borneo into its sphere through commerce and alliances.
Borneo's strategic location along major sea lanes made it a critical link in the flow of goods across Southeast Asia. It was not just a source of raw materials—it was a center of exchange and influence. The ancient names Tanjungpura and Bakulapura remind us that this island was known, connected, and influential long before modern borders were drawn.
Borneo Today, Through a Historical Lens
Today, Borneo is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. But the echoes of its historical significance endure. By turning back to classical texts and reexamining overlooked histories, the Dayak people are doing more than recovering the past—they are reshaping their place in the present.
Understanding Borneo’s role in the context of Singhasari and Majapahit does more than enrich our grasp of Southeast Asian history. It challenges us to reconsider who tells the story of the past—and who has long been left out of it.
Masri Sareb Putra, M.A.
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