Most of the history of the Cirebon Sultanate comes from a Javanese chronicle known as a
Babad. Several notable chronicles which focused on the history of Cirebon are
Carita Purwaka Caruban Nagari and
Babad Cerbon. Foreign sources also mentioned Cirebon, such as
Tomé Pires'
Suma Oriental, written in 1512–1515. The later period of the sultanate is documented in colonial sources of the Dutch East Indies. Other than recording its own history, one of the royal houses of Cirebon, especially Keraton Keprabonan led by the Wangsakerta princes, also actively recorded and researched the history of Java by collecting old manuscripts.
Formation The village of Muara Jati was in the coastal area around the port of Cirebon and was part of the
Sunda Kingdom, as stated in the travel records of Prince
Bujangga Manik, a Hindu Sundanese hermit who visited several Hindu sites in Java and
Bali in the late 15th century or early 16th century. The border of the Sunda Kingdom in the west is the
Sunda Strait and in the east is the Cipamali River (present-day kali Brebes) and
Cisarayu River in Central Java. During this time, Muara Jati was located around 14 kilometres north of modern-day Cirebon. The transformation from a small Hindu coastal fishing village into a thriving Muslim port began with the rule of Ki Ageng Tapa.
Ki Ageng Tapa Ki Ageng Tapa (also known as Ki Ageng Jumajan Jati) was a wealthy merchant living in the village of Muara Jati. He was appointed as port master of Muara Jati fishing village by the Sunda king in Kawali,
Galuh, located further inland south of Muara Jati. The thriving port town attracted Muslim traders. Ki Gedeng Tapa and his daughter, Nyai Subang Larang, are said to have been converted to Islam. His daughter studied at Quro pesantren (Islamic school) in the Karawang area. The West Java region including Muara Jati belonged to the Sunda Kingdom, with its capital in
Pakuan Pajajaran. The Sunda King Prabu Jayadewata or
Sri Baduga Maharaja, popularly known as
King Siliwangi, was married to Nyai Subang Larang and had three children; Prince Walangsungsang born in 1423, Princess Rara Santang (Syarifah Mudaim) born in 1426, and Prince Kian Santang (Raden Sangara) born in 1428. pavilion in Kraton Kasepuhan, Cirebon. After undergoing the
hajj, Prince Cakrabuana changed his name to Haji Abdullah Iman. He built a thatched hut and a
tajug pavilion called Jalagrahan and expanded it with the name Pakungwati Palace. Today there are
pendopos (pavilions) located in front of Kasepuhan Palace, establishing his court in Cirebon, making him the founder of Cirebon. After the death of Cakrabuana's grandfather, Ki Gedeng Tapa (Ki Gedeng Jumajan Jati), Cakrabuana received an inheritance; the Singapura settlement located north of Caruban was merged and incorporated into the Caruban realm. The fortune from the inheritance was used to expand the Pakungwati Palace. His father
King Siliwangi sent his envoy Tumenggung Jagabaya and Raja Sengara (Cakrabuana's younger brother), to bestow Prince Carkrabuana with the title Tumenggung Sri Mangana. Cirebon grew into a thriving port and Cakrabuana sent tribute to the main court of Sunda Pajajaran. The early period of the Cirebon Sultanate was commonly identified as the Pakungwati period which refers to the Pakungwati Palace, a Javanese-style compound consisting of a series of
pendopos (pavilions) enclosed within red brick walls and gates in the typical
Majapahit style of architecture. The Pakungwati compound is located north of
Keraton Kasepuhan and is today incorporated within the Kasepuhan compound. During the Pakungwati period, the Cirebon Sultanate was a unified kingdom under one monarch. He was the first king of Cirebon, ruled from his palace of Pakungwati, and actively spread Islam to the people of Cirebon and West Java. Meanwhile, Rara Santang during her hajj pilgrimage met Sharif Abdullah of Egypt and got married. She changed her name to Syarifah Mudaim and in 1448 bore a son Sharif Hidayatullah. In 1470 Syarif Hidayatullah went abroad to study at Mecca,
Baghdad,
Champa, and
Samudra Pasai. Later he came home to Java. He learned from
Sunan Ampel in East Java, served in the
Demak court, and later came back to Cirebon. He asked his uncle, Tumenggung Sri Mangana (Cakrabuana) to establish an Islamic school in Caruban or Carbon.
Growth Sunan Gunung Jati (1479–1568) After his resignation in 1479, Cakrabuana was succeeded by his nephew, Sharif Hidayatullah (1448–1568), the son of Nyai Rara Santang and Sharif Abdullah of Egypt. He married his cousin, Nyi Mas Pakungwati daughter of Cakrabuana and Nyai Mas Endang Geulis. He is popularly known with his posthumous name,
Sunan Gunung Jati; he ascended the throne as Sultan Carbon I and resided in Keraton Pakungwati. In 1482 Sharif Hidayatullah sent a letter to his grandfather King Siliwangi, stating that Cirebon refused to pay tribute to Pajajaran. Cakrabuana had always paid Pajajaran tribute to acknowledge Sunda overlordship over Cirebon. By doing this Cirebon proclaimed itself as a sovereign independent state. The Cirebon independence proclamation was marked with
Chandrasengkala (
chronogram)
Dwa Dasi Sukla Pakca Cetra Masa Sahasra Patangatus Papat Ikang Sakakala, which corresponds to 2 April 1482. Today, the day is marked by the anniversary of
Cirebon Regency. According to the report, Cirebon was identified as
Cheroboam or
Cherimon. In 1515 Cirebon was no longer under the authority of the Hindu Sunda Kingdom, but rather identified as Java's north coast port. It referred to Cirebon as an established Muslim state, just like those of Demak and Gresik. After the news of the
Portuguese-Sunda alliance in 1522 became known, Gunungjati nevertheless asked the Demak Sultanate to send troops to Banten. It was likely his son,
Hasanudin, who commanded this military operation in 1527, just as the Portuguese fleet was arriving on the coast at
Sunda Kelapa, to capture these towns. Gunungjati had Hasanudin named king of Banten by the Sultan of Demak who, in turn, offered Hasanudin his sister's hand in marriage. Thus a new dynasty and a new kingdom was created. Banten became the capital of this kingdom, and was held as a
province under the Sultanate of Cirebon. Under Gunungjati, the Sultanate of Cirebon enjoyed rapid growth and rose to become a prominent kingdom in the region. The thriving coastal port city became the centre of trade as well as an Islamic learning and dissemination center. The port town attracted traders from Arabia to China. Gunungjati is believed to be the founder of the dynasty that ruled both the Sultanate of Cirebon and
Banten. He is also credited as the proselytiser of Islam in West Java. Ulamas from his court and mosque spread Islam to inland
Majalengka,
Kuningan, Kawali (Galuh), as well as the neighbouring coastal ports of
Sunda Kelapa, and
Banten. Large numbers of foreign traders came to establish trade relations with Cirebon. The Chinese
Ming Dynasty in particular, established closer relations with the visit of
Ma Huan. The ties between China and Cirebon grew much closer when Gunungjati took the hands of Princess Ong Tien — the daughter of the Chinese Emperor — in marriage during his visit to China. With this dynastic marriage, the Chinese Emperor wished to establish close relations and a strategic alliance with Cirebon. It was advantageous for Chinese interest in the region as well as Cirebon's economic interest, as the city welcomed Chinese traders and businesses. After she was married to Gunungjati, Princess Ong Tien changed her name to Nyi Rara Semanding. The Emperor of China brought his daughter some treasures. Most of the relics that Ong Tien brought from China still exist and are stored in the museums of Cirebon royal houses. The close relations between China and Cirebon made Cirebon a popular destination for Chinese immigrants in the following years, as they planned to seek a better life in Indonesia, where they established the
Chinese Indonesian community. Cirebon
Pecinan (Chinatown) is among the oldest Chinese settlement in Java. Chinese influences can be seen in Cirebon's culture, most notably the Cirebon
batik megamendung pattern that resembles Chinese cloud imagery. In his old age, Gunungjati was more interested in
dawah efforts, propagating the Islamic faith to the surrounding areas as an
ulama. He groomed his second son, Prince Dipati Carbon, to be his successor. However, the prince died young in 1565 and was posthumously known as Prince Pasarean. Three years later the king died and was buried in Gunung Sembung cemetery, 5 km north of the town centre of Cirebon. Since then he has been popularly referred to by his posthumous name, Sunan Gunung Jati.
Fatahillah (1568–1570) After the death of Gunungjati, the throne was vacant since there was no descendant of him considered worthy for the task at that time. General
Fatahillah, also known as Fadilah Khan, stepped in to assume the throne. He was the late Sunan's trusted officer that often took the administration role when Gunungjati went out to perform dawah. Fatahillah's rule was considered an interlude that only lasted for two years, as he died in 1570. He was buried alongside the tomb of Gunungjati in Astana Gunung Sembung Jinem Building.
Panembahan Ratu (1570–1649) After the death of Fatahillah, there was no other appropriate candidate for king. The throne fell to the great grandson of Gunungjati, Pangeran Mas, the son of the late Prince Suwarga, grandson of Gunungjati. Pangeran Mas then held the title Panembahan Ratu I and ruled for more than 79 years. During his rule, he paid more attention to strengthening religious affairs and spreading Islam. As the centre of Islamic learning in the region, Cirebon's influence penetrated inland and influenced the recently established
Mataram Sultanate in southern Central Java. However, since the king was more interested to become an
ulama, Cirebon failed to recruit Mataram into its sphere of power, and Mataram grew more powerful ever since. By the 17th century Mataram rose to be a regional power under
Sultan Agung's reign. Around 1617 Agung launched his westward campaign targeted against Dutch settlements in
Batavia, and rallied his massive troops near Cirebon's border. Agung urged the aged Panembahan Ratu to be his ally in his campaign to expel the Europeans out of Java. By doing so Cirebon become Mataram's ally, and Cirebon came under Mataram's influence. For his campaign against Batavia, he needed support and supplies across northern West Java, and asked Cirebon and regents in West Java to support him. However the
Sundanese Priangan menak (nobles) of
Sumedang and
Ciamis, suspected that Agung's campaign was in actuality a strategy to occupy their lands. The Sundanese nobles fought against Mataram, and Agung later asked Cirebon to quell the Sumedang and Ciamis rebellion instead. In 1618 and 1619 both Sumedang and Ciamis were defeated by Cirebon. Both fell under Mataram rule, and in 1628–29 Sultan Agung of Mataram launched the failed
Siege of Batavia. The realm of the Sultanate of Cirebon at that time included
Indramayu,
Majalengka,
Kuningan, and the modern
Cirebon Regency. Although officially Cirebon was still an independent and sovereign state, in practice Cirebon fell within Mataram's sphere of influence. The Mataram rule upon the aforementioned region exposed the Sundanese people to Javanese cultures. When Panembahan Ratu died in 1649 he was succeeded by his grandson, Panembahan Girilaya.
Decline Panembahan Girilaya (1649–1677) After the death of Panembahan Ratu in 1649, the throne was succeeded by his grandson, Prince Karim or Prince Rasmi, since the latter's father, Prince Seda ing Gayam (Panembahan Adiningkusuma) died first. Prince Rasmi then assumed the name of his deceased father, Panembahan Adiningkusuma, also known as Panembahan Ratu II. He is posthumously referred to as Panembahan Girilaya. During the reign of Panembahan Adiningkusuma, the Sultanate of Cirebon was sandwiched between two great powers, the Sultanate of Banten in the west, and Mataram Sultanate in the east. Banten suspected Cirebon had grown closer to Mataram, since
Amangkurat I of Mataram was Panembahan Adiningkusuma's father in-law. Mataram, on the other hand, suspected that Cirebon was not sincerely cementing the alliance with their Central Javanese counterpart since Panembahan Adiningkusuma and Sultan
Ageng Tirtayasa of Banten belonged to the same Sundanese Pajajaran lineage. Although Cirebon had never been attacked by Mataram since 1619, Cirebon has been practically held under Mataram's influence and acts as a vassal. In 1650 Mataram asked Cirebon to urge Banten to submit under Mataram domination. Banten refused, and in response, Mataram urged Cirebon to attack Banten. In 1650 Cirebon sent 60 ships to attack Banten's port of Tanahara. However, this naval campaign ended in the disastrous defeat of Cirebon. Around the time, Cirebon's relations with Mataram had been strained. The tension culminated with the execution of Panembahan Adiningkusuma in
Plered, while Prince Mertawijaya and Prince Kertawijaya were taken as hostages in Mataram. Panembahan Adiningkusuma was summoned to Plered in Mataram by his father in-law, Susuhunan
Amangkurat I of Mataram. However, he was executed instead. From his marriage with the daughter of Sunan Amangkurat I, Panembahan Adiningkusuma had three children: Prince Martawijaya, Prince Kertawijaya, and Prince Wangsakerta. He was entombed on
Giriloyo hill near
Yogyakarta, near the royal tomb of the Mataram kings in
Imogiri,
Bantul Regency.
First disintegration (1677) With the death of Panembahan Girilaya, Cirebon was left without a monarch. Prince Wangsakerta assumed the everyday administration, but was worried about the fate of his elder brothers being held as hostages in the Mataram court. Because of this incident, the Cirebon succession was also held hostage by Mataram, and by their own grandfather
Amangkurat I. Wangsakerta went to Banten to seek Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa's help to free his brothers. The sultan was the son of Prince Abu Maali that had died in the 1650 war with Cirebon. Tirtayasa agreed to assist Cirebon and saw it as an opportunity to improve diplomatic relations between Banten and Cirebon. Taking advantage of the outbreak of the
Trunojoya rebellion against Mataram, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa secretly supported the revolt and managed to save the two Cirebon princes. However, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa saw an opportunity to impose Banten's influence upon Cirebon. He crowned both princes he saved as the sultans, Prince Mertawijaya as Sultan Kasepuhan, and Prince Kertawijaya as Sultan Kanoman. By doing so, the Sultan of Banten disintegrated and weakened while the Sultanate of Cirebon fragmented into several petty states. On the other hand, Prince Wangsakerta who had fought for 10 years, was only given a small title and estate. This divisive strategy was meant to weaken Cirebon and to prevent Cirebon to be Mataram's ally and becoming a menace to Banten in the future. The first disintegration of the Cirebon lineage took place in 1677 when all three sons of Panembahan Girilaya inherited the Sultanate of Cirebon. The three princes ascended their offices as Sultan Sepuh, Sultan Anom, and Panembahan Cirebon. The change of the Panembahan title to Sultan was because the title was bestowed by Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa of Banten. • Sultan Kasepuhan, Prince Martawijaya, with official regal title Sultan Sepuh Abil Makarimi Muhammad Samsudin (1677–1703) ruled
Keraton Kasepuhan • Sultan Kanoman, Prince Kartawijaya, with official regal title Sultan Anom Abil Makarimi Muhammad Badrudin (1677–1723) ruled
Keraton Kanoman • Panembahan Keprabonan Cirebon, Prince Wangsakerta, with official title Pangeran Abdul Kamil Muhammad Nasarudin or Panembahan Tohpati (1677–1713) ruled
Keraton Keprabonan Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa enthroned the two oldest princes as sultans, Sultan Sepuh and Sultan Anom, in Banten. Each sultan ruled over their own subjects, and inherited their own lands. Sultan Sepuh ruled the former Pakungwati palace and expanded it to become
Keraton Kasepuhan. Sultan Anom build a new palace,
Keraton Kanoman, located several hundred meters north of the Kasepuhan Palace. Prince Wangsakerta, the youngest, was not enthroned as sultan but remained a Panembahan. He neither inherited lands nor subjects. His estate was instead established a
kaprabonan (
paguron), a type of school to educate Cirebon intellectuals. In the Cirebon tradition since 1677, each of the three branch lineages descends its own line of sultans or rulers. Under royal tradition, the heir should be the oldest son, or if not possible, a grandson. In some instances, a relative could assume the office for a small period of time.
Second disintegration (1807) For more than a century, the succession of the Cirebon lineages was conducted without any significant problems. However, by the end of Sultan Anom IV's reign (1798–1803), Keraton Kanoman faced succession disputes. One of the princes, Pangeran Raja Kanoman, demanded his share of the throne and separated the kingdom by forming his own called Kesultanan Kacirebonan. Pangeran Raja Kanoman was supported by the
Dutch East Indies by an issue of a
besluit (official letter) from
Governor General of
Dutch East Indies appointing Pangeran Raja Kanoman as Sultan Carbon Kacirebonan in 1807. However the successor of Kacirebonan did not have the right to use the title "Sultan", and the rulers of
Keraton Kacirebonan used the title "Pangeran" instead. Since then, Cirebon had another additional ruler, the ruler of Keraton Kacirebonan, separated from Keraton Kanoman. The Sultanate of Cirebon disintegrated into four lineages. Meanwhile, the throne of Kanoman was succeeded by Sultan Anom IV also known as Sultan Anom Abusoleh Imamuddin (1803–1811).
Colonial era Since 1619, the
Dutch East India Company had firmly established their base in
Batavia, and since the 18th century, the inland mountainous region of
Priangan had also been under their possession, ceded from Banten and Mataram. After Dutch intervention in 1807, the Dutch East Indies government has exercised further into the internal affairs of the Cirebon states. All of the four keratons finally held no real political power, and would then be held as a protectorate under the Dutch East Indies colonial government. In 1906 and 1926, all Cirebon keratons finally lost their authority over their city and lands. The sultanates' authority was officially disbanded by the Dutch East Indies government through the establishment of
Gemeente Cheribon (Cirebon Municipality), which consists of 1,100 hectares, with around 20,000 inhabitants. In 1942, the Cirebon city's area was expanded further to 2,450 hectares. The remnants of the Cirebon sultanates (the Kasepuhan, Kanoman, Keprabonan, and Kacirebonan kratons) now only held ceremonial status.
Republic of Indonesia era After the war of independence and the establishment of
Republic of Indonesia, each sultanate of Cirebon became part of the republic. The real authority was held by
bupatis (regent) and walikota (major) of the remnant of Cirebon Sultanates: City and Regency of Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka, and Kuningan. All regencies become part of
West Java province. Similar to the Dutch East Indies colonial era, the royal houses (the Kasepuhan, Kanoman, Keprabonan, and Kacirebonan kratons) only held ceremonial status as a local cultural symbol. Each royal house still descended from the royal family and enthroned their own kings. After the fall of
Suharto and the advent of the reformation era of democratic Indonesia, there was an aspiration to form a Cirebon province, a new province separated from West Java. The territory of the proposed new province corresponds to the former realm of the Cirebon Sultanate (Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka, and Kuningan). The formation of the new kingdom-based province is similar to those of the
Special Region of Yogyakarta. However, the idea remains a proposal and has not been conducted yet. Because of a lack of funding and maintenance, all of the four keratons of Cirebon are in a state of disrepair. In 2012, the government planned to restore the four keratons, or palaces, in Cirebon—the Kasultanan Kasepuhan, Kanoman, Kacirebonan, and Keprabonan palaces—which by then are still in various stages of ruin. == Culture ==