The compiled legends of King Siliwangi do not always correspond with historical facts and records, since some events are vague and do not correspond to the lifetime of the historic Sri Baduga Maharaja. For example, the fall of Pajajaran occurs in later times, during the reign of later Sunda kings, the great-great-grandson of Sri Baduga. Some legends seem to simply identify the series of last Sunda kings as Siliwangi. However, these legends try to explain the historical events of the Sunda kingdom and its relationship with the Sultanates of Cirebon and Banten.
Niskala Wastu Kancana The legend of King Siliwangi has been around and is popularly known in
the Sundanese oral tradition of
Carita Pantun as early as 1518 CE. It was the era of King
Jayadewata's reign. Ayatrohaedi, a Sundanese historian argued that it took years for a historical character to gain a revered legendary status, featured in tales and folklores. Thus, it is highly unlikely for a living and ruling character, like Jayadewata, to be revered as such in circulating
pantun poetic verses. He suggested that the real historical character should be the predecessor of Jayadewata, and pointed out that King
Niskala Wastu Kancana was most likely the real historical character behind the legend of King Siliwangi. Although Prince Walangsungsang was the first-born son of the Sunda King, the prince did not earn the right as a crown prince of the Sunda Kingdom. This was because his mother, Nyai Subang Larang was not the
prameswari (
queen consort). Another reason was probably because of his conversion to Islam, probably influenced by his mother, Subang Larang who was a Muslim woman. In 16th century West Java,
Sunda Wiwitan (Sundanese ancestral religion), and Buddhism. It was his half-brother, King Siliwangi's son from his third wife Nyai Cantring Manikmayang, who was chosen as crown prince. Ningrat Kancana is also known as Prabu Dewa Niskala. The character described in Cirebon Chronicle
Purwaka Caruban Nagari, as King Siliwangi, both timeline and storyline, matched the historic character of Dewa Niskala or Ningrat Kancana, referred to as "Tohaan di Galuh" (Lord of Galuh) in Carita Parahyangan. Tohaan di Galuh was the son and heir of Niskala Wastu Kancana. Ningrat Kancana however, reigned for only seven years and subsequently demoted. Carita Parahyangan says that
"... kena salah twa(h) bogo(h) ka estri larangan ti kaluaran ..," which translates as "because (his) wrongdoing, fell in love with a forbidden outsider woman." The term "outsider woman" is interesting and has led to various propositions; could it be the new king who fell in love with a foreigner, outsider, non-Sundanese (possibly
Javanese), or even non-Hindu (Muslim) woman? It is possible that the outsider forbidden woman mentioned here was Nyai Subang Larang, a Muslim woman daughter of the port master of Muara Jati (Cirebon).
Sri Baduga Maharaja is a famous King in Sunda kingdom. Some historians suggest that this legendary King can be identified with an actual historical figure
Sri Baduga Maharaja or King Jayadewata, as mentioned in
the Batutulis inscription, he is the son of Rahyang Niskala and the grandson of Rahyang Niskala Wastu Kancana. Indeed, King Jayadewata is the most widely believed as the real historical character behind the legend of King Siliwangi. In
pantun oral tradition, King Siliwangi is often referred to as Raden Pamanah Rasa or Ratu Jayadewata, which is the other name of Sri Baduga Maharaja. One of the
Pantun legends tells vividly about a beautiful royal procession of Queen Ambetkasih and her courtiers moving to the new capital of Pakuan Pajajaran, where her husband, King Siliwangi awaits. The character described as King Siliwangi in this verse matched perfectly with the real historical person of King Jayadewata since he was the king who moved the capital city from
Kawali to
Pakuan Pajajaran in 1482.
Nilakendra Another popular tale of King Siliwangi suggests that he was the last king of Sunda Kingdom. Tradition tells that after the fall of
Pakuan, the last king of Sunda, accompanied by a few of his faithful followers, retreated into the highland wilderness of
Mount Salak located south of the capital to avoid further bloodshed. It was said that the king retreated instead, to avoid fighting his kin, since the invading forces of Sultanate Banten and Cirebon were his extended relatives. Then the king is
ngahyang (he disappeared) to become a
hyang or spirit. He turned into a mythical beast, the sacred tiger. The King Siliwangi mentioned in this tale, matched the real historic character of King Nilakendra or Tohaan di Majaya of Pakuan. It was during his reign that Sunda capital of Dayeuh Pakuan Pajajaran was captured by Sultan Hasanuddin of Banten. Around the 1550s Hasanuddin, sultan of
Banten launched a successful attack on Dayeuh Pakuan, captured and razed the capital. The surviving Sunda royalties, nobles, and common people fled the fallen city, heading to the mountainous wilderness. To disable the authority of the Sunda royal institution, the Sultan of Banten seized the sacred stone of
Palangka Sriman Sriwacana, and took it as a prized plunder to his capital, the port city of Banten. According to tradition, this sacred stone slab is an essential requirement for the enthronement ceremony, thus disabling the surviving house of Sunda royals to properly crown their new king. ==Legacy==