The Prambanan temple complex, a legacy of the Sañjaya dynasty
The Sanjaya dynasty (
romanized: sañjaya, lit. 'conquest, victory, triumphant') was a Javanesedynasty which ruled the Mataram Kingdom in Java during the first millennium CE. The dynasty promoted Hinduism on the island.[1]
King Sanna, whose long reign was characterized by wisdom and virtue. After Sanna died, the kingdom fell into chaos and confusion. At this time, Sanjaya of Mataram ascended to the throne. He was the son of Sannaha, Sanna's sister. Sanjaya mastered the scriptures and the martial arts and military arts. He conquered neighboring areas, and his wise reign led to peace and prosperity.[2]
. Except for minor differences, Carita Parahyangan aligns with the Canggal inscription.
Relations with Shailendra
The Sanjaya–
Shaivist
.
Another theory suggests that the Sanjaya dynasty was forced into northern Java by the Shailendra dynasty, which emerged around 778. Evidence for this event is based on the Kalasan inscription. The Sanjaya and Shailendra dynasties co-existed during this period in central Java, which was characterized by peace and cooperation.
The association of Shailendra with Mahayana Buddhism began after the conversion of Raja Sankhara (Rakai Panaraban or Panangkaran) to Buddhism.[3] Later Shailendran kings, successors of Panangkaran, also became followers of Mahayana Buddhism and gave it royal patronage in Java until the end of Samaratungga's reign. This theory is based on the Raja Sankhara inscription (now missing), the Sojomerto inscription, and the Carita Parahyangan manuscript. Shaivism regained royal patronage again from the reign of Pikatan to the end of the Mataram Kingdom.
The Shailendra family used the
Old Malay language in some of their inscriptions, which suggests the dynasty's origin in Sumatra and their connections with Srivijaya. This theory posits that the Shailendras, with their strong connections to Srivijaya, gained control of central Java and ruled the rakais (local Javanese lords); this included the Sanjaya, incorporating the dynasty's kings into their bureaucracy. The dynastic court was apparently in the southern Kedu Plain, near Magelang (north of Yogyakarta
).
Relations with Champa
The Javanese kingdoms maintained a close relationship with the
Austronesian people. An example of their relationship can be seen in the architecture of Cham temples, which share a number of similarities with temples in central Java built during the Sanjaya dynasty.[1]
Ruler of central Java
Crown prince Rakai Pikatan married Pramodhawardhani (833–856), a daughter of the Shailendra king Samaratungga. The influence of the Hindu Sanjaya began to replace the Buddhist Shailendra in Mataram. Rakai Pikatan overthrew King Balaputra, son of Samaratungga and the brother of Pramodhawardhani. In 850, the Sanjaya dynasty became the sole ruler in Mataram. This ended the Shailendra presence in central Java and Balaputra retreated to rule in Srivijaya, Sumatra.[4]
Information about the Sanjaya dynasty is also found in the 907
Balitung inscription; when a ruler died, he assumed a divine form. From this inscription, scholars estimated the sequence of the Sanjaya kings:[5]
During the Sanjaya dynasty, classic Javanese literature blossomed. Translations and adaptations of classic Hindu literature into Old Javanese were produced, such as the Kakawin Ramayana. Around the 850s, Pikatan began construction of the Prambanan temple in central Java; it was later completed and expanded by King Balitung. The Prambanan temple complex is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia, rivaling Borobudur (the world's largest Buddhist temple).
^De Casparis proposed that in 856 Balaputra was defeated by Pikatan; Balaputra retreated to Srivijaya, his mother's land, to become the first Shailendra ruler of Srivijaya. Srivijaya was ruled by a Buddhist Shailendra ruler in the late 9th century; Java was ruled by Pikatan and his successors, who become patrons of Shaivism. (see De Casparis, 1956 and Hall 1985, p. 111).
