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Sri Mpu Sindok: Inscription of Waharu IV (931)
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Taken from: Old Javanese-English Dictionary by Petrus Josephus Zoetmulder, Stuart O. Robson - 1982

 

In this inscription is said that the Village residents of Waharu had blessed the king, because the villagers under the leadership of Buyut Waharu Manggali were always devoted to the king, helped the king who tried to win the war, by deploying weapons, by following the armies of the king with no memory of day or night, carrying banners and screeming, then the king is about to destroy his enemies who are seen as the embodiment of darkness. Among the things the king grants them is the right to own slaves.
In this inscription are mentioned: caturwarna (the four castes) as this is a very early date for Hinduism in Java it became one of the reasons to decide that this was not an original inscription but a later copy. 

 

Taken from: รวมบทความทางวิชาการ: 72 พรรษาท่านอาจารย์ ศาสตราจารย์ หม่อมเจ้าสุภัทรดิศ ดิศกุล Mahāwitthayālai Sinlapākō̜n, 1995

 

P346

(The author of the book tries to make a reconstruction of the inscription)

The most satisfactory reconstruction is the following;

-- On the date mentioned in the text king Sindok issued a land-grant on behalf of his former servants (warga haji) in Waharu , who had always been loyal to him day and night, also in battle ( ring samarakarya ). As usual, the type etc. of the land, exemption from all or most taxes and other burdens, as well as presents to officials and witnesses, were defined in the customary manner. It is also stated that these privileges are not limited to the donees but will be passed on to their descendants (plate IV - b - 4 f. : wka wetnya . mne hlem tka ri dlaha ning dlaha , ' sons and descendants until the end of the world ) . Four centuries later, however, the terms of the grant, written on palm leaf or perhaps on original copper plates had become partly obliterated. The matter was therefore brought before a commission appointed by the Prince of Wengker, …….. , which was convinced of the authenticity of the grant, and therefore ordered a renewal of the edict. From this revised edict one copy was made on copper plates, whereas its first seven lines with the original date, the name of the king and other high dignitaries were incised on the pedestal of the Vajrapani image. (This stone has been found and transcribed in the book) This statue was probably placed at or near the principal entrance to the land with which the immunity grant was concerned. If this reconstruction is essentially correct (there may have been more intermediate stages) it follows that caution is needed before the text is utilized as a source of the history of tenth - century Java. ……………..

Many of the names and titles of the king and of his high dignitaries and officials agree with those given in authentic stone inscriptions of king Sindok. It therefore feels that the substance of the grant and the names of the different officials must have belonged to the original document and therefore inspire confidence. Thus, we read about military campaigns of king Sindok during which the inhabitants of the village of Waharu in the neighbourhood of present Surabaya gave much help ' day and night ', as stated in the inscription (II - a - 2). Unfortunately, no further details are given, but we may conclude that some of the battles, presumably not long before 931, the date of the inscription, were fought in the Surabaya area. Sindok, just as Airlangga in the eleventh century, faced fierce resistance since he was loosely connected with his predecessor whom he served as a ' prime minister ' (rakryan mapatih i hino) in the inscriptions of king Wawa. The present inscription, though not strictly authentic in its present form, is therefore of interest for our knowledge of tenth-century Java.

 

Taken from: Kawi Oorkonden in Facsimile, mit inleiding en transcriptie van Dr. A. B. Cohen Stuart: Voor rekening van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen 1875.

I made the translation using: Old Javanese-English Dictionary of Zoetmulder.

 

Plate 2b line 3 till plate 3b line 5.

(first is given a list of rights granted to the community of Waharu and it ends with the officials that are not allowed to show up there to collect taxes)

…. wargga hadji (former royal servants), asuraga (carpet) bananten (type of cloth) tan (not) djamus (black), ariringa (decorative fringe or strip of cloth (surrounding the roof)) bananten (type of cloth), adjenu haling (fragrance made of flowers), widja kuning (?), asumping (ear-ring) tu njdjung (lotus) siniwak (split), kalasa (insigna of office) gum'lar (spread out), anusuna (layer or row) palangka (coach) binubut, (turned (on a lathe?)) tumumpaka (to set foot on) ring bale (their own pavilion, hall), apatandegana (fixed), muang (and, also) Katjapurinen (building; enclosing wall or fence), w'nang (to be able to) apataṇḍĕgana muaṅ kacapurinĕn amangana (again) radja-mangsa (royal food), badawang (turtle), baning (other turtle), w'dus (sheep, goat) gunting (scissors) , karung (at the same time) pulib (recovered), karung (at the same time) mati ring (in the future). gantungan (hanging), asu (dog) tugel (castrated), taluwab (a kind of domestic animal?), w'nang (to be able to) anjdjamaba (have sexual intercourse with) kawula (a servant subject), amupuha (to gather) kawula (a servant subject), angrahana (to inflict a bleeding wound), w'nang (to be able to) yan (when, if, since) saba (with) dosa (offence ), w'nang-abuluna (to be able to own as slaves) pudjut, (negrito-slaves) bondan (slave from Papua? origin), djenggi (black slave), w'nang (to be able) katemon-ing (found in) stri (women) larangan (forbidden), wungangi (man) djro (inside), hulun-hulun (servants) minggat, (run away) tuhun tan (really shouldn’t) ulihan-ya (he repeated) nginggataken (to send away), muang (and, also) tanpa (without) kastrian-ya(?), w'nang (to be able to) ungsirren (to go to) ing (as before) maling (thief) konjakan (erotic slander), angluputa (to escape) kna (and often) muk (punishment) ngungkul-ungkuluna (to rise above) galanggang (sharpened bamboo pole), parigi-nya (low wall circle) pinaka latja-latja (beginning) -ning (in;on;by;with) galanggang (sharpened bamboo pole), w'nang (to be able to)-angadu (bring into contact) sawung (coming together) kolukosu (?), sawung (coming together) sinalisir (border) lawan(opponent) t'gel (cut off ), arame-ramena (to feast) i djro (inside) galanggang (sharpened bamboo pole), pamikulakna (bring together ) sayub (fermentation drink) inulesan (to wrap on) pikulan-ya (carrying-pole), atunggula (having a banner) baman (dwarf ), haninghelana (is a given dress?) , angalungana (necklace?), pamadja (chief), angulihakna (transfer) p'ken (deliberate, meeting) kaliwwan (passe by) amundut (to carry off) dyuna (earthen pot) kakurugan (clothing upper part body), kamemeran (?), apamandai (smith) mas (gold), apamandai (smith) wesi (iron), apamandai (smith) kangsa (white copper), apamandai (smith) dang (copper), apam'del (dyer), apamuter (lathe worker), tan (not)  k'na (proper) Ring (futher) drewya hadji (what belongs to the king = taxes) de (by) sang makekeran (high nobleman) , sa-mangkana (such) turun (to go down)-yanugraha (worthless) paduka (high noble title) Sri maha-radja (the king’s) i wargga hadji (former royal servants) i warahu, muwah- (repetition or change) anugraha (grant) paduka (high noble title) Sri maharadja, yan (when, if, since) manggali (a high religious dignitary?), angrangkepi (to assist, to complete), kabayan, (elder,leader) manten (part), sama (the like of) huwus (done) tumuwub, (growing) w'nang (to be able to)-awida naga (kind of cloth)-raci (heap), anapibana saka (to cover with a tapih cloth) algilang-gilanga (to be left lying) hampyal-gading (ivory bamboo), s'kar-subun (a garland of flowers as hairdress?), dj'nu (cosmetic) mas, (gold or wealth), padjeng (parasol) tiga-warrina, (tricoloured; of three kinds) tjiwa (prosperity)-patra (fragrant), pahawon-awon (powder), mksanti, (wearing insignia of rank) tuwuh-tuwuhan (coming of age), pras-bunter (full ceremony) , tuwuh watu (item of attire or ornament?), palangka (couch) gading (ivory), antigan-ing (eggs) mimi, (crabs) makadi (in the first place) naga-puspa (white nagasari flower pattern of cloth), nawa-gra, ( a lower body garment with a ‘9 planet’ pattern) tatkala ngiwe (?) rare (young person) -awa rang-waranga (wedding feast), anindika (?), ateher (then) tan katamana de-ning (and not allowed to be entered by) winawa sang mana katrini, pangkur, tawan, tirip (the three main human incarnations of gods= three most important ministers named pangkur, tawan, tirip), pingbai wahuta rama, nayaka pratyaya, (= different officials and notaries). 

The reason why I translated this big part of the text, with no clear connection to East Africa is because this is the only inscription in which a community is given the right to own black slaves. Mostly only the ruling elite owns them. So I added a larger context.

 

Note: This is the Charter of Waharu IV of which the original is of 12 August 931 AD but we only have a copy dating from some centuries later; the 14^th century.

See note on Inscriptions in Java

(1) although it is always assumed that a volcano eruption destroyed the old capital; the war of which talked about in this inscription might also have been a reason. (Invasion from Srivijaya?)