Who Cirebon s Founder? Searching Early History Of Cirebon.

Source: Rujukan.Co.

History Of Cirebon save many mistery, who Cirebon s founder and ancestor? Until now is still debatable, because many story about Kingdom Of Cirebon cited from secondary sources, include script of Purwaka Caruban Nagari, that wrote in 1720 AD,and Nagarakretabhumi , that doubt by historians, according Purwaka Caruban Nagari, Cirebon established at 15 th century, and distance beetwen incident and script is too long.

Primary sources about origin of Cirebon is too minimal, the only one primary refrence about origin of Cirebon only Suma Oriental, that written by Tome Pires who visit Java at 16 TH Century,  Tome Pires visit Java in 1513 AD, Tome Pires record, grandfather from King Of Demak at 1513 AD, is slave from Gresik who serve Duke Of Demak under Majapahit Empire, The Duke send him to attack Cirebon, a infidel land in West Java and he succeded defeat Cirebon, and achieve title Pate ( ruler), the slave conquer Cirebon and Japura, and maybe he is Muslim, Historian Ary Whisnu Pratama interpreted  the slave is Shaykh Bentong, son from Shaykh Qurra, who preach at Cirebon.

Purwaka Caruban Nagari  tell, Cirebon is founded by son of Prabu Siliwangi ( Sri Baduga Maharaja), Raden Walangsungsang who titled Prince Cakrabuana, and at time of Sri Baduga s government, Cirebon only small village at North Coast Of Sunda.

Walangsungsang s younger sister, Nhay Lara Santang married Sharif Abdullah and they blessed by son named Sharif Hidayatullah, who ruled Cirebon after his uncle, Prince Cakrabuana, with title Susuhunan Jati Purba Wisesa ( Sunan Gunung Jati), and today Sunan Gunung Jati is legendary character in West Java.

But, doubt for take as it is Purwaka Caruban Nagari as main source, because writter doesn’t saw establishment of Cirebon s state, and only cited from Nagarakretabhumi, that lost this original script.

Early source, Babad Banten ( Sajarah Banten), that wrote at 1662/1663 AD, and Sunan Gunung Jati live at 16 th century, tell Sunan Gunung Jati is islamic scholar  with mix blood Yemeni and Israeli, it is mean same Cirebon is not Sunda Empire sucessor, because Sunan Gunung Jati is not Sundanese,maybe his mother is Jews from Europe who convert to Islam because married  Yemeni Muslim.

Babad Banten record, Sunan Gunung Jati preach at Pakungwati ( Cirebon) and he became king there, Babad Banten  record, Sunan Gunung Jati point his son, Maulana Hasanuddin became Duke Of Banten. Maulana Hasanuddin expand  Islamic preaching to Lampung, South Sumatra.

Because Babad Banten doesn’t  tell Fatahillah, Husein Djadjaningrat identified  Fatahillah is a person same with Sharif Hidayatullah/ Sunan Gunung Jati, but in Purwaka Caruban Nagari,  Sharif Hidayatullah and Fatahillah are different person, in Purwaka Caruban Nagari, Fatahillah is Demak s general who seize Sunda Kelapa ( Jakarta) and  Banten from Sunda Empire. And is backed by archaeology proof, Historian Yoseph Iskandar succeded find two tomb in Mount Sembung, Cirebon that two tomb are reads Sharif Hidayatullah and Fadillah Khan ( Fatahillah s name at Purwaka Caruban Nagari)

At Manuscript Of Mertasinga , Fatahillah called by Tubagus Pase ( Nobleman From Pase), Pase is Islamic Kingdom At Modern Aceh,  Manuscript Of Mertasinga  tell dramatically, Fatahillah fall in love with Sunan Gunung Jati s daughter, Ratu Ayu Wanguran and he married her, so that he is Sunan Gunung Jati son in law.

Any it, most likely, Cirebon founder , Sunan Gunung Jati is not Sundanese, and he is Arabian-Israeli descedant who rule at Cirebon as sultan, why this? Because Sunan Gunung Jati die at 1568 AD, and Babad Banten  wrote at 1662/1663 AD, and maybe is more valid than Purwaka Caruban Nagari that wrote at 1720 AD, but Purwaka Caruban Nagari s news that Fatahillah and Sunan Gunung Jati is different person is valid because backed by archaeologist proof.

Recommendation book/journal:
Iskandar, DRS.Yoseph: Sejarah Jawa Barat Yuganing Rajakawasa, Penerbit Geger Sunten, 2018 M.

Carbon, Aria: Carita Purwaka Caruban Nagari, 1974 (1720 M)

Pigeaud, T.H., dan De Graaf, H.J: Kerajaan Islam Di Jawa, Penerbit Grafiti, 1983 M.

Ar-Razy, Mohammad Refi Omar, Sofianto, Kunto, dan Jaelani, Gani Ahmad: Visi Orientalisme Hoesein Djadjaningrat Dalam Ilmu Pengetahuan Dan Pemajuan Identitas Kebudayaan (1911-1960), Jurnal Historia UPI,

Tjandrasasmita, Uka: Naskah Mertasinga Hasil Alih Aksara Naskah-naskah Lama Mengenai Babad Cirebon Dan Pajajaran, tanpa tahun.

Juriah, Yuyun: Menelusuri Jejak Islamisasi Di Tatar Sunda Melalui Naskah Kuno, Jurnal Tsaqafa, Vol.13, No.1, Januari, 2016 M.