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Ancient Time
It is believed that the archipelago now known as Indonesia must have existed during the Pleistocene period (4 million
years BC) when it was linked with the Asian mainland during this period, the Hominids made their first appearance, and the Java man
inhabited this part of the world. Named Pithecanthropus Erectus by Eugene Dubois, who found the fossils on the island of Java, the
“Java Man” must have been the first inhabitant of Indonesia.
When the sea level rose as the result of melting ice north of Europe and
the American continent, many islands emerged, including the Indonesian archipelago. It was also during this period (3000-5000 BC)
that Indonesia was inhabited by Sub-Mongoloid migrants from Asia who later inter-marriage with the indigenous people. Later still
(1000 BC) inter-marriage occurred with Indo-Aryan migrants from the South-Asian subcontinent of India.
Islands of Gold and Rice
The
first Indian migrants mostly came from Gujarat in Southeast India during the first Christian era. The Caka period in Indonesia witnessed
the introduction of the Sanskrit language and the Pallawa script by the Indian Prince Aji Caka (78 AD). The Devanagari script of the
Sanskrit language was also used as shown in ancient stone and copper inscriptions (paracasthies) which have been unearthed. The language
and script were adapted to become the Kawi language, which includes words and phrases derived from Javanese.
Early trade relations
were established between South India and Indonesia, Sumatra was then named Swarnan Dwipa or “the island of gold” Java was called Java
Dwipa or “the Rice island”, and Hindu kingdom in Borneo was named Kutai. Relation between the Buddhist Srivijaya in Sumatra and Nalanda
ins South India not only included religious and cultural exchanges, which later developed into diplomatic relations, but also covered
a wide range of trade.
The influx of Indian settlers continued during the period from the seventh century AD. Gradually the Hindu religion
spread peacefully throughout the archipelago. It was adopted by all layers of the people of Java, but limited to the upper classes
in the other islands.
The Great Hindu and Buddhist Kingdoms
Many well organized kingdoms with a high degree of civilization were ruled
by indigenous kings who had adopted the Hindu or Buddhist religion. This explains why this period in history is called the Period
of Hindu Kingdoms, which lasted from ancient times to the 16th century AD. Because the culture and civilization that emanated from
the Hindu and Buddhist religions blended with the local cultural element, it is also referred to as the Hindu Indonesian period.
Indian
culture and customs were introduced, such as the system of government in a monarchy, the ancestry system, the organization of military
troops, literature music and dance, architecture, religious practice and rituals, and rituals, and even the division of laborers into
castes or varnas. The Hindu literary works, known as Vedas and the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics were also introduced through the
wayang or shadow-play performance, which is still very popular in many parts of present day Indonesia.
The first Indian Buddhists arrived
in Indonesia between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. They brought with them Buddhism in its two sects, Hinayana and Mahayana with the
letter becoming more advanced in the 8th century AD.
With the spread of Buddhism to China, many Chinese pilgrims sailed to India through
the Strait of Malacca. Some sojourned in Indonesia to learn more about Buddhism.
Kings, Saints, and Scholars
In 144 AD a Chinese Buddhist
saint, Fa Hsien, was caught in a strom and landed in Java-Dwipa or Java island where he stayed for five months. The northern part
of the island was then ruled by an Indonesian Hindu King by the name Kudungga. Kutai on the island of Borneo was successively ruled
by three Hindu kings.
When the Greek explorer and geographer Ptolemy of Alexandria wrote on Indonesia, he named either the island ofJava or Sumatra abadiou. His chronicles described Java as a country with a good government system, with advanced agriculture, navigation,
and astronomy. Three was even mention of the batik painting process on cloth. The people also made metalware, used the metric system
and minted coins.
Chinese chronicles of 132 AD described the existence of diplomatic relations between Java-Dwipa and China around
502 AD, Chinese annals recorded the existence of a Buddhist kingdom in South Sumatra, Kanto Li, presume ably in the neighborhood of
present day Palembang, which was ruled by King Gautama Subhadra and later by son, who established diplomatic relation with China.
On
his way to India, the Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim, I Tsing, visited Srivijaya in 671 AD to study the Sanskrit language, returning 18
years later 689 AD. Srivijaya was the the center of Buddhist learning and many well known scholars in philosophy reside there.
Bronze
Canting and Magnificent Temples
The kingdom maintained diplomatic relations with the south India kingdom of Nalanda. The Srivijaya
mission had built on its premises a school where Indians could learn the art of moulding bronze statues and broaden
