Tarumanagara: Map & History
Tarumanagara or Taruma Kingdom or just Taruma was an early Sundanese Indianised kingdom, located in western Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in Java, which are estimated to date from around 358 AD.
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Tarumanagara or Taruma Kingdom or just Taruma was an early Sundanese Indianised kingdom, located in western Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in Java, which are estimated to date from around 358 AD.
Modern Countries Once Part of Tarumanagara
At its mapped extent, Tarumanagara covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Tarumanagara's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Tarumanagara in Depth
History
Around 400 BC to 100 AD, a prehistoric clay pottery culture was flourished in northern coastal Western Java. This clay pottery culture is identified as Buni culture, named after its first discovered archaeological site, Buni village in Babelan, Bekasi, east of Jakarta.
Archaeologist suggests that this culture was the predecessor of Taruma kingdom. This is affirmative regarding its connection to Batujaya archaeological site. The ancient society that supported the Buni culture was Indianised; absorbing Hindu influences from India, and establishing early Hindu polity in Java.
According to the book Geographike Hyphegesis written in 2nd-century Roman Empire, a Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus mentioned about countries in the far east of the known world then.
Economy
The Chinese source mentioned about the product being traded in Taruma, which suggests the population made a living in hunting, mining, fishing, trade and shipping; aside of agriculture and farming sector. The commodities being traded in Taruma was specific hunting products, such as rhino horn, ivory and turtle shell. Gold and silver were traded too, which suggest the active mining sector. The Tugu inscription mentioned about the construction of hydraulic projects through the construction canals. This irrigation project suggest that the area of northern West Java and Jakarta was transformed into irrigated rice paddies. The canals also meant as a water management to prevent flooding that often hit the capital of Tarumanagara.
Legacy
Unlike its successor; the Sunda kingdom that still remembered in Pantun Sunda; the oral tradition of local Sundanese—Tarumanagara was completely forgotten among local population in West Java. It was not until late 19th century when archaeologist and historian finally deciphered the stone inscriptions discovered near Buitenzorg and Batavia. The discovery and study of numerous Tarumanagara inscriptions; especially those issued by King Purnawarman, had uncover that this kingdom was indeed the earliest Hindu polity in western Indonesia. Together with Kutai and Kalingga, Tarumanagara is remembered as a pioneer states that started the historical period of Indonesia.
Location
The inscriptions of Taruma kingdom are the earliest records of Hinduism in the western part of the archipelago. The geographical position of coastal West Java, which corresponds to today modern Jakarta, is a commanding region that controls the Sunda Strait. This location is strategic in regard to Sumatra, and also its connection to Asian continent of India and China.
The kingdom was located not far from modern Jakarta, and according to the Tugu inscription Purnawarman apparently built a canal that changed the course of the Cakung River, and drained a coastal area for agriculture and settlement.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Tarumanagara (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Tarumanagara: Key Facts
| Founded | 450s CE |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 669 CE |
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q2247225 (CC0).
Tarumanagara Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Tarumanagara appears, with the other states of the time.
Tarumanagara Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 62,499 km² in 670 CE.
Tarumanagara: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Tarumanagara exist?
Tarumanagara is dated to 367 CE – 673 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Tarumanagara?
The capital of Tarumanagara was Sundapura (between North Jakarta and Bekasi Regency).
How large was Tarumanagara at its peak?
At its peak in 670 AD Tarumanagara covered about 62,499 km².
How did the map of Tarumanagara change over time?
Tarumanagara appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 400 CE to 600 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.