The Thousand Mask Warrior

Nan Sarunai's

Jayaseta saw the Temenggung who was small but clay with his muscles in old age standing in the middle of the field. Around it, on the edges of the field that is made into a kind of arena of war or martial arts training, Jayaseta can see various types of weapons and combat tools.

Spear, do, machete, including shield and armor. Jayaseta's views then hit a piece of equipment that caught his attention.

In one corner of the field there are several types of mask and head protector of brackish soldiers, complete with their clothes and shield. Some of the masks had similar shapes and types, made of wood, decorated with goat or sheep horns. The covering and head protection of the rattan webbing, coconut fibers and the round slab of the coconut shell are sewn.

"That's why you're nicknamed the Thousand Mask Swordsman, isn't it, Jayaseta?" the sound of the Temenggung Bear awakens him from his fascination with the masks of war.

"Do you know that the Daya people once had several times the same great kingdom and the most famous with the kingdoms on the island of Java or Malay, before finally fragmented into various tribes?" ask the Temenggung.

Jayaseta silence. He had indeed heard one or two things about the history of the kingdom and the people of Daya and Malay, but not much. Then he dared not speak.

"You've heard of the kingdom of Martapura, Kutai Martapura or Kutai Martadipura?" continued the Temenggung.

Seeing Jayaseta look doubtful, sang Temenggung said that indeed the original people of Tanjung Pura island have had a historical record of the great kingdoms in the Hindu period is still influential in the archipelago before Islam finally entered.

Originally, a Tanjung Pura native tribe named Kundungga was still a chieftain, but then the area became a large kingdom led by a king who was his grandson, named Mulawarman Maldives. Kundungga himself was later given the title Maharaja Kundungga Posthumous Dewavarman, who ruled in 400 AD. This area of his kingdom is the forerunner of the oldest Hindu kingdom in the archipelago called Martapura or also known as Kutai Martapura because it is located in a region called Kutai, precisely centered in Muara Kaman.

When Hindu influence from the country of Hindustan entered this island, the son of Kundungga named himself with the style of Hindu anyway, namely Maharaja Asmawarman and began to establish the kingdom as a development of just tribal leadership.

This centuries-old kingdom came to an end when its king, Maharaja Dermasatia, was killed in battle at the hands of an 8th King, Prince Sinum Panji Mendapa from another kingdom in the Kutai region is also named Kutai Kertanegara.

The kingdom of Kutai Kertanegara is also the kingdom of the original people of Tanjung Pura island which is patterned Hindu anyway.

The kingdom of Kutai Kertanegara was established in the early 13th century AD in an area called Jaitan Sail or Kutai Lama with the first king named Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti who ruled from 1300 until the year 1325 AD.

This kingdom is part of the Majapahit kingdom conquered area in Java by Mahapatih Gajahmada on the island of Tanjungnagara or another name of Tanjung Pura. At that time, in 1365 AD, this kingdom was called Kute, capitalized in Jaitan Sail or Kutai Lama.

Like other kingdoms on the island of Tanjung Pura, due to the influence of Islam and the Malay, Javanese, or Chinese immigrants, as well as especially the spread by Tuan Tunggang Parangan, the, a cleric Minang with his friend Datuk ri Bandang during the reign of King Aji Mahkota who ruled from 1525 to 1589 AD, then the kingdom finally also became an Islamic kingdom in 1575 AD.

A few years before Jayaseta reached Sukadana, precisely in 1635 AD, The kingdom of Kutai Kertanegara attacked the kingdom of Kutai Martapura and won it so that the territory of the Kingdom of Kutai Kertanegara expanded and the name of the kingdom was increased to the Kingdom of Kutai Kertanegara ing Martapura as a form of unification of the two kingdoms.

"But, long before the kingdom of Martapura or Martadipura known as the oldest Hindu kingdom in the archipelago was established, there was already a kingdom of the island's native people are much older named Nan Sarunai," Temenggung Bears are back to telling stories.

Jayaseta seemed so interested and astonished by the knowledge possessed by the Temenggung, that he again stood in silence.

Allegedly this kingdom has been established in 242 or 226 BC, far beyond the old kingdom of Kutai Martapura.

The centuries-old kingdom of Maanyan also overshadowed other small kingdoms, like the Tanjungpuri kingdom established Malay refugees from the Srivijaya Kingdom in the early 11th century AD ahead of the collapse of the kingdom. The Malays also later mixed with the Maanyan people.

The kingdom of Nan Sarunai was originally also more recognized as a tribal state that overshadowed all Maanyan groups. But this kingdom or tribal country then lasted hundreds of years and developed into a large kingdom in the early 12th century AD when led by a king named Raden Japutra Sail who reigned since 1309 AD.

After the death of Raden Japutra Sail, the wheel of government in the Kingdom of Nan Sarunai was successively continued by Raden Neno who ruled in 1329 to 1349 AD, then Raden Anyan in 1349 to 1358 AD. Raden Anyan who bears the title Datu Tatuyan Wulau Miharaja Papangkat Amas is mentioned as the last king of Nan Sarunai.

The collapse of the Nan Sarunai Kingdom began to occur in the final days of the reign of Raden Anyan because this kingdom was attacked by Majapahit in 1358 AD.

On the orders of King Hayam Wuruk, Majapahit forces led by Mpu Jatmika attacked Nan Sarunai until it fell and disintegrated, so that the Maanyan people were also scattered, back to ancient times before being united under the auspices of the kingdom of Nan Sarunai.

After conquering Nan Sarunai, Mpu Jatmika built a new kingdom in the area called the Dipa State under Majapahit rule and still adheres to Hinduism. Later, Dipa State also reaped collapse and in the end, since 1520 AD, replaced by the Sultanate of Banjar who had embraced Islam.

"So, basically, the Malays, the Kutai or the Banjar people are both from one lineage of indigenous people or Daya. But because of religious differences and cultural influences that come and mix, then the difference?" Jayaseta.

"I didn't expect you to conclude that, Jayaseta. It turns out that you also have a lot of understanding of various stories and history," said the Temenggung.

Temenggung Bears signaled to his son who then came to give a shield, a protective mask of the head and a do to Jayaseta.

Jayaseta received all the combat equipment hesitantly.

"I will tell you more about many things, history and everything about it, including the do you hold. But before, didn't a swordsman like you need some science?"

Jayaseta still could not understand the meaning of the Temenggung's words, but he still held the do and the hexagon shield tightly.

"Wear the mask, Swordsman Mask Seribu," said Temenggung Bears. He himself had worn the device, a goat-horned wooden mask, with a headdress of woven bamboo and rattan, and tightly sewn coats of coconut shell pieces.

Jayaseta immediately put on the head mask because she understood the point.

The magical air was so felt as his face was covered in that war mask. It felt as if energy was spreading throughout his body, including his bones, the condition of even his pores.

"You will witness the silat of the people of Kutai Martapura and Nan Sarunai who for hundreds of years have defended and defended their land from the attacks of foreign nations and fellow children of the country. This is the silat of the Daya, silat of the braggars!" Temenggung Bear lowered his body, pulled do out of the scabbard so quickly and floated lightly attacking Jayaseta.