Nusantara Spices in the Inscriptions
Nusantara Spices in the Inscriptions
Ninny Susanti
Abstrak
Sejak dikenalnya aksara di Nusantara, berbagai kegiatan interaksi masyarakat masa lalu dengan bangsa asing dicatat, didokumentasikan pada media keras seperti batu, logam, kayu, tanduk binatang, tanah liat baik yang dibakar terlebih dahulu maupun tidak dibakar. Pesan mengenai hubungan dagang ini dituliskan dalam bentuk eksplisit maupun implisit.
Kajian ini bertumpu pada isi prasasti-prasasti yang ditemukan di wilayah Indonesia, baik yang dibuat oleh masyarakat Nusantara masa lalu maupun dibuat oleh bangsa asing yang pernah berkontak langsung dengan masyarakat Nusantara masa dulu. Sumber tertulis asing mengenai Nusantara menjadi data penunjang dalam kajian ini.
Tiga periode penting dalam perjalanan sejarah perdagangan rempah di Indonesia adalah masa Klasik (Hindu-Buddha), masa pengaruh Islam dan masa pengaruh Kolonialisme.
Isi prasasti dari ketiga masa itu menggambarkan bahwa masa klasik memperlihatkan awal tertatanya hubungan dagang dalam masyarakat Nusantara maupun hubungan dagang dengan bangsa asing, yang ditandai dengan masuknya peradaban India di Nusantara sekaligus membentuk kearifan lokal di seluruh wilayah di Indonesia. Masa pengaruh Islam, perubahan orientasi keagamaan sekaligus menjadikan puncak hegemoni perdagangan rempah yang menjadi primadona komoditas dunia dan membangkitkan berdirinya kerajaan-kerajaan Islam Nusantara yang berjaya pada masanya, sekaligus memperkuat kearifan lokal di setiap daerah di Nusantara. Masa kolonial ditandai dengan masa surutnya rasa percaya diri dan tunduknya Nusantara di bawah pengaruh barat yang mengeksploitasi hasil rempah Nusantara.
Abstract
Since letters were introduced in Nusantara, various interactions of people's activities with foreign nations were recorded, documented on solid media, such as rock, metal, wood, animal horns, burnt and unburnt clay. The message about this trade relation was written both explicitly and implicitly.
The study focuses on the inscriptions found in Indonesia, made by the people of Nusantara or foreign nations who made direct contact with the people of Nusantara in the past. The foreign source about Nusantara became the supporting data in this study.
Three crucial periods in the historical journey of the Indonesian spice trade are Classic (Hindu-Buddha), the period of Islamic influence, and the period of colonialism influence.
The inscriptions from the three periods depict the classical period that showed the formation of trade relations of the people in Nusantara and the trade relation with foreign nations, marked by the entry of Indian civilization in Nusantara and shaped the local wisdom in the entire areas of Indonesia. During the period of Islamic influence, the shifting of religious orientation made the pinnacle of the hegemony of the spice trade, which became the diva of the world commodity. It led to the establishment of Islamic kingdoms in Nusantara, which were distinguished in their time, and strengthened the local wisdom in every area of Nusantara. The colonial period was marked by the receding of confidence and Nusantara's submission under the influence of the west, which exploited Nusantara spices.
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Editor: Achmad Sunjayadi & Doni Ahmadi
Translator: Dhiani Proboshiwi
Image: The collection of National Museum (Indonesia)
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