Pararaton (ꦥꦫꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀), (from Javanese: "Para Ratu", meaning "The Rulers") is a book of Middle Javanese Literary texts composed in Kawi Javanese. This manuscript is quite short, consisting of 32 folio-sized pages consisting of 1126 lines. It contains the history of the kings of Singhasari and Majapahit in East Java. This book is also known as the "Pustaka Raja", which in Sanskrit also means "book of kings". There are no records indicating who wrote Pararaton.
Pararaton begins with a story about the incarnation of Ken Arok, the founder of the Singhasari kingdom (1222–1292).[1][2] Furthermore, almost half of the book discusses how Ken Arok pursued his life's journey, until he became king in 1222. The description in the text of this section tends to be mythological in nature. The story is then continued by short narrative sections, which are arranged in chronological order. Many of the events recorded here are dated. Towards the end, explanations about history become shorter and mixed with information about the genealogy of various members of the Majapahit royal family.
The emphasis on the importance of Ken Arok's story is not only expressed through the length of the story, but also through the alternative titles offered in this manuscript, namely: "Serat Pararaton or Katuturanira Ken Angrok", or "Book of Kings or Stories About Ken Arok". Given that the oldest known date on the sheets is 1522 Saka (or 1600 AD), it is thought that the last part of the text was written between 1481 and 1600, which is more likely closer to the first year than the second.
Pararaton begins with a story about the incarnation of Ken Arok, the founder of the Singhasari kingdom (1222–1292).[1][2] Furthermore, almost half of the book discusses how Ken Arok pursued his life's journey, until he became king in 1222. The description in the text of this section tends to be mythological in nature. The story is then continued by short narrative sections, which are arranged in chronological order. Many of the events recorded here are dated. Towards the end, explanations about history become shorter and mixed with information about the genealogy of various members of the Majapahit royal family.
The emphasis on the importance of Ken Arok's story is not only expressed through the length of the story, but also through the alternative titles offered in this manuscript, namely: "Serat Pararaton or Katuturanira Ken Angrok", or "Book of Kings or Stories About Ken Arok". Given that the oldest known date on the sheets is 1522 Saka (or 1600 AD), it is thought that the last part of the text was written between 1481 and 1600, which is more likely closer to the first year than the second.
Show More
