Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/500

 4*8 FURTHER INDIA. BOOK VIII. HISTORY. Amidst the confusion of their annals, it is rather fortunate that the Javans make no claim to more remote political history than the fabled arrival in the island of Adi Saka, the founder of the .Saka era, in A.D. 79. 1 It is true that in the 8th or 9th century they obtained an abridged translation of the Mahabharata, and, under the title of the ' Brata Yuddha,' adopted it as a part of their own history, assigning sites on the island for all the principal scenes of that celebrated struggle which took place in the neighbourhood of Delhi and Hastinapura, adding only their own favourite Gendara Desa (Gandhara), to which they assigned a locality on the north of the island. 2 It is thus, unfortunately, that history is written in the East, and because it is so written, the Javans next thought it necessary to bring Salivahana, the founder of the Saka era, to their island also. Having adopted his era, their childish vanity required his presence there, but as it is certain he never saw the island, his visit is fabled to have resulted in failure, and said to have left no traces of his presence. Leaving these fabulous ages, we come to a tradition that seems to rest on a surer foundation. "In the year 525 (A.D. 603 or 599), it being foretold to a king of Kuj'rat, or Gujarat, that his country would decay and go to ruin, he resolved to send his son to Java. 3 He embarked with about 5000 followers in six large and about 100 small vessels, and after a voyage of four months, reached an island they supposed to be Java ; but finding themselves mistaken, re-embarked, and finally settled at Matarem, in the centre of the island they were seeking." " The prince now found that men alone were wanting to make a great and flourishing state ; he accordingly applied to Gujarat for assistance, when his father, delighted at his success, sent him a reinforcement of 2000 people." " From this period," adds the chronicle, "Java was known and celebrated as a kingdom ; an extensive commerce was carried on with Gujarat and other countries, and the bay of Matarem was filled with adventurers from all parts." During the sovereignty of this prince and his two immediate successors, " the country advanced in fame and prosperity. The city of Mendang Kamulan, since called Prambanan, increased 1 In Java this era dates from A.D. 75, but it may have been altered at a late date. W. von Humboldt, ' Ueber die Kawi Spracheaufjava/ Bd. i. S. 10, note. 3 Sir S. Raffles' ' History of Java,' pi. 24 ; text, vol. i. p. 465, 8vo. edition. 3 Lassen rejects the statement that the emigrants came from Gujarat or Western India, in favour of another, perhaps earlier, tradition that they came from Kalinga. ' Indische Alterthumskunde,' Bd. ii. (2nd. ed.), Ss. 1066 and 1085, note.