King Siliwangi or Prabu Siliwangi (Sundanese: ᮕᮢᮘᮥ ᮞᮤᮜᮤᮝᮍᮤ) was a semi-legendary king of the Hindu Sunda Kingdom in pre-Islamic West Java.[1]: 415
He is a popular character in Pantun Sunda oral tradition, folklore, and tales that describe his reign as a glorious era for the Sundanese people. According to tradition, he brought his kingdom greatness and prosperity.
The character of King Siliwangi is semi-mythology since Sundanese oral tradition simply identifies the great king of Sunda as "King Siliwangi" regardless of the era or historical periods. It is difficult to identify the exact historical character represented in the legend of King Siliwangi. As a result, the tale of this king spanned and varied greatly from the mythical era of Sundanese gods to the coming of Islam in the land of Sunda and the fall of the kingdom.
Several historic Sundanese kings are suggested as the real characters inspired by the legend of King Siliwangi. The most popular interpretation links King Siliwangi with Sri Baduga Maharaja[2][3] (said to have reigned 1482–1521). Another suggestion is that the legend of King Siliwangi might perhaps have been inspired by the history of Niskala Wastu Kancana instead (said to have reigned for 104 years 1371–1475).[1]: 415
- ^ a b Marwati Djoened Poesponegoro; Nugroho Notosusanto (2008). Sejarah Nasional Indonesia: Zaman Kuno (in Indonesian). Balai Pustaka. ISBN 978-9794074084. OCLC 318053182. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ Moh. Amir Sutaarga. "Prabu Siliwangi atau Ratu Purana Prebu Guru Dewataprana Sri Baduga Maharadja Ratu Hadji di Pakwan Padjadjaran, 1474-1513". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
- ^ "Sri Baduga Sangat Melegenda Dalam Kerajaan Sunda". Pikiran Rakyat (in Indonesian). 1 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.