BALINGAWAN INSCRIPTION

By Trigangga
Andesit stone
Singosari, Malang, East Java
D 54: height 82 cm; width 47; thickness 17 cm
D 109: height 90 cm; width 49.5 cm; thickness 7.5 cm
Date: 813 Saka (= 891 AD)
National Museum Indonesia, Inv. No. D. 54 and D 109/ 156 c/ 4393
This inscription is written on two different stones. The first inscription was mentioned in a note
written by H.J. Domis in 1836 about the finding of 8 stone inscriptions (Kawische letters) of which
only remain 6 inscriptions. See the Notulen 1887 (104-108) V.p. 8, 298, 300. Probably they came from
Singasari, Malang, East Java and were brought to Jakarta by J.Th. Bik, a Dutch painter who was
assigned by Governor General van der Capellen to prepare a scientific documentation. This
inscription was first called the stone incription from Gang Batutulis because it was put in that alley
for quite a long time, before it was stored in the National Museum of Indonesia under the inventory
number D 54. An abklatsch (rubbing) of the inscription is kept by the Dinas Purbakala under the
number of 377 and 529.
The second part of the Balingawan inscription is at the back of a Ganesha statue. This statue was
found in 1901 by Mr. Leydie Melville in the part of the Chinese cemetery at Malang that belongs to
Han Liang Tjwan. Now, together with D 54, it is kept in the National Museum of Indonesia under
number 156 c or D 109. Mentioned in NBG 1901: 132 -133; NBG 1902: 35-36; NBG 1901: CCIV - CCXII
(Archaeologische Verzameling, 156 c/ 4393); OJO XIX and XX: 22-25.
In a list of dated inscriptions Kozo Nakada refers to this inscription as Singosari I. The transcription of
the Balingawan inscription was published in the OJO XIX and XX. Edi Sedyawati in her dissertation
mentioned a mistake made by BrandesKrom in their OJO publication (page 13), where the inventory
number of the Ganesha statue is given as 156 c while it should be156 b. But in the Notulen, the
number of the Ganesha statue is given as 156 c.
The Balingawan Inscription (XIX) D 54 was carved on an andesit stele-shaped stone. The height of the
stone varies from 63.5 to a maximum of 82 cm. the thickness is 17 cm and the width 47 cm. At the
lower end on the front side there is a square protrusion, possibly function as base support. It is
written in ancient Javanese script, the front side contains 14 text lines, the second part is divided into
two, a and b, each contains 15 text lines. The rear side consists of 18 text lines, the top side consists
of 4 text lines. The inscription begins with the writing of the Saka year 813, Tuesday Wage
(paringkelan) Wurukung day 1, half of the full moon of Baikha, the Suns position is in the East
(purbwasthana)), or date of April 13, 891 AD. In the inscription the name of the King is not
mentioned. The contents is about a piece of land in the village of Balingawan to be designated as
sima (freehold) on the request of rama Balingawan. The request was made because the people of
Balingawan were very scared, miserable, and in poverty because they always had to pay fines for the
rah kasawur (spilled blood) and wakay kabunan (dew spreaded on the corpse). The reason was that
according to the law at that time, in a village where a crime took place (Place of the Act) but the
culprit could not be identified, the whole village had to pay a fine to the King. This was in close
relation to the village governance system and structure that depended on the hierarchy of the higher
level government and made the village security system less efective. Finally, the villages petition was
granted. Balingawan village became a sima, the main streets became secure, and the people in the
hamlets were no longer worried. The land that was made as sima is the Ima ri baliawan, tgal ri
gurubhakti. The grant that is memorized in the inscription came from rakryan kanuruhan pu Huntu,

handed down to sang mapatih katrini, also done upon the request of rama Balingawan. The
ceremony on the occasion of the establishement of the sima were carried out by several people,
probably the local religious leaders, such as: dapunta Ramyan, apuhya Bharati naman Tarsa and
apu Jala. The inscription also mentioned the expenses named as byya ni manima (sima
establishement cost) that were given to several government officials/ noblesse such as rakryan
(kanuruhan), rakryan anakbi, nayaka ri Limus, nayaka ri tlatla, sang mapatih (katrini) an sang wahuta
katrini.
The other inscription, written on the rear side of the Ganesha statue in the shape of a stele, contains
18 text lines. It lists the persons who are not allowed to enter the sima (tan katamana deni
saprakarani) misra, paura, kri, tapa haji, makalaka, mangrumbe, padamapui, manimpiki, halu
warak, limus galuh, paaruhan, wukaI tajam and all kinds of Mangilala drabya haji. The Sima was
given because the people of Balingawan became frightened and powerless in seeing corpses dumped
in their region, which - according to the law- made them liable to pay the penalty tax of the spilled
blood. This inscription also contains curses for those who destroy this sima.
The Ganesha statue itself has a damaged head. One can only see a little part of its lower cheek, and a
part of his neck. The ornaments on the large ears of Ganesha are not visible. It has four arms, two
back arms holding aksamala in its right hand, and an axe in its left hand. The right front arm is
holding the broken tusk while the left front arm is holding a bowl. The Ganesha sits in uttkutikasana
position (cross-legged with the soles of the feet closely facing each other) on the base of a lotus
flower (padmasana). The Upawita is a snake. Overall this statue does not follow the style of
Singhasari, it rather points at being made during the Central Javanese period. In view of the date of
the inscription, possibly it was made during the transitional period of the Kingdom.
References
Brandes, Dr. J.L.A. 1909, Beschrijving van Tjandi Singasari, s Gravenhage, Martinus Nijhoff, Batavia,
Albrecht & Co.
Notulen Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, deel XXV. 1887
Sedyawati, Edi. 1994. Pengarcaan Ganesa Masa Kadiri dan Singhasari sebuah tinjuan Sejarah
Kesenian. EFEO, LIPI, LEIDEN University, Jakarta.