Inscriptions on Keris?

[Boedhi Adhitya]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Pak Boedhi, land grants to favoured court retainers also occurred during Majapahit. These grants were normally made as a reward for important services rendered, and had the effect of raising the status of the grantee to that of the landed gentry.

Yes, absolutely, Pak Alan. What I meant with 'It might be already in used since Demak/Pajang era' was the 'Perdikan' terminology, vis-a-vis to Sima terminology. It is worth to note that besides 'perdikan', the free-tax land, there was also the 'lungguh', land granted to royal families/officials for their income. There were no salary system as known today. The lungguh, obviously, including all the peasants who stayed there. The peasants were burdened with compulsory work, conscription, and of course, some part of their harvests as taxes. No money needed in this system. No wonder kerises and spears/tombak scattered all over the Javanese villages (compared to, for example, Japanese's Katana). While you could borrow a plow from your neightbour, you could not borrow a keris or tombak when consciption announced This is, certainly, from the 'functional' point of view.

In the Islamic Mataram era, the land divided into several categories : Nagari, was the capital, obviously belongs to the king, the Negaragung, the immediate surroundings around the Negari, also belongs to the king, the Narawita Dalem, the land of king which granted to the royal families or officials as 'lungguh', and Mancanegara, the farthest land, mostly with great autonomy.

Originally Posted by A.G. Maisey

Good to see you back Pak Boedhi. I thought you'd got lost in Darkest Africa.

Thank you, Pak Alan. I thought you didn't quite happy to see me back, as I gave you more troubles than solutions

oh, well, my post seems to drift away from the topic... sorry..

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, as you describe it Pak Oesmen.

If you consider this system I believe that you may identify one of the causes of some of Indonesia's difficulties in the modern world.

What problems did you ever cause me Pak Oesmen?

I can recall none.

I can recall that you are knowledgeable and well mannered, but I can recall nothing negative concerning you.