TheBaju Rantai(also known asBadjoe-Rante,Baju Besi,Baju Rante,Wadjoe-Rante,andWaju Rante) is a type of armor fromNusantara archipelago(Indonesia,Malaysia,Brunei,andPhilippines).
Etymology
editThe name originates fromold Javanesewords,bajucomes fromwajumeaning jacket, clothing or apparel,[1]: 2174 meanwhilerantaicomes fromrante,rantay,orrantiwhich mean chain, string, or wreath.[1]: 1504
Description
editThe Baju Rantai is achain armorthat is worked in the form of a shirt. It consists of smallironrings. It has no collar and sleeves that reach about to the elbow. The lower end is approximately at the height of the thighs. It is used by various ethnic groups in Indonesia.[2]
History
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One of the earliest mentions of Baju Rantai is in aBalineseinscription of Tamblingan, recorded asbaju besi.TheTamblingan Pura Endek I Lempeng Besar Iinscription records the existence of armor makers in Bali. This inscription is thought to have originated from the year 844 Saka (922 AD). The contents of the inscription were:
...thani anteken ya parmasan ulih juru pande, apan khu tumkap baju besi.
...they are not subject toparmasanfees by the master smiths (juru pande) because they make armor (baju besi).
This indicated that the Tamblingan people are not subjected to aparmasanfee by the master smiths because they makebaju besiarmor.[3]: 12
TheKidungPanji Wijayakrama-Rangga Lawe,a javanesekidungtext that tells about the rebellion of Rangga Lawe againstMajapahitin 1295 A.D. mentionedwaju rante,which means apparel consisting of iron chains.Zoetmuldernoted the use of special apparel for soldiers: In his research about old Javanese he found a troops calledbala winaju gangsa ranti,[4]: 1370 which means soldier dressed withgangsaranti.Gangsa(fromsanskrit:kangśa) refers to a kind ofcopperandleadalloy,[4]: 275 whilerantimeans chain.[4]: 919
TheHikayat Banjarnoted theBhayangkaraequipments in the Majapahit palace, which includes:
Maka kaluar dangan parhiasannya orang barbaju-rantai ampat puluh sarta padangnya barkupiah taranggos sakhlat merah, orang mambawa astenggar ampat puluh, orang mambawa parisai sarta padangnya ampat puluh, orang mambawa dadap sarta sodoknya sapuluh, orang mambawa panah sarta anaknya sapuluh, yang mambawa tumbak parampukan barsulam amas ampat puluh, yang mambawa tameng Bali bartulis air mas ampat puluh.
So came out with their ornaments men withchain mailnumbered forty alongside their swords and redkopiah[skull cap], men carryingastengger[arquebus] numbered forty, men carrying shield and swords numbered forty, men carryingdadap[a type of shield][i]andsodok[broad-bladed spear-like weapon][ii]numbered ten, men carrying bows and arrows numbered ten, (men) who carriedparampukanspears[iii]embroidered with gold numbered forty, (men) who carried Balinese shields with golden water engraving numbered forty.
— Hikayat Banjar, 6.3[10]: Line 1209–1214 [11]: 204–205
Two related ethnic communities ofSouth Sulawesi,theBugisandMakassarese,also adopted chain mail armor which they call aswaju ranteorwaju ronte.The armor is made by string of iron rings tied together, which makes it similar to knitwork.[12]: 39 The Bugis and Makassarese soldiers were known for using chain mail andmusketswhich they made themselves.[13]: 431
In the 17th century, Javanese cavalry is commonly equipped with chain mail armor, for example in 1678Captain Tackmet 240 horsemen who all wore armor, who were lancers with chainmail.Trunajayacavalry was composed of about 150 men armed with lances and most of them wore chain mails.Banteneseroyal vessels are noted to have rowers wearing chain mail.[14]: 127
See also
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Notes
edit- ^Dadaphas 2 meanings: In Indonesian language, it refers to round shield made of leather or rattan,[5]while in old Javanese it refers to a long, narrow parrying shield.[6]Dadapin Java seems to refer to a long shield which is quite heavy, probably with protruding ends.[7]
- ^For the meaning ofsodok,see[8]
- ^Rampuklikely derived from Old Javaneserampogandngrampog,which means "to attack in great numbers". Old Javanesewatang parampoganmeans a pike used in theparampogan,that is, tiger spearing (rampokan macan).[9]
References
edit- ^abZoetmulder, Petrus Josephus (1982).Old Javanese-English dictionary.The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.ISBN9024761786.
- ^Albert G. van Zonneveld:Traditional weapons of the Indonesian archipelago.C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001,ISBN90-5450-004-2,p. 28.
- ^Bagus, A.A. Gde (2013)."Perkembangan Peradaban di Kawasan Situs Tamblingan"(PDF).Forum Arkeologi.26(1): 1–16.
- ^abcZoetmulder, Petrus Josephus (1995).Kamus Jawa Kuno – Indonesia.Jakarta: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
- ^See the meaning ofdadapin Departemen Pendidikan Nasional (2008).Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia Pusat Bahasa Edisi Keempat.Jakarta: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama. Can be accessed online athttps://kbbi.kemdikbud.go.id/entri/dadap
- ^Zoetmulder, Petrus Josephus (1982).Old Javanese-English dictionary.The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. p. 345.
- ^Jákl, Jiří (2014).Literary Representations of War and Warfare in Old Javanese Kakawin Poetry(PhD thesis). The University of Queensland. pp. 77–78.
- ^Gardner, Gerald Brosseau (1936).Keris and Other Malay Weapons.Singapore: Progressive Publishing Company. p. 85.
- ^Zoetmulder, Petrus Josephus (1982).Old Javanese-English dictionary.The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. p. 1499.
- ^Ras, Johannes Jacobus, 1968,Hikayat Bandjar. A Study in Malay Historiography.The Hague (Bibliotheca Indonesica, 1)
- ^Nugroho, Irawan Djoko (2011).Majapahit Peradaban Maritim.Suluh Nuswantara Bakti.ISBN978-602-9346-00-8.
- ^Hamid, Pananrangi (1990).Senjata Tradisional Daerah Sulawesi Selatan.Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan.
- ^Tarling, Nicholas, ed. (1992).The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia: Volume One, From Early Times to c. 1800.Cambridge University Press.ISBN0521355052.
- ^Schrieke, Bertram Johannes Otto (1957).Indonesian Sociological Studies, Selected Writings of B. Schrieke Part Two: Ruler and Realm in Early Java.Vol. 3. The Hague: W. van Hoeve.
Further reading
edit- William G. Shellabear:An English–Malay Dictionary.Methodist Publishing House, Singapore 1916, (Digitalisat).