10th century Sanggurah Stone returns to Indonesia

A Javanese stone tablet that was taken by British colonialists in the early 19th century returns to Indonesia. The four-tonne stone dates to the Mataram Kingdom and carries an inscription in old Javanese. It is ascribed to the Javanese king, Sri Maharaja Rakai Pangkaja Dyah Wawa Sri Wijayalokanamottungga.

Ancient artifact to return to Indonesia
Jakarta Post, 24 Jan 2008

Indonesia negotiates return of ancient stone from Scotland
MSN News, 24 Jan 2008

There’s a strange twist in the story – the businessman who was implicated in the theft of artefacts from a museum last year was also responsible for the repatriation of the Sangurrah Stone.

“The Minto Stone is an important historical artifact and a crucial source of information. It contains the history of the Mataram kingdom in Central Java and its eventual shift of power to East Java,” Culture and Tourism Ministry director general of history and archeology Hari Untoro Drajat announced at a media gathering Thursday.

The stone was taken out of Indonesia in the 1800s by Sir Stamford Raffles, who presented it to Lord Minto, then the Governor-General of India. The stone remained in the possession of the Minto trust in Scotland.

Related books:
– Introduction to Old Javanese Language and Literature: A Kawi Prose Anthology (Michigan series in South and Southeast Asian languages and linguistics)
– Old Javanese Literature (Working papers / Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash University)
– Kalangwan: A survey of old Javanese literature (Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. Translation series ; 16)
– Southeast Asian Languages and Literatures: A bibliographical guide to Burmese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Javanese, Malay, Minangkakau, Thai and Vietnamese by E. U. Kratz (Ed)
– Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula by P. M. Munoz
– Ancient History (The Indonesian Heritage Series) by Indonesian Heritage