''Babad Tanah Jawi'' ( jv, ꦧꦧꦢ꧀ꦠꦤꦃꦗꦮꦶ, "History of the land of Java"), is a generic title for many manuscripts written in the Javanese language. Their arrangements and details vary, and no copies of any of the manuscripts are older than the 18th century. Due to the scarcity and limitations of primary historical records, ''Babad Tanah Jawi'', is one of a number of accounts of Indonesian legends that scholars use to help illuminate aspects of

the spread of Islam in Indonesia The history of the arrival of Islam in Indonesia is somewhat unclear. One theory states that Islam arrived directly from Arabia as early as the 9th century, during the time of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. Another theory credits Sufi t ...

, the dominant religion in the Indonesian archipelago since the 16th century. The texts attribute the first Javanese conversions to Islam to the ''

Wali Sanga The Wali Songo (also transcribed as Wali Sanga) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word ''wali'' is Arabic for "trusted one" ("gua ...

'' ("nine saints"), although their names and relationships vary across the texts to the extent that perfect reduction and agreement between them is not possible. Although most of the manuscripts accept the convention of nine saints, a number list ten. These names commonly appear throughout the ''Babad Tanah Jawi'' texts: * Sunan Ngampel-Denta *

Sunan Kudus Sunan Kudus (born Ja'far Shadiq; 1500-1550), founder of Kudus, is considered to be one of the Wali Sanga of Java, Indonesia. He is said to have originated the wayang golek, and founded the masjid at Kudus using (it is said) the doors from ...

* Sunan Murya *

Sunan Bonang Sunan Bonang (born Raden Makdum Ibrahim in Tuban, East Java, in 1465 CE; died in 1525 CE at Pulau Bawean) was one of the Wali Songo, along with his father Sunan Ampel and his brother Sunan Drajat. Bonang is a village in Rembang Regency. Sunan ...

Sunan Giri Sunan Giri (also called Raden Paku or Joko Samudro), Muhammad Ainul Yakin (born 1442 CE in Blambangan (now Banyuwangi) is considered one of the Wali Sanga (revered saints of Islam) of Indonesia. History He was the son of Dewi Sekardadu and ...

Sunan Kalijaga Sunan Kalijaga (1460-1513), born as Raden Mas Said son of a Duke of Tuban in East Java, Indonesia, was one of the "nine saints" of Javanese Islam (Wali Sanga). the "Kalijaga" title was derived from an orchard known as "Kalijaga" in Cirebon. O ...

Sunan Sitijenar Sunan Sitijenar is, according to the ''Babad Tanah Jawi'' ("History of the land of Java") manuscripts, one of the ''Wali Sanga'' ("Nine Saints") to whom Indonesian legend attributes the propagation of Islam among the Javanese, Indonesia's largest e ...

Sunan Gunungjati Sunan Gunungjati (1448–1568) was one of the Wali Songo, or nine saints of Islam revered in Indonesia. He founded the Sultanate of Banten, as well as the Sultanate of Cirebon on the north coast of Java. Gunungjati was born Syarif Hidayatu ...

Sunan Walilanang Sunan Walilanang is, according to the ''Babad Tanah Jawi'' ("History of the land of Java") manuscripts, one of the ''Wali Sanga'' ("Nine Saints") to whom Indonesian legend attributes the establishment of Islam amongst the Javanese, Indonesia's lar ...

Sunan Bayat Sunan Bayat is often mentioned in the Javanese manuscripts of the ''Babad Tanah Jawi'' ("History of the land of Java") as a ''Wali Sanga'' (nine saints), although the chronicles do not generally consider Bayat as one of the main ''wali''. The ''Wal ...

(an oft-mentioned tenth saint)

See also

References

Further reading