Susanto Zuhdi, Sejarah Buton yang terabaikan; Labu rope labu wana. Jakarta: Rajawali Pers, Yayasan Kebudayaan Masyarakat Buton, 2010, xli + 350 pages (including illustrations and maps). ISBN 9789797692292. Price: IDR 65,000 (soft cover). 

Revealing misinterpretation on the meaning of Bharata for political target by Buton to four surrounding kingdoms in the 17th - 20th centuries

“…The phrase of labu rope labu wana is a symbolic expression by the people of Butonese related to condition of Kesultanan Buton 'Buton kingdom' in long ago. According to Christomy (2011), the term of labu rope labu wana was Butonese strategy in facing threat from Ternate, Gowa, and VOC (Dutch) in the 17 th and 18 th centuries.…”

“…So labu rope labu wana was the metaphoric illustration of Butonese people to save Buton kingdom from the attack that came from the East side (by Ternate) and from the West side (by Gowa). Related to this condition, Christomy (2011), asserts that by the existence of bharata patapelena 'the four bharata' which propped Buton, the kingdom of Buton was never conquered by the enemies. He interpreted the meaning of bharata as "the wing territories which propped Buton kingdoms".…”

“…Bharata is the wings territory that propped certain kingdoms. Thereby, four surrounding kingdoms of Buton namely Muna, Tiworo, Kulisusu, and Kaledupa as bharata patapelena 'four bharata' in the 16 th century were claimed by Butonese people as the wings territories and propped Buton kingdom (Christomy, 2011).…”