Tracing the Concept of Political Leadership of Islam Nusantara

Abstract

Certain community both based ethnicities and nationalities have different characteristics on the notion of political leadership. Studies on the political leadership concept in Indonesia cannot escape from the Javanese political leadership characteristics. The reason is simply, because most of Indonesian leaders are from Java. Ben Anderson (1990) sees the Sukarno and Suharto leadership as the representation of Islamic Mataram Kingdom that was absolute and totalitarian typical leadership. Then, it follows cultural stereotyping of political leadership based on ethnicity in Indonesia. Jajat Burhanuddin (2014) sees that Melayu has democratic political culture, while Jawa has authoritarian political culture based on the creed “Manunggaling Kawula Gusti” –Unity between God-ruler or Subject-ruler. However Burhanuddin (2014) does not explain the nature of the creed in Javanese typical political leadership. Naim (2014) controversially sees that there are bipolar characteristics of political leadership in Indonesia. Jawa has absolute and totalitarian typical leadership that is influenced by Javanese local belief; otherwise Melayu (Outside Jawa) has egalitarian and democratic political leadership that is strong influenced by Islamic teaching. This paper tries to dig the understanding of principles on political leadership in Indonesia by making comparison both Jawa and Melayu on the nature of political leadership. The paper engages Talal Asad (2009) conceptual frameworks on discursive tradition. Thus from Asad point of view political leadership is the result of a dynamic process between agency and structure. That is a process of negotiation between the ruler and subjects in a certain structure.

Satria Piningit: The Concept of Leadership Based on Javanese Local Wisdom

“…The acceptance of Diponegoro, who is a prince who is diligent in worship, to the concept of Ratu Adil, also shows that this concept is indeed more of a leadership vision in Javanese society than a prophecy full of mystical aura. Faddad (2017), in the sixth article, tries to trace several concepts of Islamic political leadership in the archipelago. He viewed that the study of this concept in the archipelago will be separate from the concept of Javanese political leadership characteristics; Ratu Adil is included as one of the important concepts in the Javanese model of leadership.…”

“…He viewed that the study of this concept in the archipelago will be separate from the concept of Javanese political leadership characteristics; Ratu Adil is included as one of the important concepts in the Javanese model of leadership. Faddad (2017) views that the two leaders in Indonesia in the old era, namely Sukarno and Suharto, had an absolute and totalitarian leadership pattern. This pattern was influenced by the Islamic Mataram leadership concept (Faddad, 2017), or the Javanese leadership pattern, which tended to make a king a central figure (Chalik, 2015).…”

“…Faddad (2017) views that the two leaders in Indonesia in the old era, namely Sukarno and Suharto, had an absolute and totalitarian leadership pattern. This pattern was influenced by the Islamic Mataram leadership concept (Faddad, 2017), or the Javanese leadership pattern, which tended to make a king a central figure (Chalik, 2015). As mentioned above, the concept of leadership in Java is centralized or mono centrum.…”

“…However, idealism is certainly right because it can become a standard in leaders' regeneration process. Faddad (2017) writes that Jayabaya's forecast contains predictions and imagination about future leaders. "The imagination or the shadow of the coming of Ratu Adil inspired the emergence of "heroes" leaders."…”

“…Dismissing the concept of Ratu Adil as mere prophecy or even occultism and superstition, many argue that Satria Piningit and Ratu Adil are leadership concepts extracted from the local wisdom values of the Javanese people (Minardi, 2017). Satria Piningit and Ratu Adil are a concept of leadership of Islam Nusantara, even though its growth is indeed in Java (Faddad, 2017). Reading Javanese local wisdom cannot be taken literally because Javanese culture is filled with symbols, so it must be understood in semiotics (Ashab et al, 2022).…”