The Veins of Civilization River Batanghari

The Batanghari River has been an important part in the history of civilization of the archipelago, especially on the island of Sumatra. Archaeological and historical remains indicate the economic and political relations between the classic kingdoms along the Batanghari River with India and China. The Batanghari River is the longest river in Sumatra and therefore the veins of civilization in Sumatra.

The Muarajambi Temple Compound, located on the banks of the Batanghari River, has been designated as the National Cultural Property Area and became a national priority. Based on the Chinese historic travel record, this compound was once the center of Buddhist learning in the 5th and 6th centuries and later became part of the Old Malay Kingdom and Srivijaya Kingdom and served as the largest center for Buddhist worship in the archipelago in the 7th and 8th centuries. The Batanghari River bears witness to the splendour of Muarajambi. It is also a crux for trade networks, political relations, and cultural interactions over a span of time during Hindu-Buddhist period when civilization flourished.

Centuries later, a number of young people joined the expedition along the Batanghari River to explore the values of cultural remains of the Batanghari River and learn from it for the present as well as the future.

The Batanghari River Expedition was organized from 12 to 22 July 2022. On the morning of 12 July 2022, fifty participants got ready near the Dareh River, Dharmasraya, West Sumatra, before they embarked for the Batanghari River Expedition to explore the rich culture around the Batanghari River. They are researchers, students, and cultural enthusiasts from many parts of Indonesia who are pursuing various disciplines, including history, anthropology, archaeology, environmental engineering, tourism, and sociology. Dharmasraya Regent, Sutan Riska Tuanku Kerajaan and Director of Cultural Protection, Irini Dewi Wanti delivered remarks at the opening ceremony, while Director of Film, Music and Media Ahmad Mahendra sent off the expedition participants.

The participants were divided into 10 groups and travelled from Dharmasraya in West Sumatra Province to Tebo, Batanghari, Muaro Jambi and Tanjung Jabung Timur in Jambi Province while exploring the rich culture of the area.

The journey was not entirely through river transportation. The shallow water levels at several points forced the participants to change modes. We travelled by boat from the Dareh River to the Pulau Sawah Temple, then took a bus to the Padang Roco Temple. At these two temple sites, we understood more about the importance of community involvement in cultural property preservation efforts.

The third stop was the Siguntur Kingdom. After crossing the river with floats, we were welcomed by toga dance performances, silek pangean, and rendang paku making. Expedition then continued to the Siguntur Old Mosque, the Tomb of the Siguntur Kings, and the Siguntur Palace.

The next day we visited an ODCB (a potential cultural property object), the Teluk Kuali site in Tebo, Jambi. In the 1990s, the Ministry of Education and Culture through its technical unit in Jambi unearthed this object and collected some preliminary data. However, from the brick structures found at the base of the temple, it is likely that the temple could not be reconstructed following its original shape. We also went to Tebo Old Town Area where we made stops at the old tombs, post office, fortress dormitory, an oil pump, and a colonial heritage hospital, as well as the Tanggo Rajo structure. In the evening the participants were entertained by the klikklang dance, prayer songs, nek pung, lagu panjang, and went to bathe to aek

On the third day we headed to Rambutan Masam Village and were greeted by the Deputy Regent of Batang Hari, H. Bakhtiar. We were welcomed by kompangan traditional music performance, the betel leaf dance and ngebeng dance. We also had a brief discussion with the guardian of the Johor and Sultan Adijaya Kusumo’s sacred cemeteries. In the evening, we learned a lot about the local tradition in the area such as nengok tuah budak, sarofal anam chanting, mujuk sialang, bakohak, gulai aghis pisang culinary, ayam-ayaman game and elang-elangan game. We also saw an ODCB, the sacred artifact which belongs to the village of Rambutan Masam.

On the fifth day, the expedition went through the river route and became more challenging. The participants looked very excited sailing through the river on two river boats that belong to Polairud (the Air and Water Police Corps) and the BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency). The two boats took us to Muara Tembesi, an area where we could find colonial heritage buildings. It is as if we were transported to the colonial period.

On 16 July 2022, we departed from Ancol, Jambi City, and sailed along the Batanghari River with the Polairud and BNPB ships. The next mission was to explore the cultural remains of Simpang Tua Village, Batang Hari Regency in the form of traditional shipbuilding knowledge – which has been in the heart of this village’s life for centuries. We then headed to the Orang Kayu Hitam Tomb Site in East Tanjung Jabung Regency. This tomb belonged to an important figure in the development of Islamic governance in the 16th century in Jambi known as Orang Kayu Hitam. Although unrelated, there are also remains of Buddhist-style structures around this tomb.

Our journey continued to the East. We arrived in Teluk Majelis, East Tanjung Jabung Regency before dark. Participants were again welcomed by the kompangan traditional musical performance, silat kampilan, and babalas syair. We also learned the history of Teluk Majelis, the Sheikh Arifin’s Manuscripts, and the local language of the Teluk Majelis. Inai dance, a dance that is usually performed at the wedding ceremony of the Malay people, was also performed that night and really captivated the audience. The next day, we headed to Tanjung Solok, where the Duano tribe – one of the oldest sea tribes in Kuala Jambi, Tanjung Solok – lives. We were welcomed by local residents who enthusiastically explained the traditions of making nets, baskets, sticks, and lime from shells. They also told us about their indigenous language, Sumbun stories, and maritime skills and knowledge that have been passed down from generation to generation in the Duano tribe. We also took part in the safat bath ritual.

On 18 July 2022, we turned west to return to the Muarajambi National Cultural Property Area and visited Gumpung Temple and Kedaton Temple. The entertainment – Jolo Humming, Gambang Dano Lamo Music, Dzikir Berdah, and Tkud – was performed that evening and filled our hearts.

The next agenda was a seminar with the theme “Batanghari: Past, Present, and Future” which gathered stakeholders and the community representatives. Director General of Culture Hilmar Farid and Governor of Jambi Al Haris were present to give remarks. The speakers at this seminar were Junus Satrio A. (Head of the National Cultural Property Expert Team); Bambang Budi Utomo (IAAI); and Lono L. Simatupang (Member of the Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage Expert Team). The seminar concluded with the reading of recommendations and closing by the Director of Cultural Human Resources and Cultural Institutions Empowerment, Judi Wahjudin.

The Batanghari River flows through the Muarajambi National Cultural Property Area, connecting West Sumatra – with the headwater in Mount Rasan – and Jambi.

The Batanghari River empties the water in the Berhala Strait, off the East Coast of Sumatra into the South China Sea. Along this river, there were many cultural interactions that can be traced through the heritage that can still be found today. This expedition proved that most of the cultural remains along the Batanghari River are linked with the life of the river community, the maritime community who have been living side by side with cultural diversity.

Traditions such as taking a bath with the aek and saltwater bathing show that the people around the Batanghari River still practice a cultural tradition that is inextricably tied to the river. However, water from the Batanghari River is no longer being used because it has been contaminated by mercury from gold mining.

Settlements around the Batanghari River were also affected by environmental changes. As a result of the abrasion, the dwellings in the Teluk Majelis are increasingly shifting due to land subsidence. Settlements in the Teluk Majelis are no longer directly facing the river. This is due to massive changes in the forest area accompanied by the effect of boat wakes from large ships to riverbanks.

The surrounding area of Batanghari River is not only used for settlements. The lands are currently also being used for community plantations, oil palm plantations, fish cultivation, and coal stockpiles. These types of landuse certainly have implications on the environment and society.

Batanghari River expedition is part of the efforts to revive the veins of Sumatran civilization. The results of the expedition are expected to contribute to the formulation of policies aimed at promoting cultural development in the Batanghari River area

(Annisa Mardiani, Batanghari River Expedition Team Member, Directorate of Cultural Protection, Directorate General of Culture, MoECRT)