Cultural heritage and the politics of knowledge (re)production: The case of Javanese cropping calendars

This proposal involves inventorying and researching the histories, practices, and uses multiple place-based agricultural calendars on Java, such as pranata mangsa. 

This research begins by reviewing previous literature about various agricultural calendars on Java, their origins, interactions, and how they evolve over time. What are the origins of pranata mangsa and how does it relate to other place-based agricultural calendars across Java (e.g. Tengger, Ponorogo, Tulungagung) and beyond (e.g. Balinese calendar, Bugis calendar)? Who were responsible for creating these various calendars, what were their goals at the time, and how do they fare at present? 

By answering those questions, researcher Adrian Perkasa will unpack the politics of knowledge (re)production in climate adaptation. In more concrete terms, Perkasa will investigate who, by whom, and for what ends these various calendars were developed and have evolved over time.

Perkasa choses East Java regions as my research site, to fill the gaps in current research. Earlier studies on these agricultural calendars and particularly the pranata mangsa primarily concentrated on the Central and Western regions of Java. This makes sense, as the ruler of Surakarta initiated pranata mangsa in the Vorstenlanden (princely states) of Central Java. However, since the late eighteenth century, local adipati (regents) have primarily governed almost all regencies outside that area, including East Java, without any direct ties to the Javanese courts but with significant influences from Batavia. Because of that, East Java became a place where various interests and actors from different backgrounds exerted their influence to manage, control, and even manipulate the environment based on their knowledge. For instance, there was a note from a Dutch official, Sollewijn Gelpke, about the present agricultural system around the Ngrowo district in East Java and his suggestions to develop it in the 1870s. In this work, he did not mention the existence of pranata mangsa in Ngrowo and its surrounding area. 

However, in the early 20th century, there was a publication from the biggest publisher at that time, Commissie voor de Volkslectuur, called Serat Pranata Mongsa by a Javanese teacher who was based in the Malang region. In addition to this, another place-based knowledge about agricultural seasons, known as Serat Mustaka Rancang, originated in Kediri, a regency adjacent to Ngrowo, during the nineteenth century. Interestingly, this serat included strong Islamic teachings such as rituals, prayers, and other related practices. Thus, I believe my study will not only contribute to the discussion about the history of pranata mangsa in the understudied region but also investigate the existence of other place-based knowledge there, like Serat Mustaka Rancang, and their influence in society.

In his research Perkasa combines archival research with oral history and ethnography. It aims to contribute to the ongoing decolonization efforts in the history of science and ecology. Decolonizing is not about going back to the pre-colonial era or rejecting modernity, but about giving more agency to various important actors who have been overlooked in the history of colonialism. As a result, it is critical to delve into not only the official records in the archive, but also the personal voices of various actors in relation to these agricultural calendars and how they resemblance power dynamics (re)shaping the politics of knowledge reproduction from the past to the present day. 

There are numerous Javanese sources waiting to be investigated, such as Bramartani or Jurumartani, a journal that was published in the 1850s. Perkasa will also make use of A.B. Cohen Stuart's personal collections because he was one of the most influential Europeans and a confidant of Pakubuwana VII, whom he discussed the PM with, as well as other KITLV collections at UB Leiden. 

Working at KITLV also benefits Perkasa because the institute already houses a number of scholars with expertise in Indonesian and Southeast Asian studies, and it provides a platform for exchanging ideas with numerous researchers affiliated with or involved in various activities there. In addition to the archives and other written materials, the use of the oral history approach to gather sources from post-independence Indonesia is essential for his research. Therefore, by employing this approach, Perkasa is going to work together with local institutions and initiatives, not only to help collect materials but also to collaborate in various ways of co-creating knowledge.