The Precarious Past in Premodern Java

The practice of history in premodern Java was profoundly influenced by precarious conditions of textual production and preservation: fragile manuscripts perished in the tropical environment, archival records were scattered far afield, and historical memories faded over many generations. This seminar examines how Javanese societies between the fifth and fifteenth centuries CE responded with distinctive strategies to record and transmit knowledge of the past. Drawing on sources in Javanese, Sanskrit, Malay, and related languages from the Indonesian archipelago, the seminar accounts for the diverse forms of history making in premodern Java, reconstructing a dynamic culture in which written and nonwritten modes of transmission coexisted and intersected. By situating these Javanese practices within broader discussions of global historiography, it offers alternative ways of understanding the diversity of historical practice in premodern societies.

Dr Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan is a historian specialising in the premodern history of Indonesia. He is Lecturer of Indonesian history and language in the School of Culture, History and Languages (Australian National University). His ARC DECRA project (2026–2028) explores the religious transformations of early modern Indonesia. He is especially interested in using indigenous Southeast Asian sources to rethink how history is practised. Jarrah has written widely on Southeast Asian history in leading history and area studies journals, including History and Theory, Journal of Global History, Bijdragen and Indonesia. He has written on his research for New Mandala, The Conversation, Inside Indonesia, as well as blogs of the British Library and Malay Heritage Centre. His latest book, The Precarious Past in Premodern Java (University of California Press, 2026), can be downloaded open access, here.
 

Join Zoom Meeting: https://anu.zoom.us/j/88902124291?pwd=f9S8I7GgtJwog6OkB0E3BQTxq77WdN.1 

Meeting ID: 889 0212 4291

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