The present article presents the English translation of two unknown Dutch letters from Sosro Kartono and Roekmini, the older brother and half-sister of the famous Kartini, to the Leiden Professor... Show moreThe present article presents the English translation of two unknown Dutch letters from Sosro Kartono and Roekmini, the older brother and half-sister of the famous Kartini, to the Leiden Professor of Arabic M.J. de Goeje. The letters testify to the state of shock in which the family was after the untimely death of Kartini on 17 September 1904 and the passing of her father and head of the family, Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat, on 16 January 1905. Moreover, both letters shed more light on Kartono’s study sojourn in Leiden. Show less
The term Islam Nusantara has been in circulation for a long time, but recently its use has gained a new significance after the 2015 Nahdlatul Ulama Congress in Jombang. Understanding of the term... Show moreThe term Islam Nusantara has been in circulation for a long time, but recently its use has gained a new significance after the 2015 Nahdlatul Ulama Congress in Jombang. Understanding of the term Islam Nusantara differs, but a common feature in all interpretations is the opinion that it is a blend of universal Islamic notions and specific regional cultural elementswith specific Indonesian characteristics, like tolerance, peacefulness and moderation.In the history of Islam in Indonesia different appreciations of Arabic as a language of Islam Nusantara exist. In this paper I want to go into the role of Arabic in Islam in Indonesia and I will argue that for a proper assessment of position of Arabic within the concept of Islam Nusantara an Arabic Literature of Indonesia should be produced. Show less
For the study of Islam in the Malayo-Indonesian world it is of the utmost importance to know what kind of texts have been and are in circulation. As far as printed Malay (and Arabic) texts are... Show moreFor the study of Islam in the Malayo-Indonesian world it is of the utmost importance to know what kind of texts have been and are in circulation. As far as printed Malay (and Arabic) texts are concerned, in the last decade great progress has been made through the publications of, among others, Virginia Matheson and M.B. Hooker on Jawi Literature in Patani; Martin van Bruinessen on Kitab Kuning; and Ian Proudfoot on early Malay printed books up to 1920. In addition to knowledge of the availability and circulation of printed texts, that of manuscripts is of equal interest. Very important in this respect is the recently published work by Teuku Iskandar, Catalogue of Malay, Minangkabau, and South Sumatran Manuscripts in the Netherlands, 2 vols., Leiden 1999 (ISBN 90-71220-09-5). Show less
