OVERVIEW AND EARLY LIFE
Ruler's true name is Syarif Hidayatullah, commonly known as Sunan Gunung Jati. A quintessential figure of Islamic movement all across Indonesia along with other Imams of Walisongo. He was born on the year of 1448 AD from his father Syarif Abdullah Umdatuddin and his mother Nyai Rara Santang. His mother was an imperial princess of Pajajaran Kingdom with direct lineage to the legendary sundanese king, Siliwangi.
Since he was a young man, he already deeply invested in spiritual knowledge and is active member of any study and discussion meeting with other ulama (scholars) and wali (priests) that even after graduating from a prestigious Pesantren (boarding school that mostly teaches Islamic teaching) he was immediately sent to the Middle East to continue his study there.
According to Babad Cirebon, Prince Cakrabuwana was initiating a development program for the city of Cirebon. When Hidayatullah was back to Nusantara, he immediately took himself in the big role for the development of the city, thus granting him the trust of the Prince and many of his advisor. He proved to be a rather outstanding conceptor for the early foundational state of the city. Thus granting him guardianship over the city.
THE HEAD OF THE WALIS
In 1478, a referendum of walis was being held in Tuban, Eastern Java. The referendum was meant to realizing the succession voting of Sunan Ampel. The voting was met with the agreement of Syarif Hidayatullah as the leader of the walis. And thus, he immediately moved the Dakwah epicenter to Gunung Jati, Cirebon, West Java.
This specific region immediately marked with a monument called Puser Bumi (Center of the World). The monument itself is an obelisk, a great pillar, of which bored a hole deep on the earth. The monument of remembrance of his greatest achievement that he was able to centralized the Islamic mission in Nusantara.
He, along with other Walisongo, tried to persuade his grandfather, the legendary Sundanese king Siliwangi, to convert to Islam and declare shahada. His grandmother already converted herself to Islam, but Siliwangi still persist on his iron rule that he won't be a Muslim, thus, his effort was left in vain. By the year of 1482, Siliwangi was able to unite the Kingdom of Galuh and the Kingdom of Sunda. This indeed was a threat for Hidayatullah and the other Walis, because this meant opposition force just grow stronger.
On 2nd of April 1482, Syarif Hidayatullah declared an ultimatum directed towards his own grandfather that Cirebon would not sent yet another tribute to the Kingdom of Pajajaran. Many local figures of Cirebon immediately sided with the Sunan in opposition with Siliwangi. Then, he and his advisors immediately building a strong relation with the Islamic Kingdom of Demak.
EARLY STAGE OF CIREBON
With Raden Patah of Demak declared as the King of Java by the walis, Cirebon was made into a vassal of Demak, in which Hidayatullah have no problem with, for this is the exact grand plan of Islamization of Java as decreed by Sunan Ampel. The Islamic faith is going to be spread all across Java with Demak as the pioneer of the whole movement.
By the year of 1511, he married Prince Sebrang Lor of Demak with his daughter, Ratu Ayu, of which solidified the Demak-Cirebon bilateral relationship. This is a much needed political movement, for this is among the most critical era of Islamic mission that there's more and more threat to the Dakwah movement. Just to name a few, Portuguese Empire is eager on expansionism of Southeast Asia, and they felt that the walis' united power is a threat for their dominance. As such, the nobles of Sunda in open arms accepted Portuguese as an ally to quell Islamic influence.
He trained and taught Prince of Demak as well as Patih Unus to expand the maritime doctrine, with him leading some advanced development of strategic ports all across Java to gather all available power of Demak-Cirebon to maintain total supremacy over the island of Java. This is yearly long development program of which at the same time, he had to extinguish any resistance on the west of Java.
To solidify Islamic influence on the west of Java, by the year 1518 he along with Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin was able to establish the foundation for the Kingdom of Banten. A kingdom that was made above the conquered land from Pajajaran, in which Hidayatullah along with many other Islamic nobles of the time tried time and times again to quell any resistance and to convert the majority of the people into Islam.
DISASTER OF MALACCAN CAMPAIGN
As the year 1521 rolls by, Patih Unus and Prince Sebrang Lor already amassed large fleet of Javanese Jong, with an army no less than 20.000 men, all ready and trained to launch an invasion towards Malacca, of which are now under Portuguese control. This operation was named "Jihad Expedition" that the Muslim of Java are all in unison to support the King of Java and Hidayatullah. Alas, the campaign ended in a disaster, Portuguese ships were more agile and smaller, allowing better maneuver in opposition of the large and slow Javanese Jong.
This horrible disaster left many advisors and Hidayatullah himself contemplating the cost of the defeat. Thus he, along with Patih Unus scrapped the ancient naval doctrine tradition, favoring smaller vessels for better maneuver. And in the macro scale, he never tried to raise another army to take over Malacca. Instead, he along with other nobles and advisors tried to find a way through attrition and sabotage to lure the Portuguese to fight in Java, where the Javanese would be on advantageous situation with better supply and manpower.
ENDLESS SKIRMISHES WITH REMNANTS OF SUNDA
Even by 1522 the Kingdom of Banten already established itself as dominant power in the West Java, stiff resistance still exist in pocket defense on the southern part of the land, with mountainous terrain as natural barrier, the people of southern part of West Java are still untouched by the Islamic priests, let alone the military.
This ongoing skirmishes and endless war, of which both side never tried to pass the mountain to see the other side, lasted well over 40 years. That in crawling advances, the Muslim slowly able to capture key towns along the border. And finally, by the year 1568 (at this time, Hidayatullah is now aged 120) the Cirebon-Banten united force finally able to break through the stiff resistance. A conference with Sunda nobles was held, of which Hidayatullah immediately gave them 2 condition.
1. To the nobles, Convert to Islam, and they can live their life and they can maintain their lordship
2. If the nobles refused, they must leave their palace and their lordship would be scrapped from them
Many nobles obliged the first option, except the Elite Corps of Pajajaran, of which 40 of them chose to exile themselves. Was said to be the original ancestor of the 40 clans of the Baduy People.
DEATH
Then, by the year of 1569, Syarif Hidayatullah finally passed away at the age of 120. His sons and grandsons never had a chance to inherit the throne because he outlive them all. His great-grandson, Fatahillah was now inherited the Throne of Cirebon. Syarif Hidayatullah was posthumously given the title of "Maulana Syarif Hidayatullah Sunan Gunung Jati" by the Javanese people.
He was among the key figure of Islamic expansion through peaceful mission or even through aggressive diplomacy and war, the role of which he contributed from the year 1470 to appease Siliwangi until 1568 to unite all of Banten, a hundred year worth of struggle, "an unending struggle, to the very end."