hilt material ?

[A. G. Maisey]

I have received private correspondence that makes the point that a number of historians accept that the court of Mataram was moved to East Jawa by Sanjaya King Mpu Sindok in or around the year 930, thus Dharmavamsa was not located in Central Jawa when he sent tribute to China, but rather in East Jawa.

I am aware of this point of view, and there is evidence to support it, however there is also evidence to support the location of the court of Mataram as Central Jawa much later than the year 930.

In old Javanese history there are very few ultimate and inarguable facts. To me, the weight of evidence seems to point to Dharmavamsa being in Central Jawa when he sent tribute to China, however, to those who wish to believe otherwise I will accept that he may have been in East Jawa.

However, wherever Dharmavamsa was located, there is doubt that in 992 he was the ruler of Mataram, and it was he who sent tribute to China.