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Early Javanese Society

Borobudur tells us far more about the ancient Javanese than Javanese history can tell us about Borobudur. The monument is built of over a million blocks of stone laboriously hauled up a hill from a nearby riverbed, then cut and carved with great artistry. This in itself is significant, for it demonstrates that Javanese society in AD 800 produced enough surplus food and labor to support a great deal of activity which did not produce direct economic benefits. The Javanese must have had abundant manpower to haul the stones, skilled craftsmen to carve them, and well-organized institutions to coordinate such an ambitious and complex project.

A scene from the Rudrayana story in the avadana series on the main wall of the first gallery. This is one of Borobudur's most famous panels. The faithful minister Hiru arrives at his new home. The ship on the right is one of the best sources of information we have on ancient Indonesian ship construction. It is equipped with outriggers, like traditional Southeast Asian craft, and has several sails. The house is also realistically depicted in contrast to the rather fanciful structures found in other panels. The house's construction corresponds better to what we know of houses in other parts of Indonesia than to houses in Java. It is set on pillars and the roof employs the stressed ridge beam, like houses in North Sumatra.