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22.200 Historical literature of the Eastern North Coast districts.

The Pasisir period of Javanese history was marked by social and political com motions. Beginning with the introduction of Islam and the fall of ancient Majapahit, the era brought wars between young Muslim states among themselves and wars against European traders, Portuguese and Dutch. It is worth noticing that in most countries within the sphere of influence of the Pasisir culture historical literature was very much in favour. Apparently the commotions of the surrounding world prompted authors to write books on history, both ancient and referring to their own times. Perhaps they were also influenced by the strong historical sense of Islam. Indian literature, conspicuous for its lack of interest for political history, had given pre-Islamic Javanese historians but weak impulses to write. The interior of Central Java was con verted by men who came from the Pasisir districts and so, in the inland centres of modem Javanese literature, Mataram and Surakarta, Islamic literature developed at a relatively late date. For that reason in the present Synopsis a discussion of Pasisir literature precedes the paragraphs referring to the bulk of modern Central Javanese literature which for the greater part was written in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The mercantile states where the Javanese Pasisir culture flourished can be divided into three groups: the eastern (Giri-Grësik, Tuban, Madura, Blambapary Lombok), the central (Dëmak, Kudus, Japara, Banjar Masin, Tanjun Pura) and the western (Cërbon, Bantën, the Sunda districts,

Lamputy, Palémbai}). Political histories and years of those towns and districts are im perfectly known. Probably there is truth in the Javanese historical tradition saying that the first foothold of Islam was in Surabaya and in Grësik and the second in Dëmak. In Javanese cultural history West Java (Cërbon and Bantën) occupies a place of minor im portance. Therefore it seems reasonable to begin the discussion of the various local Pasisir histories with the eastern group, Giri-Grësik, and to proceed westwards. Surabaya certainly was an important cen tre of commerce already in the fourteenth century, perhaps even earlier. No wonder that Muslim traders (according to Javanese tradition coming from Cëmpa, i.e. Champa, in Further India) settled there, founding a small middle-class community. In the course of time the Muslims took over the political administration from the local representatives of the Majapahit King, and so a Muslim township was founded. Probably similar pro ceedings marked the beginnings of most mercantile kingdoms on the North Coast. Unfortunately, in the course of history, the districts of the deltas of the two great rivers of East Java, the Bëryiwan and the Brantas, experienced many disturbances. Surabaya, Grësik, Giri and also Tuban were several times taken by enemies and sacked. Probably many valuable objects of art and also manuscripts were destroyed. Though they were the most important, cul turally and economically, of the Pasisir king doms, only a regrettably small number of the local histories of old Surabaya, Grësik-Giri and Tuban have come down to us. In the