From Myth to Politics: The Evolution of the Millenarian Vision of Ratu Adil (Just Ruler) in Javanese Political Thinking

This research aims to explore the origin, development, application, and significance of the central millenarian vision of Javanese society which is the prophecy of Ratu Adil (Just Ruler). This research will examine the theoretical underpinnings of millenarianism in the context of Javanese society and the conceptual basis of the Ratu Adil prophecy, analyze their practical applications across movements that adopts Ratu Adil myth, and identify the factors that contribute to their significance. This research aims to present a general historical account of the concept of Ratu Adil, beginning with the emergence of the earliest text that explicitly mentions this messianic notion, Serat Darmogandul, an eighteenth-century Javanese work. While the precise term Ratu Adil does not appear in earlier literature, related ideas concerning a "just ruler" are evident in other texts such as Jangka Jayabaya (Jayabaya’s Prophecy), Serat Kalatidha, and Babad Tanah Jawi (The Chronicle of Java). Therefore, this research also explores the conceptual prehistory of Ratu Adil, examining the philosophical, theological, moral, and political ideas that contributed to the formation of this millenarian myth.