THE ORIGINS OF THE ANCESTORS OF THE SUNDANESE PEOPLE, NGAPAK, AND DERMAYU FROM KALIMANTAN
By: Hamly Hadi
(History Observer)
The term Galuh in the Banjar language is used to refer to a girl and is also used to refer to a diamond.
According to the records of the Dutch historian Van der Meulen, in the first century AD, the Ancient Galuh Kingdom was formed on Mount Slamet. According to him, this was the first and largest kingdom in Central Java.
The founders of the kingdom were immigrants from Kutai, East Kalimantan, before the rise of the Kutai Kingdom. These immigrants first landed on Java via Cirebon. They then entered the interior and dispersed.
Some of them inhabited areas including the slopes of Mount Ciremai, Mount Slamet, and the Serayu River valley. Those who settled on Mount Ciremai developed Sundanese civilization, while those who settled on Mount Slamet established the Ancient Galuh Kingdom. From this kingdom, the kings of Java emerged.
The Ancient Galuh Kingdom is believed to have existed from the 1st to 6th centuries AD. Its territory encompassed Indramayu, Cirebon, Brebes, Tegal, Pemalang, Bumiayu, Banyumas, Cilacap, Banjarnegara, Purbalingga, Kebumen, Kedu, Kulonprogo, and Purwodadi.
This kingdom later developed into two major kingdoms: the Kalingga Kingdom in Central Java and the Galuh Kingdom in West Java. Unsurprisingly, given their shared ancestry, the two kingdoms maintained close ties. Intermarriage between the two kingdoms gave rise to the Sanjaya Dynasty, which later produced numerous kings throughout Java.***
Banjarmasin, December 23, 2025
Sources:
1. Report written by the Galuh history research team in 1972
2. Van Der Meulen’s notes
3. E.M. Uhlenbeck’s book “A Critical Survey of Studies on the Languages of Java and Madura” (1964)
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