MENCERMATI KEMBALI KOMODITAS LADA MASA KESULTANAN BANTEN ABAD KE-16-19

Abstract

ABSTRAK. Dalam banyak sumber sejarah telah disebutkan tentang lada sebagai komoditas penting yang diperdagangkan di pelabuhan Banten sejak periode kerajaan Sunda Pajajaran hingga pada Kesultanan Banten yang muncul pada abad ke XVT. Dari bu.kti sejarah dan.fakta arkeologi yang terbatas dapat tergambar perkebunan lada telah diusahakan di wilayah Banten dan meluas ke Lampung tatkala permintaan pasar dunia meningkat akan produk ini.

Data arkeologi berupa toponimi Pamarican di situs Banten pesisir dan juga dalung-dalung atau prasasti tembaga dari Sultan Banten banyak terkait dengan Jada. Meskipun jarang sekali disebut, namun hingga abad XIX perkebunan Jada masih diupayakan di wilayah Banten. Dari data arsip Belanda tergambar sisa-sisa kaum bangsawan Banten masih berperan dalam pengolahan produk lada di wilayah ini. Data paling aktual pada beberapa lokasi di Banten masih terdapat kantong-kantong perkebunan lada yang tersisa terutama di wilayah Pandeglang dan sedikit di Serang.

Kata kunci: Pamarican, perkebunan lada, prasasti tembaga (dalung).

ABSTRACT. Reinvestigating Pepper as a Commodity during the Period of the Sultanate of Banten in 6th-19th Centuries AD. Many historical sources mention pepper as important commodity traded at the port of Banten since the period of the Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran until the period of the Sultanate of Banten, which emerged in 161hcentury AD. Limited historical evidences and archaeological facts have shown that there were pepper plantations at Banten, which then spread to Lampung when demand from international market increased.

Archaeological data, which include the toponym Pamarican (merica = pepper) at a site in coastal Banten and dalungs or copper inscriptions of the Sultan of Banten, are closely related to pepper. Although rarely mentioned, up to 19th century AD pepper plantations were still operated in Banten. Data from Dutch archives describe that the last of the Banten aristocrats were still participated in the management of pepper manufacture in this area. The most actual data reveal that a number ofclusters of pepper plantations can still be found here, especially in Pandeglang and a few in Serang.

Keywords: Pamarican, pepperplantation, pepper sorter, copper inscription (dalung).