Bima's Bo' Sangaji Kai ancient manuscript gains UNESCO recognition

Long before Mount Tambora's eruption became known worldwide as one of the most powerful volcanic events in recorded history, the people of the Bima Sultanate had already documented the disaster in an ancient manuscript.

The manuscript preserves memories of the 1815 eruption while also offering insights into the life, thoughts, and governance of a civilization on Sumbawa Island.

Known as Bo' Sangaji Kai, a manuscript legacy of the Kingdom and Sultanate of Bima, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), it has captured international attention after being designated a UNESCO Memory of the World Register for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) on November 5, 2026.

The significance of this recognition extends beyond the preservation of a centuries-old document. Bo' Sangaji Kai offers a local perspective on world history and highlights Bima's established tradition of literacy and knowledge long before the modern era.

Head of the Bima Samparaja Museum, Dr. Dewi Ratna Muchlisa, said this recognition proves the ancestors of the Bima people possessed advanced thinking and knowledge.

Various aspects of life, from government and law to trade and social relations to the protection of women, are recorded in these manuscripts, which have been passed down through generations.

Revisiting memories of the past

The name of Bo' Sangaji Kai consists of two words in the Bima language. Bo' means book, while Sangaji Kai was the title of the King of Bima before the kingdom became a sultanate.

Thus, Bo' Sangaji Kai can be interpreted as a book of records of the kingdom and the Bima Sultanate.

This tradition of historical recording initially used palm leaves in the Bima language and script (Mbojo). During the reign of Sultan Abil Khair Sirajuddin in 1645, the writing tradition shifted to Malay with Arabic script.

The manuscript records various events from the 17th to the 19th centuries, including the eruption of Mount Tambora in April 1815, the impact of which spread to affect the climate and lives of people throughout the world.

Dewi said the uniqueness of the Bo' Sangaji Kai extends beyond chronicling the Tambora eruption. The manuscript also contains Bima's port regulations, customary land laws, and the Malacca Sea Law, reflecting the Bima's relationship with the development of trade and maritime governance in the past.

Other records shed light on the community's social and cultural life, including the 'Hanta Ua Pua' tradition, which has endured through generations.

This diverse information makes the Bo' Sangaji Kai as source for interdisciplinary studies, ranging from history, politics, economics, religion, agriculture, forestry, geography, and also astronomy.

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Women in history

A particularly notable aspect of the Bo' Sangaji Kai is its account of women's roles in the power structure and social life of the Bima Sultanate.

Dewi explained the manuscript documents two female figures who once held power: Princess Ratna Lila in the pre-Islamic era and Kamalatyah Bumi Partiga after the arrival of Islam.

The manuscript also records several provisions relating to the protection of women's rights. These include women's testimony in cases of harassment, the distribution of food supplies, and the prohibition of forced marriages.

Evidence of this civilization can also be found in the established tradition of manuscript reproduction. When a manuscript began to deteriorate or become difficult to read, it was rewritten while still referencing the previous manuscript.

World's recognition

The Bo' Sangaji Kai's journey to international recognition took years of efforts, where it began with a manuscript activity organized by the Samparaja Museum in collaboration with the Indonesian Manuscript Society (Manassa) in late 2023.

During this activity, a team from the National Library (Perpusnas) was invited to view the manuscript collection housed at the Samparaja Museum. Interest in the richness of these manuscripts then led to the facilitation of the proposal for Bo' Sangaji Kai to be designated as a National Collective Memory (IKON) in 2024.

In this process, outreach, seminars, research, academic studies, and book preparation were conducted. Of the six regions that received assistance, Bima and Bali were selected to proceed to the UNESCO level.

Dewi outlined the various requirements for nomination, which include administrative preparations, in-depth research, and recommendations from local governments, universities, and community groups. The National Library facilitates the research and nomination process through to the manuscript's recognition.

Following UNESCO recognition, preserving the manuscripts remained a priority. Their physical condition required continued care, including conservation efforts, controlled temperature and humidity, and routine cleaning.

Most of the Samparaja Museum's manuscript collection was digitized by the British Library in 2018 through a program to save endangered manuscripts. The Bo' Sangaji Kai has also undergone restoration by the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI), and has been translated from Jawi to Latin and transliterated into Malay.

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From manuscript to classroom

UNESCO recognition brings wider opportunities for the Bo' Sangaji Kai to serve as a source of historical and cultural learning. However, the greater challenge lies in ensuring the knowledge preserved in the manuscript extends beyond museum collections and ceremonial recognition.

West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal is pushing for the historical legacy of the Bima Sultanate to be translated into Indonesian and become part of the learning materials, especially for the people of the Mbojo cultural region.

He explained that the Bo' Sangaji Kai covers a broad range of subjects beyond royal history, including geology, volcanology, and other aspects of everyday life. Relevant passages can also be adapted into educational materials to meet specific learning needs.

At the regional level, the Samparaja Museum has taken steps to familiarize younger generations with manuscripts by teaching them to read ancient texts.

Children participating in these activities are also encouraged to compile books based on transliterations, with one of their works winning an award at a national-level event.

Dewi then expressed hopes that the government would provide support to advance manuscript education, research, and the preservation of the museum's collections.

She is also looking forward to encouraging more young people in Bima to learn to read historical manuscripts and pursue further research into their region's history and culture.

She noted that UNESCO recognition does not mark the end of the Bo' Sangaji Kai's journey. Rather, it brings new responsibilities to preserve the manuscript, deepen research into its contents, and pass its knowledge on to future generations.

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Translator: Ady Ardiansah, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
Copyright © ANTARA 2026