304 
REPORT ON THE ISLAND OF BANKA. 
the ascendancy of Plemb&ng was established on Bdnkd, whether the 
island was granted to that kingdom during the ancient relation, which 
existed between the princes of Java and the sovereigns of Plemb&ng 
or whether the inhabitants of their own accord embraced the pro¬ 
tection of the latter. It appears indeed in a great measure proba¬ 
ble that the western extremity was under the influence of Plemb&ng 
at a time when the districts above mentioned, along the coast, were 
still governed by representatives from Java. 
The connection which existed in ancient periods between the king¬ 
dom of Plembang and the princes of Java is reciprocally proved, and 
confirmed by the Javanese histories, and by the traditions preserved 
at Plembang. If a stronger evidence is required it is afforded by 
the similarity or rather the sameness of language in both ; that which 
is employed by persons of the middle and higher classes at the capi¬ 
tal of Plembang and its environs, has preserved all the peculiarities 
of the language from which it is derived, and a native of the central 
districts of Java notices at Plembang is doubtful. The remnants of 
Javanese history inform us that the first sovereign of the house of 
Madja-pait, Browid-joyo Ongkowid-joyo, granted to his son Ariyo- 
Damar the kingdon of Plembang, which already formed a part of 
his possessions. According to the Javanese chronology Ariyo-Da- 
mar proceeded thither in the year 1300 corresponding to the year 
of the Christian Era : he was accompanied by a large number of ad¬ 
venturers and attendants, and formed the first regular colony in that 
part of Sumatra. 
My enquiries at Plembang as to the succession of the princes 
which occupy the throne at present, produced a genealogy which as¬ 
cends only 248 years, and does not remove the doubts which exist on 
this subject, even at the capital. These princes are by some deriv¬ 
ed from Ariyo-Damar the founder of the Javanese colony, by others 
from the Arabian family of Mulana Ibrahim, who propogated soon 
% 
after this period the Mahomedan religion through Java, Sumatra 
and the neighbouring islands. Towards the end of the 16th eentu- 
ry, the kingdom of Plembang was exposed to repeated attacks from 
its neighbours, the Lampungs: Valentyn asserts that by the assist- 
