RELASI PERNIKAHAN DUA KERAJAAN SURAKARTA-PAMEKASAN DALAM BABAD PAKEPUNG DENGAN FENOMENA KAWIN KONTRAK

Abstract

The phenomenon of contract marriage has been widely examined from legal, social, and religious perspectives. Studies that relate this phenomenon to representations of marriage in classical Javanese literary manuscripts remain limited. Traditional literary works are important sources for understanding the relationship between literary texts and the social realities of their time. This study aims to explain the relationship between the marriage of figures from the Surakarta Palace and Pamekasan in Serat Babad Pakepung and the phenomenon of contract marriage. This research employed a qualitative method using philological and Ian Watt's sociology of literature approaches. The data consisted of passages from Serat Babad Pakepung related to the marriage between the two kingdoms, supported by relevant literature sources. The findings reveal that the marriage between the Surakarta and Pamekasan royal figures was motivated by political interests to resolve inter-kingdom conflicts. The presence of specific requirements, agreements, and objectives in the marriage demonstrates characteristics associated with the phenomenon of contract marriage. These findings indicate that Serat Babad Pakepung represents marriage as a social and political instrument for maintaining stability in inter-kingdom relations.
Keywords: Serat Babad Pakepung, Contract Marriage, Royal Marriage, Sociology of Literature, Philology