Ratu Bagus Hendra Bambang Wisanggeni Soerjaatmadja, M.B.A. (EYD: Ratu Bagus Hendra Bambang Wisanggeni Suryaatmaja; born 31 August 1954)[1] is the 18th sultan of Banten who was crowned on December 11, 2016 with the title of Sultan Syarif Muhammad ash-ShafiuddinAzmatkhan al-Husaini.[2]
Abdul Mughni was the heir of the Sultanate of Banten, he was the son of Ratu Bagus Marjono Soerjaatmadja bin Pangeran Timur Soerjaatmadja bin Sultan Maulana Muhammad Shafiuddin.[2]Maulana Muhammad Shafiuddin was the last sultan of Banten who ruled from 1809 to 1813. After the Banten Sultanate was abolished by the Dutch, he and his descendants were later exiled to Surabaya.[7]
Pengadilan Agama (Indonesian: the Religious Courts) of Serang through Surat Penetapan Ahli Waris (Indonesian: the Letter of Determination of the Heirs) numbered 0316 / PDT.P / 2016 / PA.SRG dated 22 September 2016 has decided that Soerjaatmadja was true the son of Ratu Bagus Abdul Mughni Soerjaatmadja who was descended from the last sultan of Banten Maulana Muhammad Shafiuddin,[6] and as the owner of the strongest blood relation who has the right of inheritance as the successor of the Sultanate of Banten.[8]
In 1981, Soerjaatmadja married a dentist named Nina Arifai. Nina is a retired lecturer at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Indonesia. From the marriage they have four children: Ratu Ayu Primiputri Rakhmania Soerjaatmadja (Ratu Gusti), Ratu Bagus Akhmatindra Adisatria Rachman Soerjaatmadja (Prince Gusti), Ratu Bagus Raditya Hafiz Bangsawan Soerjaatmadja (Prince Adipati), and Ratu Bagus Muhammad Arief Abimanyu Soerjaatmadja (Prince Anom).[1]
Related to the handover of the mandate by Tubagus Fathul Adzim to Soerjaatmadja, historical records mention that in the early days of Indonesian Independence around 1947[13] there was a meeting between the heirs of the Sultanate of Banten (Ratu Bagus Aryo Marjono Soerjaatmadja), President of Indonesia (Sukarno), Sultan of Yogyakarta (Hamengkubuwono IX), and Resident of Banten (Tubagus Ahmad Chatib al-Bantani). At the meeting, Sukarno invited the heir to the throne of Banten Sultanate to lead the Banten area back, but the heir to the throne due to his responsibilities as Director of BRI (now the Governor of Bank Indonesia) entrusted Banten's leadership including the guarding and maintenance of the big family asset of Banten Sultanate to Tubagus Ahmad Chatib al-Bantani as Resident of Banten, until the time when child or grandson Marjono return to Banten.[13]
2013
In 2013, Soerjaatmadja genealogy as the heir of the Sultanate of Banten recognized and endorsed by Rabithah Azmatkhan as research institute Walisongo descendants family.[2]
Throughout the year 2013 - 2015, Soerjaatmadja also frequent visits to the clerics of Banten such as Abuya Ahmad Muhtadi Dimyathi Cidahu, Abuya Uci Turtusi Cilongok, Abuya Munfasir Padarincang, Kyai Hajji Yusuf Mubarok Cinangka, Kyai Hajji Sukanta Labuan, Kyai Hajji Thobari Syadzili Tangerang, Kyai Hajji Lukman Harun Cilegon, and others.[12]
2014
In 2014, Soerjaatmadja was invited as Sultan of Banten by the Sultanate of Kelantan in Malaysia, it makes the stronger recognition of him as the official heir of the Sultanate of Banten which began coming from the international community.[2]
2015
On February 3, 2015, Soerjaatmadja was recognized by international clerics, such as from Turkey (Sheikh Fadhil al-Jailani, descendant of Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Gilani), Syria, Kelantan-Malaysia and Pattani-Thailand, as the 18th Sultan of Banten with the title of Sultan Syarif Muhammad as-Shafiuddin Azmatkhan al-Husaini.[14] He was also given a testament and mandate as the heir of the Sultanate who led culturally to strengthen the bond with the community, local government, and the Bantenese ulama.[15]
2016
Soerajaatmadja was officially crowned as the 18th Sultan of Banten with the title of Sultan Syarif Muhammad as-Shafiuddin during the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's Mawlid at the Great Mosque of Banten, Serang, Banten, on Sunday 11 December 2016.[3][4]
As the Sultan of Banten
Pros and cons
A series of pros and cons occurred after the establishment of Soerjaatmadja as the 18th Sultan of Banten on December 11, 2016 in Old Banten.[16][17]
The Religious Courts of Serang spoke about the pros and cons of the inauguration. The court declared not to establish the title of 18th Sultan of Banten, but only set Soerjaatmadja as the heir of the descendants of the Sultanate of Banten. The Decree of the Religious Courts of Serang was numbered 0316 / PDT.P / 2016 / PA.SRG dated 22 September 2016 on the Stipulation of the Heirs.[18]
Meanwhile, Soerjaatmadja said that the decision of the Religious Courts of Serang has established himself as the heir of the Sultanate of Banten so entitled to the title of Sultan of Banten. He invited the parties who objected to his enthronement as the 18th Sultan of Banten to file a lawsuit.[19]
As the Sultan of Banten, he intends to embrace all parties, including those who reject the coronation himself as the Sultan of Banten. Soerjaatmadja wants to invite all to work together to rebuild the glory of the Sultanate of Banten.[20]
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ulema Council of Banten Province assessed the horizontal conflict that occurred on the coronation of the 18th Sultan of Banten between Soerjaatmadja as the heir of the Sultanate with the Kenadziran Kesultanan Banten was a family affair and must be resolved by way of kinship.[21]
