PhD defence
Learning from the Scribes: A Study of the Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa from the Merapi-Merbabu Tradition
- Y. Apriastuti Rahayu
- Date
- Tuesday 7 July 2026
- Time
- Address
-
Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden
Supervisor(s)
Summary
The Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa is a literary prose work from the 10th century, composed during the reign of Dharmawangśa. At least two traditions of Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa texts have been identified: the Balinese tradition and the Javanese tradition, more precisely the one found in the Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu area of Central Java. Three editions of the Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa have been published, yet none have incorporated manuscripts from the Javanese tradition, even though it may be assumed that each tradition possesses its distinct characteristics. This dissertation seeks to investigate the transmission of the Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa in Java and the quality of the work produced by the Javanese scribes, allowing us to comprehend the contributions that can be expected from the Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa text within the Javanese tradition. The scribes are the main focus of this dissertation. From the scribes, we learn about the relationships between manuscripts, the development of the script, the spelling conventions of the time, and, most importantly, the nature and character of the scribes themselves.
PhD dissertations
Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.
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