SEJARAH KOTA PURWOKERTO

Abstract

This study aims at studying the origins of the word “Purwokerto,” presently used as the name of a town in Central Java. The data-collecting methods were document analysis and interview. The collected data were analyzed by employing the historical method that comprised four steps, namely heuristic, verification, interpretation, and historiography. The result of the study showed that the pronunciation of “Purwokerto” should be consistent with the Sanskrit pronunciation system, namely “Purwakerta.” The town was closely related to the legend of Kartisara, the name of Pasir Kertawibawa used as the capital of Pasir, the tomb of Mbah Karta in Astana Dhuwur Cemetery, and legendary kingdom of Purwacarita. Historically, Purwokerto belonged to the territory of Pasir kingdom (Ancient Galuh) which might be mentioned in the Chinese gazette of the T’ang Dynasty. The modern Purwokerto emerged in 1832 when the capital of Ajibarang regency suffered from a heavy damage following a big hurricane and moved to the village of Peguwon. It was in this area where Purwokerto was built, an area known as Wirasaba, which was adjacent to Pasirluhur.