From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung

Irfanda Sejati; Sunarto Sunarto; Robby Habiba Abror; Slamet Haryono; Moh Muttaqin

doi:10.12975/rastmd.20261433

From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung

Abstract

Sufi aesthetics in the Mevlevi tradition and Mataram Court art illuminate a deep interconnection between spiritual consciousness and artistic expression, underscoring how mystical ideas are transformed into aesthetic experiences through sound, movement, and symbolism. The Mevlevi order, inspired by Jalal al-Din Rumi’s Mathnawi, embodies a synthesis of poetry, music, and ritual performance to attain divine unity through the harmony of form and spirit. Meanwhile, the Mataram Court, during the reign of Sultan Agung (1613–1645), developed a comparable aesthetic philosophy in which musical compositions (gendhing), literary forms, and performative arts, such as wayang, were interwoven with mystical and cosmological meanings. Although previous research has examined Rumi’s Mathnawi and Javanese Gendhing literature independently, few studies have explored the interplay between their respective aesthetic traditions. This study explores possible aesthetic correspondences between Mevlevi practices in Anatolia and the artistic system of the Mataram Court, emphasizing how Sufi principles particularly the notions of tawhid (unity) and fana’ (self-annihilation) were reinterpreted within Javanese palace cosmology. The research employs an art historical and comparative analytical method, combining textual interpretation of Mathnawi and Gendhing literature with musical analysis of gamelan rebab practices and symbolic readings of wayang performances, particularly Gendhing Sunyaruri. Primary and secondary data were obtained through comprehensive literature review and hermeneutic analysis of sources on Sufism, Islamic aesthetics, and seventeenth-century Javanese culture. The findings do not suggest a direct historical transmission from the Mevlevi order in Anatolia to the Mataram Court. Rather, they demonstrate how comparable Sufi aesthetic values including tawhid, fana’, quietness, love, and spiritual pedagogy were articulated and creatively localized within two distinct historical and cultural traditions. In the Mataram context, art functioned simultaneously as a pedagogical tool, a symbolic language of divine order, and a medium of royal legitimation, merging Islamic mysticism with indigenous metaphysical systems. By revealing these interwoven layers of meaning, the study contributes to broader discourses on Islamic and comparative aesthetics, positioning the Mataram Court as a vital locus of cross-cultural synthesis and a significant contributor to the spiritual and artistic identity of the Indonesian archipelago.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research did not receive special funding support from government agencies, the commercial sector, or non- profit organizations.

Ethical Statement

Our article entitled "From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of Sufi Values in the Concept of Musical Aesthetics according to Sultan Agung" is truly our original writing and is not a plagiarism or imitation of someone else's work. ontribution of authors: SS; conceptualization, supervision, writing and review. RHA; conceptualization, religious interpretation, review. IRHS: investigation, data collection, formal analysis, writing- original draft. SH; methodology, musical analysis, review. MM; validation, editing, project administration.

Thanks

The author expresses his deepest appreciation and gratitude to the Music Education Study Program, Faculty of Language and Arts, Semarang State University for the academic support and conducive research environment during the process of preparing this research. The author also expressed his appreciation to the Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Yogyakarta, for various scientific discussions on Sufism, Islamic aesthetics, and Javanese cultural traditions that made an important contribution to the development of this study. Gratitude was also expressed to academics, cultural experts, artists, and cultural observers who have contributed through research, publications, and efforts to preserve the Mevlevi tradition, Javanese palace art, gamelan, puppetry, and the intellectual heritage of Sultan Agung. This contribution is an important foundation in building a comparative perspective on the aesthetic interaction between Islamic mysticism and Javanese art traditions as studied in this study. .

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sociology (Other), Musicology and Ethnomusicology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Irfanda Sejati ^*
0000-0001-8441-1242
Indonesia

Sunarto Sunarto
0000-0003-3023-7183
Indonesia

Robby Habiba Abror
0000-0002-2413-2636
Indonesia

Slamet Haryono
0000-0003-4644-8014
Indonesia

Moh Muttaqin
0000-0002-4687-3398
Indonesia

Early Pub Date

September 30, 2026

Publication Date

September 30, 2026

Submission Date

December 11, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 25, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 14 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.12975/rastmd.20261433

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA87KK74AK

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Sejati, I., Sunarto, S., Habiba Abror, R., Haryono, S., & Muttaqin, M. (2026). From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung. Rast Musicology Journal, 14(3), 409-441. https://doi.org/10.12975/rastmd.20261433

AMA

1.Sejati I, Sunarto S, Habiba Abror R, Haryono S, Muttaqin M. From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung. RMJ. 2026;14(3):409-441. doi:10.12975/rastmd.20261433

Chicago

Sejati, Irfanda, Sunarto Sunarto, Robby Habiba Abror, Slamet Haryono, and Moh Muttaqin. 2026. “From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of Sufi Values in the Concept of Musical Aesthetics According to Sultan Agung”. Rast Musicology Journal 14 (3): 409-41. https://doi.org/10.12975/rastmd.20261433.

EndNote

Sejati I, Sunarto S, Habiba Abror R, Haryono S, Muttaqin M (September 1, 2026) From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung. Rast Musicology Journal 14 3 409–441.

IEEE

[1]I. Sejati, S. Sunarto, R. Habiba Abror, S. Haryono, and M. Muttaqin, “From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung”, RMJ, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 409–441, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.12975/rastmd.20261433.

ISNAD

Sejati, Irfanda - Sunarto, Sunarto - Habiba Abror, Robby - Haryono, Slamet - Muttaqin, Moh. “From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of Sufi Values in the Concept of Musical Aesthetics According to Sultan Agung”. Rast Musicology Journal 14/3 (September 1, 2026): 409-441. https://doi.org/10.12975/rastmd.20261433.

JAMA

1.Sejati I, Sunarto S, Habiba Abror R, Haryono S, Muttaqin M. From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung. RMJ. 2026;14:409–441.

MLA

Sejati, Irfanda, et al. “From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of Sufi Values in the Concept of Musical Aesthetics According to Sultan Agung”. Rast Musicology Journal, vol. 14, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 409-41, doi:10.12975/rastmd.20261433.

Vancouver

1.Irfanda Sejati, Sunarto Sunarto, Robby Habiba Abror, Slamet Haryono, Moh Muttaqin. From Mevlevi to Mataram: Transmission of sufi values in the concept of musical aesthetics according to Sultan Agung. RMJ. 2026 Sep. 1;14(3):409-41. doi:10.12975/rastmd.20261433