Galuh Kingdom

The Galuh Kingdom was a medieval Sundanese kingdom located in the eastern part of Tatar Sunda (now West Java province and Banyumasan region of Central Java province), present-day Indonesia. It was established as a breakaway kingdom of the Tarumanagara around the 7th century. Traditionally the kingdom was associated with the Central & Eastern Parahyangan cultural regions, with territory spanning from Citarum River in the west, to Cipamali and Cisarayu River in the east. Its capital was first located in Karangkamulyan, Ciamis Regency, then Saunggalah, Kuningan and Kawali, north of present-day Ciamis. The etymology of "galuh" is Old Sundanese and Kawi word for "gemstone".

History
Most of the knowledge about this kingdom was collected from local Sundanese myths and folktales, transmitted through Pantun Sunda oral tradition. The Sundanese epic folktale of Ciung Wanara took place in this kingdom. Scarce historical records include Carita Parahyangan and Wangsakerta manuscripts were composed in the later period. The only stone inscription left by this kingdom was the 14th-century Astana Gede inscription discovered in Kawali, believed to be the former capital of Galuh. From all these sources, it was concluded that Galuh was a Hindu kingdom, the predecessor of the later Sunda Kingdom which was centered in Pajajaran. The Kingdom timespan was about the same period as the Javanese kingdoms starts from Kalingga until the era of Majapahit.

According to the Wangsakerta manuscript, Galuh was a vassal of Tarumanagara. After the fall of Tarumanagara, its dynastic patriarch, Wretikandayun of Galuh, separated his realm from the Sunda kingdom in the west. Since the crown prince of Galuh was the son-in-law of Queen Shima of Kalingga, a Hindu kingdom in Central Java, Wretikandayun, supported by Kalingga, demanded that the remnant of what was known as Tarumanagara's territory be divided into two kingdoms. Finding himself in an unfortunate position and unwilling to risk a civil war, King Tarusbawa of Sunda granted Wretikandayun's demand. In 670, Tarumanagara was divided into two kingdoms: the Sunda Kingdom in the west, and the Galuh Kingdom in the east, separated by the Tarum (Citarum) River.

Galuh continued to exist as an individual kingdom as the counterpart of Sunda until it was absorbed and incorporated within the Sunda kingdom around the 10th century. Galuh and the Sunda kingdom, another Sundanese kingdom, established the United Kingdom of Sunda and Galuh. Its centre in Kawali became the court capital until the 15th century when Sri Baduga Maharaja shifted the capital to Pakuan Pajajaran. In the later period, during the expansion of the Mataram Sultanate, the menak (nobles) of the Eastern Priangan region (Ciamis, Tasikmalaya, Garut, Kuningan, and Majalengka), claimed to hold the legacy and prestige of this ancient kingdom.

Cultural heritage
Cangkuang temple located in Leles, Garut Regency is estimated to have been built during the Galuh kingdom era. It is the only reconstructed Hindu temple in West Java.