Textual Legacies of Javanese-Penginyongan Pesantren:
A Codicological Study of Kitab Kuning Manuscripts (1890s–1970s)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18326/millati.v11i1.5845Keywords:
Pegon , Javanese, Codicology , Kitab Kuning manuscripts, Pesantren , BanyumasAbstract
This article examines Kitab Kuning manuscripts preserved in Javanese–Penginyongan pesantren from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century (1890s–1970s) through a codicological and philological lens. It identifies two dominant textual formations: localized adaptations of authoritative Islamic works from the wider Sunni canon, and original compositions by indigenous ulama crafted to address regional pedagogical needs, linguistic sensibilities, and socio-religious realities. Covering major fields of Islamic learning, such as tafsir, fiqh, kalam, and tasawwuf, the manuscript corpus demonstrates a vibrant and plural intellectual ecology within rural pesantren culture. Detailed codicological analysis of script styles, ink composition, paper provenance, bindings, colophons, marginalia, and Arabic–Pegon bilingualism reveals not only material practices of manuscript production, but also modes of transmission, annotation, and pedagogical use. These features illuminate how texts were read, taught, and recontextualized across generations of santri and teachers. The study argues that Penginyongan pesantren functioned as dynamic nodes of Islamic knowledge-making, actively mediating between transregional Islamic scholarship and local epistemic frameworks. In doing so, they contributed decisively to the vernacularization, continuity, and hybridity of Islamic textual traditions within the broader Nusantara scholarly network.
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Informants
K.H. Achmad Saifuddin Thoha and family, Pondok Pesantren Al-Djazuli, Pliken, Kembaran, Banyumas. In-depth interview and focus group discussion conducted on November 9, 2024.
K.H. Amin Rosyid and family, Pondok Pesantren Al-Istiqomah, Petanahan, Kebumen. In-depth interview and focus group discussion conducted on February 12, 2024.
Dr. K.H. Jauhar Hatta, Caretaker of Pondok Pesantren Al-Fatah, Parakancanggah, Banjarnegara. In-depth interview conducted on August 5, 2023.
K.H. Mohammad Syafii Baidlowi, Caretaker of Pondok Pesantren Ma'hadut Tholabah, Babakan, Tegal. In-depth interview conducted on July 21, 2023.
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