Sumedang

Sumedang lies in the highlands of western Java, amid the hills and valleys of the Sundanese interior. Its rulers headed Sumedang Larang, a kingdom associated with the older realm of Sunda. The crown known as Binokasih Sang Hyang Paké became a valued emblem of that inheritance, linking the house of Sumedang to the vanished court of Pajajaran.

Islam gained ground here under Prince Santri in the sixteenth century, when Sumedang was connected with Cirebon. After the fall of the Sunda kingdom, his son Geusan Ulun inherited royal regalia and claimed its legacy. Sumedang lay between the growing powers of Banten, Cirebon and Mataram. In 1620 its ruler Raden Suriadiwangsa acknowledged Sultan Agung of Mataram, becoming a regent charged with coordinating other rulers of the Priangan highlands. The old kingdom thus entered a new political order while its dynasty retained a place in the region.