ABSTRACT of some of the LAWS: which, according to the tradition of the Javans, were
in force against the inhabitants, previous to the supposed arrival of Aji SaJca.
(Collected by Mr. M id d i -e k o o p .)- -
OATHS
W e re administered by repeating certain words. after the P rie st, accompanied by
a motion of the h e a d and body, the hands being folded«
ORDINARY FINKS.
Were levied according to the following gradations.
When a subordinate or petty chief, who h ad people u n d er him, committed a crime
the fine was........... . . . . ;il;i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , „ btahil f
The eldest son of a Prince ............................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . k
The son of a chief « j,.,U . . «»» ... ........... ......................... #£
A Prince or Raden without employment . . . . . . . . . . . . .............; '1|- ,
A Menak or Rang’ga holding a public office and transacting public duty.. .. ,ïs 5 ,
A Menak or Rang'ga restricted from the performance of public d u ty .......... . l i ,
A Menak or Rang'ga who administered a small track of country , ». , «. .. .. . »4U M
Children of a chief Rang'ga os Menak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . , . , . . . . . , gi
An ambassador (ordinary) of a Prince or principal chief , . gf
An ambassador extraordinary . , .. «.......... ....................... ............................ ..... 1r-
Children of the above........ ............................................................. yJÈgms. . . . . j
A male subject.'.. . . . . . . . . . . . .
A female subject ................. .. .............J
P ersons h aving forfeited th e ir rig h t o f lib erty th ro u g h misdemeanors, and thus
become d ep en d an t upon an o th er, pay fifty pichis.
A ll th e above fines might be p a id in money, goods, gold,, silver, horses, buffaloes,
a n d o th e r necessary articles.
THEFT AND ROBBERY,
A free subject h av in g committed a robbery, h e was d elivered up (on detection)
to the chief or tribunal of the place to which he belonged ; and if unwilling to resto re
the stolen goods, o r unabjc to pay the value, he Was to be d elivered' over to the
p e rso n whom he had robbed, made to serve him as a bondsman: but no claim
whatever was enforced u p o n the wife or children, who did not, on th is account,
forfeit their liberty. I t was, however, lawful to: deprive a thief of his life when
caught in the act.
When a robbery was committed by a person in a s ta te o f servitude, the p ro p rie to r
of such p e rso n ’s services was h o und to pay th e value o f th e stolen p roperty, o r
to deliver the perso n over to th e in ju red p a rty ; b u t on being caught in the fact,
and th e th ie f being p u t to death, th e p ro p rie to r was no fu rth e r liable.
Robberies
* ;The money here alluded to is the coin of Palembang, subsequently introduced by Ration Pala/i, in consequence
of his connexion with Palembang. Rice appears to have heen the principal medium of exchange previously' to
th is period. T h epic/iis is a small tin coin, of which two hundred make a wang, and twenty-eight wangs are
equal in value to a Spanish dollar.
Robberies having been committed in th e day time, w e re p u nished by a lin e or
by servitude.
I f one or more stolen buffaloes were killed in o r n ear a village, an d sufficient pro o f
th e re o f adduced1 by the owner, th e v illag e people w e re condemned to p ay th e value
o f such stolen c a ttle , unless they produced th e th ie f or thieves.
■ ■ H O M IC ID E AN D M U R D E R . '
A free person who k illed a male dependant, was pun ish ed b y a fine o f two and
a h a lf tahils; one who killed a female dependant was fined th re e and a h a lf tahils.
I f in an affray b etween two free persons th e one killed th e other, an d th e offender
Was seized in th e act, he could b e p u t to death by the relations or friends o f th e
deceased ; b u t i f h e succeeded in tak in g refuge with th e h e ad o f a village, h e was
only liab le to a fine o f five tahils i f th e deceased was a male, au d th re e an d a h a lf
lahik i f a female.- ’
Wh en a prince, chief) o r petty ch ief was m u rd e red by one o f h is subjects, the
party was punished b y death, for having; k illed his superior.
B u t a prince or head chief h ad th e rig h t to deprive his' subjects o f th eir lives
whenever he chose, th o u g h when one o f th eir sons, either a Menait, Rang'ga, or o th er
chief, p u t to death a free person or d ependant, lie Was b o u n d to pay to th e friends
o r master of th e deceased two and a h a lf tahils, besides a fine for a male person
five, and for a female th re e and th ree q u a rte rs tahils. Th ese persons were n o t
liab le to be p u t to death, alth o u g h cau g h t in th e fact.
I n case, however, th a t a prince or chief caused to be p u t to death a dependant
who was p o t gu ilty o f any offence for which h e deserved such punishment, th e
prince or chief was bound to make good h a lf o f th e estimated value o f the
deceased p roperty, beside being condemned to servitude, and a fine o f ten tahils.
' Amok b e in g cried, it was lawful for every one to; destroy such as ran amok ; b u t
in th e event o f its being a false alarm, and any one was k illed by th e crowd, th e
person th a t exclaimed amok was liable to be fined.
I n a crowd o r assemblage o f people, i f a dispute ran so high th a t one p a rty was
k illed in th e affray,, and lay dead on the g round, th e offending p a rty was exempt
from fine, b u t punished by the prince according to the circumstances of th e case.
ADULTERY
A man having received information th a t liis wife h ad committed ad u ltery , was
restric te d from believing it, even i f h e was to ld b y credible persons, unless h e
found h e r in th e act ; h e might then deprive h e r o f life. I f she escaped, howevër,
a n d concealed h e rse lf among h e r friends and neighbours, it Was n o t lawful to
p u t h e r to death ; b u t on complaint being made b y h e r husband, she was prosecuted
and punished according to the circumstances o f th e case.
A man found g uilty o f ad u lte ry was liab le to a fine o f ten tahils, and th e w oman to
th e same. Being unable to discharge th e sum, th ey were transferred to th e servitude
o f another, who was willing to pay the amount o f the fine, which was th en given
to th e husband o f the adultress.
.A n ,
APPENDIX Ü
Javan Laws,