The Penghulu Court, Islam, and Customary Law: Critical Analysis of the Handling of Murder Case in Cirebon in 1794

Abstrak

This article examines three letters from Governor General Willem Arnold Alting to Sultan Sepuh and Sultan Anom of Cirebon, dated July 4 and December 1, 1794. It explores the contested role of the Penghulu Court in the Cirebon Sultanate during late 18th century under Dutch colonial rule, a period marked by the overlap of Islamic, customary (adat), and colonial legal systems. A key episode occurred when Governor General Alting criticized the courtÔÇÖs discharge of two murder suspects, alleging a failure to uphold Islamic or customary law. This study employs a qualitative historical legal methodology and codicological analysis, to examine three unpublished VOC-era manuscripts from the National Archives of the Republic Indonesia (Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia/ANRI). It reveals that the Penghulu CourtÔÇÖs decision was grounded in Islamic procedural law, particularly evidentiary rules regarding confession and denial. The findings highlight how local Islamic courts negotiated legal legitimacy under growing colonial oversight. This study contributes to academic discourse on legal pluralism by illustrating how Islamic judicial authority was preserved, adapted, and eventually constrained under colonial governance. It underscores the historical foundations of IndonesiaÔÇÖs contemporary legal hybridity, where state law, shar─½╩┐a, and adat remain deeply interconnected within the national judicial system.