Nusantara is a term used by the Indonesian people to describe the islands of Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke.
This word was first recorded in Middle Javanese literature (12th century to the 16th), but to illustrate different concepts with the use of now. In the early 20th century this term was revived by Ki Hajar Dewantara as an alternative name for the advanced countries the Dutch East Indies. After Indonesia approved the use of a name to use for the idea, said the archipelago was used as a synonym for the islands of Indonesia. Malaysia borrowed this term but use it in different terms. In Malaysia, the term is commonly used to describe the unity of geography-anthropology of the islands that lies between Asia and Australia, including the Peninsula, but usually does not include the Philippines.
In the Javanese concept of statehood in the 13th century until the 15th, the king is the "king-god": the king who ruled is also a god incarnate. Therefore, the power radiated power of a god. Majapahit kingdom can be used as an example. State is divided into three regions: the Great State, foreign, and the archipelago. State Supreme is the region around the capital of the kingdom where the king ruled. Worldwide are areas in Java and about the culture was similar to the Great State, but was already in "border areas". Viewed from this perspective, Madura and Bali is the "foreign". In addition Lampung and Palembang also still be considered the "foreign". Archipelago is a region outside the influence of Javanese culture, but still claimed to be the vanquished: the sovereign must pay tribute.
Gajah Mada University in Linguistic Theories states: Sira Gajah Mada pepatih swing amukita tan amungkubumi palapa, sira Gajah Mada: Lamun ingsun huwus archipelago lost amukti palapa, seagrass lost ring Gurun, ring Seram, Tanjungpura, ring Haru, ring Pahang, Dompo, ring Bali, Sunda, Palembang, Tumasik, Samana ingsun amukti palapa.
Book lists Negarakertagama areas "Nusantara", which at present can be said to cover most areas of modern Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi and some islands in the vicinity, some of the Moluccas and West Papua) region plus Malaysia , Singapore, Brunei and some parts of southern Philippines.
In morphology, this word is a compound word derived from Old Javanese nusa ( "island") and between ( "other").
Modern Usage
In the 1920s, Ki Hajar Dewantara introduced the name "archipelago" to refer to areas that do not have Dutch element of foreign language ( "India"). This is stated because the Netherlands, as occupiers, preferring to use the term indie ( "Indies"), which caused confusion with many other language literature. This definition is clearly different from the definition in the 14th century. At this stage this proposal, the term "compete" with other alternatives, such as "India" (Indonesia) and "Insulinde". This last term was introduced by Eduard Douwes Dekker.
Use in Malaysia
The term "Nusantara" was also used in Malaysia to refer to the archipelago of continental Southeast Asia (Indochina) and Australia, and includes the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia (including the peninsula area), Singapore, Brunei, Philippines (southern part), East Timor, and - but not always - Papua New Guinea. This relates to their concept of "race Malays", in which areas they think the islands are under the influence of a parent culture that is culture "Race Malays".
Malaysia to use this term to refer to the maritime Southeast Asia that have relevance to the culture or language of Malays, because language is a lingua franca in human relations in these islands. Literature in English and several other European languages (but rarely found in the Dutch-language literature) also calls this area as the Malay Archipelago. "Archipelago" and the "Malayan Archipelago"
European literature in English (and then followed by other language literature, except the Netherlands) in the 19th century until now often referred to the islands between Asia and Australia are inhabited by a branch of the Mongoloid race called the race Malays (Malay), using a family the same language (Austronesian), and contact each other by using a pattern language of Malays (Melayu Pasar language) as the Malay Archipelago ( "Malayan Archipelago").
"Nusantara" at the time of Majapahit and the Malayan Archipelago, which is the basis of the concept (Alam Melayu) are two concepts that have the same geographic coverage but there are differences in history that these two concepts can not be used to refer to the same thing.
The concept of "Nusantara" pure derived from indigenous cultures of Indonesia (Majapahit). This can be seen from the archipelago itself that is not taken from foreign languages (India). Nation of Indonesia as a descendant of the original (not immigrants) from Majapahit has absolute right over terminology Archipelago. As the heir to the terminology of Archipelago, the nature of the definition of this terminology is that the country remains. If the origin refers to the region Nusantara Majapahit, the archipelago is now referring to the territory of Indonesia.
While the concept of Malayan Archipelago actually used by foreigners to refer to areas where the population using the Austronesian language family. Malays own use of the word is not meant to refer to the Malays, but rather to because the word "me-la-yo" found in Jambi is the oldest at the time. the word "me-la-yo" is actually only a small part refers jambi area and do not have coverage area of "Nusantara". In the development part of the population in Southeast Asia said the Malayan Archipelago misinterpreted as a concept in which epicenters Malays (Malays Malaysia) as a center of civilization in the Malayan Archipelago (Austronesian).
Meaning of error Malayan Archipelago, and also developed the concept of race Malays. This concept is clearly a mistake because ethnic Malays are one ethnic group, just like the Javanese, Sudanese, Balinese, etc..
Considering the deviation from the concept of this Malayan Archipelago and also differences in the history of the terminology and the terminology Malayan Archipelago Archipelago is a different terminology.
