Kotagede is More Than Just a Silver Culture: Catur Gatra Tunggal
When we talk about Kotagede, we can actually tell stories about many things. It is true that Kotagede is also known as the Silver City, but there is so much more we can learn and enjoy here. Kotagede is an old town, arguably the oldest town in the southern region of Central Java. If we study the history of Kotagede, this area was originally the Mentaok forest, which was gifted to Ki Gede Pemanahan by Sultan Hadiwijaya for his service in defeating Arya Penangsang of Jipang.
In 1556, Ki Gede Pemanahan along with his family and supporters migrated from Pajang to the Mentaok forest. Upon arriving in Kotagede, Ki Gede Pemanahan and his supporters cleared the Mentaok forest to build a settlement. As the Mentaok forest began to transform into a residential area, it slowly but surely became a town called Kotagede. This development paved the way for the surrounding areas to become supporting settlements that sustained Kotagede's progress.
Following the transition of leadership from Ki Gede Pemanahan to his son, Senopati, and the simultaneous decline of the Pajang government center, Kotagede advanced rapidly. Senopati did not use the title of Sultan as the head of the Mataram Islam government; instead, he chose the title Panembahan Senopati. The title Panembahan, which carries spiritual connotations, suggests that as a leader he did not wish to compete with the ruling king in Pajang. It is a title that describes a leader who did not only govern from a worldly perspective, but also nurtured the spiritual life of his people.
In developing the Kotagede region, Panembahan Senopati employed the Catur Gatra Tunggal method. Catur means four, and Tunggal means a single unity. It refers to regional development using an integrated approach of building four elements in an inseparable unity. These four elements are the Palace (Keraton), the Town Square (Alun-alun), the Mosque (Masjid), and the Market (Pasar). The Catur Gatra Tunggal development method is like building a region with the palace as the administrative center, positioned close to the people (Town Square), and nurturing the citizens both materially (Market) and spiritually (Mosque).
The Palace (Keraton) served as the center of government administration. To the north of the palace, the Town Square (Alun-alun) was a space for the king to communicate with his people—in today's terms, it could be categorized as a social media platform where the king could interact with his citizens, and the citizens could gather for social activities. To the west of the town square stood the Mosque (Masjid) as a place for the king to guide the spiritual life of the people to know God the Creator. Meanwhile, to the north of the town square lay the Market (Pasar) to drive the economic engine of the society.
If traced, the management and development of regions using the Catur Gatra Tunggal method dates back to the Demak Kingdom era, and some even suggest it began during the Majapahit era. From Demak, it continued to the Pajang era, Kotagede, and moved on to Kerta, Plered, Kartasura, Surakarta, and Yogyakarta. In Yogyakarta's era, a southern town square (Alun-alun Selatan) was added alongside the northern town square.
In Kotagede, the remnants of the Catur Gatra Tunggal layout can still be observed and traced through the locations of these four elements, which remain unchanged. However, while the physical locations remain, their functions have evolved over time. First, the 16th-century Mataram Palace (Keraton) has transformed into a residential settlement in the 21st century, and the Town Square (Alun-alun) has likewise become a neighborhood. On the other hand, the Mosque's function as a place of worship from the 16th century continues to serve its purpose beautifully in the 21st century, as does the Market's function.