Kesenian Kesultanan Serdang dalam Arus Sosial Politik pada Masa Kolonial Hingga Awal Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia (1900-1946)

Abstract

This study analyzes the role of the arts, specifically music, dance, and sendratasik (a composite art form of drama, dance, and music), within the Serdang Sultanate in response to the sociopolitical dynamics of the 1900–1946 period. Within this framework, the arts are not understood merely as aesthetic expressions but rather as strategic responses to the challenges of their time. The Sultanate's elite and artists, under the leadership of Sultan Sulaiman Syariful Alamsyah, deliberately utilized the arts as a form of soft power and a cultural instrument to convey messages of resistance, strengthen collective identity, and awaken consciousness to fight for communal rights. This research identifies and analyzes several artistic works that emerged during a critical period marked by Dutch colonial hegemony, Japanese occupation, and the lead-up to the proclamation of Indonesian independence. These works served a dual function: not only fulfilling an aesthetic purpose but also acting as a medium for social communication, an expression of resistance, and a tool for negotiating the community's collective identity. The analysis is focused on three primary examples: the song Mahkota Negara (Crown of the State), which functioned as a "national anthem" to consolidate patriotism; the Serampang Dua Belas Dance, as a creative adaptation effort to affirm a modern and dignified Malay image; and the sendratasik Mak Yong, as a medium for cultural resistance against 'misrecognition'—defined here as the denial, distortion, or misjudgment of identity or rights, which negatively impacted dignity, autonomy, and social justice. Employing a qualitative narrative method, along with the theoretical framework of C.A. Van Peursen's Cultural Strategy, Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Agency in Cultural Practice, and Nancy Fraser's concept of 'Recognition', this study reveals several art forms born from the background of sociopolitical conditions or dynamics. Furthermore, it highlights the role of the Serdang Sultanate's elite and artists who actively actualized their agency to maintain the integrity and sovereignty of their state amidst power struggles.