A Non-Western Panopticon

This chapter discusses an ancient South Asian and Southeast Asian cosmology of rule, based on the “mandala.” According to this concept, earthly harmony is achieved by replicating the macrocosm of the universe in the microcosm of the earthly kingdom. Unexplored in the literature on mandala kingdoms, however, are the implications of this concept for state surveillance. This is illustrated by the Yogyakarta Sultanate in Central Java, which was historically structured along mandala lines. Lying at the foot of Merapi volcano, the lowland court is thought to have a spirit counterpart in the crater of the volcano. Perturbation in the sultanate — political misdeeds, for example — is thought to result in perturbation in the spirit world of the volcano. Belief in this linkage between mundane and spirit worlds is reflected in close surveillance of volcanic activity by the Yogyakarta court and also by the national government. This surveillance calls to mind the concept of the panopticon prison. The concept of the mandala and derivative ideas, like that of seeking insight from mountains and mirrors, are — like the panopticon itself — essentially perspectivist in character and give people a valuable perspective on living in a hazardous environment like Merapi volcano.