Coat of Arms of Indonesia
Categories: National coats of arms | Indonesia
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Scroll and Motto
The Garuda clutches in talons a scroll bearing the National Motto of Indonesia, written in modern Bahasa Indonesia: "Bhinneka Tunggal lka." This translates to "Unity in Diversity."
Symbolism
Garuda
The Garuda is the mythical golden eagle, common to both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The Garuda was a chimera, having the wings, beak, and feet of the golden eagle, but a man's arms and trunk. The Garuda is a commonly used as an emblem in South and Southeast Asian nations. The use of the Garuda in Indonesia's coat-of-arms invokes the pre-colonial Hindu kingdoms that spanned across the archipelago, from which the present-day Republic of Indonesia is understood to be descended.
The feathers on the Garuda of the Indonesian coat-of-arms are arranged so that they invoke the date of 17 August 1945, the officially recognized Indonesian Day of Independence. There are 17 feathers on each wing, 8 on the tail, 45 on the neck, corresponding to the "17/8/45" international date format for Independence.
Shield
The shield is a martial symbol, standing for defense of the country. It is divided into five sections: a background divided into quarters, colored red and white (the colors of the national flag) in a checkerboard pattern; and a smaller, concentric shield, black in background.
Emblems
Each section of the shield has a symbol corresponding to the Pancasalia Indonesia principles laid down by its founder, President Sukarno.
The Star
The black shield bearing the golden star at center corresponds to the first Pancasila principle, belief in one God. The color black is commonly thought of as representative of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, the most common religion in Indonesia. Upon this shield at center is a golden, five-pointed star. This is a symbol common not only among Indonesia's sanctioned faiths of Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism, but of the secular ideology of socialism as well.
This tenet of Pancasalia has always been controversial, for it suggests compulsory religious belief as well as compulsory monotheism. Supporters of Sukarno's legacy, however, believe that this tenet was meant to unify Indonesia's population, who have diverse faiths and beliefs.
The Chain
In the bottom right quarter, on a red background, is a chain made up of square and round links. This chain represents successive human generations, with the round links representing women and the square links representing men. The chain corresponds to the second principle of the Pancasila, of belief in a commonly bound humanity.
The Tree
At the upper right quarter, on a white background, is the banyan tree (in Bahasa Indonesia, the beringin). This symbol corresponds to the third Pancasila principle, the unity of Indonesia. The banyan is known for having expansive above-ground roots and branches. The Republic of Indonesia, as an ideal conceived by Sukarno and the Nationalists, is one country out of of many far-flung cultural roots.
The Bull
In the upper left quarter, on a red background, is the head of the Javanese wild bull, the banteng. This represents the fourth principle of Pancasila, democracy by deliberation and consensus among representatives. The banteng is a social animal, so too is humanity, and decisions must be made collectively. The banteng was also adopted as a symbol of Sukarno's Nationalists, and later by his daughter Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle.
Paddy and Cotton
In the lower left quarter, on a white background, are a gold-and-white paddy and cotton ears. These represent the fifth Pancasila principle of social justice. The paddy and cotton represent sustenance and livelihood.