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Showing posts with label Archives of Brawijaya V. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Archives of Brawijaya V. Show all posts

Majapahit City - year 1350 AD


Jakarta (Dreamland Library) - Majapahit City in Trowulan, Kakawin Nagarakretagama, poet VIII-XII, was an important written source for knowing the description of Majapahit City around 1350 AD. The city at that time was not a city in the modern sense, Pigeaud (1962) stated. , a Dutch national historian, in his study of Prapanca's Nagarakretagama.

He concluded, Majapahit was not a city surrounded by walls, but a large residential complex that included a number of smaller complexes, where each other was separated by an open field. Fields are used for public purposes, such as markets and meeting places.

A thick red stone wall is high around the palace. That is the castle of the Majapahit Palace. The large door to the west called "Purawuktra" overlooks a large field. In the middle of the field flows a moat surrounding the field. At the edge of the fortress "Brahmastana", lined lengthwise and various forms. This is where the waiting officers who were patrolling guard Paseban.

Map of the City of Majaapahit The sketch of the reconstruction of the City of Majapahit by Maclaine Pont (1924) based on Nagarakretagama and excavations.

That is one of the footage from Nagarakretagama which depicts one part of the capital city of Majapahit as described by Prapanca. Where are the ruins? Most archaeologists believe and place it in Trowulan. Why Trowulan? This stems from research conducted by Wardenaar on the orders of Raffles in 1815 to observe archeological remains in the Mojokerto area. In his report he always mentioned, "in het bosch van Majapahit" for the cultural heritage found in Mojokerto, especially Trowulan.

Raffles himself in his book History of Java mentions "remains of the gateway at Majapahit called Gapura Jati Pasar" when mentioning Waringin Lawang Temple, and mentions "one of the gateways of Majapahit" when referring to Brahu Temple. These assumptions were later reassured by Maclains Pont, a Dutch architect, who dug up almost all over Trowulan. The result is a large number of building foundations, closed and open waterways, and reservoirs.

Nagarakretagama's description of the City of Majapahit was located in the field by Maclains Pont from 1924-1926. He managed to sketch Majapahit's "city" on the Trowulan Site. Majapahit fortress is depicted in the form of a network of roads and perimeter walls that make up rectangular blocks. Macro, the shape of the City of Majapahit resembles the shape of a mandala temple with a rectangular shape and there are entrances on all four sides, while the palace is located in the middle. In addition there are the residences of the soldiers and courtiers, central government officials, ministers, religious leaders, knights, paseban, Bubat field, pool ponds, bathing places, and others.

The Trowulan site itself is located in the Trowulan Subdistrict, Mojokerto Regency, East Java, about 70 km to the southwest of Surabaya. Within an area of ​​9 x 11 km can be seen brick buildings in the form of temples, gates, ponds, and water channels in the face of the land or underground, which all indicate a city that has been quite advanced for that period.

Regarding how large the city of Majapahit is and where its boundaries are, according to the latest research based on Yoni's findings, it is in the southwest of Trowulan, in Labak Jabung, southeast of Trowulan, and Klinterejo in the northeast of Trowulan. Whereas the fourth point should be in Tugu and Bodas Hamlet in Sumobito District, Jombang Regency. With the discovery of archeological sites at the fourth point, it can be calculated the area of ​​the four points, so that the estimated area of ​​Majapahit City is about 11 x 9 km, which extends north-south.

In 1981 the existence of canals and reservoirs at the Trowulan Site was increasingly ascertained through aerial photo studies supported by field observations with geoelectric and geomagnetic predictions. From the results of the collaboration of the National Survey and Mapping Coordinating Board (Bakosurtanal) with Ditlinbinjarah, UGM, ITB, and Lapan, it is known that the Trowulan Site is at the tip of a very large volcanic alluvial fan, has a sloping land surface and is very good for land use (Karina Arifin, 1983). The Baureno, Kumitir, Domas, Kraton, Kedungwulan, Temon and artificial ponds such as Segaran, Balo Dowo and Balong Bunder, all of which are located on the Trowulan Site, are located close to the base of the Jatilujo alluvial fan.

Through observation of infrared aerial photography, it turns out that in the Trowulan Site and its surroundings visible paths intersect perpendicular to the north-south and east-west orientation. The lanes that run east-west consist of 8 lanes, while the lanes that run north-south consist of 6 lanes. In addition to the lines which are perpendicular, two paths are found which are slightly oblique. "Based on field tests on the paths from aerial photography, it turns out that the pathways are canals, some of which are still found reinforcing walls of the canal edge of a brick structure," said Karina Arifin.

The width of the canals ranges from 35-45 meters. The shortest canal is 146 meters in length, which is a north-south stretch that lies in the Pesantren area, while the longest canal is a canal that tides to the east in the Tikus Temple area and ends at Kali Scissors (in Pandean Hamlet) in its west. This canal is about 5 kilometers long. Interestingly, most of the sites in Trowulan are surrounded by intersecting canals, forming a large rectangular plan, subdivided by several smaller rectangular fields.

Palace and King Chinese News written by Ma Huan while following Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) 's trip to Java provided an explanation of the state of the Majapahit people in the XV century. Among other things, that the city of Majapahit is located in the interior of Java. The king's palace is surrounded by a high wall of more than 3 zhang, on one side there is a "heavy gate" (probably made of metal). The height of the building's roof is between 4-5 zhang, the roof tiles are made of cracked wooden boards (shingles).

The Majapahit King lived in the palace, sometimes without a crown, but often wore a crown made of gold and decorated with golden flowers. The king wears a cloth and a barefoot scarf, and everywhere he goes always wears one or two kris blades. When the king exits the palace, usually ride an elephant or ox-drawn carriage. The population of Majapahit has a population of around 200-300 families. Residents wear cloth and clothes, men with long hair and loose, while women have a bun. Every boy always brings a kris made of gold, rhino horn, or ivory

Urban planning
The Majapahit Kingdom, besides having a capital as the seat of government and the seat of the king and royal officials, was also a magical center for the whole kingdom. Judging from the concept of cosmology, the form of the capital city of Majapahit is considered as an embodiment of the universe, while the king is identical with the highest god who resides on the summit of Mount Mahameru (Semeru).

The existence of Majapahit City according to the concept has three elements, namely:

1. a mountain element (a replica of a temple),
2. river elements (replicates formed canals),
3. marine elements (replicas formed reservoirs).

Nagarakretagama said that the structure of the building in the palace included the residence of the king and his family, the manguntur field, the priests' quarters, and the guard houses of the royal servants. The house inside the palace is beautiful, nice, and strong. The capital city of Majapahit is surrounded by regional kings and other cities. Around the palace where the king is located there are regional kings (paduka bhatara) and royal officials / dignitaries.

Pupuh VIII1.    Tersebut keajaiban kota: tembok batu merah, tebal tinggi, mengitari pura. Pintu barat
       bernama Pura Waktra, menghadap ke lapangan luas, bersabuk parit. Pohon
       brahmastana berkaki bodi, berjajar panjang, rapi berbentuk aneka ragam. Di situlah
       tempat tunggu para tanda, terus menerus meronda menjaga paseban.

2.    Di sebelah utara bertegak gapura permai dengan pintu besi penuh berukir. Di sebelah timur: panggung luhur, lantainya berlapis batu, putih-putih mengkilat. Di bagian utara, di selatan pecan, rumah berjejal jauh memanjang, sangat indah. Di Selatan jalan perempat: balai prajurit tempat pertemuan tiap Caitra.

3.    Balai agung Manguntur dengan balai Witana di tengah, menghadap padang
       watangan. Yang meluas ke empat arah; bagian utara paseban pujangga dan menteri.
       Bagian timur paseban pendeta Siwa-Buddha, yang bertugas membahas upacara.
       Pada masa gerhana bulan Palguna, demi keselamatan seluruh dunia.

4.    Di sebelah timur, pahoman berkelompok tiga-tiga mengitari kuil Siwa. Di selatan
       tempat tinggal wipra utama, tinggi bertingkat, menghadap panggung korban. Bertegak
       di halaman sebelah barat; di utara tempat Buddha bersusun tiga. Puncaknya penuh
       berukir; berhamburan bunga waktu raja turun berkorban.

5.    Di dalam, sebelah selatan Manguntur tersekat dengan pintu, itulah paseban. Rumah
       bagus berjajar mengapit jalan ke barat, disela tanjung berbunga lebat. Agak jauh di
       sebelah barat daya: panggung tempat berkeliaran para perwira. Tepat di tengah-
       tengah halaman bertegak mandapa penuh burung ramai berkicau.

6.    Di dalam, di selatan, ada lagi paseban memanjang ke pintu keluar pura yang kedua.
       Dibuat bertingkat-tangga, tersekat-sekat, masing-masing berpintu sendiri. Semua
       balai bertulang kuat bertiang kokoh, papan rusuknya tiada tercela. Para prajurit silih
       berganti, bergilir menjaga pintu, sambil bertukar tutur.

Pupuh XII
1.    Teratur rapi semua perumahan sepanjang tepi benteng. Timur tempat tinggal
       pemuka pendeta Siwa Hyang Brahmaraja. Selatan Buddha-sangga dengan
       Rangkanadi sebagai pemuka. Barat tempat para arya, menteri, dan sanak-kadang
       adiraja.

2.    Di timur tersekat lapangan, menjulang istana ajaib. Raja Wengker dan rani Daha
       penaka Indra dan Dewi Saci. Berdekatan dengan istana raja Matahun dan rani
       Lasem. Tak jauh di sebelah selatan raja Wilwatikta.

3.    Di sebelah utara pasar: rumah besar bagus lagi tinggi. Di situ menetap patih Daha,
       adinda Sri Paduka di Wengker. Batara Narpati, termashur sebagai tulang punggung
       praja. Cinta-taat kepada raja, perwira, sangat tangkas dan bijak.

4.    Di timur laut, rumah patih Wilwatikta, bernama Gajah Mada. Menteri wira, bijaksana,
       setia bakti kepada negara. Fasih bicara, teguh tangkas, tenang, tegas, cerdik, lagi
       jujur. Tangan kanan maharaja sebagai penggerak roda negara.

5.    Sebelah selatan puri, gedung kejaksaan tinggi bagus. Sebelah timur perumahan
       Siwa, sebelah barat Buddha. Terlangkahi rumah para menteri, para arya, dan satria.
       Perbedaan ragam pelbagai rumah menambah indahnya pura.

6.    Semua rumah memancarkan sinar warnanya gilang-cemerlang. Menandingi bulan
       dan matahari, indah tanpa upama. Negara-negara di Nusantara dengan Daha bagai
       pemuka. Tunduk menengadah, berlindung di bawah kuasa Wilwatikta.

Majapahit Future Waters System
The water structures found in the Majapahit period were reservoirs, canals, ponds, and waterways, which are still found in the remains. Based on research, it is known that the Majapahit government built the water structure for the purpose of agricultural irrigation and the means of channeling river water to reservoirs: water storage and storage, as well as flood control.

The research proves that there are about 20 ancient reservoirs spread in the northern plains of Anjasmoro, Welirang, and Arjuno. Baureno Reservoir, Kumitir, Domas, Temon, Kraton, and Kedung Wulan are reservoirs that are connected with Majapahit City which is located between the Scissors River in the west and the Brangkal River in the east. Only the Kedung Wulan reservoir is no longer found in the remains of the building, both from aerial photographs and in the field.

The Baureo Reservoir is the largest reservoir located 0.5 km from the meeting between Kali Boro and Kali Landean. The dam is known as Candi Lima. Not far from Candi Lima, the combined river is united with Kali Pikatan, forming Kali Brangkal. This former reservoir is now a natural basin that is large in size and flowed by several rivers. Like the Baureno Reservoir, other reservoirs have now been damaged and are seen as only natural basins, for example the Domas Reservoir located north of the Baureno Reservoir; Kumitir Reservoir (Rawa Kumitir) located west of the Baureno Reservoir; Kraton Reservoir located north of Bajangratu Gate; and Temon Reservoir located south of the Kraton Reservoir and southwest of the Kumitir Reservoir.

In addition to these reservoirs, in Trowulan there are three artificial ponds located close together, namely Segaran, Balong Bunder, and Balong Dowo. Segaran Pond obtains water from channels originating from the Kraton Reservoir. Balong Bunder is now a swamp located 250 meters south of Segaran Pool. Balong Dowo is also a swamp located 125 meters southwest of Segaran Pond. Only the Segaran Pond is reinforced with thick walls on all four sides, making it the most monumental water structure in the City of Majapahit.

The Segaran Pool was first discovered by Maclaine Pont in 1926. The pond is 375 meters long and 175 meters wide and about 3 meters deep, stretching northeast-southwest. The walls are made of brick glued together without any adhesive. Wall thickness of 1.60 meters. On the southeast side there is an inlet, while on the northwest side there is an outlet leading to Balong Dowo and Balong Bunder.

Aerial photographs made in the 1970s in the Trowulan and surrounding areas clearly show the existence of canals in the form of crossing lines perpendicular to the north-south and west-east orientation. There are also slightly oblique paths with varying widths, between 35-45 m or only 12 m, and even 94 m which may be caused by present-day population activities.

Canals in residential areas, based on drilling that has been done, showed a sedimentation layer as deep as 4 m; and ever found a 2.5 meter high brick arrangement that gives the impression that in the past the canals were given a dike, such as on the edge of the canal located in the Kedaton area which is 26 meters wide given a dike. The canals have ends, ending at Temon Reservoir and Kali Scissors; and at least three canals end at Kali Crab, south of Majapahit City. Canals that are wide enough lead to speculation that their function is not just to irrigate the fields (irrigation), but maybe also for means of transportation that can be passed by small boats.

These canals, reservoirs, and ponds are supported by smaller waterways, which are part of the water network system in Majapahit. In the Trowulan region, culverts built of bricks are often found to be quite large in size, which allows adults to enter them. Rat Temple, which is a bath (petirtaan) for example, has a large culvert to channel water into and out of the temple. In addition to culverts or underground channels, there are also many open channels to irrigate rice fields, as well as the discovery of terracotta pipes which are likely to be used to channel water to houses, as well as gutters from brick structures among the remnants ancient houses. This shows how the Majapahit people have a high awareness of sanitation and water control.

Seeing the large and large number of water structures, it can be estimated that their construction and maintenance require an organized organizational system. This is evident from the knowledge of the technology funds they have, which enable them to be able to control flooding and make the city center protected and safely inhabited.

Until now, both from the inscriptions and ancient manuscripts, no information was obtained about when the reservoirs and canals were built and how long they function. The damage to these water structures may have been initiated by the eruption of Mount Anjasmoro in 1451, which carried a thick layer of lava that broke into the Baureno Reservoir and damaged the existing water network system. Tikus Temple, which is located between the Kumitir Reservoir and the Palace Reservoir, has even been completely covered by lava.

The chaotic state of the kingdom due to the struggle for power coupled with the emergence of new power in the coastal areas, resulting in damage to water structures can not be repaired as before. Erosion and continuous flooding resulted in this area being uninhabitable and slowly abandoned by its inhabitants.

The Great Cities of the Kingdom
City and house shape


Villages and Villages
It is not known exactly how the traditional form of the inheritance of the real Majapahit Kingdom. From a number of artifacts found related to the occupation of the kingdom, it is difficult to provide a standard example of a prototype of the Majapahit era. However, there was a spade of artifacts from baked clay in the form of miniature houses and the findings of the structure of the building which were thought to be typical of Majapahit houses.

The excavation in Trowulan in 1995 showed a building structure in the form of feet from the ground reinforced with a stone structure with a thickness of 1 cm of soil, forming a batur house. The rectangular plan is rectangular, measuring 5.20 x 2.15 meters and a height of about 60 cm. On the north side there is a brick ladder structure consisting of 3 steps. From the existence and layout of the stairs, it can be concluded that this house faces north with a deviation of around 90 55 degrees to the east, as is the orientation of almost all directions of the building structures on the Trowulan Site.

On both sides of the foot of the building there are open ditches 8 cm wide and 10 cm deep. Front of the gutter building follows the shape of the stairs of the building. The gutters are built from brick units so that the gutter structure is stronger, and the water can flow faster. Around the foot of the building were found more than 200 pieces of roof tiles and 70 ridges and peaks, and ukel (decoration of terracotta placed under the roof of the building).

The structure of the building yard is very interesting and unique. The ground yard is covered with a boxy structure, and each box is lined with bricks which are laid down on all four sides, and in the box with a brick frame, round stones are installed to fill the entire area. This kind of cover serves to avoid if the yard becomes muddy when it rains. No such page cover has yet been found, except something rather similar to the south of the Segaran II site.

From these findings it can be assumed that the body of the building was erected on a shelf as high as 60 cm. It is possible that the building is made of wood (plank) and not brick because around the building area is not found a brick in large numbers in accordance with the volume of the building. Maybe the body of the building is made of wood (planks) or plaited bamboo or booth type. The wooden pillars supporting the roof must have been destroyed, presumably not based on stone piles which are actually found on the Trowulan Site, because no one was found around the building.

Poles may be placed directly on the floor that lines the surface of the batur. The roof of the building is estimated to have a slope angle of between 35-60 degrees, covered with rectangular tile arrangement with a size of 24 x 13 x 0.9 cm with a total of about 800-1,000 pieces of tile covering it. The top of the roof is equipped with ridges and tops, and at the ends of the jurries are fitted with ukel ornaments.

Reconstruction of a house building based on evidence found at the site, can be completed through comparison with the forms of the house and its elements that we can see in: (1) contemporary artifacts such as temple reliefs, building models made from terracotta, types of roof coverings in the form of tiles, shingles, bamboo, fibers; (2) simple houses owned by the current population in Trowulan; and (3) houses in Bali.

Apart from the social status of the inhabitants of this house, there is another interesting thing, namely the residents of Majapahit in Trowulan, or at least the residents of this house, have combined aspects of function with aesthetics. The yard is laid out in such a way as to avoid standing water by hardening it with round krakal in a brick frame. Around the building there is an open ditch with a brick base to drain water from the yard. It is also equipped with a water pot from a large terracotta and ornate jugs, which gives the impression of a neatly arranged house yard. To the east there are several brick structures that have not been identified. Maybe this relatively small house is only one of the complexes. The building which is in one yard of 200 square meters is surrounded by a fence like what we can see in Bali now.

Source: http://nusol.gameseru.co.id/index.php/p guide/ensklopedi/arsitektur-k kingdom-majapahit.html

Photo: Special

Majapahit - (1293 AD - 1527 AD)


Surabaya (DreamLandLibrary) - Majapahit is a large kingdom centered in East Java, Indonesia, established on November 10, 1293 to 1500 AD During the reign of Hayam Wuruk, the glory of this kingdom can be seen from the vast area of ​​the archipelago which was controlled from 1350 to 1389.

The Majapahit Kingdom (the King and his people at that time happened to adhere to the Imported Religion - Hindu-Buddha) which was considered to be one of the largest countries of Indonesia, where its authority stretched from Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Kalimantan, to Eastern Indonesia.

Historiography
Raden Wijaya who succeeded in seizing power from the rebels, then enthroned in the capital city of Majapahit as the first king, with the title Kertarajasa Jayawarddhana on the 15th day of Kartika in 1215 Saka (AD calendar 10 November 1293). So this date, which we should commemorate as the day of the establishment of the Majapahit Kingdom. (Because the Great Nation, is a Nation that respects the History of the Nation)

The main sources used by historians are Pararaton ('Book of Kings' - written in Kawi) and Nagarakretagama (Old Javanese), namely:

Pararaton is a literature describing Ken Arok (founder of the Singhasari Kingdom), which also tells of the formation of Majapahit.
Nagarakertagama is a collection of Old Javanese poems written during the heyday of Majapahit during the Hayam Wuruk era.
The name Nagarakertagama itself was given by Jan Laurens Andries Brandes, this philologist found the manuscript in the ruins of the Cakranagara Palace, Lombok. The literary work was composed by Rakawi Prapanca in 1365, who wrote a clear picture of the archipelago by mentioning various islands.

Prapanca was a poet from Majapahit who would later become the "pioneer of modern historian and journalist pioneer in Indonesia".

From Ma Huan's account, it seems that Majapahit had moved from the edge of the Brantas river to the interior. But the harbor and river are still the main route to the kingdom.

From the Canggu Inscription 1.358 AD, it shows the crossings on large rivers, such as the Brantas River and Bengawan Solo.

With the "growth" that occurred in the interior, and along the North Coast of Java, made Majapahit as a modern kingdom that had utilized its land and sea areas, so that at that time Majapahit had become a Commercial Maritime Agrarian country.

During the time of Raja Hayam Wuruk, Prapanca wrote a description of the Archipelago which clearly mentions various islands, according to the historical source of Kakawin Nagarakertagama (original title: Desawarnana), which describes the villages.

The History of Majapahit's Establishment
Singhasari is the most powerful kingdom in Java. This made Kubilai Khan, the ruler of the Yuan Dynasty in China, want to subdue Singosari, by sending an envoy named Meng Chi to Singhasari, to ask for a tribute to Kertanagara (Raja Singhasari - In-Law Raden Wijaya)

Kertanegara was not afraid, and refused to pay tribute, even humiliating the messenger, by damaging his face and cutting off his ear. (This is how our ancestors maintain their Self-Esteem before being poisoned by misleading Foreign values). This made Kublai Khan angry, and sent his army in large numbers to Java 1,293 CE.

At the time of the invasion from Kublai Khan arrived, at that time Jayakatwang, Duke of Kediri, had toppled and killed Kertanegara.

The suggestion from Aria Wiraraja, Jayakatwang gave forgiveness to Raden Wijaya, Kertanegara's son-in-law, who came to surrender.

Then Raden Wijaya, who was given the Tarik forest, opened the forest and built a new village, under the name Majapahit. The name Majapahit is taken from the Maja fruit, which tastes "bitter".

Raden Wijaya's Strategy for War
When the Mongols arrived, Raden Wijaya allied with the Mongols to attack Jayakatwang. After successfully toppling Jayakatwang (not killing him, as Jayakatwang did to his in-laws), Raden Wijaya turned to attack his Mongol allies.

The Mongols withdrew their defeated troops with Raden Wijaya's troops, which was also the last chance for the Mongols to utilize the monsoon to return home, or they were forced to become captives for six months to await the returning monsoon.

Several trusted Kertarajasa people, including Ranggalawe, Sora, and Nambi rebelled against him, even though the rebellion was unsuccessful.

The Ranggalawe Rebellion was supported by Panji Mahajaya, Ra Arya Sidi, Ra Jaran Waha, Ra Lintang, Ra Tosan, Ra Gelatik, and Ra Tati. All this is stated in the Pararaton.

Most likely Mahapatih Halayudha's conspiracy to bring down all of the King's confidants, and take the reins of leadership, could be read by Raden Wijaya, so that after the death of the last rebel (Kuti), Halayudha was imprisoned, and then sentenced to death.

Raden Wijaya died in 1309 AD
Then it was continued by Putra Raden Wijaya, Jayanegara, who during his reign was briefly visited by an Italian priest, Odorico da Pordenone.

In 1,328 AD, Jayanegara was killed by his physician, Tanca. His stepmother, Gayatri Rajapatni, should have succeeded him, but Rajapatni chose to resign from the palace, and chose to become a nun.

Rajapatni appointed his daughter Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi to be the queen of Majapahit. In 1,336 AD, Tribhuwana appointed Gajah Mada as Mahapatih, at his inauguration Gajah Mada said "Palapa Oath", and built a kingdom. During Tribhuwana's rule, the Majapahit kingdom developed to become larger and more famous in the archipelago.

Tribhuwana ruled in Majapahit until the death of his mother in 1,350 AD, then continued by his son, Hayam Wuruk.

Majapahit Glory
Hayam Wuruk, also known as Rajasanagara, ruled Majapahit from 1,350 AD to 1,389 AD At this time Majapahit reached its peak with the assistance of Mahapatih Gajah Mada (1,313 AD - 1,364 AD).

According to Kakawin Nagarakretagama, pupil XIII-XV, Majapahit Territories include Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, the islands of Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Papua, Tumasik (Singapore - currently called Temasek) and parts of the Philippine Islands.

Direct government administration by the Majapahit kingdom only covered the regions of East Java and Bali, outside the area was only a kind of wide autonomous government, periodic tribute payments, and recognition of Majapahit sovereignty over them.

However, any rebellion or challenge to Majapahit's resistance to the area could invite strong reactions.

Majapahit Economics and Business
However, natural and economic boundaries show that these areas of power did not appear to be under Majapahit's centralized power, but were connected to one another by trade which might have been a monopoly by the king.

Majapahit had links to Campa, Cambodia, Siam, southern Burma and Vietnam, and even sent its ambassadors to China.

In addition to launching military attacks and expeditions, Majapahit also took the path of diplomacy and formed a partnership. Possibly because of political reasons, Hayam Wuruk was eager to marry Citraresmi (Pitaloka), the daughter of the Sunda Kingdom as his queen.

The Sundanese consider this proposal as a partnership agreement. In 1,357 AD the entourage of Sundanese kings and their families, and their bodyguards, went to Majapahit to deliver the princess to be married to Hayam Wuruk.

Bubat War
Gajah Mada sees this situation as an opportunity to force the Sundanese kingdom to submit to Majapahit. The fight between the Sundanese royal family and Majapahit soldiers in the Bubat field took place.
Eventually the Sundanese kingdom was defeated, where almost the entire group of Sundanese royal families could be destroyed. Seeing a situation like this finally the princess who was disappointed, doing "Defending Pati", committed suicide to defend the honor of his country.

In 1,377 AD, a few years after Gajah Mada's death, Majapahit launched a naval attack to quell a rebellion in Palembang.

Majapahit's main concern is controlling trade in the archipelago. It was at this time that Muslim traders and spreaders of Islam began to enter this region.

The fall of Majapahit

After the death of Hayam Wuruk in 1,389 AD, Majapahit entered a period of decline. This is caused by a conflict over the throne.

Hayam Wuruk's heir is Princess Mahkota Kusumawardhani, with prince Wikramawardhana, his own cousin.

Meanwhile, Hayam Wuruk's son from his concubine, Wirabhumi also demanded the right to the throne.

Paregreg War
The civil war called the Paregreg War 1,405 AD - 1,406 AD, between Wikramawardhana versus Wirabhumi, which was finally won by Wikramawardhana, while Wirabhumi was captured, and then beheaded. It was this civil war which weakened Majapahit's control of the conquered territories across.

Wikramawardhana ruled until 1,426 AD, then passed on by his daughter, Ratu Suhita, she was the second daughter of Wikramawardhana of a concubine (who incidentally was Wirabhumi's second daughter). Queen Suhita ruled in 1426 - 1447 AD

During the Wikramawardhana administration, a series of Ming Dynasty sea expeditions led by Admiral Cheng Ho, a Muslim Chinese general, arrived on Java several times between the period of 1,405 AD to 1,433 AD

Cheng Ho's expedition created Chinese and Arabic Muslim communities in 1,430 CE in several harbor cities north of Java, such as in Semarang, Demak, Tuban, and Ampel; then Islam began to have a foothold on the north coast of Java.

In 1,447 AD, Suhita died and the government was continued by Kertawijaya, his younger brother. He ruled until 1451.

After Kertawijaya died, Bhre Pamotan became king with the title Rajasawardhana and ruled in Kahuripan. He died in 1,453 AD

After three years without a king, due to the crisis of inheritance of the throne. Girisawardhana, son of Kertawijaya, took the throne in 1456, and then died in 1466.


Girisawardhana was replaced by Singhawikramawardhana. In 1468 the prince Kertabhumi rebelled against Singhawikramawardhana and appointed himself king of Majapahit.

At the end of the 14th century, beginning of the 15th century, the influence of Majapahit in the entire archipelago began to diminish. At the same time, a Sultanate of Malacca based on Islam began to appear in the western part of the archipelago.

Majapahit who began to retreat, allowed the rise of the Sultanate of Malacca in the mid-15th century to begin to control the Malacca Strait, and spread its power to Sumatra.


Singhawikramawardhana moved the Royal Capital to Daha (the former capital of the Kediri Kingdom), and continued to rule there until it was replaced by his son Ranawijaya in 1474.

In 1,478 AD Ranawijaya defeated Kertabhumi, and reunited Majapahit into one kingdom. Ranawijaya ruled in the period of 1,474 AD - 1,519 AD with the title Girindrawardhana. Nevertheless Majapahit's power had weakened due to the conflicts of this dynasty, and the rise of the power of Islamic empires on the north coast of Java.

The time of the Majapahit Empire ended in the year 1,478 AD - 1,527 AD

A Chronogram / Candrasengkala sound disappears kretaning earth. This Sengkala is said to be the year of the end of Majapahit, which is read as 0041, which is the year 1400 Saka, or 1478 AD.

The meaning of the Sengkala is "The Loss of Earth's Prosperity". This is also described by Candrasengkala as the death of Bhre Kertabumi, the 11th King of Majapahit, by Girindrawardhana.

From the records of the Jiyu and Petak inscriptions, Ranawijaya claimed that he had defeated Kertabhumi, and moved the capital to Daha (Kediri).

The incident triggered a war between Daha and the Sultanate of Demak, this was because the Demak ruler was a descendant of Kertabhumi.

This battle was won by Demak in 1,527 AD With the defeat of Daha, a large number of court servants, artists, priests and members of the royal family fled to the island of Bali.

With the fall of Daha, the power of the Islamic empire at the beginning of the 16th century began to grow, which eventually defeated the rest of the Majapahit empire.

Demak changed the title of the people in his government, from Raden to Sultan.

While Raden Patah, is recognized as the successor to the Majapahit kingdom. According to the Babad Tanah Jawi, and the Demak tradition, Raden Patah's legitimacy was because he was the son of the king of Majapahit Brawijaya V with a Chinese princess.

Historical records from China, Portugal (Tome Pires), and Italy (Pigafetta) indicate that there was a transfer of Majapahit power from the hands of the Hindu rulers to the Duke of Unus, the ruler of the Demak Sultanate, between 1,518 AD - 1,521 AD

After the collapse of Majapahit, Demak made sure to become the first Islamic empire to stand on the island of Java.

While the remaining Hindu kingdoms that still survive on the island of Java are the Blambangan Kingdom at the east end, and the Sunda Kingdom which has its capital in Pajajaran in the west.

The economy
Majapahit is an agrarian, maritime, and trade country. Taxes and penalties are paid in cash. Currency has been known since the 8th century during the Medang kingdom, which used gold or silver coins or coins.


During the reign of the first king of Majapahit, an important monetary change took place: the domestic coins were replaced with "kepeng" coins, namely copper coins imported from China.

The reason for the use of foreign coins or coins is not recorded in history, but experts suspect that with the growing and complex economy of Java, small fractions or coins are needed in the Majapahit currency system, so that they can be used in daily economic activities days at the Majapahit market. Because expensive gold and silver money are not suitable for daily necessities.

A description of the economic growth of Majapahit from various records obtained and inscriptions. Canggu inscription 1.358 AD, written as many as 78 crossing boat crossing points in the country (Mandala Java).

The development of various career specializations, such as; gold, silver craftsmen, drink sellers, butchers or butchers. Although these types of jobs have existed since previous times, the number of job seekers outside agriculture has increased in the Majapahit era.


From the records of Wang Ta-Yuan (Chinese merchant),
  • Java's export commodities at that time were pepper, salt, cloth and parrots
  • Imported commodities are pearls, gold, silver, silk, ceramic goods, and articles of iron, currencies made from a mixture of silver, tin, lead and copper.
From the records of Odorico da Pordenone (Roman Catholic monk from Italy) 1,321 AD, mentions that the Javanese king's palace was filled with gold, silver and jewelery.

Majapahit Prosperity, including:
  • First, the Brantas and Bengawan Solo river valleys in the lowlands of northern East Java are very suitable for rice farming, which is supported by a variety of irrigation infrastructure, which was built by Majapahit.
  • Second, the Majapahit ports on the north coast of Java play an important role as a port base to obtain Maluku spice commodities, because taxes imposed on spice commodities that pass through Java are an important source of income for Majapahit.
Nagarakretagama said that Majapahit had attracted the attention of many foreign traders, including; Indian, Khmer, Siam and Chinese traders. For this reason, special taxes are levied on foreigners, especially those who live semi-permanently on Java, and do work other than international trade. Majapahit has officials specializing in traders from India and China, who settled in the royal capital, as well as various other places in the Majapahit region on Java.

Government structure
During the Hayam Wuruk era, Majapahit had an organized government structure and bureaucratic structure, and apparently did not change much during its historical development. The king holds the highest authority, because the King is considered to be the incarnation of a god in the world.

Bureaucratic apparatus
The king was assisted by a number of bureaucratic officials in carrying out the government, with sons and close relatives of the king, who had high positions. The king's order is usually handed down to the officials under him, including:
  • Rakryan Mahamantri Katrini, usually held by the sons of the king
  • Rakryan Mantri ri Pakira-kiran, the council of ministers who carry out the government
  • Dharmmadhyaksa, religious law officials
  • Dharmma-upapatti, religious officials
In the Rakryan Mantri ri Pakira-kiran there is an important official, Rakryan Mapatih, or Patih Hamangkubhumi, or can be said to be the Prime Minister.

In the Rakryan Mapatih era, it could together with the King help implement government policies.

There is also a kind of royal consideration council whose members are kings' relatives, called Bhattara Saptaprabhu.

Division of territory
It can be said that the Majapahit Kingdom was a continuation of the Singhasari Kingdom, which had several regions in the eastern and central parts of Java.

These territories were ruled by Uparaja as Paduka Bhattara with the title of Bhre or "Bhatara i". This title is the highest title of royal nobility, and usually this position is only intended for close relatives of the king. Uparaja has two main tasks, namely:
  • Economic Tasks; manage their kingdom, and collect taxes, and send tribute to the center,
  • Defense Duties; manage defense in the border areas they lead.
During the reign of Hayam Wuruk (1,350 AD - 1,389 AD), there were 12 areas in Majapahit, which were managed by a close relative of the king. The hierarchy in the classification of territories in the Majapahit kingdom is known as follows:
  • Bhumi: kingdom, ruled by the king
  • Nagara: governed by Rajya (governor), or natha (lord), or bhre (prince or nobleman)
  • Watek: managed by Wiyasa,
  • Kuwu: managed by the lurah,
  • Wanua: managed by thani,
  • Kabuyutan: small hamlet or sacred place.
Source: From various sources
Photo: Special

Palanggatan Imateriil Temple, the Legacy of Prabu Brawijaya V

Mount Lawu Bertopi

Main Literacy
Gunung Lawu (Dreamland Library) - This temple is an Imateriil Temple that departs from Majapahit, precisely in the time of Prabu Brawijaya V. This proves that Prabu Brawijaya V until the end of his life embraces Ancestral Religion.

Because Palanggatan Temple is Imateriil Temple, even now only large people or grandchildren of their sons and daughters, who have advantages can see the whereabouts of the Palanggatan Temple.

Many historical twists occur to this day. This is inseparable from the wishes of the observers, who at this time are likely to have become an Indonesian.

Main Literacy

Source: From various sources and Community Discussions with their descendants.
Photo: Special

Kethek Temple is a dampar for Ki Ageng Panembahan Kaca Negara


Main Literacy
Tawangmangu (Dreamland Library) - Kethek Temple is located in the northeast of Cetho Temple, Kethek in Javanese means monkey or monkey, the name was given by local residents, because in the past there were many monkeys around the temple.

This temple is located on the northwest slope of Mount Lawu, and is included in the District of Jenawi, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java. To reach this place, you have to walk through a path as far as + 300 m from Cethoo Temple, in the direction of the path leading to Puri Taman Saraswati.

At present the Kethek Temple area is on land owned by Perum Perhutani.

Kethek Temple is a site with four terraces facing west. Each terrace is connected by stone steps.

On the right side of the temple there is a path as an alternative to go to the top terrace.

Main Literacy

Source: From various literacy and community discussion sources
Photo: Special

The temple of the King of Airlangga Sangung Temple



Main Literacy
Tawangmangu (Dreamland Library) - Penggung Temple is located in Nglurah Village, Tawangmangu District (with a height of + 800-1000 meters above sea level), Karanganyar Regency, Central Java Province.

The temple building like a punden terraces has five levels, as well as many statues scattered on this site. In the presence of Yoni, the Merung Site is identified as a Hindu site.

Various artifacts, such as menhirs, statues, and yoni scattered at the punden levels.

It is estimated that the Manggung Temple was built until the classical period, it is seen from the remains of the graves, it can be concluded, this site is not used as a grave, but as a place of worship.

At the Manggung Temple that was sacred, until now the tradition of worship is still being carried out, as in Wuku Dukuk, a Dukukutan ceremony is held, accompanied by a shadow play.

Main Literacy

Source: From various literacy
Photo: Special

Arabic Culture Turns Inheritance from Christian Religious Culture