Majapahit Empire

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Template:History of Indonesia The Majapahit Empire was an Indianized kingdom in eastern Java and ruled much of the southern Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Bali, and the Philippines from about 1293 to around 1500. Its greatest ruler was Hayam Wuruk, whose reign from 1350 to 1389 marked the empire's peak.

The Majapahit was the last of the great Hindu empires of the Malay archipelago. It was preceded by the Srivijayan kingdom, based in Palembang on the island of Sumatra.

The founder of the Majapahit Empire, Kertarajasa or Prince (Raden) Wijaya, was the son-in-law of the ruler of the Singhasari kingdom, also based in Java. After Singhasari drove Srivijaya out of Java altogether in 1290, the rising power of Singhasari came to the attention of Kublai Khan in China and he sent emissaries demanding tribute. Kertanagara, ruler of the Singhasari kingdom, refused to pay tribute and the Khan sent a massive 1000 ship expedition which arrived off the coast of Java in 1293.

By that time, a rebel from Kediri, Jayakatwang had usurped and killed Kertanagara. The Majapahit founder, after a brief exile, allied himself with the Mongols against Jayakatwang and, once Jayakatwang was destroyed, turned and forced his Mongol allies to withdraw from the isle after he launched a surprise attack. The huge Mongol Army in confusion had to withdraw as they were in hostile land and it was the last time for the monsoon sea-wind to depart for home, else they had to wait for another six months in totally hostile island. Then, Wijaya ascended the throne as the first king of Majapahit on 1293 AD. In the Lands of Trik he built a strong hold, and the capital was named Majapahit also, after the bitter maja fruit, a sort of tree which grew in abundance in that area. His formal name was Kertarajasa Jayawarddhana. Wijaya died in 1309 AD.

He was succeeded by his son, Jayanegara, whose mother was a Malayu princess. Jayanegara was murdered by his surgeon on 1328 AD. He should have been succeeded by his stepmother, Rajapatni who retered from court to be come a nun in Buddhist monastery, Therefore she appointed her daughther, Tribhuwana as a queen of Majapahit to rule under her auspices.

During Tribhuwana’s rule Majapahit grew to be a great kingdom and famous on all the seas of the Archipelago and a broad. Tribhuwana ruled until the death of her mother in 1350 AD. Then her son Hayam Wuruk ascended the throne. (1)

Gajah Mada, an ambitious Majapahit prime minister and regent from 1331 to 1364, extended the empire's rule to include most of present day indonesia. A few years after Gajah Madah's death, the Majapahit navy captured Palembang, putting an end to the Srivijayan kingdom. Gajah Mada's other renown general was Adityawarman, known for his conquest in Minangkabau.

Although the Majapahit rulers extended their power over other islands and destroyed neighboring kingdoms, their focus seems to have been on controlling and gaining a larger share of the commercial trade that passed through the archipelago. About the time Majapahit was founded, Muslim traders and proselytizers began entering the area.

Majapahit’s Power reached its summit under the rule of King Hayam Wuruk. After Hayam Wuruk died in 1389 AD, Majapahit power began to decline with a civil war over succession that started in 1401 and went on for four years. The country was split up by fraternal conflitets. Hayam Wuruk had been succeeded by the crown princess Kusumawardhani, who had married a relative, Prince Wikramawardhana. Hayam Wuruk also had a son by his previous marriage, the crown princess Wirabhumi. He was jealous of his sister and his brother in-law, so he claimed rights to the throne. The tense relations between the two parties remained a smoldering fire during some. (1)

It grew into a big blaze at the beginning of the 15th century when a fraternal war called Paregreg was declared and lasted from 1403 to 1406 AD. At last Wikramawardhana won the war. Wirabhumi who fled at night, was caught and decapitated. Wikramawardhana ruled to 1492 AD. Wikramawardhana was succeeded by his daugther Suhita, who ruled from 1426 to 1447 AD. She was the second child of Wikramawarddhana by a concubine who was the daughter of Wirabhumi. (1)

In 1447, Suhita died and was succeeded by Kertawijaya, her brother. He ruled until 1451 AD. After Kertawijaya died, Bhre Pamotan become a king with formal name Rajasawardhana and ruled at Kahuripan. He died in 1453 AD. (1)

After that during three years Majapahit grew internally weaker and until 1456 AD, when Bhre Wengker, son of Kertawijaya, came to hold position as the ruler. He died at 1466 AD and succeeded by Singhawikramawardhana. In 1468 AD Kertabhumi suddenly attacked Bhre Wengker and promoted himself as king of Majapahit.

Singhawikramawardhana moved the Kingdom’s capital to Daha and continued his rule until he was succeeded by his son Ranawijaya at 1474 AD. In 1478 AD he defeated Kertabhumi and brought the divided Majapahit back into one Kingdom. Ranawijaya ruled from 1474 AD to 1519 AD with formal name Girindrawardhana. Nevertheless, Majapahit situation had decayed by long lasting family conflicts and enhanced by the growing-up of the north-coastal kingdoms in Java.

Majapahit found itself unable to control the rising power of the Sultanate of Malacca. Dates for the end of the Majapahit Empire range from 1478 to 1520. A large number of courtiers, artisans, priests, and members of the royalty moved east to the island of Bali at the end of Majapahit's existence, where they remained isolated until the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the Dutch colonials mounted a military expedition to take control of the island; however, the crown and the true seat of government moved to Demak under the leadership of Pengeran, later Sultan Fatah.

Indonesian nationalists of the 1920s and 1930s made use of the historical memory of the Majapahit Empire as evidence that the peoples of the archipelago had once been united under a single government, and so could be again, in modern Indonesia.

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