History of the Majapahit Empire

Who doesn't know about the Majapahit kingdom, surely everyone knows or at least has heard of this name. The biggest kingdom with a very famous governor is Patih Gajah Mada.

For more details about the Majapahit Kingdom, let's look at the description below which will explain the history of the Majapahit kingdom in detail from its founding to its collapse.

The Majapahit Kingdom is one of the largest kingdoms in Indonesia which is Hindu in style and is in East Java. This kingdom was founded by King Raden Wijaya who has the title Kertarajasa Jayawardana and is a descendant of Ken Arok, king of Singosari in 1293 AD.

In addition, this kingdom is also touted as a kingdom that has the largest territory in Indonesia, which is in power in Indonesia.

Actually, the Majapahit kingdom was established because of an attack from Jayakatwang (Duke of Kediri) who succeeded in killing the Singosari kingdom, the latter being called Kertanegara, for refusing to pay tribute.

Furthermore, Raden Wijaya (Kertanegara's son-in-law) managed to ask permission from Madura to ask permission from Aryawiraraja. Then Raden Wijaya entitled a forest of interest by Aryawiraraja to be used in his territory and in the end it was created in a new village with the name Majapahit.

Majapahit comes from the word "Maja fruit" and "bitter taste". Not long after the Mongolian troops led by Shis-Pi, Ike-Mise, and Kau Hsing came to Java. Which is none other than with the aim of punishing Kertanegara for refusing to pay tribute to Mongolian troops.

Raden Wijaya took advantage of cooperation with Mongolian troops to attack Jayaketwang's troops. And in the end, the Mongolian troops with the help of Raden Wijaya won by killing Jayaketwang. Not long after, Raden Wijaya expelled the Mongolian troops from the land of Java.

The Majapahit Empire reached its peak during the reign of King Hayam Wuruk (1350-1389). The greatness of the kingdom was supported by regular agriculture, smooth and advanced trade, a strong sea transport fleet, and being led by Hayam Wuruk with Gajah Mada as the prime minister.

Under Patih Gajah Mada, Majapahit conquered many other areas. With the spirit of unity he had, and made a Palapa Oath which read "HE WILL NOT EAT PALAPA FRUIT BEFORE SUCCESSFULLY UNITES THE WHOLE REGION".

Mpu Prapanca in his book Negara Kertagama tells about the glorious era of the kingdom in the time of Hayam Wuruk and also the genealogy of the previous king in 1364 Gajah Mada died compiled by Hayam Wuruk in 1389 and the Majapahit kingdom began to decline.

THE GLORY OF MAJAPAHIT

The Majapahit Empire reached its golden age when it was led by Hayam Wuruk with his prime minister Gajah Mada who was famous for the Palapa Oath. Majapahit conquered almost the entire archipelago and spread its wings throughout Southeast Asia. At this time the Malang area was no longer the center of power because it was suspected that it had moved to the Nganjuk area. According to experts in Malang placed a ruler who is called Raja anyway.

In Negara Kertagama it is told that Hayam Wuruk as the King of Majapahit made a pilgrimage to the graves of his ancestors (which are located around the Malang area), one of which is near Ken Arok's grave. This shows that although it is not the center of government, Malang is a sacred area because it is the burial ground of the ancestors who are worshiped as Gods.

Several inscriptions and statues left by Majapahit at the peak of Mount Semeru and also on Mount Arjuna show that the area of ​​the mountain is the abode of the Gods and that only the descendants of the king are allowed to set foot in the area. It can be concluded that these various relics are a series that are interconnected even though they are separated by different periods throughout the 7 centuries.

Majapahit collapse

There is a story that Adipati Terung asked Sultan Bintara alias Raden Fatah, who was still his older brother, to face King Brawijaya. But the Sultan of Demak refused because his father was still considered an infidel.

Brawijaya is the King of Majapahit, a Hindu kingdom that once triumphed in Java. Even then Raden Fatah then gathered the coastal regents such as Tuban, Madura, and Surabaya as well as the Sunans to jointly attack the infidel Majapahit.

Soldiers of Islam were deployed to surround the royal capital. Because he was reluctant to fight with his own son, Prabu Brawijaya escaped from the palace with his followers who were still loyal. So when Raden Fatah and his entourage (including the Sunan) arrived, the palace was empty. On Sunan Ampel's advice, to offer all the influence of a non-believer king, Sunan Gresik was appointed king of Majapahit for 40 days. After that, it was handed over to Sultan Bintara to be brought to Demak.

This story is still embellished again, that is, after Majapahit fell, Adipati Terung was assigned to carry the Majapahit king's passband to Demak to later be used as the porch of the mosque. Adipati Bintara was then titled "Senapati Jinbun Ngabdurrahman Panembahan Palembang Sayidina Panatagama".

The story about the invasion of the Majapahit army can be found in "BABAD TANAH JAWI". But a similar story is also found in "Serat Kanda". As mentioned, Adipati Bintara and his followers rebelled against King Brawijaya. The Majapahit army was led by Mahapatih Gajah Mada, Duke of Eggplant and Andayaningrat (Regent of Pengging). Because he was afraid of Sheikh Lemah Abang, his teacher, Kebo Kenanga (Pengging Regent's son) defected to join the enemy. Meanwhile, his brother Kebo Kanigara remained loyal to the King of Brawijaya.

The Demak army under the leadership of Raden Imam was equipped with the magic weapon "Keris Makripat" given by Sunan Giri which can expel beetle pests and "Badhong" gifted by Sunan Cirebon which can bring storms. The Majapahit army was successfully beaten back to the capital, and only the Duke of Terung's house survived because he embraced Islam.

Due to the urgency, Prabu Brawijaya fled to (Tanjung) Sengguruh and his family accompanied by Patih Gajah Mada. It happened in 1399 Saka or 1477 AD. After being crowned the Sultan of Demak with the title "Panembahan Jinbun", the Adipati Bintara sent Lembu Peteng and jaran panoleh to sengguruh asking the King to convert to Islam. but he still refused. Finally, Sengguruh was attacked and Prabu Brawijaya fled to the island of Bali.

The story versions of BABAD TANAH JAWI and SERAT KANDA are popular among the Javanese people and have even been taught in some elementary schools in the past. Broadly speaking, the story can be said to show the victory of Islam. In fact, on the contrary, it can give a detrimental impression, because it seems as if Islam was developing in Java with violence and blood. In fact, this is not the case.

In addition to other facts, many reveal that Islam entered and developed in Java in a peaceful way. Also, the fact that the collapse of Majapahit also shows that it was not caused by the invasion of the Demak Islamic army.

Prof. Dr. Slamet Muljana in his book "Persada Restoration of the History of the Ancestors of Majapahit" extensively refutes the contents of the story based on historical evidence. It is said that the Babad Tanah Jawi and Serat Kanda were written in the XVII century at the time of Mataram without consulting reliable historical sources. These historical sources include several inscriptions and historical works about Majapahit, such as "Negara Kertagama and Pararaton". Because it is not surprising that many of his descriptions of Majapahit are flawed.

The "Plate Inscription" and "Trailokyapuri" explain that the last Majapahit king, Dyah Suraprahawa, collapsed as a result of an attack by a rivet army led by Girindrawardhana in 1478 AD, according to Pararaton. Since then Majapahit has ceased to be the capital of the kingdom. Thus it is impossible for Majapahit to collapse because of the Demak invasion. Portuguese historical sources written by Tome Pires also mention that the Kingdom of Demak was already established during the reign of Girindra Wardhana in Keling.

At that time Tuban, Gresik, Surabaya, and Madura as well as several other cities on the north coast of Java were in the territory of the kingdom of Kediri, so it was impossible, as told in the Chronicle of Java, Raden Patah gathered the regents to attack Majapahit.

The composers of the Babad Tanah Jawi seem to have mixed up the formation of the Demak kingdom in 1478 and the fall of Kediri by the Demak invasion during the reign of Sultan Trenggano in 1527. The raid on Sultan Trenggano was carried out because Kediri had relations with the Portuguese in Malacca, as reported by Tome Pires. Demak, who was indeed hostile to the Portuguese, so that he attacked Malacca, was not willing that Kediri have relations with the colonial nation.

After Kediri fell (not Majapahit!) attacked by Demak, they didn't flee to the island of Bali as mentioned in the description of Serat Kanda, but to Panarukan, Situbondo after Sengguruh, Malang. It could be that some fled to Bali so that until now the Balinese have Hindu culture, but that was not the escape of the last king of Majapahit, as mentioned in the Chronicle. More specifically, Raden Patah was not the son of the last Majapahit King as mentioned in the Chronicle and Serat Kanda, said Dr. Slamet Muljana.

Historian Mr. Moh. Yamin in his book "Gajah Mada" also mentions that the collapse of Brawijaya V, the last Majapahit king, was due to an attack by Ranawijaya from the Keling kingdom, so it was not an attack from Demak. The description of Mahapatih Gajah Mada's involvement in leading the Majapahit army when it was attacked by Demak in 1478 is contrary to history.

Gajah Mada had died in 1364 AD or 1286 Saka.

The narrative of the book "From the Historical Stage" translated by IP Simanjuntak sourced from the writings of H.J. Van Den Berg also found that the fall of Majapahit was not the result of an attack from Demak or the Islamic army. Ma Huan, a Chinese Muslim writer, in his book "Ying Yai Sheng Lan" mentioned, when he visited Majapahit in 1413 AD he had mentioned that the Muslim community living in Majapahit came from Gujarat and Malacca. He mentioned, in 1400 AD Islamic merchants from Gujarat and Persia had settled on the north coast of Java.

One of them is Maulana Malik Ibrahim who is buried in Pasarean Gapura Wetan Kab. Gresik with the year 12 Rabi'ul Awwal 882 H or April 8, 1419, AD, means that during the reign of Wikramawardhana (1389-1429) namely King Majapahit IV after Hayam Wuruk. According to Tjokrosujono (former head of the Historical and Antiquities Sanctuary, Mojokerto), the tombstone engraved with Arabic calligraphy is an original tombstone, not a new one.

One proof that since the Majapahit era there has been a Muslim settlement in the capital city, is the Ancient Troloyo Tomb site, Trowulan District, Mojokerto, East Java. The Islamic graves at the Troloyo site, Sentonorejo Village, have various year numbers, starting from 1369 (XIV century AD) to 1611 (XVII century AD).

The gravestones of the petilasan graves in Troloyo are full of Arabic inscriptions that look like inscriptions. The pronunciation is taken from prayer readings, Kalimah Thayibah, and excerpts from Al-Quran verses with slightly stiff letters. It appears the maker was a convert to Islam. The contents are not data on the birth and death of the buried figures, but are more preachy in nature, including quotations from Surah Ar-Rahman verses 26-27.

P.J. Veth was a Dutch scholar who first researched and wrote about Troloyo's tomb in the book JAVA II in 1873.

L.C. Damais, a French researcher who followed him, mentioned the year numbers on the tombstones from the XIV to XVI centuries. Soeyono Wisnoewhardono, Staff of the Historical and Archaeological Heritage Sanctuary in Trowulan said the graves proved that when the Majapahit kingdom was still standing, Muslims had lived peacefully around the capital city. It is clear here that Islam entered the land of Majapahit, full of peace and tolerance.

Another archaeological site in the Trowulan sub-district, namely in the village and Trowulan sub-district, is the Putri Cempa Tomb. According to the Babad Tanah Jawi, Putri Cempa (Jeumpa, Acehnese) was the wife of Prabu Brawijaya who was a Muslim. The two gravestones found in this ancient complex date to 1370 Saka (1448 AD) and 1313 Saka (1391 AD).

In folk legend, it is said that by marrying Princess Cempa, the King had actually embraced Islam. When he died he was buried according to Islam in a long grave (Kubur Dawa). Dusun Upload is 300 meters from the tomb of Putri Cempa, the Islamic aristocrat.

From these historical facts and sites, there is authentic evidence about how it is not true that Islam was developed through war. In fact, several other historical sites prove that Islam was very tolerant of other religions (including Hinduism) when Islam was growing rapidly in Java.

In the Sunan Bonang complex in Tuban, East Java, for example, there is an upright Shiva Buddhist temple with the year 1400 Saka (1478 AD) which is now located behind the Tuban Regional Government office. In fact, at that time Sunan Bonang's Islamic boarding school had been established. The Islamic boarding school and the adjacent temple are preserved in a small model made of old wood which is now stored in the Kambang Putih Museum, Tuban.

In Kudus, Central Java, when Sunan Kudus Ja'far Sodiq spread Islamic teachings there, he forbade Muslims to slaughter cows for food. Although beef is halal according to Islam, slaughtering is forbidden to respect the beliefs of Hindus who venerate cows.

To show his tolerance for Hindus, Sunan Kudus tethered a cow in the courtyard of the mosque where it is still preserved today. Even the minaret of the Kudus Mosque was built in the architectural style of a Hindu temple.

when the Majapahit kingdom stood as part of the journey of the Indonesian nation. Since the founding of Raden Wijaya, who has the title Kertanegara Dharmawangsa, this kingdom has always been filled with the phenomenon of rebellion.

Heir to the throne of Raden Wijaya, namely during the reign of Kalagemet / Jayanegara (1309-1328), which is an inscription is considered as the incarnation of Wisnu with the Minadwaya state badge (two fish) in governing faced many rebellions against Majapahit from those who were still loyal to Kertarajasa.

The first rebellion actually started when Kertarajasa was still alive, namely by Rangga Lawe who was based in Tuban, due to dissatisfaction because he was not the governor of Majapahit but Nambi, son of Wiraraja. But his attempt (1309) was thwarted.

The second rebellion was in 1311 by Sora, a rakryan in Majapahit, but failed. Then the third was in 1316, by his own prime minister, namely Nambi, from the Lumajang area and the fort in Pajarakan. His whole family was annihilated.

The next rebellion by Kuti in 1319, where the capital of Majapahit was occupied, the king fled under the protection of palace guards called Bhayangkari as many as 15 people under the leadership of Gajah Mada.

However, with the help of Majapahit troops who were still loyal, Gajah Mada and his Bhayangkari attacked Kuti, and finally Jayanegara was able to continue his reign.

After the Kuti rebellion ended, in 1331 a rebellion appeared in Sadeng and Keta (Besuki area). So the Majapahit governor Pu Naga was replaced by the governor of Daha, namely Gajah Mada, so the rebellion was crushed. Gajah Mada's success in quelling the Sadeng rebellion led him to a career as a royal governor.

However, during the reign of Hayam Wuruk in 1350-1389, the prime minister Gajah Mada – who was also the warlord at that time – had to exhaust his energy to quell rebellions in several areas. Ronggolawe rebellion until the attack on the kingdom of Dhaha, Kediri.

In fact, one of the causes of the decline and destruction of the Majapahit empire was when the outbreak of the Paragreg War in 1401-1406 was a civil war for power, subordinate regions began to break away, and the development of Islam in coastal areas.

The Majapahit Empire, which had experienced its golden and glorious era, had to fall apart after losing great figures such as Hayam Wuruk and Gajah Mada.

Kings who once ruled the Majapahit Kingdom:

1. Raden Wijaya 1273 – 1309

2. Jayanegara 1309-1328

3. Tribhuwanatunggaldewi 1328-1350

4. Hayam Wuruk 1350-1389

5. Wikramawardana 1389-1429

6. Kertabhumi 1429-1478

Causes of decline

Majapahit lost major figures such as Hayam Wuruk and Gajah Mada. The outbreak of the Paragreg War in 1401-1406 was a civil war over the power of subordinate regions, which began to break away.

Relics of the Majapahit kingdom

- Buildings: Panataran Temple, Sawentar, Tiga Wangi, Muara Takus

- Book: Negara Kertagama by Mpu Prapanca, Sitosoma by Mpu Tantular which contains the slogan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

Paraton Kidung Sundayana and Sorandaka R Wijaya Get the Inspiration to Establish the Majapahit Kingdom.

Two banyan trees at the entrance of the Great Hall in Trowulan, Mojokerto. The two banyan trees were planted on December 22, 1973, by the Regional Military Commander Widjojo Soejono and Governor Mohammad Noer.

Behind the Pendopo Agung building which has a photo of the Brawijaya Military Commander, there is a small building surrounded by public graves. The building, named Petilasan Panggung, is believed to be Raden Wijaya's Petilasan and the place where Patih Gajah Mada announced the Palapa Oath.

As soon as you enter the Petilasan Panggung building, which has a mini pavilion as a backdrop, you can see several rocks shaped like graves, the walls around the "grave" are covered with a transparent white mosquito net which adds to the sacredness of the place.

According to Sajadu (53), the caretaker of the Petilasan Panggung, this is where Raden Wijaya meditated until he finally received the inspiration to establish the Majapahit kingdom. Apart from that, it was also at this place that Patih Gajah Mada announced the Palapa Oath. "This place is sacred because it is considered the Anya of the Majapahit Kingdom," he said.

At certain times especially coinciding with Legi Friday night, many people come to pray and hope for blessings. "People come to pray so that the goal is achieved," said Sajadu, who stated that the job of guarding the Petilasan Stage had been done for generations since his ancestors.

While smoking his kretek cigarettes, the man who inherited as caretaker of the petilasan from his father since 1985 also recounted that the place used to be just a pile of rocks. Until now, the stone is still inside, he said.

Then in 1964, Mrs. Sudarijah, also known as Mrs. Dar Moeriar from Surabaya, carried out the restoration for the first time. It was only in 1995 that it was restored again by the Brawijaya Regional Military Commander, who at that time was held by Utomo.

Entering the Petilasan Stage area, a picture of Gajah Mada is displayed right beside the entrance. While on the front of the door hangs a small board with the words "Five Guidelines" which is a role model guide for residents.

In full, "Poncho Waliko" reads "Kudutrisno Marang Sepadane Urip, Ora Pareng Ngilik Sing Dudu Semestine, Ora Pareng Sepatah Nepatani and Ora Pareng Eidra Hing Ubaya"

Sajadu also recounted that the Petilasan Stage was declared closed to the public from 1985 to 1995. It was only after that that it was opened again to the public.