Kediri Kingdom (also known as Panjalu)
Javanese script : ꧋ꦥŋꦗꦭꦸ, was a ''Hindu-Buddhist''
Javanese Kingdom based in
East Java
East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern and ...
from 1042 to around 1222. This kingdom is centered in the ancient city ''Dahanapura'', despite the lack of archaeological remains, the age of Kediri saw much development in classical literature. Mpu Sedah's ''
Kakawin Bharatayuddha'', Mpu Panuluh's ''Gatotkacasraya'', and Mpu Dharmaja's ''
Smaradhana'' blossomed in this era. The kingdom's capital is believed to have been established in the western part of the
Brantas River valley, somewhere near modern
Kediri city and surrounding
Kediri Regency
Kediri Regency is a regency (''kabupaten'') located in East Java province, Indonesia. It is one of two ' Daerah Tingkat II' that has the name 'Kediri' (The other is the City of Kediri). It covers an area of 1,523.92 km2 and had a populatio ...
.
Etymology and names
Actually, the city of
Daha existed before the division of the kingdom. Daha is an abbreviation of ''Dahanapura'', which means ''city of fire''. This name is listed in the Pamwatan inscription issued by Airlangga in 1042. This is in accordance with the news in ''
Serat Calon Arang'', that at the end of Airlangga's reign, the center of the kingdom was no longer in
Kahuripan , but has moved to
Dahanapura and calls Airlangga the king of Daha.
Panjalu
In the beginning, the name Pañjalu was used more often than the name Kediri. This can be found in the inscriptions published by the kings of Panjalu. In fact, the name Panjalu is also known as Pu-chia-lung in the
Chinese chronicle
A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and ...
entitled ''Ling wai tai ta'' (1178).
There are three types of land that were used by the community in the past when building settlements and other things. The first is called Anupa, and it is land that has fertile soil, is close to springs, and allows various kinds of seeds to grow well if planted there. The second is called Sadarana, and it is land which in some areas is fertile and in others less fertile. The third is called Janggala, and it is infertile land or wilderness.
The word Pangjalu comes from the word Jalu which means male (Indonesian jantan) and the prefix Pang (Indonesian pe-, thus Indonesian pejantan, or one who is male), and in this regional context means a fertile and independent area. The term Kadiri is a synonym of the word Pangjalu, and it also means independent.
Kadiri
The name "Kadiri" or "Kediri" also comes from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
word ''Khadri'' which means India Mulberry (''
Morinda citrifolia
''Morinda citrifolia'' is a fruit-bearing tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Its native range extends across Southeast Asia and Australasia, and was spread across the Pacific by Polynesian sailors. The species is now cultivated throughout ...
''), locally known as ''pacé'' or ''mengkudu'' tree. The bark of morinda produces a brownish-purplish
dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...
for
batik
Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...
-making, while its fruit have medicinal values. Similar named city also known,
Kadiri
Kadiri is a major city in Sri Sathya Sai District the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a ''Special Grade'' Municipal City Council and headquarters of Kadiri Mandal and Kadiri Revenue Division. Kadiri Taluka ('Tehsil') was the largest taluk ...
in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
.
The origin of the word that is considered more appropriate is derived from the word "kadiri" in the
Old Javanese
Old Javanese or Kawi is the oldest attested phase of the Javanese language. It was spoken in the eastern part of what is now Central Java and the whole of East Java, Indonesia. As a literary language, Kawi was used across Java and on the island ...
language which means being able to stand alone, be independent, stand tall, have personality, or be self-sufficient.
The kingdom was also known as Panjalu the correct reading is Pangjalu as the twin kingdom with Janggala. During the reign of
Jayakatwang that revived the short-lived second dynasty of Kadiri, the kingdom is also known as Gelang-gelang or Gegelang. Other than Kadiri, the kingdom was also often referred to as Daha or Dahanapura, after its capital. The name "Daha" was used in later
Majapahit
Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia ...
period, as the seat of rival court of
Trowulan
Trowulan is an archaeological site in Trowulan Subdistrict, Mojokerto Regency, in the Indonesian province of East Java. It includes approximately 100 square kilometres and has been theorized to be the site of the eponymous capital city of the ...
.
Founding of Kediri
The Kingdom of Kediri is the successor of Airlangga's
Kahuripan
Kahuripan (also spelt Kuripan) was an 11th-century Javanese Hindu-Buddhist kingdom with its capital located around the estuarine of Brantas River valley in East Java. The kingdom was short-lived, only spanning the period between 1019 and 1045, ...
kingdom, and thought as the continuation of
Isyana Dynasty in Java. In 1042,
Airlangga
Airlangga (also spelled Erlangga), regnal name Rakai Halu Sri Lokeswara Dharmawangsa Airlangga Anantawikramottunggadewa (born 1000/02 in Bali, Indonesia – died 1049 in Java), was the only raja of the Kingdom of Kahuripan. The Kingdom was ...
divided his kingdom of Kahuripan into two,
Janggala and Panjalu (Kadiri), and abdicated in favour of his sons to live as an ascetic. He died seven years later.
Reign of Kediri kings
The first king of Kediri to leave historical records was Maharaja Çri Samaravijaya. His royal seal was ''Garudmukhalancana'' or ''Garudmukha'', the same as Airlangga's. he reigned from
1042
Year 1042 ( MXLII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* April 19 – Emperor Michael V Kalaphates banishes his adoptive mother and co ...
-
1051
Year 1051 ( MLI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
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Continental Europe
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and succeeded by Çri Jitendrakara Parakrama Bakta in
1051
Year 1051 ( MLI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Continental Europe
* Spring – William of Normandy consolidates his power in Normandy. He figh ...
-
1112
Year 1112 ( MCXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Malik Shah, Seljuk ruler of the Sultanate of Rum, begins incursio ...
.
It is not known exactly when Çri Bamesvara ascended the throne of the Kediri Kingdom. The ''Lanchana'' (royal seal) of his reign was a skull with a crescent moon called ''chandrakapala'', the symbol of
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...
. During the reign of Maharaja Çri Bamesvara himself, there were at least ten inscriptions containing the development of Java in the eastern part around
1112
Year 1112 ( MCXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Malik Shah, Seljuk ruler of the Sultanate of Rum, begins incursio ...
-
1135
Year 1135 ( MCXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Levant
* Spring – Shams al-Mulk Isma'il, Seljuk ruler of Damascuoks, sends envoys to Imad a ...
.
Jayabhaya (reigned 1135-1157) succeeded Bamesvara. His formal stylised name was ''Çri Maharaja çri Dharmmeçwara Madhusudanawataranindita Suhrtsingha Parakrama Digjayottunggadewa''. The ''Lanchana'' (royal seal) of his reign was ''Narasinghavatara'' depicts one of the avatars of
Lord Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, namely Narasinghavatara. His form is described as a human with a lion's head tearing the stomach of Hiranyakasipu (King of the Giants). The name Jayabhaya was immortalised in Sedah's ''
Kakawin Bharatayuddha'', a Javanese version of the ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
'', written in 1135. This Kakawin was perfected by his brother, Mpu Panuluh. Mpu Panuluh wrote ''Hariwangsa'' and ''Gatotkacasraya''. Jayabhaya's reign was considered the golden age of
Old Javanese
Old Javanese or Kawi is the oldest attested phase of the Javanese language. It was spoken in the eastern part of what is now Central Java and the whole of East Java, Indonesia. As a literary language, Kawi was used across Java and on the island ...
literature. The ''Prelambang Joyoboyo'', a prophetic book ascribed to Jayabhaya, is well known among Javanese. It predicted that the archipelago would be ruled by a white race for a long time, then a yellow race for a short time, then be glorious again. The Jayabhaya prophecies mention
Ratu Adil, the ''Just Prince'', a recurring popular figure in Javanese folklore. During the reign,
Ternate
Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands. It was the ''de facto'' provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010. It is off the ...
was a
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...
state of Kediri.
Jayabhaya's successor was Sarwweçwara/''Sarvesvara'' (reigned from
1159
Year 1159 ( MCLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
* September 7 – Pope Alexander III succeeds Pope Adrian IV, as the 170th pope.
* The Heiji Rebellion breaks ...
to
1171
Year 1171 ( MCLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* March 12 – Emperor Manuel I (Komnenos) orders the arrest of all Venetian ...
) the royal symbol is named ''Sarwwecwaralancana'', wing-shaped numbering nine and at the end there is a crested circle. Where everything is surrounded by three striped circles.
followed by Aryyeçwara/''Aryesvara'' (reigned
1171
Year 1171 ( MCLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* March 12 – Emperor Manuel I (Komnenos) orders the arrest of all Venetian ...
-
1181
Year 1181 ( MCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* King Philip II (Augustus) annuls all loans made by Jews to Christians, and takes a perc ...
), who uses
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...
the elephant-headed god as Lanchana of his kingdom. and became the (royal seal) of his reign and the Kingdom of Kadiri as stated in the inscription.
The next monarch was king Gandra his formal stylised name was ''Çri maharaja çri Kroncarryadipa Handabhuwanapalaka Parakramanindita Digjayottunggadewanama çri Gandra''. An inscription (dated 1181) from his reign documents the beginning of the adoption of animal names for important officials, such as ''Kbo Salawah'', ''Menjangan Puguh'', ''Lembu Agra'', ''Gajah Kuning'', and ''Macan Putih''. Among these highly ranked officials mentioned in the inscription, there is a title ''Senapati Sarwwajala'', or ''laksmana'', a title reserved for navy generals, which means that Kediri had a navy during his reign.
The eighth king was
Kameçvara. His formal stylised name was ''Çri Maharaja Rake Sirikan çri Kameçvara Sakalabhuwanatustikarana Sarwaniwaryyawiryya Parakrama Digjayottunggadewa''. He uses the ''(winged shell)'' as his royal seal under the name ''Kamecwaralancana''. During his reign, Mpu Dharmaja wrote ''
Smaradhana'', in which the king was adored as the incarnation of
Kamajaya, the god of love, and his capital city Dahana was admired throughout the known world. Kameçvara's wife, Çri Kirana, was celebrated as the incarnation of
Kamaratih, goddess of love and passion. The tales of this story, known as
Panji cycle, spread throughout Southeast Asia as far as
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
The last king of Kediri was Kritajaya/Kertajaya (
1194–
1222), King Çrngga or Kritajaya ruled Kediri, with the official name ''Çri maharaja çri Sarwweçwara Triwikramawataranindita Çrngga lancana Digwijayottunggadewa''. He used a Crnggalancana picture of (Cangkha) flanked by two horns and continued with the words "Krtajaya" above. The presence of a dominant horns makes this badge called ''Crnggalancana'' or horned badge. In
1222 he was forced to surrender his throne to
Ken Arok and so lost the sovereignty of his kingdom to the new kingdom of
Singhasari
Singhasari ( jv, ꦏꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦔ꧀ꦲꦱꦫꦶ, translit=Karaton Singhasari or , id, Kerajaan Singasari) was a Javanese Hindu kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as ...
. This was the result of his defeat at the
battle of Ganter. This event marked the end of Kediri era, and the beginning of the
Singhasari
Singhasari ( jv, ꦏꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦔ꧀ꦲꦱꦫꦶ, translit=Karaton Singhasari or , id, Kerajaan Singasari) was a Javanese Hindu kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as ...
era.
Relations with regional powers
The Kediri kingdom existed alongside the
Srivijaya empire
Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
based in Sumatra throughout 11th to 12th-century, and seems to have maintained trade relations with China and to some extent India. Chinese account identify this kingdom as ''Tsao-wa'' or ''Chao-wa'' (Java), numbers of Chinese records signify that Chinese explorers and traders frequented this kingdom. Relations with India were cultural one, as numbers of Javanese ''rakawi'' (poet or scholar) wrote literatures that been inspired by Hindu mythology, beliefs and epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana.
In 11th-century, Srivijayan hegemony in Indonesian archipelago began to decline, marked by
Rajendra Chola invasion to Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. The
Chola
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
king of
Coromandel conquered
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainland ...
from
Srivijaya
Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th ...
. The weakening of Srivijayan hegemony has enabled the formation of regional kingdoms, like Kediri, based on agriculture rather than trade. Later Kediri managed to control the
spice trade routes to
Maluku.
According to a Chinese source in the book of ''
Chu-fan-chi
''Zhu Fan Zhi'' (), variously translated as '' A Description of Barbarian Nations'', ''Records of Foreign People'', or other similar titles, is a 13th-century Song Dynasty work by Zhao Rukuo. The work is a collection of descriptions of countri ...
'' written around 1225,
Chou Ju-kua Zhao Rukuo (; 1170–1231), also read as Zhao Rugua, or misread as Zhao Rushi, was a Chinese historian and politician during the Song dynasty. He wrote a two-volume book titled ''Zhu Fan Zhi''. The book deals with the world known to the Chinese in t ...
described that in the
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
n archipelago there were two powerful and rich kingdoms: Srivijaya and Java (Kediri). In Java he found that people adhere two religions:
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and the religion of Brahmin (
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
). The people of Java were brave and short tempered, daring to put up a fight. Their favourite pastimes were
cockfighting
A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
and pigfighting. The currency was made from the mixture of
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...
,
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
, and
tin.
The book of ''Chu-fan-chi'' mentioned that Java was ruled by a
maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
, who ruled several colonies: Pai-hua-yuan (
Pacitan
Pacitan Regency ( id, Kabupaten Pacitan) is a regency located in the southwestern corner of East Java Province, with Central Java Province on its western border. Located between 7.55° - 8.17°S and 110.55° - 111.25°E. The borders of Pacitan Re ...
), Ma-tung (Medang), Ta-pen (Tumapel, now
Malang
Malang (; ) is a landlocked city in the Indonesian province of East Java. It has a history dating back to the age of Singhasari Kingdom. It is the second most populous city in the province, with a population of 820,043 at the 2010 Census and ...
), Hi-ning (
Dieng), Jung-ya-lu (Hujung Galuh, now
Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Java and the second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern border of Java island, on the M ...
), Tung-ki (Jenggi,
West Papua), Ta-kang (
Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
), Huang-ma-chu (
Southwest Papua
Southwest Papua ( id, Papua Barat Daya) is a province of Indonesia, and is a fraction of Western New Guinea. Despite being named southwest, it is a misnomer and this province is actually located in the northwest edge of Papua. The area that belo ...
), Ma-li (
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...
), Kulun (Gurun, identified as Gorong or
Sorong
Sorong is the largest city and the capital of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua. The city is located on the western tip of the island of New Guinea with its only land borders being with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia' ...
in
West Papua or an island in
Nusa Tenggara), Tan-jung-wu-lo (
Tanjungpura Tanjungpura is a name of a small town in Ketapang Regency of West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
It was formerly the capital of the Tanjungpura Kingdom
Tanjungpura Kingdom was the name of an ancient 8th century kingdom that was located along the southwest ...
in Borneo), Ti-wu (
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, ...
), Pingya-i (
Banggai in Sulawesi), and Wu-nu-ku (
Maluku).
Regarding Srivijaya, Chou-Ju-Kua reported that Kien-pi (Kampe, in
northern Sumatra) with armed forced rebellion had liberated themselves from Srivijaya, and crowned their own king. The same fate befell some of Srivijaya's colonies on the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The ar ...
that liberated themselves from Srivijaya domination. However Srivijaya was still the mightiest and wealthiest state in the western part of the archipelago. Srivijaya's colonies were: Pong-fong (
Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
), Tong-ya-nong (
Trengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith"). ...
), Ling-ya-ssi-kia (
Langkasuka
Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula. The name is Sanskrit in origin; it is thought to be a combination of ''langkha'' for "resplendent land" -'' sukkha'' for "bliss". The kingdom, along with Old K ...
), Kilan-tan (
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in t ...
), Fo-lo-an, Ji-lo-t'ing (
Jelutong), Ts'ien-mai (?), Pa-t'a (
Paka), Tan-ma-ling (
Tambralinga, Ligor or
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality ( th, เทศบาลนครนครศรีธรรมราช, ; from Pali ''Nagara Sri Dhammaraja'') is a municipality (''thesaban nakhon'') in Southern Thailand, capital of Nakhon Si Thammarat pro ...
), Kia-lo-hi (
Grahi, northern part of Malay peninsula), Pa-lin-fong (
Palembang
Palembang () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River on the eastern lowland of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census. Palembang ...
), Sin-t'o (
Sunda), Lan-wu-li (Lamuri at
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a ...
), and Si-lan. According to this source, in the early 13th century Srivijaya still ruled Sumatra, the Malay peninsula, and western Java (
Sunda).
Regarding
Sunda, the book details that the port of Sunda (
Sunda Kelapa
Sunda Kelapa ( su, , Sunda Kalapa) is the old port of Jakarta located on the estuarine of Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" ( Sundanese: "Coconut of Sunda") is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated i ...
) was excellent and strategically located, and that the
pepper from Sunda was among the best quality. The people worked in agriculture; their houses were built on wooden piles (rumah panggung). However the country was infested with robbers and thieves.
Culture
Celebrated as an era of blossoming literature, Kediri produced significant contributions in the field of Javanese classic literature. Next to the literary works already mentioned, ''
Śiwarātrikalpa'' and ''
Wrtasancaya'' by
Mpu Tanakung, ''
Krisnayana'' written by
Mpu Triguna, and ''
Sumanasantaka'' by
Mpu Monaguṇa are also notable.
The book of ''Ling-wai-tai-ta'' composed by Chinese author Chou K'u-fei in 1178, gave a glimpse of everyday life in Kediri that cannot be found in any other source material, about the government and people of Kediri.
According to Chou K'u-fei, people wore clothes that covered them down to their legs, with a loose hairstyle. Their houses were clean and well arranged with floors made from green or yellow cut stones. Agriculture, animal farming, and trading flourished and gained full attention from government. He reported that
silkworm
The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically ...
farms to produce
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...
and
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
clothes had been adopted by Javanese by that time. There was no physical punishment (jail or torture) of criminals. Instead, the people who committed unlawful acts were forced to pay fines in gold, except for thieves and robbers who were executed. In marital customs, the bride's family received some amount of
bride price
Bride price, bride-dowry ( Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...
from the groom's family. Instead of developing medical treatment, the Kediri people relied on prayers to
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
.
On the 5th month of the year, a water festival was celebrated with people travelling in boats along the river to celebrate. On the 10th month, another festival was held in the mountains. People would gather there to have fun and perform music with instruments such as
flutes,
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
s, and wooden
xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...
s (an ancient form of
gamelan
Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...
).
The King wore
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...
garments,
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hog ...
shoes
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...
and ornate golden jewellery. He wore his hair up high on his head. Every day, he would receive state officials, managers of his kingdom, on a square throne. After an audience, the state official would bow three times to the king. If the king travelled outside the palace, he rode an
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...
and was accompanied by 500–700 soldiers and officials while his subjects, the people of Kediri,
prostrated themselves as the king passed.
Economy
According to Chinese sources, the main occupations of the Kediri people revolved around agriculture (rice cultivation), animal farming (
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...
,
boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
,
poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, qu ...
), and the spice trade. Daha, the capital city of Kediri, (suggested to be at the same site as modern
Kediri) is located inland, near the fertile
Brantas
The Brantas is the longest river in East Java, Indonesia. It has a length of 320 km, and drains an area over 11,000 km2 from the southern slope of Mount Kawi-Kelud-Butak, Mount Wilis, and the northern slopes of Mount Liman-Limas, Mou ...
river valley. From the predecessor kingdom of Airlangga's Kahuripan, Kediri inherited irrigation systems, including the Wringin Sapta dam. Kediri economy was partly monetised, with silver coins issued by the royal court.
In later periods, Kediri economy grew to rely more heavily on trade, especially the spice trade. This resulted from Kediri development of a navy, giving them the opportunity to control the spice trade routes to eastern islands. Kediri collected spices from tributaries in southern
Kalimantan
Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo.
In 2019, ...
and the
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...
.
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
ns and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
ns then transported the spices to
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
and
Chinese markets by way of the
Spice Route that linked a chain of ports from the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
to southern China.
Fall
The kingdom of Kediri collapsed during the reign of
Kertajaya
Kertajaya or Kritajaya also called Dandhang Gendhis was the last king of the Kediri Kingdom who ruled around 1194–1222. At the end of his reign he declared that he wanted to be worshiped as a god. Kertajaya was killed by Ken Arok from Tumapel o ...
, and is told in ''
Pararaton'' and ''
Nagarakretagama
The ''Nagarakretagama'' or ''Nagarakṛtāgama'', also known as ''Desawarnana'' or ''Deśavarṇana'', is an Old Javanese eulogy to Hayam Wuruk, a Javanese king of the Majapahit Empire. It was written on lontar as a '' kakawin'' by Mpu Pr ...
''. In 1222
Kertajaya
Kertajaya or Kritajaya also called Dandhang Gendhis was the last king of the Kediri Kingdom who ruled around 1194–1222. At the end of his reign he declared that he wanted to be worshiped as a god. Kertajaya was killed by Ken Arok from Tumapel o ...
was fighting against the
brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
. Then the Brahmins asked for protection from
Ken Arok akuwu
Tumapel. Incidentally
Ken Arok also aspires to liberate
Tumapel which is Kadiri's subordinate area. The climax of the battle between Kadiri and
Tumapel occurred near the village of Ganter (Genter), in the eastern region of Kediri.
Ken Arok's troops managed to destroy
Kertajaya
Kertajaya or Kritajaya also called Dandhang Gendhis was the last king of the Kediri Kingdom who ruled around 1194–1222. At the end of his reign he declared that he wanted to be worshiped as a god. Kertajaya was killed by Ken Arok from Tumapel o ...
's troops. Thus, the era of the Kediri Kingdom ended, which from then on became the vassal of
Tumapel or
Singhasari
Singhasari ( jv, ꦏꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦔ꧀ꦲꦱꦫꦶ, translit=Karaton Singhasari or , id, Kerajaan Singasari) was a Javanese Hindu kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as ...
. After Ken Arok defeated Kertajaya, Kediri became an area under the rule of Singhasari. Ken Arok appointed Jayasabha, son of Kertajaya, as regent of Kediri. In 1258 the waning Jayasabha named Sastrajaya. In 1271 Sastrajaya faded into, namely
Jayakatwang. In 1292, Jayakatwang rebelled against Singhasari led by
Kertanegara, because of past grudges where his ancestor Kertajaya was defeated by Ken Arok. After successfully killing Kertanegara, Jayakatwang rebuilt the Kediri kingdom, but only lasted one year due to a combined attack launched by the
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
troops and the troops attacking Kertanegara,
Raden Wijaya
Raden Wijaya or Raden Vijaya (also known as Nararya Sangramawijaya, regnal name Kertarajasa Jayawardhana) (reigned 1293–1309) was a Javanese emperor, and the founder and first monarch of the Majapahit Empire.Slamet Muljana, 2005, ''Runtu ...
.
Kediri during Majapahit period
According to Jiyu and Petak inscriptions, during the end of
Majapahit
Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia ...
era in the 15th century, there was a brief resurrection of Daha (Kediri) as the centre of political power, which was led by
Girindrawardhana in 1478 after he managed to defeat Kertabhumi. But it short lived since descendant of Kertabhumi who became ruler of
Demak crushed Daha in 1527.
Rulers of Kediri
''the era of twin kingdoms''
See also
*
List of monarchs of Java
References
General
* Soekmono, R, Drs., ''Pengantar Sejarah Kebudayaan Indonesia 2'', 2nd ed. Penerbit Kanisius, Yogyakarta, 1973, 5th reprint edition in 1988
Further reading
* Saidihardjo, Dr. M. Pd., A.M, Sardiman, Drs., ''
Sejarah untuk SMP'', Tiga Serangkai, Solo, 1987, 4th reprint edition in 1990
Notes
{{Authority control
History of Java
Precolonial states of Indonesia
Hindu Buddhist states in Indonesia
11th century in Indonesia
12th century in Indonesia
1042 establishments
Former kingdoms