Ken Dedes was the first queen 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 ...

. She was the

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

of Ken Arok, the first ruler of Singhasari,

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

. She was later considered the origin of the lineage of kings that rule Java, the great mother of the Rajasa dynasty, the royal family that ruled Java from the Singhasari to the

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. Local tradition mentioned her as an embodiment of perfect beauty.

Early life

Most of the record of her life comes from the account of Pararaton (The Book of Kings), a mixed historical account including supernatural tales and stories. She was the daughter of a

Buddhist 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 ...

monk, Mpu Purwa. According to tradition, Ken Dedes' exceptional and extraordinary beauty was famous throughout the land and attracted Tunggul Ametung, the ruler of Tumapel (now the Singhasari district,

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 ...

) who later took her as his wife. According to local tradition, Ken Dedes was kidnapped while her father was away meditating and forced to become Tunggul Ametung's wife. Her father cursed Tunggul Ametung, saying he would be killed because of Ken Dedes' beauty. The curse became reality when Ken Arok assassinated Tunggul Ametung and took Ken Dedes as his own wife.

The Consort of Ken Arok

According to Pararaton and local tradition, Ken Arok's usurpation of Tunggul Ametung was caused by Ken Dedes' exceptional beauty and charisma. The story is that Ken Arok was standing close near the royal carriage as it halted and caught a glimpse of the young queen. When her clothes accidentally parted, Ken Arok caught sight of her naked legs and thighs and he saw that her genitals were 'shining'. A

Brahmin 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 ( ...

, Lohgawe, told Ken Arok that this radiance was the sign that Ken Dedes bears the divine quality and would be the bearer of kings. Her beauty was said to have been so perfect that whoever married her, regardless of his status, would inevitably be destined to become king of kings. By this, Ken Arok was motivated to dispatch Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok later launched a campaign that defeated Kertajaya, King of Kediri and he founded his own kingdom, Singhasari. Ken Dedes became his wife, the first queen of Singhasari. According to local beliefs, the statue of

Prajnaparamita A Tibetan painting with a Prajñāpāramitā sūtra at the center of the mandala Prajñāpāramitā ( sa, प्रज्ञापारमिता) means "the Perfection of Wisdom" or "Transcendental Knowledge" in Mahāyāna and Theravāda ...

, the goddess of transcendental wisdom in Buddhist tradition and found in Cungkup Putri near Singhasari temple, was made in her likeness and probably served as her mortuary deified statue. Anusapati, Ken Dedes's son from Tunggul Ametung, murdered Ken Arok and became the second ruler of Singhasari.

References

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Dedes A dede is a socio-religious leader in the Islamic Alevi and non-Islamic Ishiki community. It is one of the 12 ranks of Imam in Alevism. The institution of dede is the most important of all the institutions integral to the social and religious o ...

13th-century Indonesian women Queens consort