Javanese Kshatriya were a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

community which originally existed in the island of

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. According to the ancient Hindu law, the Kshatriyas have the exclusive right to bear arms in order to defend the country. Indigenous Kshatriya communities currently exist in

India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

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Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

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as well as in the island of

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, 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 o ...

in Indonesia. Most prominent of the Kshatriya clans in Java were those located in '' Koripan, Gaglang, Kediri,'' and '' Janggala''. The literary work ''Rangga Lawe'' describes in detail about the Kshatriyas and

Vaishya Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four varnas of the Vedic Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of Varna hierarchy. The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly of agriculture, takin ...

s of the Kediri royal palace. Jawa or Kediri was the largest Hindu kingdom, which was ruled by Kshatriyas in the island.

Close-up_of_warriors_from_KITLV_87835_-_Isidore_van_Kinsbergen_-_Relief_on_Tjandi_Panataran_near_Blitar_-_Before_1900

Javanese Kshatriyas were popularly known as ''K'bo'' or ''Mahisa'' (meaning buffalo) and ''Rangga'' to indicate their strength. The Kshatriyas came to Java in small numbers, but most of the princes were of the third caste, the wesya (

). Most important of the Kshatriya families in Java were ''Mahisa Bungalan, K'bo Wilalungan, K'bo Siluman, K'bo Jerang, K'bo Kanigara, K'bo Chaluk, K'bo T'ki, K'bo Taluktak, Ki Mahisa Safati, K'bo Mundarang, and further Rangga Smi, Rangga Mayang, Rangga Palana, Rangga Ralengsong, Rangga Pasung, Rangga Wirada, Rangga Rabete, Rangga Sumbi, Rangga Sampana, and Anurangga Sunting''. Some of these Kshatriya clans migrated to the island of Bali as well. The royal family of Deva Agung, who is considered to be the ancestor of almost all the Kshatriyas in Bali, was originally a Kshatriya from Java. The Javanese Kshatriyas became extinct during the early 17th century as a result of constant warfare with political rivals after the decline of

Majapahit Majapahit (; (eastern and central dialect) or (western dialect)), also known as Wilwatikta (; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia based on the island o ...

. No descendants remain of this community now, except those in Bali who claim ancestry from Dewa Agung.

References

{{reflist Hinduism in Indonesia Kshatriya communities Hindu ethnic groups Ethnic groups in Indonesia Javanese people Hindu communities Indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia

See also

References