Raden Patah, also known as Jin Bun (; zh, t=靳文, s=, p=Jìn wén) (1455 in
Jepara
Jepara is a town in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. Jepara is on the north coast of Java, northeast of Semarang, not far from Mount Muria, with a population of 85,970 in mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabup ...
– 1518 in
Demak) was the first sultan of the
Demak Sultanate. Ascending to the throne in 1475, he remained a vassal of the
Majapahit Empire
Majapahit (; (eastern and central dialect) or (western dialect)), also known as Wilwatikta (; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia). At its greatest ...
until 1478. Raden Patah took the title Panembahan Jimbun after legitimizing the Sultanate of Demak as the successor state to the Majapahit Empire, with the
Wali Sanga appointing him the Sultan of Demak.
The historian
Merle Calvin Ricklefs distinguishes Raden Patah from a Muslim named Cek-ko-po, saying that Cek-ko-po was an outsider, most likely from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, who apparently founded the Sultanate of Demak and had a son who might have been named "Rodim", who the Portuguese also referred to by that name. Meanwhile,
Tomé Pires
Tomé Pires (c. 1468 — c. 1524/1540) was a Portuguese apothecary, colonial administrator, and diplomat. In 1510 he was commissioned by the Portuguese court to serve as a " factor of drugs" in India, arriving at Cannanore in 1511. In 1512 he was ...
, in his book
Suma Oriental
Suma may refer to:
Places
* Suma, Azerbaijan, a village
* Suma, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran
* Sowmaeh, Ardabil, also known as Şūmā, a village in Iran
* Suma-ku, Kobe, one of nine wards of Kobe City in Japan
** Suma Station, a ra ...
, said that "Pate Rodim" was the ruler of Demak who ruled the
Palembang
Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...
area. Then, one source said that it is widely believed that the Demak Sultanate was founded in 1500 by a Chinese Muslim named Cek-ko-po or his son, Raden Patah.
He was succeeded by Adipati/Lord
Pati Unus and
Trenggana.
Origin
Raden Patah has many names, including Praba or Raden Bagus Kasan (Hasan), who has the Chinese name Jin Bun ( zh, t=靳文, s=, p=Jìn wén). He is also called
Senapati
Senapati ( , ''sena'' meaning "army", ''Pati (title), pati'' meaning "lord") is a title in ancient India denoting the rank of general (military), General.
It was a hereditary title of nobility used in the Maratha Empire. During wartime, a ''Sar ...
Jimbun or Panembahan Jimbun, has the title Sultan Syah Alam Akbar al-Fatah. According to Chinese chronicles from the
Sam Poo Kong Temple in
Semarang
Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
, he has a Chinese name, namely Jin Bun, without a surname in front of him, because only his mother is Chinese. Jin Bun means strong person.
[ ISBN 978-979-8451-16-4] The name is synonymous with the Arabic name "Fatah" which means victory.
Early life
There are various versions about the origin of the founder of Kerajaan Demak.
According to
Babad Tanah Jawi, Raden Patah is thought to have been the son of , the last king of the
Majapahit Empire
Majapahit (; (eastern and central dialect) or (western dialect)), also known as Wilwatikta (; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia). At its greatest ...
of a
Chinese concubine. This Chinese concubine was the daughter of Kyai Batong (aka Tan Go Hwat). After giving birth to Raden Patah, the Chinese daughter married , giving birth to
Raden Kusen (aka Kin San).
According to ''Purwaka Caruban Nagari'', the real name of the Chinese concubine is Siu Ban Ci, daughter of Tan Go Hwat and Siu Te Yo from
Gresik. Tan Go Hwat is a trader and scholar with the title Shaykh Bantong (aka Kyai Batong).
According to the Chinese chronicle of the
Sam Poo Kong temple, the nickname when Raden Patah was young was Jin Bun, son of Kung-ta-bu-mi (aka or ) king of Majapahit of a Chinese concubine. Then the Chinese concubine was given to a half Chinese named Swan Liong in Palembang. Swan Liong is the son of ) from a Chinese concubine. From this second marriage, Kin San (aka Raden Kusen) was born. This Chinese chronicle reports the birth year of Jin Bun as 1455. Therefore, Raden Patah was born before Bhre Kertabhumi was governing the Majapahit Empire (reigned 1474–1478).
According to Slamet Muljana (2005), Babad Tanah Jawi was careless in identifying Brawijaya V as Raden Patah's father as well as Arya Damar's father, more precisely the content of Sam Po Kong's Chinese chronicle script seems more plausible that Swan Liong's father (aka Arya Damar) is
Yang-wi-si-sa (楊惟西沙) in contrast to Jin Bun's (aka Raden Patah) father, namely Kung-ta-bu-mi or Kertabhumi aka Brawijaya V.
According to
Sejarah Banten, the founder of the
Demak Sultanate was named Cu Cu (Gan Eng Wan?), The son (or subordinate) of the former
prime minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
(Haji Gan Eng Cu?) who moved to
East Java
East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third 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 ...
. Cu Cu served Majapahit and contributed to suppressing the Arya Dilah rebellion, the
regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
of Palembang. This doesn't add up, as written in
Babad Tanah Jawi. Because, Arya Dilah is another name for , Raden Patah's own adoptive father. Furthermore, for his services, Cu Cu became the son-in-law of the king 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 ...
and was made the regent of Demak with the title Arya Sumangsang (Aria Suganda?).
Although there are various versions, it is said that the founder of Demak had ties to
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 ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Gresik, and
Palembang
Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...
.
Foundations of the Demak Sultanate
According to
Babad Tanah Jawi, Raden Patah refused to replace as Duke of
Palembang
Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...
. He fled to
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 ...
, accompanied by
Raden Kusen. Arriving in
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 ...
, both of them studied at
Sunan Ampel in
Surabaya
Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
. Raden Kusen then served Majapahit, while Raden Patah moved to
Central Java
Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...
to open the Glagahwangi forest into a
pesantren
''Pesantren'' is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia. It is taught either in private houses, a ''wiktionary:pondok, pondok'' or a mosque, the teaching includes classical Islamic texts and ''santri'' thought, taught by Kyai, ''kya ...
.
The longer the Glagahwangi pesantren was progressing. (aka ) in Majapahit was worried that Raden Patah intended to rebel.
Raden Kusen, who at that time had been appointed Duke of , was ordered to summon Raden Patah.
Duke of Terung confronts Raden Patah to
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 ...
. Brawijaya (identified as ) was impressed and finally agreed to admit Raden Patah as his son. Raden Patah was appointed regent, while Glagahwangi was renamed
Demak, with the capital being named
Bintara.
According to Chinese chronicle of the
Sam Poo Kong temple, Jin Bun moved from
Surabaya
Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
to
Demak in 1475. Then he conquered
Semarang
Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
in 1477 as a subordinate of Demak. This made Kung-ta-bu-mi (aka Bhre Kertabhumi) in Majapahit uneasy. However, thanks to the persuasion of Bong Swi Hoo (aka
Sunan Ampel), Kung-ta-bu-mi was willing to acknowledge Jin Bun as a son, and formalized his position as regent at Bing-to-lo (Chinese spelling for Bintoro).
Demak and Majapahit conflicts during the Raden Patah period
The version of the War between
Demak and
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 ...
is reported in the ''babad and serat'' manuscripts, especially
Babad Tanah Jawi and Serat Kanda. It is said that
Sunan Ampel forbid Raden Patah to rebel against
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 ...
because despite his different religions, was still Raden Patah's father. However, after the death of Sunan Ampel, Raden Patah continued to attack Majapahit. Brawijaya
moksa
''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, ''nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologica ...
in the attack. In order to neutralize the influence of the old religion,
Sunan Giri occupied the Majapahit throne for 40 days.
The Chinese chronicle of the
Sam Poo Kong temple also reports the war between Jin Bun and Kung-ta-bu-mi in 1478. The war took place after the death of Bong Swi Hoo (aka
Sunan Ampel). Jin Bun stormed the capital 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 ...
. was arrested and honorably transferred to
Demak. Since then, Majapahit has been subordinate to Demak, led by a
Chinese Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
named Nyoo Lay Wa as the
regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
.
Prof.'s Dr. N. J. Krom in the book "Javaansche Geschiedenis" and
Prof. Moh. Yamin in the book "Gajah Mada" said that it was not Demak who attacked Majapahit during the time of King Brawijaya V, but was King
Girindrawardhana. Then after Girindrawardhana's attack on Majapahit in 1478 AD, Girindrawardhana then appointed himself king of Majapahit with the title of King Brawijaya VI, Girindrawardhana's power was not that long, because his
Patih staged a coup and appointed himself as King . The war between Demak and Majapahit occurred during the reign of King Brawijaya VII, not during the time of Raden Fatah and Prabu Brawijaya V.
This Pa-bu-ta-la figure is identical to Prabu aka Dyah Ranawijaya who published the Jiyu inscription in 1486 and claimed to be the ruler 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 ...
,
Janggala and
Kadiri
Kadiri is a major city in Sri Sathya Sai district, 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 Revenue Division ...
.
In addition, also issued a Petak inscription which tells the story of the war against Majapahit. This inscription gave birth to an opinion that Majapahit collapsed in 1478 not because of the attack from the
Demak Sultanate, but because of the attack by the
Girindrawardhana family.
Administration
Whether Raden Patah ever attacked
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 ...
or not, he is said to be the first king of the
Sultanate of Demak
The Demak Sultanate () was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak. A port fief to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in the last quarter of ...
. According to
Babad Tanah Jawi, he has the title
Senapati
Senapati ( , ''sena'' meaning "army", ''Pati (title), pati'' meaning "lord") is a title in ancient India denoting the rank of general (military), General.
It was a hereditary title of nobility used in the Maratha Empire. During wartime, a ''Sar ...
Jimbun Ningrat Ngabdurahman Panembahan
Palembang
Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...
Sayidin Panatagama, while according to ''Serat Pranitiradya'', he has the title Sultan Syah Alam Akbar, and in
Hikayat Banjar it is called Sultan Surya Alam.
The name Patah itself comes from the word al-Fatah, which means "The Opening", because he was indeed the opening of the first
sultanate
Sultan (; ', ) is a Royal and noble ranks, position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". La ...
on the
island of Java.
In 1479, Raden Patah inaugurated the
Great Mosque of Demak as the center of government. He also introduced the use of the ''Salokantara'' as a royal statute book. Raden Patah was very tolerant of other faiths. The
Sam Poo Kong Temple in
Semarang
Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
was not forced back into a mosque, as it was when it was founded by the
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
Admiral
Cheng Ho
Zheng He (also romanized Cheng Ho; 1371–1433/1435) was a Chinese eunuch, admiral and diplomat from the early Ming dynasty, who is often regarded as the greatest admiral in Chinese history. Born into a Muslim family as Ma He, he later adopte ...
.
Tome Pires in
Suma Oriental
Suma may refer to:
Places
* Suma, Azerbaijan, a village
* Suma, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran
* Sowmaeh, Ardabil, also known as Şūmā, a village in Iran
* Suma-ku, Kobe, one of nine wards of Kobe City in Japan
** Suma Station, a ra ...
reported that in 1507 Pate Rodin alias Raden Patah inaugurated the newly renovated Demak Grand Mosque. Then in 1512 his son-in-law,
Pate Unus, the
regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
of
Jepara
Jepara is a town in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. Jepara is on the north coast of Java, northeast of Semarang, not far from Mount Muria, with a population of 85,970 in mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabup ...
, attacked the
Portuguese in
Malacca
Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...
.
The
Pate Unus character is synonymous with Yat Sun in the Chinese chronicle which is reported to have attacked foreigners in Moa-lok-sa in 1512. The difference is, Pate Unus is Pate Rodin's son-in-law, while Yat Sun is the son of Jin Bun. Both reports, both from Portuguese and Chinese sources, both mention that the fleet that
Demak commanded was destroyed in this battle.
According to Chinese chronicles, Jin Bun aka Raden Patah died in 1518 at the age of 63. He was replaced by Yat Sun as the next king, who in
Babad Tanah Jawi had the title
Pangeran Sabrang Lor.
References
*
Andjar Any. 1989. ''Rahasia Ramalan Jayabaya, Ranggawarsita & Sabdopalon''. Semarang: Aneka Ilmu
* ''Babad Majapahit dan Para Wali (Jilid 3)''. 1989. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, Proyek Penerbitan Buku Sastra Indonesia dan Daerah
* ''
Babad Tanah Jawi''. 2007. (terj.). Yogyakarta: Narasi
*
de Graaf, H. J. dan T. H.
Pigeaud. 2001. ''Kerajaan Islam Pertama di Jawa''. Terj. Jakarta: Pustaka Utama Graffiti
Manaqib Singkat Sultan Abdul Fatah Al Akbar Sayyidin Pranotogomo* Moedjianto. 1987. ''Konsep Kekuasaan Jawa: Penerapannya oleh Raja-raja Mataram''. Yogyakarta: Kanisius
* Poesponegoro & Notosusanto (ed.). 1990. ''Sejarah Nasional Indonesia Jilid II''. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka.
*
Ricklefs, M. C., ''A History of Modern Indonesia since c. 1200'', Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008 (terbitan ke-4),
* Yuliadi Soekardi. 2002. ''Nalusur Sejarahe Sunan Gunungjati''. Dalam Majalah
Panjebar Semangat Edisi 23-27. Surabaya.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Patah, Raden
Sultans
Javanese monarchs
Indonesian people of Chinese descent
1455 births
1518 deaths
15th-century Indonesian people
16th-century Indonesian people
Demak Sultanate