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Topic ClosedMajapahit, the Greatest Kingdom in SEA

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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Majapahit, the Greatest Kingdom in SEA
    Posted: 15-Jun-2005 at 08:39

MAJAPAHIT

 THE powerful Hindu kingdom, Majapahit, emerged in the 13th century and united much of what is now modern Indonesia.This Hindu-Buddhist state emerged as a trading Empire by the end of the 13th century and gained control over much of the archipelago, including Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Maluku, Sumbawa, Lombok, and Timor. Its territorial expansion was credited to its significant naval power and, to some extent, to Gadjah Mada, who was the military commander of the kingdom from 1336. Majapahit Kingdom was the last great Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom of Indonesia, whose influence started to decline in the late 14th century and early 15th centuries. The Kingdom finally collapsed at the beginning of the 16th century. It is sometimes seen as establishing a precedent for the present political boundaries of the Republic of Indonesia (Ricklefs 1993: 19).

The Majapahit Empire was based in eastern Java and ruled much of the southern Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and Bali from about 1293 to around 1500. Its greatest ruler was Hayam Wuruk, whose reign from 1350 to 1389 marked the empire's peak.

The Majapahit was the last of the great Hindu empires of the Malay archipelago. It was preceded by the Srivijayan kingdom, based in Palembang on the island of Sumatra.

The founder of the Majapahit Empire, Kertarajasa, was the son-in-law of the ruler of the Singhasari kingdom, also based in Java. After Singhasari drove Srivijaya out of Java altogether in 1290, the rising power of Singhasari came to the attention of Kublai Khan in China and he sent emissaries demanding tribute. Kertanagara, ruler of the Singhasari kingdom, refused to pay tribute and the Khan sent a punitive expedition which arrived off the coast of Java in 1293.

By that time, a rebel from Kediri, Jayakatwang, had killed Kertanagara. The Majapahit founder allied himself with the Mongols against Jayakatwang and, once the Singhasari kingdom was destroyed, turned and forced his Mongol allies to withdraw in confusion.

Gajah Mada, an ambitious Majapahit prime minister and regent from 1331 to 1364, extended the empire's rule to the surrounding islands. A few years after Gajah Madah's death, the Majapahit navy captured Palembang, putting an end to the Srivijayan kingdom.

Although the Majapahit rulers extended their power over other islands and destroyed neighboring kingdoms, their focus seems to have been on controlling and gaining a larger share of the commercial trade that passed through the archipelago. About the time Majapahit was founded, Muslim traders and proselytizers began entering the area.

After peaking the 1300s, Majapahit power began to decline with a war over succession that started in 1401 and went on for four years. Majapahit found itself unable to control the rising power of the Sultanate of Malacca. Dates for the end of the Majapahit Empire range from 1478 to 1520. A large number of courtiers, artisans, priests, and members of the royalty moved east to the island of Bali at the end of Majapahit's existence, where they remained isolated until the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the Dutch colonials mounted a military expedition to take control of the island.

Indonesian nationalists of the 1920s and 1930s made use of the historical memory of the Majapahit Empire as evidence that the peoples of the archipelago had once been united under a single government, and so could be again, in modern Indonesia.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Oct-2006 at 07:30
These people traded as far as with India, China, Arabs & Africa. The Indian ocean was named after these people.
PATTON NAGAR, Brains win over Brawn
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Oct-2006 at 14:06

Majapahit sure one of the greatest empire in Malay archipelago history.. Patih Gajah Mada had strong influence to the empire growth... other than conquering Selat Melaka... were there any other contributions from him? Why he considered as the greatest prime minister and his name being recognised by our history (malaysia and indonesia)...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Oct-2006 at 01:51
How much of indonesia was buddhist and how much hindu?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Oct-2006 at 05:38
i can say majapahit is the strongest empire in SEA before the rise of melaka empire under parameswara ,i think hindu are mainly based in bali island in indonesia now .
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Oct-2006 at 10:59

In indonesia.. it's hard to tell whether someone is Muslim or Non - Muslim.. Majority indonesian are muslims.. most of the Hindus they live in Bali as wht rodimus said.. Buddhist? I am not so sure.. There are chineses live in Indon.. but their name are in Indonesian name.. a little bit difficult to dinstinguish..

But someone is claiming melaka throne now.. he's a real Clown

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Mar-2007 at 16:41
i think majapahit is the greatest empire before Islamic kingdom period. Prameswara, who is the founder of mallacan Kingdom was also come from Majapahit's family.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Mar-2007 at 16:46

Gajahmada is a relly great prime minister or in Indonesian called Maha Patih or high minister. He vowed to unite nusantara (which mean every single island that are separated by seas and straits) and before he could unite them all he won't ever eat a fruit that named palapa. and his vow was named "sumpah palapa" or Palapa vow.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-Dec-2007 at 15:30
Gajah Mada still a mystery, nobody knew from where he came from. some said he's not origin from Java, should be from Sumatra. any articles that explaining about his origin? Thanks


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-Mar-2015 at 13:09
Is True story Majapahit Read http://www.gilang-access.com/2015/03/wilayah-kekuasaan-kerajaan-majapahit.html
I am native of Indonesia
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-Mar-2015 at 13:10
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-May-2015 at 14:42
Broken link.
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

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Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'

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