The 1478 CE, which corresponds to 1400 Saka year marks the downfall of the Majapahit Empire known through the famous chronogram written in Kawi as “sirna ilang kertaning bumi,” encodes 0041. Everybody agrees with this fact, but when it comes to the question of who attacked Majapahit at that very time, then a significant confusion starts to arise.
There are two versions of this significant milestone for Indonesian history, which make it look unclear. Some people, mostly Javanese, believe in what Babad Tanah Jawi narrated that it was Raden Patah, the Sultan of Demak, who attacked and destroyed Majapahit, then under the ruler of Brawijaya V, Raden Patah’s father a).
Others believe that it was Girindrawardhana Dyah Ranawijaya, the ruler of Daha, who defeated the king Brawijaya V. He did that as the retaliation toward Brawijaya V who toppled down his father the then King of Majapahit Singawikramawardhana in 1468.
Ranawijaya succeeded his father, who died in 1474. After toppling down Majapahit b), he declared himself as the king of Wilwatika (Majapahit), Jenggala, and Kediri, in which Daha was as the capital c).
The Jiyu and Perak stony inscriptions made in 1486 (10 years after the downfall) verified the fact that Ranawijaya was the ruler of Wilwatika-Jenggala-Kediri. The signatory of the inscription was Dyah Ranawijaya, entitled Sri Wilwatikta Jenggala Kediri. Furthermore, the inscription declared the donation of Trailokyapuri to Sri Brahmaraja Ganggadhara for his support to topple down Majapahit (Brawijaya V).
This declaration proved that the downfall of Majapahit as the result of Ranawijaya’s attack supported by Sri Brahmaraja. The act of Ranawijaya toppling down Brawijaya V was the climax of so many internal conflicts that occurred among the royal family after the death of Hayam Wuruk in 1389, which gravely deteriorating Majapahit Empire.
The writer of Babad Tanah Jawi had certainly confused on picking up one of the fights against Majapahit as the mark of its downfall. There happened several battles against Majapahit, the one of which was that of 1400 Saka (1478 CE) mentioned previously. The others occurred in 1517 through 1527, this time was launched by Demak against Daha after Daha’s had attempted to collaborate with Portuguese d), which would endanger Demak sovereign.
After being defeated in the first two battles, under the command of Adipati Unus, Demak troops launched the last campaign, which was the fiercest and the bloodiest of all. It was a coup de grace for the Wilwatika-Jenggala-Kediri Kingdom and annihilated the Hindu Kingdom’s existence in Java.
All the riches of Majapahit were seized and brought to Demak. Majapahit people who did not want to subdue under the rule of Demak fled away to the eastern tip of Java and Bali. These episodes were recorded and narrated in the historical note of Pigafetta from Italy and by Tome Pires in his famous Suma Oriental.
It was possible that the authors of Babad Tanah Jawi, who wrote it more than 200 years after the events, had lost the detailed information and confusedly identified the Demak’s attack against Daha, the capital of Wilwatika-Jenggala-Kediri in 1527 with that of Ranawijaya’s attack against Majapahit in 1478.
With all of those pieces of evidence, mainly with the discovery of Jiyu and Perak stony inscriptions long after the publication of Babad Tanah Jawi, it is time for us to stop once for all the Majapahit downfall’s controversy.
Notes:
a. Slamet Mulyana, a prominent Indonesian historian, put forward the same version. He added that after defeating Brawijaya V Raden Patah installed his Chinese entourage, Nyoo Lay Wa, as the Majapahit ruler, the historical fact that people cannot find in any other records.
b. A precise chronicle told that Demak sent the troops supporting Majapahit to fight against Daha but without success.
c. Daha was the city where Singawikramawardhana moved to after Kertabhumi (Brawijaya V) defeated him.
d. Demak had sent an armada to attack the Portuguese position in Malacca but defeated in 1511.
References:
- Olthof, W.L.:”Babad Tanah Jawi,” (translated by Sumarsono, H.R.), Narasi, Jakarta, 2011
- Atmadja, N.B.:”Genealogi Keruntuhan Majapahit,” Pustaka Pelajar, Yogyakarta, 2010
- Adji, K.B. et al.: “Ensiklopedi Raja-Raja Jawa,” Araska, Yogjakarta, 2011.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE ARCHIPELAGO 