The Blambangan Kingdom ( Indonesian : Kerajaan Blambangan , Javanese : ꦑꦺꦫꦗꦲꦤ꧀ꦨ꧀ꦭꦩ꧀ꦧꦔꦤ꧀) was the last Javanese Hindu kingdom that flourished between the 13th and 18th centuries, based in the eastern corner of Java . The capital was at Banyuwangi . It had a long history of its own, developing contemporaneously with the largest Hindu kingdom in Java, Majapahit (1293–1527). At the time of the collapse of Majapahit in the late fifteenth century, Blambangan stood on its own as the one solitary Hindu state left in Java, controlling the larger part of Java’s Oosthoek .
47-555: The historical record and the study of the Blambangan Kingdom are scarce, which contributed to the obscurity of its history. Contemporary Javanese mostly know the kingdom through its link to the popular epic folklore, the legend of Damarwulan and Menak Jingga . The fictional story which is set in the Majapahit period, told that the rebellious King of Blambangan named Menak Jingga desired the hand of Majapahit Queen Kencanawungu. During
94-428: A divine revelation that a young knight named Damarwulan can overcome him. She orders Patih Lohgender to release him from jail and send him forth on his mission. Damarwulan, accompanied by his servants, makes his way to Blambangan. Arriving at night, he sneaks into the gardens and manages to overhear a conversation at the pavilion between two resentful captive princesses, Dewi Wahita and Dewi Puyengan, who are forced to be
141-432: A fighter and cultural observer, Sultan Agung was declared as National Hero of Indonesia on November 3, 1975. Rangsang ascended to the throne when he was 20 years old, succeeding his half-brother, Duke Martapura, who became Sultan of Mataram for only one day. Rangsang was technically the fourth Sultan of Mataram, but he is commonly considered the third sultan because the coronation of his intellectually disabled half-brother
188-416: A formal name, for instance, "Sastradiningrat" in the case of Karawang, preceded by "Raden Aria Adipati", hence "Raden Aria Adipati Sastradiningrat" (shortened into R. A. A. Sastradiningrat). The word adipati survived in the colonial system. The Dutch had grouped kabupaten into regions under a resident , called residenties . The Indonesian government kept the kabupaten but disbanded the residenties in
235-525: A handsome stableboy eventually reach Anjasmara, the prime minister's daughter. She seeks him out secretly and they fall in love and are clandestinely married. One night, Anjasmara's brothers overhear voices in her chamber. They break in to find Damarwulan in Anjasmara's chamber and try to kill him, but he can overcome them. They flee to their father, who orders that Damarwulan be executed. Anjasmara pleads for her lover, and he doesn't execute Damarwulan but imprisons
282-532: A mystical manuscript, entitled Sastra Gending . The development of the sacred dance bedhaya and important developments in gamelan and wayang are attributed to the court of Sultan Agung. However, there is almost no historical evidence for the claims of high artistic achievement, and there is little information at all about the arts in the court. Some written evidence comes from a handful of mentions in Dutch accounts, which can be difficult to interpret. Sultan Agung
329-627: Is permitted to retain Anjasmara as his other wife, also Dewi Wahita and Dewi Puyengan as his concubines. Sultan Agung of Mataram Sultan Agung Adi Prabu Anyakrakusuma ( Javanese : ꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦒꦸꦁꦲꦢꦶꦥꦿꦧꦸꦲꦚꦏꦿꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩ ), commonly known as Sultan Agung , was the third Sultan of Mataram in Central Java ruling from 1613 to 1645. He was a skilled soldier who conquered neighbouring states and expanded and consolidated his kingdom to its greatest territorial and military power. Sultan Agung or Susuhunan Agung (literally, "Great Sultan" or "Majestic Sultan")
376-420: Is revered in contemporary Java for his unification of Java, modernizing reforms, as well as his wars with the Dutch. In 1975, he was nominated and confirmed as a National Hero of Indonesia ( Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia ). His existence within a cultural framework where myth and magic are intertwined and the scarcity of verifiable records of his early life have elevated him to heroic and near-mythical status. In
423-525: Is subject to a substantial amount of literature due to his legacy as a Javanese ruler, a fighter against the incursions of the Dutch East India Company , a conqueror, and his existence within a cultural framework where myth and magic are intertwined with verifiable historical events and personages. The Dutch literature wrote his name as Agoeng de Grote (literally, "Agung the Great"). For his service as
470-470: Is uncertain when the story (MSS.Jav.89) was donated to the Library in 1815. It is thought to date to the late 18th century, and "begins with the accession of the daughter of Brawijaya (Kusuma Kancana Wungu) to the throne of Majapahit." Damarwulan is a prince by birth, a nephew of the prime minister, Patih Lohgender, but was raised in the hermitage of his grandfather. Following his grandfather's advice, he goes to
517-552: The Majapahit and Blambangan kingdoms, in which Damarwulan gains honor. The stories are especially popular in East Java . The Damarwulan legend is associated with the Majapahit court at the time of the queen Suhita , at which time there was a war with Blambangan. However, the names of the characters Damar Wulan ("radiance of the moon") and Menak Jingga ("red knight") suggest that they may incorporate elements of an older sun-moon myth. It
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#1732852751147564-691: The Portuguese colony in Malacca arrived in East Java to try to convert the local people. They visited Panarukan and Blambangan and reported that the port of Panarukan was contested between the Muslim rulers of Pasuruan allied with Surabaya, against the Hindu King of Blambangan and Panarukan. The Balinese chronicle Babad Gumi , which was first composed around the early 1700s, ascribed the fall of Blambangan around this period in
611-549: The Siege of Batavia . After the failure of the siege, Agung turned against the Balinese , then controlling Balambangan in East Java, in a "holy war" against infidels. His campaign was successful in Java, but he was unable to extend his power to the island of Bali itself. Bali thus retained its identity as a Hindu state amid the predominantly Muslim states of the archipelago . By 1625, Mataram
658-499: The Walisanga , Sultan Agung assigned Pangeran Pekik , a descendant of Sunan Ampel (Sunan Giri's father-in-law), to suppress the rebellion. Pangeran Pekik himself had been married to Queen Pandansari, Sultan Agung's sister, in 1633. The Giri Kedaton rebellion would be completely suppressed by them three years later. In 1632 Sultan Agung began building Imogiri , his burial place, about 15 kilometers south of Yogyakarta . Imogiri remains
705-425: The 1950s, resulting in kabupaten being administrative subdivisions directly under a province. The laws on regional autonomy promulgated in 1999 give a high degree of autonomy to the kabupaten , not to the provinces. In the environment of Mataram Palace, Sultan Agung established a standard language called Bagongan obliged to be used by Mataram noblemen and officials to eradicate imbalance between them. The language
752-579: The 8th king of Blambangan, opened the forest of Sudiamara and established a new capital in Macan Putih, Kabat district ( Kecamatan Kabat ) located about 10 kilometres from Banyuwangi. Of the nine rulers who once ruled Blambangan, Tawang Alun II (1665-1691) is considered one of the greatest kings of Blambangan. During his reign, Blambangan's territory reached Jember , Lumajang , Situbondo , and Bali . Blambangan society at that time lived peacefully and prosperous, after all time engaged in various warfare against
799-507: The Eastern court led by Bhre Wirabhumi . In 1406 the Western troops led by Bhre Tumapel, the son of Wikramawardhana, penetrated the eastern palace and defeated Bhre Wirabhumi. After the collapse of Majapahit in the late 15th century, Blambangan stood alone as the sole Javanese Hindu polity in Java. The kingdom subsequently was contested and harassed by successive expansive Javanese Islamic states to
846-458: The Majapahit court seeking worldly experiences and employment. His cousins, the arrogant Layang Seta and Layang Kumitir, the prime minister's sons, mistreat him when he arrives. Patih Lohgender, not wanting him to compete with his sons, assigns him as a grass-cutter and stableboy to attend to Lohgender's horses. Though he is stripped of his fine garments and works as a humble servant in a stable, Damarwulan still looks strikingly handsome. The rumors of
893-511: The Majapahit period circa the 13th century, the eastern realm was regarded as a peripheral area of the Javanese kingdom, which centered in Trowulan , Majapahit, and surrounding Brantas River basin , whereas eastern salient areas such as Lumajang were regarded as the outlying provinces. The Majapahit kingdom was established in 1293 by Raden Wijaya with the help of cunning and able Arya Wiraraja ,
940-635: The Pasuruan army had taken Blambangan some years ago and exterminated the royal family therein. Other accounts asserted that the conquest of Blambangan by the forces of Sultan Agung of Mataram took place in 1639, which was also the end of Panarukan's independence. With the loss of its important port, Panarukan, the center of the Blambangan kingdom was receded to inland south to present day Blambangan area, with its port in Banyuwangi . In 1665, Tawang Alun II Danureja,
987-451: The Regent of Madura . As a reward of Wiraraja's support, in 1295, Raden Wijaya agreed to give the eastern salient of Java, which includes Blambangan areas with Lumajang as its capital. The Nagarakretagama , composed in 1365, mentioned that the central part of the eastern corner of Java was visited by King Hayam Wuruk in his royal tour in 1359. The poem contains interesting information about
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#17328527511471034-777: The Surabaya army was crushed by Sultan Agung's forces in Siwalan, Panjang (near Surakarta ). The coastal city of Lasem , near Rembang , was conquered later in 1616, and Pasuruan , southeast of Surabaya, was taken in 1617. Tuban , one of the oldest and biggest cities on the coast of Java , was taken in 1619. Surabaya had been Mataram's most formidable adversary thus far. Agung's grandfather, Senopati (Senapati), had not felt strong enough to attack this powerful city, and his father, Panembahan Seda Krapyak, attacked it to no avail. Sultan Agung weakened Surabaya by capturing Sukadana , Surabaya's ally in southwest Kalimantan , in 1622, and also captured
1081-445: The administrative reforms he undertook in the conquered territories. The ever-increasing large territorial extent of these territories led him to create an innovative and rational administrative structure. Apart from his conquests, the sultan also sought to rationalize and improve the internal government of his kingdom. He reformed the tax code and brought the courts and judicial system more in line with Quranic precepts. He commissioned
1128-545: The body. However, when they fall asleep the two princesses carry him away, nurture him, and explain the secret of Menak Jingga's magic invulnerability, a club of yellow iron kept behind his headrest. If the king is hit on his left temple with this club, he will die. Risking their lives for the sake of their lover, the princesses manage to steal the club while the Menak Jingga is asleep. A second battle between Menak Jingga and Damarwulan follows, in which Damarwulan manages to behead
1175-595: The building of the Karta Palace in 1614, the Royal Graveyard of Imogiri , as well as other social and civic structures within the kingdom. He created "provinces" by appointing people as adipati (equivalent to Duke ) at the head of territories called kadipaten ( Duchy ), particularly those territories in the western part of Java, where Mataram was facing Banten and Batavia, two places that resisted his wars of conquest. A kabupaten like Karawang , for instance,
1222-402: The concubines of Menak Jingga. Damarwulan enters the pavilion and confides in them, enamoured by his charm and good looks, they fall in love and become devoted to him. At this time, Menak Jingga decides to visit the princesses and discovers Damarwulan. They fight, but Damarwulan is unable to hurt Menak Jingga, and severely wounded, appears to die. Menak Jingga leaves, ordering his servants to guard
1269-579: The expansionist neighboring kingdoms to the west and east. The VOC archive mentioned the spectacular ngaben (cremation) ceremony of Tawang Alun II, that among his 400 wives, 271 of them performed suttee (self-immolation). In 1697, the Balinese Kingdom of Buleleng sent its expedition to Blambangan, which established Balinese influence in the region. In the early 18th century, the Dutch and British contested each other’s political and economic power in
1316-553: The island of Madura , another ally of Surabaya, in 1624 after a fierce battle. After five years of war, Agung finally conquered Surabaya in a siege in 1625. With Surabaya brought into the empire, the Mataram kingdom encompassed all of central and eastern Java (plus Madura), except for the west end of Java and its mountainous south. In the west, Banten and the Dutch settlement in Batavia remained outside Agung's control. The economy of Mataram
1363-456: The king. Successful, he returns to Majapahit, but the prime minister's twin sons ambush him outside the palace, killing him and presenting Menak Jingga's head to the queen. However, Damarwulan has not died yet, a hermit rescues and revives Damarwulan. Finally, the queen learns what happened to Damarwulan. In a final battle, Damarwulan defeats his cousins. Damarwulan is crowned as the King of Majapahit and
1410-706: The one born by Dyah Banawati. This version is an opinion of a minority whose truth has to be proven. Like other Mataram's monarchs, Sultan Agung had 2 main queen consorts: From his queen consorts , Sultan Agung has 9 children : In his early reign, Rangsang's title was Susuhunan Anyakrakusuma or Prabu Pandita Anyakrakusuma. After conquering Madura in 1624, he changed his title to Susuhunan Agung Anyakrakusuma, abbreviated as Sunan Agung Anyakrakusuma. In 1640s, he used title Sultan Agung Senapati ing Alaga Abdurrahman. In 1641, Sunan Agung had an Arabic title, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Maulana of Mataram, bestowed by imams in Mecca . For
1457-468: The pair. Meanwhile, Menak Jingga, the king of Blambangan has written a letter to Queen Kencanawungu asking for her hand. When the queen rejects him, he declares war on the Majapahit kingdom. He is successful in dispatching Majapahit's allies, and finally, the kingdom is threatened by his forces directly. In distress, the queen announces that whoever kills Menak Jingga and brings her his head can have her hand. Worried when no saviors present themselves, she has
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1504-509: The rebellion of Sumedang and Ukur in West Java. Agung's attempt to capture Batavia in 1628–1629 and his attempts to drive the Dutch from Java failed. Rebellions continued, the next one was the Giri Kedaton rebellion, whose people were unwilling to submit to Mataram. As Mataram's troops still respected Giri Kedaton 's soldiers which was considered the descendant of Sunan Giri , a member of
1551-480: The region. The eastern realm becomes the vassal or mancanagara (provinces) of Majapahit. However, it seems that the Eastern realm steadily has grown quite independently. The eastern salient become the host of the Eastern court which rival Majapahit central authority. The rivalry erupted in the Regreg war (1404-1406), which was fought as a contest of succession between the Western court led by Wikramawardhana , against
1598-417: The region. Internal disputes about the succession at the court of Blambangan impaired the kingdom, making it vulnerable to foreign intervention. Damarwulan Damarwulan is a Javanese legendary hero who appears in a cycle of stories used in the performance of wayang klitik , as well as Langendriyan (female dance-opera) and ketoprak (popular theater). These stories tell of the struggles between
1645-442: The resting place of most of the royalty of Yogyakarta and Surakarta to this day. In Agung's complex, Sultan Agung, Queen Batang, and their sons are also buried. Agung died in the spring of 1645, leaving behind an empire that covered most of Java and stretched to its neighboring islands. In accordance with his will, Sultan Agung was succeeded by his son, RM. Sayidin, styled Amangkurat I . Sultan Agung's major legacy lies however in
1692-447: The ruler of Mataram in 1613. In the following year he attacked Surabaya , as well as Malang which lies south of Surabaya, and the eastern end of Java island , but failed to conquer them both. He was however able to extract a significant indemnity and used this in 1615, to conquer Wirasaba (present-day Mojoagung , near Mojokerto), an operation which he led. In 1616, Surabaya attempted to attack Mataram in retaliation, but lacking allies
1739-519: The syncretic religious culture of Java, with its mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam; pilgrimage to his graveyard complex is considered auspicious, and many make considerable effort to go to Imogiri at appropriate times and days in the Javanese and Islamic calendars . His influence and imagination in the popular mind remain strong to the present day, exemplified by the making of the 2018 Indonesian film Sultan Agung Mataram 1628 . His original name
1786-451: The territory of Blambangan to appease their own political and religious ambitions. The Balinese kingdoms used Blambangan as a vassal and buffer against the Islamic expansion initiated by Mataram from the west and also found it useful to bolster the economy of Bali which was heavily overshadowed by endemic warfare. In the second half of the 16th century, a few Roman Catholic missionaries from
1833-457: The west, from Demak to Pajang and Mataram . On the eastern side across the strait, the Balinese courts of Gelgel and Mengwi also have invested their political interest in the region, as the Balinese regarded Blambangan as a buffer state to ward off Islamic expansive influences. In the first decades of the 16th century, Tomé Pires ' informants reported that the "heathen" Blambangan kingdom
1880-549: The year 1520 śaka or 1598 AD. This is one of the first dates within the babad that can be positively proved to be correct by comparison with European materials of the same period. When the Dutch visited Bali in February 1597 a large expedition was being collected by the king of Gelgel in Bali to help the lord of Blambangan from the Pasuruan attack. The expedition must have been a failure, as another Dutch report from early 1601 mentioned that
1927-415: Was Raden Mas Jatmika, also popularly known as Raden Mas Rangsang. He was the son of Anyakrawati and Ratu Mas Adi Dyah Banawati. His father was Mataram's second monarch, and his mother was the daughter of Prince Benawa, the last Sultan of Pajang. Another version said that Sultan Agung was the son of Prince Purbaya (Anyakrawati's brother). It was said that Prince Purbaya exchanged the baby born by his wife with
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1974-410: Was centered on agriculture, thus Sultan Agung who was openly contemptuous of trade, saw no need to maintain significant naval forces. This was later to prove costly when in 1629 he attacked and attempted to drive the Dutch out of their base at the coastal city of Jakarta . Though he possessed larger and superior land-based forces, the Dutch had decisive advantages in naval power and were able to withstand
2021-472: Was created to form a unity across royal court officials. The Sundanese language had been changed since Mataram's rule in West Java, marked by the creation of a refined language only previously known in Central Java . Sultan Agung is also attributed with the founding of the unique Javanese calendar – this established a uniquely indigenous calendar that is still in use. Besides that, Sultan Agung had written
2068-453: Was created when Sultan Agung appointed Prince Kertabumi as its first adipati in 1636. When the Dutch East India Company (VOC) took control of Mataram territories, it kept the kadipaten structure. Under the colonial administration of the VOC, adipati , now called bupati , were called regenten, and kadipaten , now kabupaten , regentschappen . The title of a bupati consisted generally of
2115-601: Was just to fulfill his father's promise to his wife, Queen Tulungayu, Martapura's mother. During the second year of Sultan Agung's reign, Patih Mandaraka died of old age, and his position as patih ( viceregent ) was occupied by Tumenggung Singaranu. The capital of Mataram during his coronation was still located in Kotagede . In 1614, the new Karta Palace was built in Karta, approximately 5 km in southwest of Kotagede, which began to be occupied four years later. Sultan Agung became
2162-426: Was the most powerful Javanese kingdom east of Surabaya. At that time, the port of Panarukan was the commercial as well as the political center of the kingdom. For almost three centuries, Blambangan was situated between two different political factions, the Islamic state of Mataram in the west, and various Hindu realms in Bali (Gelgel, Buleleng, and Mengwi) in the east. Both neighbouring powers simultaneously contested
2209-490: Was the undisputed ruler of most of Java. However, its military strength did not deter Mataram's vassals from rebellion, due to his inability to conquer Batavia. Pajang rebelled in 1617, and Pati rebelled in 1627. Following the capture of Surabaya in 1625, expansion halted as the empire was beset by rebellions. In 1630, Mataram crushed a rebellion in Tembayat (southeast of Klaten ). However, in 1631–1636, Mataram had to suppress
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