Raden Wijaya

Raden Wijaya was a famous prince from the island of Java. He was the founder of the Majapahit Empire. This huge empire ruled Java and much of the area known as Nusantara. This area spread across parts of Asia and Oceania. His rule began in 1293 and lasted until he died in 1309.

People remember him through old records like the Pararaton and the Negarakertagama. These books tell the story of how he built a new land.

Building the empire was a very hard job. First, Wijaya had to deal with a rebellion in the land of Kediri. He worked with a man named Arya Wiraraja to make a plan. They promised to share power if they could win. In 1293, a large Mongol army arrived from the Yuan dynasty. They wanted to punish the old king of Singhasari. Wijaya made an alliance with the Mongols to defeat the Kediri kingdom. After they won, Wijaya turned and attacked the Mongol army. He used clever tactics to make them flee Java.

There are different stories about who his family was. The Pararaton says he was the son of Mahisa Campaka. This man was a prince of Singhasari. Another source says his father was Rakeyan Jayadarma. This story says his mother was Dyah Lembu Tal. The Negarakretagama gives a different view of his family tree. It says he was the great-grandson of Ken Arok. Ken Arok was the very first king of Singhasari. This book was written in 1365, many years after he died.

After his victory, Wijaya became the first king of Majapahit. He used the title Kertarajasa Jayawardhana. The name Majapahit came from the Tarik forest. This forest had many maja fruits in it. These fruits had a very bitter taste.

He was a very firm and capable ruler. He gave Arya Wiraraja special lands in Madura and Lumajang. He even had a special guard of seven men. These guards were named Ra Kuti, Ra Semi, and Ra Tanca. Other guards were Ra Wedeng, Ra Yuyu, Ra Banyak, and Ra Pangsa.

Raden Wijaya had a large family to help keep his power. He married several daughters of the old King Kertanagara. This helped show that he was the rightful leader. He had a son named Dyah Jayanegara with his wife Indreswari. He also had two daughters named Tribhuwana and Rajadewi. When he died in 1309, his son Jayanegara became the next king. People buried him in the Simping Temple. They saw him as the god Harihara.