Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi

society Maturity 11-13 religion war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: religion, war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi was a powerful queen of the Majapahit Empire.

MET DT5002
MET DT5002

She ruled on the island of Java from 1328 to 1350. Her father was King Kertarajasa Jayawardhana. Her mother was Queen Gayatri, who was called Rajapatni. Tya was the first daughter of these royal parents. She was also a member of the important Rajasa dynasty. She held the title of Bhre Kahuripan, which means Duchess of Kahuripan. Her sister, Dyah Wiyat, held the title of Bhre Daha. People often compared the two sisters to the twin goddess Ratih.

Life was not always easy for the young princess. Her half-brother, King Jayanegara, ruled the empire after their father died in 1309. The king wanted to marry his own half-sisters. This was against Javanese traditions. To stop them from marrying others, the king confined Tya and her sister. They were kept in the kaputren, which was the ladies' quarter of the palace. They were locked in a well-guarded area for many years. Their mother, Queen Gayatri, worked hard to try and free them.

After King Jayanegara died in 1328, a contest was held to marry the princesses. Two noblemen won this contest. One man named Cakradhara married Tya. He became known as the Prince consort Kertawardhana. They were described as a very devout Buddhist couple. The couple had two children together. Their eldest child was a boy named Dyah Hayam Wuruk. He was born in 1334 and grew up to be a great king. Their youngest child was a girl named Dyah Nertaja.

Tribhuwana became the queen in 1329. She took a very long regnal name. It meant she was an exalted goddess of three worlds. She ruled with the help of her husband and a leader named Gajah Mada. In 1331, she even led her own army to battle. She fought to stop rebellions in Sadeng and Keta. In 1334, she made Gajah Mada her prime minister. He made a famous vow called the Palapa oath. He promised to expand the empire across the many islands.

Under her rule, the Majapahit Empire grew very large. In 1343, the empire conquered the island of Bali. Her cousin, Adityawarman, helped conquer other areas like Sumatra. In 1350, her mother died, and Tribhuwana stepped down from the throne. She gave the crown to her son, Hayam Wuruk. She did not stop helping the empire, though. She served on a council of royal elders to give advice. Later, people honored her as a goddess in a temple.

MET DT5002
MET DT5002
415 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (1)
File:MET DT5002.jpg
MET DT5002.jpg
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.