Majapahit: Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indonesia's Greatest Empire

by Herald van der Linde

Discover Majapahit, the mighty empire in Southeast Asia that many have never heard of. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence stretched far and wide, throughout present-day Indonesia, parts of the Malay peninsula and the island of Tumasek, now Singapore. Majapahit's army famously repelled Kublai Khan's invasion, and its formidable navy humbled even the renowned Portuguese mariners. Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, shaven-head Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia. At the heart of Majapahit's story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire's rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society - much like Indonesia today - which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, World History, Indonesian Literature

366 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2024

About the author

Herald van der Linde has traveled, lived, and worked in Indonesia and Hong Kong since the '90s. Married to an Indonesian, he is passionate about the social and cultural history of Indonesia and is the author of Jakarta: History of a Misunderstood City (2020), Asia’s Stock Markets From the Ground Up (2021), and Majapahit: Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indonesia’s Greatest Empire (2024). He also co-authored A Very Good Year To Learn About Wine (2012) and A(nother) Very Good Year to Learn About Wine (2013).

Reviews

[Aldino Syaputra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book after listening to Herald discussing the book on Gita Wirjawan's podcast. The discussion on how Majapahit created a legacy we see now in a day to day Indonesia.

Today Indonesia is not that different on its diversity in religions, ethnics, even the dark side of feudalism still can be seen in work place, government, school, and even household.

This book made me understand a little bit more why we are the way we are today.

I never been this as ecstatic on history, as it was a boring subject back in school with dates and memorizing all the names. But Herald wrote a beautiful one which I was able to flip a lot of pages in one sitting.

As Indonesian, we should know where we came from and why we are the way we are today by learning history and this book provides it poignantly.

[raafi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an achievement. Akhirnya selesai setelah lebih dari sepuluh hari berkutat dengan buku setebal 431 halaman ini. Perlu diketahui bahwa sekitar seperempat buku berisi Catatan Akhir (semacam catatan kaki tapi ditaruh di akhir buku) dan Daftar Pustaka sehingga bacaan yang sebenarnya hanya sekitar 330 halaman. Tidak begitu tebal sebetulnya, tapi saya banyak membuat anotasi sembari googling sana-sini tentang ini-itu sehingga terasa begitu lama.

Ada dua poin yang saya tandai. Poin pertama tentang watak-watak para raja, patih, dan tokoh-tokoh dalam buku ini yang kemudian saya melihat ada kesamaan dengan watak orang Jawa. Lucunya, penulis di akhir buku juga kurang lebih mengemukakan hal serupa. Atau setidaknya saya menganggap bahwa watak para tokoh Majapahit bisa jadi percontohan orang Jawa masa kini. Penulis bilang, “Barangkali pola yang berlaku pada masyarakat juga berlaku pada individu. Sebesar apa pun perubahan yang terjadi pada masyarakat dan individu, watak dasar mereka sudah tertanam sejak mereka dalam proses pembentukan. Di Indonesia, dan sebagian besar Asia Tenggara, watak dasar itu adalah peradaban gemilang yang melahirkan Majapahit.” (halaman 330)

Poin kedua yang saya tandai adalah bagaimana orang-orang Majapahit berlaku pada perempuan. Atau mungkin bisa juga dibilang bagaimana perempuan ditakdirkan pada masa itu. Ada yang diculik dan dipaksa menikah, ada yang jadi upeti atau hadiah kerajaan, ada yang dinikahkan dan dipoligami, ada juga yang menjadi suksesi intrik politik kerajaan.

Menariknya, menjelang akhir imperium Majapahit, ada seorang perempuan berpengaruh yang cukup berbeda, radikal, dan bisa disebut pembaharu. Ialah Ratu Suhita. Saat masih kecil, ia melihat selir-selir kerajaan turut melakukan sati (membakar diri karena raja meninggal) dan itu membekas dalam diri Sang Ratu. Suatu ketika Ratu menitahkan pembuatan candi yang tidak sebagaimana mestinya tempat suci nan sakral pada saat itu. Hal tersebut membuat para pendeta sepuh murka.

Saya juga menandai beberapa peristiwa sejarah dalam buku ini, yang mungkin dulu terdapat pada pelajaran Sejarah saat SMA yang membosankan itu, yaitu Perang Bubat dan Perang Paregreg. Peristiwa sejarah lain yang menarik dan saya tandai adalah cerita Ma Huan dari Dinasti Ming yang mencatat kesehariannya saat berkunjung di Majapahit. Saya juga menandai kisah Damar Wulan dan Panji-Putri Kirana yang sohor dan ternyata berhubungan erat dengan imperium Majapahit.

Banyak hal yang terjadi, termasuk perebutan kekuasaan yang mengorbankan nyawa. Ada sekian banyak raja yang disebutkan di sini mati atas dasar kekuasaan dengan bumbu intrik politik. Saya jadi merefleksikannya dengan kondisi masa kini, seperti yang paling dekat bagi saya yakni pada Kesunanan Solo usai Raja Pakubuwono XIII mangkat. Alih-alih mengorbankan nyawa seperti zaman dulu, para penerusnya yang terpecah dua saling bertikai dengan insiden-insiden yang terlihat jenaka bin ajaib.

Dari segi penerjemahan, buku ini hampir tanpa cela. Sungguh enak dibaca, layaknya novel. Saya hanya menandai satu saltik penyebutan tahun Catatan Akhir nomor 4 yang harusnya “pada 1429” tapi tertulis “pada 1329” pada halaman 379. Saya suka dengan kualitas cetakannya yang floppy sehingga mudah digenggam. Lebih-lebih, saya juga mengacungi jempol pada pilihan ukuran huruf yang tidak terlalu kecil dan margin halaman yang tidak bikin capek mata saya.

Pada akhirnya, ini sungguh buku yang kaya dan bisa ditelisik dari banyak sisi. Bagi yang tertarik dengan topik kolonialisme dan kemerdekaan, buku ini bisa menjadi tambahan bumbu referensi. Saya senang bisa menuntaskan buku sejarah berlabel “Prosa” ini. Semakin membuat saya yakin bahwa sejarah adalah fakta yang difiksikan tergantung pada siapa penulisnya dan bagaimana situasi dan kondisi saat penulis menuliskannya.

Akhirulkalam, saya ingin mengutip satu kalimat dari buku ini berikut.

“Seperti semua legenda, semakin redup dalam ingatan, semakin besar wibawanya, dan semakin samar detailnya.” (hlm. 323)

[Missy J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly very readable. I have heard of the Majapahit empire before but didn't know the details, the kings and queens and what happened exactly. I really enjoyed reading this book, it felt light but it was easy to trace the lineage. I'm glad that the author didn't just list dates and events and who gave birth to who. Instead he made a story out of it with a lot of humor and memorable characters. If I ever need to read up on the Majapahit Empire, I will definitely pick this one up again. Some of the chapters felt a little redundant, especially towards the end, but I guess the author wanted to present all the important sources he found and what needs to be said about the Majapahit empire. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in pre-colonial Indonesia.

[Karim Nas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most enjoyable book about Indonesian history that I've ever read. And I've read so many great books about this topic before. I simply can't recommend it enough: every Indonesian, regardless if you're Javanese or not, must read this. Full of amazing stories of so many interesting characters.

[Charles Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why read rather than watch YouTube and movies? This book is one reason. It covers a fascinating part of history that you won’t see elsewhere. Some of the stories in this book are unbelievable - the double crossing of the Chinese/Mongolian troops at founding of Majapahit, and the bloody aborted wedding with Sunda. These are more dramatic than many movies, but they are real.

[Michel Van Roozendaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with gusto, covering a lot of details, and with juicy (and also dramatic) anecdotes. The author clearly has invested time to explore archives and texts that survive the little known epoch of the Javanese Majapahit empire; the books offers a wealth of details without being too long winded. I myself knew little more than what I had seen on a CNA documentary in Singapore on TV. The book is fascinating and covers the rise and fall of this empire roughly from the 13th until the early 16th century. Fascinating for example to read about the interactions with the Chinese empire. The story ends more or less at the beginning of the European colonial period.

Only a few traces of this mighty empire survived. Thoughts come up; what could the Majapahit rulers have done differently in order to survive longer?

Very enjoyable and interesting read, would highly recommend it!

[Khairi Zainal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the way the author weaves the story to make it like i'm reading Lord of The Rings. I finished the book in one go because i just can't stop. I was waiting for this book, actually any book on local empires because i've been reading books on Japanese, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Roman history and i just wished to read about the history of empires closer to home.

Hopefully the author could do the history of the Ayutthaya, or the Srivijaya, or the short history of the Malacca Sultanate.

[Moh-Lim Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

對於滿者伯夷(Majapahit), 印象中只是在初中歷史課中提到一兩次的古代爪哇島的印度教帝國。 跟馬來半島有地緣以及傳承(許多馬來半島上的統治者的根源)關係，生長在馬來半島的我， 對 蘇門答臘， 及古蘇門答臘的 Sri Vijaya (室利佛逝)， 相對而言會比較熟悉。所以偶然得知這本 《Majapahit - Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indonesia’S Greatest Empire》的出版， 非常感興 趣， 就先上網預訂來讀。
《Majapahit - Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indonesia’S Greatest Empire》的作者Herald van De Linde 是一位任職於滙豐銀行亞太地區總部的荷蘭籍首亞洲股票策略師。作者的太太是印尼人， 作者也通曉印尼語及印尼文化。 這本書是他花費三年時間撰寫， 2024年出版。 為了撰寫這本 書， 作者參考了大量的文獻(書中附有25頁的英文， 荷文， 印尼文， 中文等參考書目)。 所以 這本書雖然是以易讀的歷史小說方式來處理Majapahit 的興亡故事， 但是本相當有根據， 可考 的。 為了協助讀者閱讀， 作者還在書中提供了562條注解， 附上了Rajasa 王族族譜，人物列表 及歷史事故的時間軸等， 閱讀起來更是清楚， 更易懂。
故事從萊佛士爵士在1815年找到已經被樹林埋沒了的Rajasa王朝古城Singasari及Majapahit 遺 跡， 證實了Rajasa 王朝的存在開始。 之後的1894年荷蘭人在攻擊Lombok Island (龍目島)的 峇里皇宮時， 從舊文物中發現了滿者伯夷僧侶Prapanca所寫的Desawarnana (Negarakertagama)，才從這筆記中記載的Prapanca從老僧人得知的Rajasa 王朝的建立故事。
就像書名所寫滿者伯夷帝國(Rajasa 王朝在古城都Singasari 被破壞後， 遷都到Majapahit後， 大家以這個城市為帝國的名稱)， 故事充滿了陰謀， 背叛及戰爭。 這包括了兄弟之間為了奪嫡 而手足相殘、 背叛，暗殺; 為了鞏固王位的婚姻安排， 連太后「垂簾聽政」也曾發生。 跟敵對 的東爪哇的其他王國更是經常發生。 這還包括了跟元朝的外交磨擦， 割
斷元朝特使孟琪(Meng Qi)的鼻子， 引起元大祖忽必烈派艦隊遠來征伐。
元朝艦隊遠征滿者伯夷是我閱讀了書才知道的， 原來蒙古帝國不只是佔領了亞歐大陸， 還曾經 佔領東南亞的一些國家。 不過元朝的軍隊並沒有真正佔領了Rajasa， 因為來到爪哇時割掉特使 鼻子的國王已經被敵對的隣國Kediri殺了， 王城Singasari 也毀滅了。 他們反而跟那位Rajasa王 子合作, 協助王子Widjaya打敗Kediri, 建立起滿者伯夷! 取得勝利之後， 元朝大軍卻被滿者伯夷新 國王背叛， 被設計殺害而元氣大傷， 不得不班師回國。
Rajasa 王朝的建國者Ken Arok 不只是出生平⺠， 而且還是強盜， 強姦殺人犯。因為看到並喜歡 上絕色美女的Singasari土王后， 就請人鑄制一把特別的爪哇/馬來劍， 然後把劍借給一位好友 Kebo Hijo 讓好友把玩顯耀， 再用那把劍把Singasari 土王刺死。 這也成功的把罪推給了Kebo Hijo, 並奪取了土王后及Singasari ， 成立了Rajasa 王國。 當時流傳一個典故說Ken Arok 是印度 天神Brahma跟村女所生。 想這應該是像其他的王國創立者， 都想洗白自己的出身， 往往創造一 些跟神蹟或吉祥有關的事， 來證明自己的藍血(blue blood), 或天選之人。
接下來的幾代國王都儘可能證明自己跟Ken Arok的血統(royal blue blood)有關， 也儘量消除其 他有同樣血統關係的人來避免王位被奪取。 結果是血腥不斷的宮廷史。

滿者伯夷能夠壯大及繁榮， 主要歸功於成功的政治手段， 數位英明的統治者包括女王及當家的 皇太后， 強大的海軍，肥沃的火山土壤貢獻了豐富的稻米產量。 同時王室信奉印度教及佛教， 並用有這兩個宗教的宗教司， 協助王室維持及解決⺠生事務。重要的是滿者伯夷王國這種包容 性， 多樣性的態度， 使其對爪哇島， 以及周遭的島嶼那麼多的種族， 語言及宗教的接受， 促進 了印尼群島之間， 以及跟東南亞， 印度，阿拉伯， 元明清各朝， 歐洲列強的貿易，也提高了藝 術工藝。
作者Van Der Linde在書中有詳細的描述盛況時的滿者伯夷國， 建築， 花園， 居⺠的生活作息等 等， 可讓讀者感受到15世紀的這個東南亞帝國的盛世。
不過隨著更多的新港口如馬六甲， 淡目蘇丹國(Demak)的成立及興盛， 回教的傳入， 傳統貿易 航線的更改。 建立兩百五十年後的滿者伯夷最後也衰退， 被淡目蘇丹國所拼吞。 偉大的滿者伯 夷城也被破壞， 被時間吞沒。
這本書非常好讀， 曲折不斷高潮迭起的故事，作者簡易直接的文字， 加上很多的注解， 讓我讀 得愛不釋手。

[Frank Grobbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebuah karya pop history mengenai Majapahit, berbahasa Inggris, yang sangat kita butuhkan. Kita perlu lebih banyak sejarah populer seperti ini, terutama di periode yang lebih sulit untuk dijangkau seperti Jawa era pra-Kolonial.

Sepanjang aku baca buku ini, semakin nyantol banyak jiwa dan karakter Jawa. Bagian yang menceritakan Kertanegara mungkin jadi favoritku. Raja ini bener-bener tokoh yang sangat menarik. Putra yang lahir setelah pertumpahan darah rise of Ken Arok, menjayakan Singhasari, lalu jatuh dengan cara yang tidak kalah dramatis. Level detil yang sebelumnya saya pikir tidak ada dalam sejarah Jawa pra-Kolonial.

Harus diakui, Herald van der Linde sanggup membungkus sejarah seperti cerita ala-ala Game of Thrones. Seperti Game of Thrones juga, selalu ada mistisme yang tidak bisa dipisahkan dari karakter Wong Jawa. 5/5

[Anzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Indonesian, I've heard the stories about Majapahit before. Countless hours during elementary school until college, we were raised or brainwashed to believe Indonesia is a descendant of the once mighty kingdom.

van der Linde's version offers a different perspective. We were guided by the prehistoric Singosari and Kediri, before the birth of Majapahit. Like most kingdoms all over the world, pain and betrayal are common. Those who won, write the history, eh. And the story is repeated over and over again.

Upon reading, I understand the behaviour of those kings, who are so-called descendants of Gods, but in fact mostly are just greedy humans. Nothing has changed ever since.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun read, i think there were a lot of embellishments for the sake of narrative but whatever.

editing couldve been better

would've liked some explanatory footnotes in the text itself rather than the end of the book tbh, think that wouldve helped a lot. i think that wouldve solved the problem of the text repeating information too (presumably as a refresher for the reader)

[asih simanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Majapahit feels like a book that reads like a bedtime story told by very smart parents—parents who somehow make boring history… interesting. It has just the right amount of fun, that can’t-put-the-book-down vibe, mixed with extensive, almost crazy-detailed research—yet you never feel like you’re slogging through a dry list of historical timelines. An absolute pleasure of a read.

The book tells the story of the Kingdom of Majapahit, the first kingdom that long ago managed to unite the entire archipelago between Australia and Asia—something roughly resembling modern Indonesia, though actually larger, extending its influence into parts of Malaysia and Thailand. This is a massive area, and yet Southeast Asia as an ancient civilization has been conveniently overlooked with the rise of Western modernity. The histories of great civilizations in this region were buried—conveniently—to support a narrative of inferiority, and the idea that locals were “naturally” suited to be ruled by colonizers. Of course, that’s a myth—but that’s a conversation for another day.

As an Indonesian who loves history, I’ve wanted a good book about Majapahit for a long time. The problem is: most are either painfully boring or full of myths my brain refuses to process. I wanted something written in the Western tradition—based on data, archives, artefacts; where dates and records are cross-checked and validated. And finally—that book I’d been waiting for arrived.

In this book, Herald van der Linde narrates Majapahit not just through chapters or eras, but through the writers who wrote about it. We begin with Thomas Stamford Raffles who—after discovering Borobudur—suspected there must be more in East Java. He never found Majapahit himself, but his curiosity paved the way for others.

We also learn that colonial authorities actively discouraged publishing anything about Majapahit because it could strengthen indigenous pride. Even when discoveries were made in the 1940s, the findings were buried so they wouldn’t fuel the independence movement. Only in 2008—long after independence—did major excavations finally begin. All of this explains why we know so little today.

Then Herald introduces us to Majapahit through the eyes of the royal poet Mpu Prapanca, who accompanied the king on his journeys—documenting everything he saw. It’s through Prapanca’s notes that we understand how Majapahit looked and functioned. We also learn about the kingdom from visitors from China and Portugal who traded there regularly—proof of just how cosmopolitan Majapahit was.

I was amazed. I didn’t know any of this. And if I’ve somehow made it sound dull, please understand: the book itself is nothing like my writing here. Everything is woven seamlessly, like a wayang puppet show. I could imagine the scenes so vividly, and I learned so much.

For instance, I learned that Majapahit had powerful queens—arguably wiser and more just than the kings—whom we never talk about in history class. (Although, on the flip side, I also learned that as late as the 1400s, widows sometimes followed their husbands into the afterlife, entering the pyre where their deceased husbands were cremated. I didn’t know patriarchy ran this deep on this land.) I learned that our technologies were not nearly as backward as I assumed. We had enormous ships—Jong—much bigger than Western ships at the time; sophisticated water systems, taxes, building technologies, and art. Yet we know almost nothing about any of this. I so wish I knew all this earlier.

Still, this book gave me hope. I’ve always remembered a passage from Bumi Manusia, where Minke is asked by his teacher: What have the Javanese ever contributed to humanity, when Western civilization has contributed so much? I’ve asked myself that too.

Have we ever contributed anything?

With this book, I’m convinced the narrative of our inferiority is a lie. We have built civilizations. We have developed cultures of tolerance and benevolence (and, yes, also cultures of deceit and power struggles). But we were never incapable.

Thank you for writing the book I wish I had while growing up.

[Faisal Chairul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini menceritakan detail-detail tentang seluk-beluk, mulai dari awal kebangkitan, masa kejayaan hingga keruntuhan, Imperium Majapahit, yang pada masa kejayaannya di era pemerintahan Raja Hayam Wuruk dengan Patih Gajah Mada lingkup pengaruhnya meliputi hampir seluruh gugusan kepulauan Nusantara, Tumasik (Singapura), Pahang (Semenanjung Malaysia) hingga Siam Selatan (Thailand).

Kisah di dalam buku ini diawali dengan pemaparan fakta bahwa Imperium Majapahit sempat terlupakan oleh sejarah hingga tahun 1894 ketika diselamatkannya manuskrip 'Desawarnana' (Uraian tentang Daerah-Daerah) yang ditulis oleh Mpu Prapanca pada tahun 1365 pada masa kejayaan Imperium Majapahit dari pengepungan istana Kerajaan Bali di Kota Cakranegara, Lombok oleh seorang ahli bahasa Sansekerta Belanda, Jan Laurens Andries Brandes. Manuskrip itu penuh dengan cerita tentang raja, pertempuran, dan intrik dengan uraian terperinci tentang upacara-upacara agung dan rutinitas sehari-hari di Jawa pada abad ke-14. Brandes menamakan manuskrip yang diselamatkannya itu 'Nagarakertagama' (Doktrin Lengkap tentang Negara). Manuskrip itu ditulis Mpu Prapanca ketika diminta pihak istana kerajaan menemani Raja Hayam Wuruk dan pihak kerajaan dalam perjalanan 3 bulan ke daerah timur Jawa pada tahun 1359 untuk memerika wilayah kerajaan.

Sebelum penemuan manuskrip 'Nagarakertagama' oleh Brandes pada tahun 1894, sebenarnya upaya mencari sisa-sisa reruntuhan Imperium Majapahit juga telah dilakukan oleh Letnan Gubernur Hindia Belanda Thomas Stamford Raffles, yang pada tahun 1815 melakukan ekspedisi keliling Jawa selama 3 bulan dengan tujuan utama melacak sisa-sisa reruntuhan Kerajaan Singasari, pendahulu Imperium Majapahit, yang pada masa pemerintahan Raja Kertanegara untuk pertama kalinya Nusantara berhasil dipersatukan dalam lingkup kekuasaan yang sama. Setelah ekspedisi tersebut, Raffles memerintahkan Johannes Willem Bartholomeus Wardenaar membuat peta reruntuhan Kota Majapahit. Peta 'Wardenaar' ini, yang kemudian dinilai sangat akurat dalam menggambarkan wilayah pengaruh Imperium Majapahit, juga sempat terlupakan hingga ditemukan dalam sebuah koleksi di British Museum pada tahun 2008.

Selain membahas dinamika perpolitikan dalam negeri Imperium Majapahit, penulis juga membahas posisi Imperium Majapahit waktu itu di tengah kontestasi geopolitik internasional, terutama dengan Tiongkok masa Dinasti Yuan di bawah pemerintahan Kubilai Khan, yang pada persimpangan akhir era Kerajaan Singasari menuju kebangkitan Kerajaan Majapahit (tahun 1292 - 1300), terus berupaya memperluas lingkup pengaruhnya hingga ke Champa (Vietnam Selatan) dan terus ke Pulau Jawa. Armada ekspedisi Tiongkok yang dipimpin oleh Laksamana Ike Mese yang berangkat dari kota Guanzhou pada tahun 1293 itu bahkan turut dilibatkan dalam intrik politik dalam negeri dalam upaya Pangeran Widjaya dari kota Majapahit meruntuhkan sisa-sisa Kerajaan Singasari (menggulingkan Raja Jayakatwang di Kediri yang sebelumnya merebut kekuasaan Kerajaan Singasari) lalu kemudian melalui pertempuran dipaksa kembali pulang ke Tiongkok.

Selain itu, di dalam buku ini juga disertakan kesan dunia internasional terhadap Imperium Majapahit. Salah satu yang dibahas adalah kesan seorang 'antropolog' muslim dari provinsi Zhejiang bernama Ma Huan yang pada tahun 1413 ikut dalam rombongan ekspedisi Laksamana Zheng He (Cheng Ho), salah satu bagian dari tujuh ekspedisi 'harta karun' Dinasti Ming dalam periode tahun 1405 - 1433.

[Jon Budi Prayogo · Rating 5 out of 5]

mengungkapkan sejarah kebangkitan, kejayaan dan keruntuhan kerajaan terbesar dan paling bepengaruh dalam Nusantara, Kerajaan Majapahit. Tidak hanya membahas sejarah, tapi aspek ekonomi dan budaya.

Perebutan tahta kekuasaan dari mulai kerajaan singasari dengan tokoh Ken Arok, hingga Raden Wijaya yang mendirikan kerajaan Majapahit. Puncak kejayaan Majapahit di zaman Raja Hayam Wuruk dengan patih Gajah Mada, hingga keruntuhan kerajaan Majapahit yang disebabkan perebutan kekuasaan, adanya perang saudara dan munculnya kekuatan baru Kerajaan Demak.

Banyak fakta-fakta sejarah yang tidak kita dapatkan di pelajaran sejarah saat sekolah dikupas tuntas disini. Indonesia modern saat ini tentunya tidak lepas dari kejayaan majapahit di masa lampau, dengan Sumpah Palapa, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika dan penyatuan pulau-pulau Nusantara.

[Amrun Hisyam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Got to read the second half while in Yogyakarta, Java.

Generally, it celebrates the Majapahit empire while reminding of the not-so-great things that happened or things that were done. As empires go, highlighted by the guide who was driving me to Borobudur, the ones who were conquered won't see the greatness of the empire the same way, and these feelings still exist today.

Just one thing. Certain descriptions where Islam and Muslims were mentioned made it seem like there's a negative bias, but I'll give the benefit of doubt, considering that it may have been described like that relative to the Majapahit empire, ie. Islam being the invading force that started to wipe out the imperial force that is Majapahit.

[Rosa Angelone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not enough books about Indonesian history out there. I am glad I found this one.

The book is very accessible. Told in a narrative, informal style it walks  you through an empire that controlled access to spices and trade. Balancing the factions that come with power to more or less bloody conclusions with always an eye on what the big guy in China was doing. 

Lots of footnotes which is helpful since there is a lot of guessing at what our empire builders were thinking at any one time. 

Very enjoyable read. 

[Reinis Simanovskis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game of Thrones, but set in 12th to 15th century Indonesia and instead of dragons you have elephants + the royal dynasty was started basically by mafia jesus (though that part might be more folklore than fact). Amazing that we have the historical records of that time, a time when royalty rose in Indonesia and still survive until today.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strålande populärhistorisk översikt över indonesiens viktigaste medeltidsrike. Välskriven, roande, trevlig, intrigrik... massa bra saker. väl värd ett par timmar.

[Dea · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO FRICKIN' SERU

[Aditya Agus s · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t thank enough to gita wiyawan’s endgame. It was then I know about herald van der linde and this book. One of the best book so far. It moves me to know that our ancient world of Majapahit has been so global, and might be better relatively to Indonesia today. I wouldn’t have thought that the market in ancient Java has been crowded with foreign merchant. And wouldn’t have thought that Vrunei should ask Java’s permission to establish trade to China.
I wish for more book like this.

[lizard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3/195: Indonesia

[Areth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Very engaging and enjoyable.

A must read book if you are interested in the history of Majapahit and Indonesia.

[Jalu Reswara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first historical book I've ever read and I'm glad it was this book. I love how the author narrates a chronological story without bogging you down with pretentious amounts of historical facts/data. Instead, the author employs more of a narrative touch to the historical events that unfolded during the rise and fall of the Majapahit empire in Nusantara (Indonesia).

It's easy to read and understand. Reading the book makes me wonder how hard/easy life was back then as a peasant living near Majapahit/ before Majapahit existed. It amazes me how the Majapahit fleet marvels compared to the naval power at that time. The sad thing about the past is we don't have a proper/detailed depiction of it. The earliest camera was invented back in the 1800s. How big was the Majapahit's biggest ship? What did the kings look like? How was the scenery back then? What did their daily activities look like? Reading historical books like this makes me sad in a way because we might never know what it looked like back then and we might never know the actual truth of what happened in the past since some parts of it are considered legends/myths.

Pick this book and you will not regret buying it. This encouraged me to read more about past empires and how they rose and fell. We can always learn something from the past as the past shapes the world today.

[Kavin Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book going into the depths of the complex royal family betrayals and feuds. Would have loved a chapter emphasising on the art and architecture promoted during the empire's period and another chapter adding more detail on the decline on of the empire, showcasing the rise of Demuk and the split within Majapahit and why the sultans were eager to conquer Majapahit

[Thomas L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, great narrative, important history

[Gogor Seta Dewa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe there are many books out there that depict Majapahit in more details. But, this book can give you the picture of its history more vividly.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book in a resort in Bintan, Indonesia. Despite living in nearby Singapore, I’d never heard of Majapahit before this, and was surprised to learn of this majestic kingdom that was a regional superpower in the 14th-16th century, and which even Singapore was a part of.

The tale starts in the 11th century in the kingdom of Kediri. Kediri was taken over by Singasari as the dominant kingdom. Singasari was founded by Ken Arok, whose story was documented in the Pararaton, an ancient manuscript written on leaves. His story incorporates some mythical aspects, and he was essentially a gangster who, through violence and treachery, became the leader of Singasari and, in the second half of his life, led the kingdom in peace. The last king of Singasari was King Kertanegara, who unified the Indonesian archipelago for the first time. Kertanagara had a skirmish with Kublai Khan, ruler of China, refusing to let Singasari become a vassal state of China. Kublai Khan sent an army to invade Singasari, but when the soldiers arrived, Kertanagara had been killed in a civil war, and shortly after, the kingdom of Majapahit was born.

One of the key figures in Majapahit was Gajah Mada, the patih, who was the second in command in the kingdom. He made a vow that he would not rest until he had conquered the entire surrounding archipelago, which was termed Nusantara. This term continued down even centuries later to refer to the unified Indonesia archipelago. Gajah Mada was an energetic military leader who substantially expanded Majapahit’s territory. In his later years, he served under King Hayam Wuruk, who led Majapahit during the time of its greatest peace and prosperity.

It was during Hayam Wuruk’s time that his court poet and childhood friend, Prapanca, wrote a book, the Desawarnana, which modern European discoverers titled the Nagarakertagama. In his book, Prapanca detailed the lifestyle and culture of the Majapahit people. The book was later rescued from a fire in Lombok in 1894 and gave the modern world its first detailed description of Majapahit.

Centuries after Majapahit’s downfall, Sir Stanford Raffles discovered the ruins of an unfinished temple from the Singasari era. Later, while Indonesia was fighting for independence from the Dutch, Majapahit became a nationalistic symbol of glory. Its legacy lives on till today.

Majapahit’s story is one of adventure, wars, culture, and personalities. Van der Linde recognises the potential of the story and writes about it in a historical narrative style. While engaging to read, the style does mean that certain parts have to be taken with a pinch of salt as to their truthfulness. I would also have appreciated better editing of the footnotes, which sometimes duplicate information that is already in the main body of the text, and sometimes make it clear that some of the statements made are educated guesses rather than corroborated facts.

[Syed Fathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant, captivating and well-researched book. For a student of history like me, I read it with a great enthusiasm especially the end notes, which informed you the sources Van Der Linde used for his stories. The book relied on two important primary sources, the Desawarnana and the Pararaton. Although, I regard this work as a masterpiece of history, it is not without any flaws. The biggest flaws of this book in my view is the euro-centric and colonialist approach that Van Der Linde took especially in the introduction part of the book. Although this book is about the ancient Javanese Kingdom, Van Der Linde saw it fit to introduced the subject through the story of colonial figure such as Raffles. In my view, Van Der Linde wasted too much pages on Raffles which is unnecessary, if his name needed to be inserted, it should be in the footnote not in the main text as the book was about Majapahit. The colonial narrative also can be seen when Van Der Linde tried to justify the brutal Dutch attack on the native. For example, to justify the Dutch attack on Bali, the native was portrayed as “brutal”. Thus deserving such attack. The euro-centric view can be clearly seen. In Van Der Linde narrative, the native always need the European to save them and preserve their history. Majapahit said to be forgotten except “for a few foreign adventurers”. Although the Dutch were robbers and thieves, they enjoyed the discoverer and savior status in his text. For example, the Dutch looted and burned a palace in Lombok, Bali in 1894. Instead of calling the looters as criminals, Van Der Linde elevated one of the Dutch thieve named Jan Laurens Andries Brandes as a discoverer because instead of gold, he had looted some of the native’s manuscript. This thieve was said to put “Majapahit back on the map”. Apart from these euro-centric and colonialist narrative, the book was excellent. My favorite part of the book was the story of Mpu Prapanca who strayed from the writing style of his time and in the process created a hugely important historical document about Majapahit – the Desawarnana. Instead of writing about epic battles full of demons, gods, wars, and romance full of emotional intrigues, Prapanca wrote about ordinary daily life of people in Majapahit. This story is very important for me. As it teaches us that doing something different is important. Writing about ordinary things is important. This is what Prapanca taught us. Prapanca’s Desawarnana eventually get the attention of Balinese copyists and was preserved and reproduced. It survived to this day and became the primary source for scholar to understand the ancient Majapahit.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

You probably should pick up Herald van der Linde's 'Majapahit', because it contains very vivid interpretations of 12th-16th century Java. The author has a talent for painting an intriguing picture of, for example, the sneak attack of the lord of Kediri on the capital of Singasari in the 1290s or graveyard rituals. Since this book is likely to draw attention to much-overlooked pre-colonial Indonesian history, it deserves a lot of credit.

But also, you should be cautious when reading it. At various points in the narrative the difference between verifiable fact and modern interpretation is near non-existent. Almost fittingly, much is true for Javanese primary sources (see for instance Stuart Robson's translation of the 'Desawarnana'). Part of a solution to this would have been to shine a light on historiographical discussions, but this would probably have destroyed the readability. Nevertheless, before you use the contents of this book in a conversation, you'll want to check the references.

How Majapahit serves as a legacy for modern Indonesia could have been fleshed out more. Van der Linde mostly only states that Indonesian nationalists use Majapahit as a model. And every now and then, the author himself even draws a parallel between old Majapahit and Indonesia, somewhat echoing these nationalists. But he never really supports those claims, or comments on whether there is any truth to such claims or not. I suppose I'll have to keep on reading then.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written account of the little known Javanese kingdom/empire of Majapahit, the most extensive seaborne empire in Southeast Asia prior to European colonization. It reads more like a fantasy novel than historical telling, filled with palace intrigue, double crossings, war and romance. The author takes us through three centuries, from around 1200 to 1500, marking the founding, rise and eventual decline, though the reasons for its demise were not that well elaborated. It was attributed generally to the spread of Islam throughout the region, followed by Portuguese and Dutch conquests. I found the parts describing the invasion by Kublai Khan's forces, followed a hundred years after by the visits of the Treasure fleets of Zheng He most interesting. Arguably the outcome of those events depleted the treasury of Majapahit irreparably and might have contributed to their fall.

The latter parts got a little repetitive as we witness the same family feuds and assassinations again and again in generations of rulers, while Linde tried too hard to promote the the legacies of this ancient kingdom on modern day Indonesia. The remnants of the Hindu-Buddhist society still can be experienced in Bali today thankfully. Lastly, is that a gorgeous cover or what, one of the most beautiful and admittedly attracted me to the book.