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Gajah Mada
Gajah Mada
Gajah Mada
Prime Minister of the Majapahit Empire
Contents
1 Rise to Power
2 The Palapa Oath and Invasion
3 The Battle Of Bubat
4 Legacy
5 In popular culture
6 See also
7 Notes
8 External links
Rise to Power
Not much is known about Gajah Mada's early life. Some of the first accounts mention his
career as commander of the Bhayangkara, an elite guard for Majapahit kings and their
family. When Rakrian Kuti, one of the officials in Majapahit, rebelled against the Majapahit
king Jayanegara (ruled 13091328) in 1321, Gajah Mada and the then-mahapatih Arya Tadah
helped the king and his family to escape the capital city of Trowulan. Later Gajah Mada
aided the king to return to the capital and crush the rebellion. Seven years later, Jayanegara
was murdered by Rakrian Tanca, the court physician, one of Rakrian Kuti's aides.
In another version, according to the Nagarakretagama (a Javanese language epic poem dating
from the 14th century), and supported by inscriptions dating from the late 13th and early 14th
century, Jayanagara was assassinated by Gajah Mada in 1328. It is said [who?] that Jayanagara
was overprotective towards his two half sisters, born from Kertarajasa's youngest queen,
Dyah Dewi Gayatri. Complaints by the two young princesses led to the intervention of Gajah
Mada. His drastic solution was to arrange for a surgeon to murder the king while pretending
to perform an operation.
Jayanegara was immediately succeeded by his sister Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi (ruled
13281350). It was under her leadership that Gajah Mada was appointed mahapatih (Prime
Minister) in 1329, after the retirement of Arya Tadah.
As mahapatih under Thribuwana Tunggadewi Gajah Mada went on to crush another rebellion
by Sadeng and Keta in 1331.
It was during Gajah Mada's reign as mahapatih, around the year 1345, that the famous
Muslim traveller, Ibn Battuta visited Sumatera.
Even his closest friends were at first doubtful of his oath, but Gajah Mada kept pursuing his
dream to unify Nusantara under the glory of Majapahit. Soon he conquered the surrounding
territory of Bedahulu (Bali) and Lombok (1343). He then sent the navy westward to attack
the remnants of the thallassocrathic kingdom of Sriwijaya in Palembang. There he installed
Adityawarman, a Majapahit prince as vassal ruler[dubious discuss] of the Minangkabau in West
Sumatra.
He then conquered the first Islamic sultanate in Southeast Asia, Samudra Pasai, and another
state in Svarnadvipa (Sumatra). Gajah Mada also conquered Bintan, Tumasik (Singapore),
Melayu (now known as Jambi), and Kalimantan.
At the resignation of the queen, Tribuwanatunggadewi, her son, Hayam Wuruk (ruled 1350
1389) became king. Gajah Mada retained his position as mahapatih (Prime Minister) under
the new king and continued his military campaign by expanding eastward into Logajah,
Gurun, Seram, Hutankadali, Sasak, Buton, Banggai, Kunir, Galiyan, Salayar, Sumba, Muar
(Saparua), Solor, Bima, Wandan (Banda), Ambon, Timor, and Dompo.
He thus effectively brought the modern Indonesian archipelago under Majapahits's control,
which spanned not only the territory of today's Indonesia, but also that of Temasek (old name
of Singapore), the states comprising modern-day Malaysia, Brunei, the southern Philippines
and East Timor.
single person. Therefore, the king split the responsibilities that had been Gajah Mada's,
between four separate new mahamantri (equal to ministries), thereby probably increasing his
own power. King Hayam Wuruk, who is said to have been a wise leader, was able to
maintain the hegemony of Majapahit in the region, gained during Gajah Mada's service.
However Majapahit slowly fell into decline after the death of Hayam Wuruk.
Legacy
The Blahbatuh royal house in Gianyar, Bali, has been performing Gajah Mada's mask dance
drama ritually for the past 600 years. The mask of Gajah Mada has been protected and
brought to life every couple of years to unite and harmonize the world, this sacred ritual was
intended to bring peace to Bali.[4]
Gajah Mada's legacy is important for Indonesian Nationalism, and invoked by Indonesian
Nationalist movement in the early 20th century. The Nationalists prior to the Japanese
invasion, notably Sukarno and Mohammad Yamin, often cited Gajah Mada's oath and
Nagarakretagama as the inspiration and a historical proof of Indonesian past greatness that
Indonesians could unite, despite vast territory and various cultures. The Gajah Mada
campaign that united the far flung islands within Indonesian archipelago under Majapahit
suzerainty, was used by Indonesian nationalist to argue that an ancient form of unity was
existed prior to Dutch colonialism.[5] Thus, Gajah Mada was a great inspiration during the
Indonesian National Revolution for independence from Dutch colonization.
In 1942, only 230 Indonesian natives held a tertiary education. The Republicans sought to
mend the Dutch apathy and established the first state university, which freely admitted native
pribumi Indonesians. Universitas Gadjah Mada, in Yogyakarta is named in honour of Gajah
Mada and completed in 1945, and had the honour of the first Medicine Faculty freely open to
natives.[6][7][8] Indonesia's first telecommunication satellite was called Satelit Palapa
signifying its role in uniting the country. Many cities in Indonesia but West Java have streets
named after Gajah Mada. There is a brand of badminton shuttlecock named after him as well.
In popular culture
Gajah Mada is included in the expansion pack Brave New World for the video game Sid
Meier's Civilization V as the leader of the Indonesian civilization.