Reign of Hayam Wuruk and Gajah Mada's conquest

Expansion of the Majapahit Empire started in Trowulan Majapahit in the 13th century and extended to
much of the Indonesian archipelago until it receded and fell in the early 16th century.

Hayam Wuruk, also known as Rajasanagara, ruled Majapahit in 1350–89. During this period, Majapahit
attained its peak with the help of prime minister Gajah Mada. Under Gajah Mada's command (1313–64),
Majapahit conquered more territories and became the regional power.[24]:234 According to the
Nagarakretagama, canto XIII and XIV mentioned several states in Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Borneo,
Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara islands, Maluku, New Guinea, Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago, Luzon and some
parts of the Visayas islands as under the Majapahit realm of power. The Hikayat Raja Pasai, a 14th-
century Aceh chronicle describe a Majapahit naval invasion on Samudra Pasai in 1350.[27] The attacking
force consisted of 400 large jong and uncountable number of malangbang and kelulus.[28] This
expansion marked the greatest extent of Majapahit, making it one of the most influential empires in the
Indonesian history. It is considered as a commercial trading empire in the civilisation of Asia.

Along with launching naval and military expeditions, the expansion of the Majapahit Empire also
involved diplomacy and alliance. Hayam Wuruk decided, probably for political reasons, to take princess
Citra Rashmi (Dyah Pitaloka) of neighbouring Sunda Kingdom as his consort.[29] The Sundanese took
this proposal as an alliance agreement. In 1357 the Sunda king and his royal family came to Majapahit to
accompany and marry his daughter to Hayam Wuruk.[24]:239 However, Gajah Mada saw this event as
an opportunity to demand Sunda's submission to Majapahit overlordship. The skirmish between the
Sunda royal family and the Majapahit troops on Bubat square was inevitable. Despite courageous
resistance, the royal family were overwhelmed and decimated. Almost the whole of the Sundanese
royal party were killed.[30] Tradition mentioned that the heartbroken princess committed suicide to
defend the honour of her country.[31] The Battle of Bubat, or the Pasunda Bubat tragedy, became the
main theme of Kidung Sunda, also mentioned in Carita Parahyangan and Pararaton, however it was
never mentioned in Nagarakretagama.

The Nagarakretagama, written in 1365, depicts a sophisticated court with refined taste in art and
literature and a complex system of religious rituals. The poet describes Majapahit as the centre of a
huge mandala extending from New Guinea and Maluku to Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Local
traditions in many parts of Indonesia retain accounts of 14th-century Majapahit's power in more or less
legendary form. The direct administration of Majapahit did not extend beyond east Java and Bali, but
challenges to Majapahit's claim to overlordship in outer islands drew forceful responses.[32](p106)

In an effort to revive the fortune of Malayu in Sumatra, in the 1370s, a Malay ruler of Palembang sent an
envoy to the court of the first emperor of the newly established Ming dynasty. He invited China to
resume the tributary system, just like Srivijaya did several centuries earlier. Learning this diplomatic
maneuver, immediately King Hayam Wuruk sent an envoy to Nanking, convinced the emperor that
Malayu was their vassal, and was not an independent country.[7] Subsequently, in 1377—a few years
after the death of Gajah Mada, Majapahit sent a punitive naval attack against a rebellion in
Palembang,[8](p19) contributing to the end of Srivijayan successor kingdom. Gajah Mada's other
renowned general was Adityawarman, known for his conquest in Minangkabau.[33][self-published
source]

Bronze cannon, called cetbang, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, claimed to be from 14th
century Majapahit.[34] Examine the Surya Majapahit emblem on the bronze cannon.

In the 14th century a Malay Kingdom of Singapura was established, and it promptly attracted a
Majapahit navy that regarded it as Tumasik, a rebellious colony. Singapura was finally sacked by
Majapahit in 1398,[35][36][37] after approximately 1 month long siege by 300 jong and 200.000
soldiers.[38][39] The last king, Sri Iskandar Shah, fled to the west coast of the Malay Peninsula to
establish the Melaka Sultanate in 1400.

The nature of the Majapahit empire and its extent is subject to debate. It may have had limited or
entirely notional influence over some of the tributary states, including Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula,
Kalimantan, and eastern Indonesia, over which authority was claimed in the Nagarakretagama.[40]
Geographical and economic constraints suggest that rather than a regular centralised authority, the
outer states were most likely to have been connected mainly by trade connections, which were
probably a royal monopoly.[8](p19) It also claimed relationships with Champa, Cambodia, Siam,
southern Burma, and Vietnam, and even sent missions to China.[8](p19)

Although the Majapahit rulers extended their power over other islands and destroyed neighbouring
kingdoms, their focus seems to have been on controlling and gaining a larger share of the commercial
trade that passed through the archipelago. About the time Majapahit was founded, Muslim traders and
proselytisers began entering the area.