Majapahits

Majapahits refers to the rulers and people associated with the Majapahit Empire, a Hindu-Buddhist maritime realm centered on Java in what is now Indonesia. The empire was founded in 1293 by Raden Wijaya (also known as Kertarajasa Jayawardhana) after the withdrawal of Mongol forces from Java, with its capital at Trowulan in East Java. It emerged from the remnants of the Singhasari kingdom and became a dominant power in the archipelago.

The Majapahit era reached its height under Hayam Wuruk (r. circa 1350–1389) with the guidance of his prime minister, Gajah Mada. The empire developed a mandala-like network of vassal states and controlled a wide regional sphere through tribute and allegiance. The Nagarakretagama, a 14th-century Javanese epic, enumerates territories under Majapahit suzerainty, spanning much of present-day Indonesia, parts of the Malay Peninsula, and the southern Philippines. The oath of Gajah Mada, often recalled as the Palapa spirit, symbolized the ambition to unite the archipelago under Majapahit influence.

Economically, Majapahit thrived on maritime trade, linking Java with China, India, and other Indian Ocean economies. Culturally, it fostered Hindu-Buddhist art, literature, and temple architecture, and used Old Javanese and Sanskrit in court life. The empire left a lasting legacy in the region’s political imagination, law, language, and religious syncretism, shaping later Indonesian polities.

Decline began in the 15th century amid internal conflicts, succession struggles, and the rise of Islamic sultanates on the coasts, notably Demak. By the early 16th century Majapahit had diminished, with some sources dating its effective end around 1527. Its legacy endures in Indonesian national history as a symbol of a pre-colonial, culturally rich Javanese state.