Medang

Medang, sometimes called Medang Kamulan, was an ancient Javanese polity on the Indonesian island of Java. It flourished from about the 8th to the 11th centuries CE and is considered a transitional stage in Java's early state formation, bridging the era of the Sailendra–Buddhist influence and the later East Javanese kingdoms such as Kadiri and Panjalu.

Geographically, Medang encompassed parts of central and eastern Java, with its political center shifting over time. The period saw competition and interaction between Hindu- and Buddhist-leaning court factions, with rulers presiding over a tribute-based economy and maintaining networks with regional chiefs.

Historically, Medang overlapped with the rise of the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java and the Sanjaya line in the eastern Java region. The era is linked to major architectural and religious projects, including the temple-building boom that produced temples such as Borobudur, illustrating the syncretic religious culture of the period.

By the 10th century, internal succession struggles and changing hydrology contributed to fragmentation. The later East Javanese states, notably Kadiri in central-east Java and its successors like Janggala and Panjalu, traced their origins to Medang's dynastic line and territories.

Medang's significance lies in its role as a transitional polity that helped shape Java's medieval political order, culture, and temple architecture. Modern scholarship treats Medang as a key but complex stage in Indonesian history, with varying interpretations about the exact chronology, geography, and rulers.