kerajaan

Kerajaan is a term in Indonesian and Malay that refers to a kingdom or royal realm governed by a king (raja) or sultan. It denotes a monarchical political entity whose legitimacy rests on dynastic authority, customary law, and often religious sanction. The word is formed from the root raja with the affix ke- and -an, producing an abstract noun meaning “the realm of the king.”

Historically, kerajaan described polities in the Malay world and the Indonesian archipelago, from Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms to Islamic sultanates. They commonly featured a royal court, a ceremonial capital, and a hierarchical structure of nobles, officials, priests, and warriors. Legitimacy was often tied to dynastic descent, sacred duties, and control over land and maritime routes.

Notable examples include Kerajaan Sriwijaya (c. 7th–13th centuries) based in Palembang; Kerajaan Majapahit (c. 1293–1527) centered in Java; Kerajaan Melaka (the Malacca Sultanate, 15th–16th centuries); and various Malay and Indonesian polities such as Kedah, Perak, and Brunei. In Java, kingdoms such as Pajang and Demak are often cited in historical contexts. In modern Indonesia, kerajaaan persists as a term for historical polities and for hereditary monarchies operating within a republic, such as Kerajaan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat (the Yogyakarta Sultanate) and Kerajaan Surakarta. In Malaysia and Brunei, the term commonly denotes a reigning realm ruled by sultans or kings, while the state’s political framework remains constitutional or parliamentary.

See also: monarchy, sultanate, kingdom, Malay world, Majapahit, Sriwijaya.