Gajah Mada

Gajah Mada
ꦓꦗꦃꦩꦢ
A popular depiction of Gajah Mada in the National Monument
Mahapatih[Note 1] of the Majapahit Empire
In office
1331 (1331)[1] – c. 1364 (c. 1364)
MonarchsJayanegara
Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi
Hayam Wuruk
Personal details
Bornc. 1290
Diedc. 1364
ReligionShiva-Buddha[2][Note 2]
Military service
Battles/warsSadeng Rebellion
Ra Kuti Rebellion
Bedahulu War
Battle of Bubat
Padompo[Note 3]

Gajah Mada (c. 1290 – c. 1364), also known as Jirnnodhara,[3] was a powerful military leader and mahapatih (the approximate equivalent of a modern prime minister) of the Javanese empire of Majapahit during the 14th century. He is credited in Old Javanese manuscripts, poems, and inscriptions with bringing the empire to its peak of glory.[4]

He delivered an oath called Sumpah Palapa, in which he vowed not to rest until he had conquered all of the Southeast Asian archipelago of Nusantara for Majapahit.[5][6]: 363–364  During his reign, the Hindu epics, including the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhārata, became ingrained in the Javanese culture and worldview through the performing arts of wayang kulit (“leather puppets”).[7] He is considered an important national hero in modern Indonesia,[8] as well as a symbol of patriotism and national unity. Historical accounts of his life, political career, and administration are taken from several sources, mainly the Pararaton ("The Book of Kings"), the Nagarakretagama (a Javanese-language eulogy), and an inscription dating from the mid-14th century.

  1. ^ Pigeaud 1960, p. 83.
  2. ^ Munandar 2010, p. 127.
  3. ^ Munandar 2010, p. 77.
  4. ^ Cœdès, George (1968). The Indianized states of Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824803681.
  5. ^ Pradipta, Budya (2004). "Sumpah Palapa Cikal Bakal Gagasan NKRI" (PDF) (in Indonesian). Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2009.
  6. ^ Purwanto, Heri (2023). Pararaton: Biografi Para Raja Singhasari–Majapahit. Tangerang Selatan: Javanica. ISBN 978-623-98438-4-7.
  7. ^ Mark Juergensmeyer and Wade Clark Roof, 2012, Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Volume 1, Page 557.
  8. ^ "Majapahit Story : The History of Gajah Mada". Memory of Majapahit. Retrieved 7 January 2017.


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