THE army under the command of Ken Angrok had left Tumapel. The troops marched like a giant wave from the east of Mount Kawi heading to Daha. They were joined by the Brahmins from the sects of Shiva, Vaishnava, Buddha, and Tantrayana, alongside the forces of farmers, rioters, plunderers, and gamblers. A fierce battle was about to take place.
The rumor foreseeing the attack had been long heard. The news spread among the people of Daha was that Ken Angrok, who had successfully taken over the ruling position Tumapel previously owned by Tunggul Ametung, would bring their municipality into a turmoil. Despite the widespread rumor, Dandang Gendis, the king of Kadiri in Daha, was indifferent. He was confident no one would stand a chance of defeating him. "I can only be beaten by Batara Guru," bragged Dandang Gendis.
It was not until Ken Angrok with his forces approached Daha when Dandang Gendis realized his miscalculation. His subordinate, Ken Angrok, apparently had managed to gather unified allies under his wing. He was even allowed by the priests of Shiva-Buddha to take the title Batara Guru.
"If that is the case, then I certainly will be defeated, because Ken Angrok was protected by the deities," said Dandang Gendis.
The distance between Tumapel and Kadiri palace was only a half-day journey on foot. The defense forces must be prepared expeditiously, as it won't be long until Tumapel forces arrive in Daha.
THE army under the command of Ken Angrok had left Tumapel. The troops marched like a giant wave from the east of Mount Kawi heading to Daha. They were joined by the Brahmins from the sects of Shiva, Vaishnava, Buddha, and Tantrayana, alongside the forces of farmers, rioters, plunderers, and gamblers. A fierce battle was about to take place.
The rumor foreseeing the attack had been long heard. The news spread among the people of Daha was that Ken Angrok, who had successfully taken over the ruling position Tumapel previously owned by Tunggul Ametung, would bring their municipality into a turmoil. Despite the widespread rumor, Dandang Gendis, the king of Kadiri in Daha, was indifferent. He was confident no one would stand a chance of defeating him. "I can only be beaten by Batara Guru," bragged Dandang Gendis.
It was not until Ken Angrok with his forces approached Daha when Dandang Gendis realized his miscalculation. His subordinate, Ken Angrok, apparently had managed to gather unified allies under his wing. He was even allowed by the priests of Shiva-Buddha to take the title Batara Guru.
"If that is the case, then I certainly will be defeated, because Ken Angrok was protected by the deities," said Dandang Gendis.
The distance between Tumapel and Kadiri palace was only a half-day journey on foot. The defense forces must be prepared expeditiously, as it won't be long until Tumapel forces arrive in Daha.
In the palace garden located north of Ganter, which is likely the Administrative Hamlet of Ganten, Tulungrejo Village, Ngantan District, Malang Regency in present time, the Tumapel army attacked Kediri in what can be said as an unforeseen strike. The war, which was later known as the Battle of Ganter, finally broke out.
Both sides fought valiantly, but Kadiri forces couldn't overcome the immensely powerful army of Tumapel. A kshatriya named Raden Mahisa Walungan, brother of Dandang Gendis, was killed in the battlefield and so was Minister Gubar Baleman.
The Kadiri forces were routed. They had no confidence to spare, forcing them to turn their backs on the raging battleground. No one had enough bravery to withstand the attack from the troops of Tumapel.
Dandang Gendis was thunderstruck. The chaos he witnessed was beyond his control. He fled to the realm of gods along with his horse and servants: the bearers of umbrella, betel, water cup, and rug. No one has ever seen nor heard about him since then.
That was the story detailing the doom of Kadiri Kingdom as depicted in Serat Pararaton, when the powerful kingdom was defeated by the army of Ken Angrok in 1222 AD.
Statue of Ken Angrok. (shutterstock)
The Disintegration of Kadiri
Before being conquered by Ken Angrok and his troops, Kadiri had maintained its existence for as long as a century. The kingdom was birthed after Airlangga, the King of Kahuripan, divided his kingdom into two at the end of his reign in order to end the rivalry between his two sons. In the west, the Kingdom of Kadiri with a capital of its new city, Daha, was given to Samarawijaya. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Janggala in the east which centered in the old city, Kahuripan, was handed to Mapanji Garasakan.
Despite the division, civil wars still raged intermittently for years, leading to the defeat of Janggala by Sri Jayabhaya, King of Kadiri.
Dandang Gendis was the last king of Kadiri. Asides from SeratPararaton which portrayed him as a defiant king, the name Dandang Gendis was nowhere to be found, neither in the inscriptions nor in the other literary works. In many historical records, the last king of Kadiri who was defeated by the ruler of Tumapel was often called Kertajaya.
When he assumed the throne, Kertajaya might have inherited a disintegrated kingdom territory. The spreading of Kertajaya's inscriptions indicated that his sovereign territories were not that extensive.
Dwi Cahyono, archaeologist and history lecturer in Universitas Negeri Malang (UNM) explained that the sovereignty of Kertajaya during the last era of Kadiri comprises the areas now known as ex-Residence of Kediri, consisting of Kediri City, Kediri Regency, Blitar Regency, Trenggalek Regency, and Tulungagung Regency, and up to Malang in the eastern side of Mount Kawi.
Those were the areas where nine inscriptions of Kertajaya were found. These inscriptions of Kertajaya also served as the borders for his sovereign territories.
"We don't have a clear picture yet regarding the areas in the north of Kadiri because we couldn't find any inscriptions relating to Kertajaya in those areas," said Dwi.
Sapu Angin Inscription (1190 AD) in Sapu Angin Plantation, Geger Village, Kalangbret, Tulungagung.
Kamulan Inscription (1194 AD) in Kamulan Village, Durenan, Trenggalek.
Palah Inscription (1197 M) in Penataran Village, Nglegok, Blitar.
Ukir Negara/Pamotoh Inscription (1198 AD) in Ukir Negara Plantation, Sirah Kencong Village, Wlingi, Blitar.
Galunggung Inscription (1200 AD) in Panjerejo Village, Rejotangan, Tulungagung.
Biri Inscription (1202 AD), which now is a collection of the National Museum in Jakarta, has unknown origin but it was believed to be found in Kalangbret Village, Kauman, Tulungagung.
Sumberingin Kidul Inscription (1204 AD) in Sumberingin Kidul Village, Ngunut, Tulungagung.
Lawadan/Wates Kulon Inscription (1205 AD) in Wates Village, Campurdarat, Tulungagung.
Merjosari II Inscription (1217 AD) in Merjosari Subdistrict, Lowokwaru, Malang City.
All of Kertajaya inscriptions were made as an appreciation to his loyal people. It was known to be one of Kertajaya's efforts to muster public support.
"The borders were like a fort, which explains his numerous appreciations and acknowledgements towards people that supported him. The appreciation served as a motivation and stimulus to make them loyal," said Novi Bahrul Munib, historian and chief of Pelestari Sejarah Kadiri (PASAK) community.
There were actually other rulers who governed autonomously in the western area of Kadiri, namely in Ponorogo, Madiun, and the surrounding areas.
The east, on the other hand, was constantly struck with conflicts. Kadiri Palace in Katang-Katang was even attacked by an enemy from the east not long after Kertajaya ascended the throne. "In Kediri Regency there is a dukuh (small village) that has a similar name with Katang-Katang, called dukuh Katang in Sukorejo Village, Gampengrejo District, where the office of Kediri Regency located," explained Novi.
The attack forced the king to flee. "It was written in the Kamulan Inscription that the king fled to the Kamulan region in Trenggalek [where the inscription was discovered]," said Novi.
Still in the east, threat was also coming from Malang, an area better known then as Tumapel, which was under the sovereignty of Kadiri. The political unrest had started to emerge during the rule of Tunggul Ametung and later escalated after the eastern area of Mount Kawi was seized by Ken Angrok. Since then, the area that is now Ngantang District in Malang Regency became a border separating two political powers, Kadiri and Tumapel.
The tumultuous political condition in the era of Kertajaya was depicted in Kakawin Nagarakrtagama, which was finished in 1365 AD. Mpu Prapanca considered the instability of Kertajaya rule as the result of his failure to integrate Java. In that work of literature, Kertajaya was pictured as a villain with an influence that agitated many people in the kingdom.
However, during his 28 years of reign, none of the attacks launched by the enemies had ever knocked the palace fort of Kertajaya down.
Map of Kadiri. (Gun Gun Gunadi/Historia.ID)
Breaking the Custom
The disintegrated Kadiri was jeopardized after Kertajaya "broke the custom" by demanding the priests to worship him.
"All of you priests of Siva-Buddha, why didn't you worship me, as I am Batara Guru," exclaimed Kertajaya.
"My Lord, priests never worship a king."
"If it was like that in the past, then it is now that you must worship me!"
Kertajaya thrusted a spear into the earth. He then sat right at the sharp point of the spear. "O priests, come witness the magic I possess!" Suddenly, a third eye appeared at the center of his forehead and two arms grew from the left and right side of his body, transforming him into god Shiva with three eyes and four arms.
However, the Brahmins were adamant. They chose to flee from Kadiri.
This story retelling the enmity between Kertajaya and the priests written in the chronicle of Serat Pararaton is still open for more substantiation as it is full of myth and magic. The writer was even anonymous. To further the skepticism, the manuscript was actually written long after the death of Ken Angrok.
This doubt was disclosed by Bertram Johannes Otto Schrieke, ethnology professor from Netherlands in his translated work, Kajian Historis Sosiologis Masyarakat Indonesia: Penguasa dan Kerajaan Jawa pada Masa Awal. "The authenticity of this story is very much uncertain for me. If the anecdote was a historical occurrence, then Dandang Gendis must have been afflicted with megalomania," he wrote.
According to Schrieke, the story in Pararaton is more into reflecting the belief of the Javanese on the arrival of a savior, which in this case is Ken Angrok. Meanwhile, the conflict between Kertajaya and the Brahmins was seen as a bad omen preceding the downfall of Kertajaya and the Kadiri Kingdom itself.
"The concept of kaliyuga and pralaya influenced Javanese historical theories," wrote Schrieke.
These concepts were used to confirm the historical fact about the fall of a maharaja to his subordinate or a king from the other mandala. This occurrence is called pralaya, the destruction of the world at the end of kaliyuga or the darkness era. The only one who survived is god Vishnu, who will later build a new world that is just, prosperous, and peaceful.
But it is not only Pararaton that includes the story of the clash between the ruler and the religious leaders happening at the end of Kadiri era, as Tantu Panggelaran, another old Javanese manuscript, also recounted the story. In 1924, the text of Tantu Panggelaran was reissued by Theodoor Gautier Thomas Pigeaud with the title De Tantu Panggelaran. Based on the colophon, this manuscript was completed in 1557 AD.
The author of Tantu Panggelaran mentions Kertajaya as Sri Maharaja Taki. As the story recounts, the king heard that there was a terrifying ascetic meditating in the graveyard located at the summit of Kalyasem. The wicked ascetic, named Mpu Barang, often devoured human corpses. He was a follower of Bhairava, the fearsome manifestation of Shiva. The king then sent two Buddhist siblings, Mpu Tapa Wangkang and Mpu Tapa Palet, to kill the ascetic.
<div class="flex-content-podcast"><figure class="img-left"><div><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/61af270884f7a0580d35618e/61fa33286f4145947e5bc9e7_Intersection%205.jpg" alt="img"></div><figcaption>Mount Kawi 1865 - 1872. (wikimediacommons)</figcaption></figure><div class="img-right"><div class="podcast-container"><img alt="person" class="entered loaded" data-ll-status="loaded" src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/61af270884f7a0580d35618e/61fa332d1b28454ffcf578ad_Intersection%206.jpg"><div class="audio-podcast"><audio controls controlsList="nodownload"><source src="https://d220hvstrn183r.cloudfront.net/premium/api-terakhir-di-bhumi-kadiri/Dwi%20-%20Politik%20Penguasa%20Otonom.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">Your browser does not support the audio element.</audio></div></div><div class="caption"><span><b>Dwi Cahyono.</b><br>Archaeologist and historian from Universitas Negeri Malang. (personal collection).</span></div></div></div>
"The two Buddhists went to fulfill the king's order to kill the loathsome ascetic who had a horrible way of living," recorded Tantu Panggelaran.
However, the two mpu changed their minds. Instead of killing Mpu Barang, they worshiped him after finding out that Mpu Barang was the incarnation of Batara Parameshvara or Shiva. Tantu Panggelaran mentions that the two mpu siblings subsequently became the followers of Shiva.
Besides their failure in fulfilling his order, the king was further exasperated when he learned that Mpu Tapa Palet had an affair with the queen consort, resulting in her being pregnant. Consequently, the queen was expelled and Mpu Tapa Palet was chased. "The army of King Taki was deployed to find Mpu Tapa Palet. They all scattered into four directions: the east, west, south, and north," Tantu Panggelaran recorded.
As if it is the continuation of the story, the names of Mpu Tapa Wangkeng and Mpu Tapa Palet appear in Pararaton. In this book's narrative, they are not in the territory of Daha anymore, but in the eastern area of Mount Kawi.
Mpu Tapa Wangkeng, for instance, is mentioned in the early paragraph of the story as Mpu Tapa Wengkeng. Similar to the Tantu Panggelaran version, he was the head of asramamandala in Bulalak.
According to Pararaton, Mpu Tapa Wengkeng gave his blessing to an ill-mannered child of a widow in Jiput to incarnate in the world through a noble birth. The child asked him to be reborn on the east side of Mount Kawi. He was then born as Ken Angrok.
Mpu Tapa Palet, who fled from Kadiri, was eventually not captured on account of his ability to carve. As stated in Tantu Panggelaran, he left the Buddhism teaching and was determined to be an ascetic.
Pararaton also includes a similar name, Mpu Palot, who was the head of a clerical dormitory in Turyantapada. At one point, he also trained Ken Angrok to be a gold craftsman, even acknowledging him as his son.
Novi argued that the stories in the manuscripts show the existence of different perceptions among the sects in the last era of Kadiri. "There was actually a discord among the believers of sects. Even the Vedic teaching itself has many sects. We can spot a crash here."
It is possible that there was a faction that didn't support the domination of one sect and was agitated. "Later, a political element entered the scene. The religious force joined the anti-government politics, which led to the major rebellion [the Battle of Ganter 1222 AD]," explained Novi.
The Conflict between Sects
The Vaishnava teachings that have existed since the 10th century were seemingly a dominant belief practiced by the kings of Kediri. In abhiseka or the king's coronation, starting with Airlangga to the kings after him, the title used as an incarnation or avatara incorporated the elements of god Vishnu.
God Shiva. (wikimediacommons)
Kertajaya himself was proclaimed as a king with the title Sri Maharaja Sri Sarwweswara Triwikramanindita Srnggalanchana Digjayottungadewanama. Triwikramanindita is the nickname of god Vishnu triwikramawatara, meaning the incarnation of triwikrama. The Vishnu influence can also be seen through various inscriptions. Kamulan Inscription (1194 AD), for example, mentions Kertajaya as the incarnation of god Vishnu or Wisnumurityawatara.
However, at the end of his reign, Kertajaya decided to be a follower of Shiva for unknown reasons.
In his last inscription, Merjosari II, Kertajaya included his praise to Shiva. This inscription was issued in 1217 AD, five years prior to the war that broke out in Ganter.
"In the beginning of his reign, he was a follower of Vishnu, but his last inscription mentions praise for god Shiva," said Novi.
Merjosari II Inscription recorded that Kertajaya was at the last stage of the four stages of life. These stages consist of the stage to acquire knowledge (brahmacari), to live a married life (grhasta), to retire and withdraw from the worldly desire (wanaprastha), which is also a preparation and transition phase before entering the last stage, sanyasa, which is a stage to detach from material life through meditation.
God Vishnu. (wikimediacommons)
Since he was going through the stage of wanaprastha, Kertajaya gave up his title maharaja, and was only being called as Kertajaya.
Novi assumes that after finishing the stage of wanaprastha, he was enlightened to be a follower of Shiva. On the other hand, "There is an indication that Kertajaya carried out a guerrilla attack. There is a possibility that at the end of the guerrilla, he went to a hermitage, a monastery in the jungle, because the Merjosari II Inscription was found in the territory of Ken Angrok," said Novi.
This move made by Kertajaya is similar to the tactic of Kertanagara, the last king of Singhasari, who performed a ritual called Tantra before confronting Kublai Khan, the emperor of Mongol. That rival of Kertanagara was the follower of Buddha Tantrayana from the Kalacakra sect.
"It is called a balance of power. In that era, the pattern of balance was closely related to religious politics," said Dwi.
The Coalition of Sects
At that time, religious leaders carried a huge power for the ruler. A Brahmin, especially from a renowned mandala or asrama, possessed a significant influence.
"They had a community of people who were fanatics, giving them the power to stir the crowd. The most important thing is not the number of the religious leaders, but the number of congregations behind them," said Dwi.
The Brahmins had the highest social status and were more respected than Kshatriyas. They had full authority in deciding religious matters. The Brahmins also monitored the management of temples, places of worship, and fiefs. According to historian and philologist Slamet Muljana in Tafsir Sejarah Nagarakrtagama, this religious authority granted them material power and respect.
It wasn't uncommon for a religious leader to be involved in the government bureaucracy, with some of them working in the court or becoming a part of the king's advisory council. Owing to their considerable influence, losing their support would pose a huge threat to a ruler.
"They were very knowledgeable. Meanwhile, there was a rival who exploited their resentment against the king," said Dwi.
That is precisely what Ken Angrok did: establishing a strong relationship with the religious leaders.
Lohgawe, a Hindu-Vaishnava priest, was an influential figure during the course of Ken Angrok's struggle. Pararaton reveals that he came from India to find the incarnation of god Vishnu, which he ultimately found in Ken Angrok.
With priest Lohgawe as an intermediary, Ken Angrok managed to become a servant of Tunggul Ametung, giving the opportunity for Ken Angrok to seize the position of akuwu (ruler position similar to present time head of sub-district) in Tumapel. As written in Pararaton, before successfully assuming the superior position of Tumapel, Ken Angrok visited several sacred places (rabut) and spiritual teachers in the eastern region of Kadiri.
<div class="flex-content-podcast"><figure class="img-left"><div><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/61af270884f7a0580d35618e/61fa333139310c61e3e09a33_Intersection%209.jpg" alt="img"></div><figcaption>Singhasari Temple. (shutterstock)</figcaption></figure><div class="img-right"><div class="podcast-container"><img alt="person" class="entered loaded" data-ll-status="loaded" src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/61af270884f7a0580d35618e/61fa33344c385888708dfc25_Intersection%2010.jpg"><div class="audio-podcast"><audio controls controlsList="nodownload"><source src="https://d220hvstrn183r.cloudfront.net/premium/api-terakhir-di-bhumi-kadiri/Novi%20-%20Serangan%20Ken%20Arok.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">Your browser does not support the audio element.</audio></div></div><div class="caption"><span><b>Novi Bahrul Munib.</b><br>Historian and member of Komunitas Pasak Kadiri. (Historia.ID).</span></div></div></div>
Furthermore, his marriage to Ken Dedes was the result of a favorable calculation, as Ken Dedes was the daughter of Mpu Purwa, a powerful priest of Buddha Mahayana. Agus Aris Munandar, archaeology professor in Universitas Indonesia, in “Menafsirkan Ulang Riwayat Ken Angrok dan Ken Dedes dalam Kitab Pararaton'' published in Jurnal Manassa, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2011, argues that the marriage between Ken Angrok and Ken Dedes was a symbol of religious coalition between Hindu-Shiva and Buddha Mahayana.
"Ken Angrok, a Hindu-Shiva, and Ken Dedes, a Buddha Mahayana, entered into a marriage and established a new dynasty Rajasa and a new kingdom Singhasari," Agus wrote.
It was also most likely the beginning of the coalition between Hindu-Shiva and Buddha in the era of Singhasari, especially during the reign of Ken Angrok as the first king. This was proved by the building of temples with a touch of Shiva-Buddha such as Singhasari Temple in Malang, Jawi Temple in Pasuruan, Jago Temple in Malang, and Jabung Temple in Probolinggo.
It seems like Ken Angrok was relatively open to many sects existing in Java. "Ken Angrok took over the supporters of Brahma, Vaishnava, Shiva, Tantra, and Buddha Mahayana," said Dwi.
Forty years following his succession to the position of akuwu in Tumapel, Ken Angrok was visited by the Brahmins from Daha. They voiced their disagreement towards maharaja Kertajaya. The Brahmins then proclaimed Ken Angrok as the king in Tumapel with the title Sri Rajasa Sang Amurwabhumi, and was even permitted to use the name Batara Guru to defeat Kertajaya.
"He legitimated himself as three gods at the same time. He was born from god Brahma, being called as the incarnation of Vishnu who descended to the earth, and when he died he was memorialized as Shiva in the temple in Kagenengan and as Buddha in Usana," said Novi.
And so it was, with the support of the unified people and the Brahmins, Ken Angrok or Rangga Rajasa was able to overthrow Kertajaya and end the century-long era of Kadiri.
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