Airlangga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Airlangga |
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| King of Kahuripan | |||||
| Reign | ? – 1042 | ||||
| Born | c. 1002 Kingdom of Bali |
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| Died | 1049 (aged 46–47) Kingdom of Kahuripan |
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| Spouse | Dharmaprasadottungadevi | ||||
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| House | Ishana | ||||
| Father | Udayana Warmadewa | ||||
| Mother | Mahendradatta | ||||
| Religion | Vishnuist Hinduism | ||||
Airlangga (also spelled Erlangga) was a powerful king who ruled the Kingdom of Kahuripan in Java. His full royal name was Rakai Halu Sri Lokeswara Dharmawangsa Airlangga Anantawikramottunggadewa. He was born around 1002 in Bali, Indonesia, and passed away in 1049 in Java.
Airlangga built his kingdom from the lands of the old Mataram Kingdom. Mataram had been destroyed by King Wurawari of Lwaram. Airlangga slowly gathered support and won back the kingdom that his uncle once ruled. He became one of Java's most famous kings. The name Airlangga means "jumping water". This describes his life story well. He was born in Bali, then crossed the Bali Strait to Java. Later, he ruled a kingdom in East Java. He belonged to both the Ishana dynasty and Warmadewa Dynasty royal families.
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Early Life of King Airlangga
Airlangga was born from a special marriage. His mother, Queen Mahendradatta, was a princess from the Ishana dynasty in Java. She was the sister of King Dharmawangsa of Mataram Kingdom. His father, King Udayana Warmadewa, was the king of Bali from the Warmadewa Dynasty.
In the 11th century, Bali was likely an ally or a smaller kingdom under Java's rule. Airlangga's parents' marriage was probably a political move. It helped to connect Bali more closely to the Mataram kingdom. Airlangga had two younger brothers. They were Marakata Pangkaja and Anak Wungçu. Both of them later became kings of Bali. Airlangga himself later said he was a descendant of Mpu Sindok from the Ishana dynasty.
Airlangga grew up in Bali. His mother prepared him to be a future ruler. When he was a teenager, his mother sent him to Java. He went to the Watugaluh court in Mataram, East Java. There, his uncle, King Dharmawangsa, took care of his education. Airlangga was set to marry his cousin, one of Dharmawangsa's daughters. This was an arranged marriage.
At that time, Mataram was a strong kingdom. It was allied with Bali or perhaps even controlled it. Mataram had also set up a colony in West Kalimantan. King Dharmawangsa wanted Mataram to be a major power. He challenged the Srivijaya Empire. In 990, he launched a sea attack on Srivijaya. However, he failed to capture Palembang. Srivijaya successfully fought off the Javanese invaders.
The Calcutta Stone inscription tells a sad story. In 1006, a terrible event happened in East Java. A rebellion led by King Wurawari from Lwaram destroyed the capital city of Watugaluh. King Dharmawangsa, Airlangga's uncle, was killed. His whole family and many people died too. Only young Airlangga, who was about 16, managed to escape. This disaster was called Pralaya, meaning "destruction," of Mataram. It happened during Airlangga's wedding ceremony.
Historians believe this invasion was Srivijaya's revenge. After Dharmawangsa's failed attack on Palembang in 990, the Srivijayan king saw Mataram as a threat. So, Srivijaya likely helped King Wurawari to revolt. Wurawari was a vassal king of Mataram. With Srivijaya's help, Wurawari attacked and burned the Watugaluh Palace. This happened when Mataram least expected it, during the royal wedding. Airlangga, with his guard Narottama, escaped into the jungle. He became a hermit in Vanagiri, which is now Wonogiri, Central Java.
Building the Kahuripan Kingdom
In 1019, Airlangga came out of his hermit life. He had been living in a hermitage on Mount Vanagiri for several years. He gathered support from officials and leaders who were still loyal to the old Ishana dynasty. He began to unite the areas that used to be part of the Mataram kingdom. Mataram had fallen apart after Dharmawangsa's death.
Airlangga made his power strong. He created a new kingdom called Kahuripan. Its capital was also named Kahuripan. This new kingdom stretched from Pasuruan in the east to Madiun in the west. By 1025, Airlangga had made Kahuripan even more powerful. This happened as the Srivijaya Empire started to become weaker. Airlangga was known for respecting different religions. He supported both Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
In 1035, Airlangga built a Buddhist monastery. It was called Srivijayasrama. He dedicated it to his main queen, Dharmaprasadottungadewi. The name Srivijaya suggests that his queen might have been a princess from Srivijaya. She was likely a close relative of the Srivijayan king. She had come to East Java for safety. Her father had been captured, and her kingdom had faced difficulties. King Airlangga seemed to feel for the Srivijayan princess. He made her his main queen. He even named his daughter with her as the future queen of Kahuripan. The weakening of Srivijaya allowed Airlangga to strengthen his kingdom without outside interference. He later expanded his kingdom to Central Java and Bali. The northern coast of Java, especially Surabaya and Tuban, became important trading centers.
Not many old buildings from Airlangga's time still exist. However, we know he loved the arts, especially literature. In 1035, a court poet named Mpu Kanwa wrote the Kakawin Arjunawiwaha. This poem was based on the great Mahabharata story. It told the tale of Arjuna, who was like a god. But it was also a story about Airlangga's own life. Airlangga's life story was shown in the Belahan Temple. This temple is on the side of Mount Penanggungan. There, he was shown as the god Vishnu riding on Garuda.
In 1037, the capital city was moved from Watan Mas to Kahuripan. The king also gave special titles to his loyal followers. For example, Narottama became the prime minister. According to the Kelagen inscription from 1037, Airlangga also cared a lot about farming. He started a big irrigation project. He built the Wringin Sapta dam in what is now Jombang Regency. By building a dam on the Brantas River, he helped water the rice fields. This also kept the water system working well in the area.
A King's Final Years
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Towards the end of his life, Airlangga faced a problem. He needed to choose who would rule after him. His chosen heir, Crown Princess Sangramawijaya, decided not to become queen. Instead, she chose to become a Buddhist hermit, a Bhikkuni. Sangramawijaya was the daughter of his main queen, Dharmaprasadottungadewi. The story of a princess giving up the throne to become a hermit is linked to the legend of Dewi Kilisuci. She is said to live in the Selomangleng Cave near Kediri.
Because the crown princess gave up the throne, Airlangga's two younger half-brothers were next in line. Both had a right to the throne, and both wanted to rule.
In 1045, Airlangga decided to divide his kingdom. He split Kahuripan into two kingdoms. These were Janggala and Kediri. His two sons inherited these kingdoms. Airlangga himself gave up his throne in 1045. He went back to being a hermit. He took on a new name: Resi Aji Paduka Mpungku Sang Pinaka Catraning Bhuwana. A famous hermit named Mpu Bharada gave him this name.
Historians are still unsure why Airlangga divided the kingdom. He had worked so hard to unite it. Some think he did it to stop a civil war. Both of his sons had a strong claim to the throne. A local legend tells a magical story about the division. It says Mpu Bharada used his special powers. He flew and poured water from a jar. The water traces magically became a river. This river marked the border between the two new kingdoms. The legend says he accidentally got stuck on a tamarind tree. He was upset and cursed the tree to be forever short. This is why a village nearby is called kamal pandak, meaning "the short tamarind tree."
Airlangga died in 1049. His ashes were likely scattered in Belahan tirtha. This is a sacred bathing pool on the eastern slopes of Mount Penanggungan. There is a statue there where he is shown as Vishnu riding Garuda. He is flanked by statues of two goddesses, Shri and Lakshmi. These goddesses represent Airlangga's two main queens.
After Airlangga's death, a civil war broke out. It was between Janggala and Kediri (also known as Panjalu). This war lasted until 1052. In that year, King Mapanji Alanjung Ahyes of Panjalu conquered Janggala. However, in 1059, another king named Samarotsaha became the ruler of Janggala. He was Airlangga's son-in-law.
Images for kids
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The fountain of Belahan temple, Mount Penanggungan.
