Kediri Kingdom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kediri Kingdom Pañjalu 1042–1222 ꦥꦚ꧀ꦗꦭꦸ (Javanese) Gelang-Gelang Kingdom Gégélang 1292 - 1293 ꦒꦺꦒꦺꦭꦁ (Javanese)
1042–1293
Map in 1042 Map in 1178 Janggala and Panjalu later unified as Kediri kingdom
Capital	Dahanapura (modern Kediri)
Common languages	Old Javanese, Sanskrit
Religion	Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism
Government	Monarchy
Maharaja
• 1042–1051	Samaravijaya
• 1194–1222	Kertajaya
• 1292–1293	Jayakatwang
History
• Airlangga divided his kingdom into Janggala and Panjalu	1042
• Janggala conquered	1135
• Kakawin Bharatayuddha finished writing	1157
• Kertajaya defeat to Ken Arok of Tumapel	1222
• Jayakatwang's rebellion against Singhasari	1292
• Invaded by the Mongols and Majapahit	1293
Currency	Native gold and silver coins
Preceded by Succeeded by Kahuripan Singhasari Majapahit

The Kediri Kingdom (also known as Pañjalu) was an important kingdom on the island of Java. It existed from 1042 to 1222. For a short time (1292–1293), it was revived under King Jayakatwang. This kingdom was a center for both Hinduism and Buddhism.

Kediri was located in East Java, with its capital city called Dahanapura. This city is near what is now Kediri city. Even though not many old buildings remain, the Kediri era was famous for its amazing literature. Famous Javanese stories like Kakawin Bharatayuddha were written during this time.

What Does "Kediri" Mean?

The capital city, Daha, existed before the kingdom was founded. Daha is short for Dahanapura, which means "city of fire." This name was used in old writings from 1042.

Panjalu: The Twin Kingdom

The Kediri Kingdom was also known as Panjalu. It was once a twin kingdom with Janggala. The name Panjalu was often used in old inscriptions. Chinese records from 1178 also called it "Pu-chia-lung."

The word "Pangjalu" comes from "Jalu," meaning "male" or "strong." In this context, it means a fertile and independent area. The word "Kadiri" means something similar: "able to stand alone" or "independent."

Kadiri: The Mulberry Tree

Another idea for the name "Kadiri" comes from the Sanskrit word Khadri. This word means "India Mulberry," a tree known locally as pacé or mengkudu. This tree's bark was used for dyes, and its fruit had medicinal uses.

How Kediri Kingdom Started

Airlangga's statue as Lord Vishnu riding Garuda. It was found in Belahan and is now in the Trowulan Museum, East Java.

The Kediri Kingdom was a continuation of the earlier Kahuripan kingdom, ruled by King Airlangga. In 1042, King Airlangga decided to divide his kingdom into two parts: Janggala and Panjalu (which became Kediri). He did this for his two sons and then chose to live a simple life as a holy man.

Who Were the Kings of Kediri?

The first king of Kediri that we have records about was Maharaja Çri Samaravijaya (1042–1051). His royal symbol was the Garudmukha, a mythical bird, just like King Airlangga's.

King Jayabhaya and His Prophecies

Jayabhaya (1135–1157) was a very famous king. His royal symbol showed Lord Vishnu as Narasinghavatara, a human with a lion's head. During his rule, the famous Javanese version of the Mahabharata, called Kakawin Bharatayuddha, was written. This was a golden age for Javanese literature.

King Jayabhaya is also known for his prophecies, called the Prelambang Joyoboyo. These predictions are still well-known among Javanese people. They talk about future rulers and a "Just Prince" (Ratu Adil) who will bring good times.

A statue of Vishnu from the Kediri Kingdom, around the 12th–13th century.

Penataran Temple was built and developed by several kingdoms, including Kediri and Majapahit.

Other Important Kings

• Çri Sarwweçwara (1159–1171) followed Jayabhaya. His symbol was a nine-winged shape.
• Çri Aryyeçwara (1171–1181) used Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, as his royal symbol.
• King Gandra (1181–1182) had an inscription that showed officials were given animal names like "White Tiger" or "Yellow Elephant." This also suggests Kediri had a navy!
• Kameçvara (1182–1194) was known for the story Smaradhana. In this story, the king was seen as the god of love, Kamajaya, and his wife, Çri Kirana, as the goddess Kamaratih. These stories, called the Panji cycle, became popular across Southeast Asia.

The Last King: Kertajaya

The last king of Kediri was Kritajaya or Kertajaya (1194–1222). His royal symbol featured a conch shell with two horns. In 1222, he was defeated by Ken Arok from Tumapel in the Battle of Genter. This battle ended the Kediri Kingdom and started the new Singhasari era.

Kediri's Golden Age

How Kediri Connected with Other Countries

A map showing Srivijaya and Kediri around the 12th to early 13th century.

The Kediri Kingdom existed at the same time as the powerful Srivijaya empire in Sumatra. Kediri had strong trade links with China and some connections with India. Chinese records called Java "Tsao-wa" or "Chao-wa," showing that Chinese traders often visited the kingdom.

In the 11th century, Srivijaya's power began to weaken. This allowed new kingdoms like Kediri to grow. Kediri became strong through farming and later by controlling the spice trade routes to the Maluku Islands.

A Chinese book from 1225, Chu-fan-chi, described Java (Kediri) as a rich and powerful kingdom. It said that people in Java followed both Buddhism and Hinduism. They were brave and enjoyed activities like cockfighting. Their money was made from copper, silver, and tin.

The book also listed many places that Kediri ruled or influenced, including parts of Sumatra, Bali, Timor, and even areas in Papua.

Daily Life and Culture

A Wayang Kulit puppet of Panji Brajanata, a prince from the Kediri Kingdom.

A Wayang Kulit puppet of Dewi Ragil Kuning, a princess from the Kediri Kingdom.

The Kediri era was famous for its literature. Besides the stories mentioned earlier, other important works like Śiwarātrikalpa and Krisnayana were also written.

A Chinese author named Chou K'u-fei wrote about daily life in Kediri in 1178. He said people wore long clothes and had loose hairstyles. Their homes were clean, with floors made of stone. Farming, animal raising, and trade were very important. People even raised silkworms to make silk and cotton clothes.

Instead of putting criminals in jail, people who broke laws had to pay fines in gold. However, thieves and robbers were executed. When people got married, the groom's family gave a "bride price" to the bride's family. For health problems, people in Kediri often relied on prayers to Buddha instead of medical treatments.

People celebrated festivals. In the fifth month, they had a water festival, traveling in boats on the river. In the tenth month, they had a mountain festival with music played on flutes, drums, and wooden xylophones (an early form of gamelan).

The King wore silk clothes, leather shoes, and fancy gold jewelry. When the king traveled outside his palace, he rode an elephant. He was joined by 500–700 soldiers and officials. People would bow down as he passed by.

How Kediri Made Money

A statue of Ganesha and a temple fragment in Kediri, from 1866–1867.

A Vajrasattva statue from the Kediri period (10th–11th century CE).

The people of Kediri mainly focused on farming (especially rice), raising animals like cattle and poultry, and trading spices. The capital city, Daha, was located inland near the fertile Brantas river valley. Kediri used good irrigation systems, including a dam, inherited from earlier kingdoms. They also used silver coins for trade.

Over time, Kediri's economy relied more on trade, especially the spice trade. They built a navy, which helped them control the spice routes to the eastern islands. Kediri collected spices from places like southern Kalimantan and the Maluku Islands. These spices were then sent to markets in India, China, and the Mediterranean through the famous Spice Route.

The End of Kediri Kingdom

The Fall of the First Kingdom

The Kediri Kingdom ended under King Kertajaya. He had conflicts with the brahmins (religious scholars). The brahmins asked for help from Ken Arok, a powerful leader from Tumapel. Ken Arok also wanted to free Tumapel from Kediri's rule.

In 1222, Ken Arok's troops defeated King Kertajaya's army in the Battle of Genter. This battle marked the end of the first Kediri Kingdom. Kediri then became a part of the new Singhasari Kingdom. Ken Arok appointed Kertajaya's son, Jayasabha, to rule Kediri as a local leader.

Jayakatwang's Rebellion

In 1292, a leader named Jayakatwang rebelled against the Singhasari Kingdom. He was a descendant of King Kertajaya and wanted revenge for his ancestor's defeat. Jayakatwang successfully killed the Singhasari king, Kertanegara, and briefly brought the Kediri Kingdom back to life.

However, this revived Kediri Kingdom lasted only one year. It was attacked by a combined force of Mongol troops and the army of Raden Wijaya. Raden Wijaya later founded the powerful Majapahit Kingdom.

A Brief Return of Daha

This large temple in East Java, located near Mount Kelud, is thought to have been built during the time of the Kediri Kingdom.

Much later, at the very end of the Majapahit era in the 15th century, the city of Daha (Kediri) briefly became a center of power again. This happened when Girindrawardhana defeated the Majapahit king in 1478. But this revival was also short-lived. The new Sultanate of Demak crushed Daha in 1527, ending its final return to power.

Kings of Kediri

See also

• List of monarchs of Java