Pamalayu facts for kids
The Pamalayu campaign was a special journey by the Javanese King Kertanegara from the Singhasari kingdom. He sent his army and diplomats to the Sumatran Melayu Kingdom. This happened around the year 1275. The main goal was to make Java stronger and control important trade routes.
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What Was the Pamalayu Campaign?
The Pamalayu campaign was a big effort by King Kertanegara of Singhasari. He wanted to connect with and perhaps even rule the Melayu Kingdom in Sumatra. This was important for controlling trade in the Strait of Malacca.
Why Was This Campaign Important?
Not much is known about exactly what happened during the campaign. But we do know some things from old writings. The Padang Roco Inscription, from 1286, tells us about a special religious statue. This statue, called Amoghapasa, was placed in Dharmasraya. King Kertanegara ordered this. The people of Melayu, especially their king, Tribhuwanaraja, were very happy about this gift.
This campaign likely helped Java become more powerful over Melayu. It also helped Java control trade in the Strait of Malacca. To make the two kingdoms even closer, a special marriage was planned.
The Royal Marriages
According to an old story called the Pararaton, two princesses from Melayu came to Java. Their names were Dara Petak and Dara Jingga. They were supposed to marry King Kertanegara.
However, King Kertanegara was later killed by Jayakatwang in 1292. So, Princess Dara Petak instead married Kertanegara's successor, Raden Wijaya. Raden Wijaya later founded the Majapahit kingdom. Their son became the second king of Majapahit, named Jayanegara.
Princess Dara Jingga married a Javanese official named Adwayawarman. Their son was Adityawarman, who later became a very important leader.
Leaders of the Expedition
Different old stories name different leaders for the Pamalayu expedition.
- The Kidung Panji Wijayakrama says the leader was Mahisa Anabrang. His name means "buffalo that crossed."
- Old Batak stories mention a leader named Indrawarman.
- Stories from the Landak kingdom name a leader called Ratu Sang Nata Pulang Pali.
The Return to Java
The expedition ended when King Kertanegara was killed in 1292. Mahisa Anabrang and his forces decided to return to Java. They brought the two Malay princesses with them. The expedition arrived back in Java on May 3, 1293. This was shortly after Mongol forces had left Java on April 23, 1293.
Leaders Who Stayed Behind
Some leaders from the expedition did not return to Java right away.
Indrawarman's Story
Indrawarman stayed in Sumatra. He did not accept Raden Wijaya as the new king after Kertanegara. Indrawarman controlled areas that produced pepper. He also controlled a port on the Batang Hari river, which is in modern-day Jambi. He tried to control the northern part of Sumatra.
In 1299, the Aru sultanate was founded. Its leader, Sultan Malikul Mansur, took control of the Kutu Kampar region from Indrawarman in 1301. Indrawarman and his forces then moved into Simalungun.
At that time, the Siregar clan lived between the Silo and Bah Bolon rivers. They were facing pressure from the Sinaga clan. The Siregar clan asked Indrawarman and his Javanese forces for help. With their help, Indrawarman founded the Silo kingdom. He also built a port called Indrapura on the Bah Bolon river.
Indrawarman's Javanese forces adopted local Batak Simalungun clan names. Some took names like Saragih-Silo and Siregar. Others founded new clan names like Damanik, Purba, and Girsang.
Later, in 1339, forces from Majapahit arrived. They were led by Adityawarman. They destroyed the Silo kingdom and Indrapura. Indrawarman was killed. However, his descendants escaped and founded new kingdoms, Dolok Silo and Raya Kahean. The Sinaga clan then took over the former Silo region and founded the Tanah Jawa kingdom, which means "Javanese Land."
Sang Nata Pulang Pali's Journey
Sang Nata Pulang Pali was another noble leader of the expedition. Instead of going back to Java, he took his forces to Tanjungpura.
One story says they followed the Kapuas river from Ketapang. Then they turned onto the Landak Kecil river and stopped at Kuala Mandor. Another story says they stayed for a while at Padang Tikar. Then they followed the Tenganap river and landed at Sekilap, which is now called Sepatah. This place later became known as Ningrat Batur or Anggrat Bator.
Sang Nata Pulang Pali gained the trust of the local people by giving them salt. With their help, he founded the Landak kingdom. He then crowned himself Ratu Sang Nata Pulang Pali I.
