Shima (queen) facts for kids

Shima was a powerful queen who ruled the Kalingga kingdom around the year 674 CE. Kalingga was an ancient kingdom located on the northern coast of Central Java, an island in Indonesia. Queen Shima is remembered for her strong leadership and for making sure her people were honest.

Queen Shima of Kalingga

Queen Shima was a queen regnant, which means she ruled the kingdom herself. She was not just the wife of a king; she held all the power. Her kingdom, Kalingga, was known for its peace and the honesty of its people.

A Queen Who Valued Honesty

Queen Shima believed that honesty was very important for her people. She created a special law against stealing. This law helped to make sure everyone was truthful and fair.

There is a famous story about Queen Shima and her law. A foreign king heard about how honest the people of Kalingga were. He decided to test them. He placed a bag full of gold coins in the middle of a busy street in Kalingga.

For three years, the bag of gold sat there untouched. No one dared to take it, because it did not belong to them. This showed how much the people respected Queen Shima's law.

However, one day, Queen Shima's own son, the crown prince, accidentally touched the bag with his foot. The queen was very strict about her laws. She believed that everyone, even her own son, must follow them. She wanted to give him a very severe punishment.

Her ministers asked her to be less harsh. They explained that only his foot had touched the bag. So, the queen decided that his foot should receive a special punishment instead. This story shows how serious Queen Shima was about honesty and justice in her kingdom.

Shima's Family Legacy

Queen Shima's family continued to be important in Java's history. Her great-grandson was named Sanjaya. Sanjaya later became a powerful king himself. He ruled the Sunda and Galuh kingdoms. Sanjaya also founded the Medang Kingdom in Central Java, which became a very important kingdom in the region.