The History Of The Singasari Kingdom: The Story of Ken Arok to King Kertanegara

 


The history of the Singasari Kingdom is closely related to the figure of Ken Arok (1222-1247) who is said to be its founder.

The heyday of the Hindu kingdom located in eastern Java occurred when it was led by Kertanegara (died 1292) as well as being the last king. 

Quoted from Neo Patriotism: The Ethics of Power in Javanese Culture (2008) by H.M. Nasruddin Anshoriy, Ch., the location of this kingdom is estimated to be in what is now the Singasari District, Malang Regency, East Java Province.

The real name of the Singasari Kingdom is the Tumapel Kingdom whose capital is Kutaraja. 

The origins of naming Singasari began when King Wisnuwardhana appointed his son, Kertanegara, as the crown prince and changed the name of the central government of the kingdom to Singasari.  

Singasari, which is actually the name of the capital, is even more famous than the name of the kingdom, namely Tumapel. 

In the end, people used to call the Tumapel Kingdom by the name of the Singasari Kingdom. 

The Singasari Kingdom experienced a golden peak in the era of its last king, Kertanegara and had a very wide territory. 

Widjiono Wasis in the Encyclopedia of the Archipelago (1989) revealed that Kertanegara at that time wanted to unite parts of the archipelago under the auspices of Singasari.  

With the center of government in eastern Java, Singasari's territory in the Kertanegara era is said to include Bali, Sunda, parts of Kalimantan, even parts of Sumatra to the Malacca Strait area.  

Ken Arok Becomes King 

At first, Tumapel was not a kingdom, but a subordinate area of ​​the Kadiri Kingdom (Kediri). 

According to the Paraton Book, the Tumapel area was led by Tunggul Ametung who served as akuwu (equivalent to sub-district head). 

Tunggul Ametung has a wife named Ken Dedes. In 1222, still mentioned in the Pararaton, stumps Ametung was killed by his own bodyguard named Ken Arok. 

Ken Arok then married Ken Dedes who was pregnant at the time. 

Ken Dedes' son from Tunggul Ametung will later be named Anusapati. 

In addition to marrying Ken Dedes who is the widow of Tunggul Ametung, Ken Arok has another wife named Ken Umang who later gave birth to a son named Tohjaya. 

Quoted from the book entitled Pararaton (1965) by R. Pitono, after killing Tunggul Ametung and marrying Ken Dedes, Ken Arok became the new ruler of Tumapel. 

Ken Arok intends to release Tumapel from the power of the Kadiri Kingdom. 

There was a fierce battle between Tumapel and Kadiri. 

Tumapel under the leadership of Ken Arok won the war who later declared himself king with the title Sri Rajasa Bhatara Sang Amurwabhumi. 

Two Versions of Singasari Kings 

There are two versions in identifying the history of the Tumapel or Singasari Kingdom according to two books, namely the Pararaton Book and the Negarakertagama Book.  

This difference includes the list of rulers and the year number

According to the Book of Pararaton

Narrated in Pararaton, Anusapati who is the son of Tunggul Ametung (1185-1222) and Ken Dedes wants to take revenge against Ken Arok who killed his father.

In 1247, Ken Arok died at the hands of Anusapati who then ruled in Tumapel. However, in 1249, it was Anusapati's turn who died, and Tohjaya was killed, who was none other than Ken Arok's son from Ken Umang.

Tohjaya ascended the throne as king of Tumapel or Singasari after Anusapati died. However, Tohjaya's reign was short-lived. In 1250, his government was overthrown by special forces assembled by Ranggawuni or later known as Wisnuwardhana.

Ranggawuni or Wisnuwardhana is the son of Anusapati and continues the cycle of vengeance that surrounds the throne of the Singasari Kingdom.

Wisnuwardhana was crowned as the next king and then passed the power to his son named Kertarajasa.

King List Tumapel/Singasari Pararaton Version

  • Tunggul Ametung (1185-1222) | Tumapel Leader
  • Ken Arok (1222-1247) | Tumapel leader, kill the Tunggul Ametung 
  • Anusapati (1247-1249) | The son of Tunggul Ametung & Ken Dedes, killed Ken Arok
  • Tohjaya (1249-1250) | Ken Arok's son from Ken Umang, killed Anusapati
  • Wisnuwardhana (1250-1272) | Son of Anusapati, overthrow Tohjaya
  • Kertanagara (1272-1292) | Vishnuwardhana's son

According to the Negarakertagama Book

Negarakertagama never mentioned the names of Tunggul Ametung or Ken Arok. The ruler of Tumapel who defeated the Kadiri Kingdom, according to Negarakertagama, was Rangga Rajasa Sang Girinathaputra (1222-1227).

Rangga Rajasa had a son named Anusapati (1227-1248) who later reigned in Tumapel alias Singasari. Anusapati was succeeded by his son named Wisnuwardhana in 1248 and ruled until 1254.

Furthermore, the last king of Singasari was Kertanagara, the son of Wisnuwardhana, who ruled until his death in 1292 at the same time ending the history of this kingdom due to a rebellion from within.

Thus, Negarakertagama does not mention the figures of Tunggul Ametung, Ken Arok, Ken Dedes, Ken Umang, and Tohjaya in the history of the Tumapel Kingdom alias Singasari, as stated in Pararaton.

List of Kings Tumapel/Singasari Negarakertagama Version

  • Rangga Rajasa (1222-1227) | Tumapel Ruler
  • Anusapati (1227-1248) | Rangga Rajasa's son
  • Wisnuwardhana (1248-1254) | Anusapati's son
  • Kertanagara (1254-1292) | Vishnuwardhana's son

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