Dyah Pitaloka Citraresmi
Encyclopedia
Dyah Pitaloka Citraresmi or Citra Rashmi (1340–357), was the princess of the Sunda Kingdom
in Western Java
. According to the Pararaton
or Book of Kings, she was supposed to marry Hayam Wuruk
, the new young king of Majapahit who had a great desire to take her as his queen. However in the tragedy known as the The Bubat Incident
she took her own life. Tradition describes her as a girl of extraordinary beauty.
In 1357 the Sunda king and the royal family arrived in Majapahit after sailing across the Java Sea
then encamped on Bubat square in the northern part of Trowulan
, capital city of Majapahit, and awaited the wedding ceremony. However Gajah Mada
, the Majapahit prime minister saw the event as an opportunity to demand Sunda's submission to Majapahit overlordship, and insisted that instead of becoming queen
of Majapahit, the princess was to be presented as a token of submission and treated as a mere concubine of the Majapahit king. The Sunda king was angered and humiliated by Gajah Mada's demand.
took place on Bubat square between the Majapahit army and the Sunda royal family in defence of their honour. Despite courageous resistance, the royal family were overwhelmed and decimated by the Majapahit army with almost all of the Sundanese royal party massacred in the tragedy. Tradition mentions that the heartbroken Princess took her own life to defend the honour and pride of her country.
According to tradition, Dyah Pitaloka's death was mourned by Hayam Wuruk and the entire population of the Sunda kingdom who had lost most members of their royal family. Her deed and her father's courage are revered as noble acts of honour, courage and dignity in Sundanese
tradition. Her father, Prabu Maharaja Lingga Buana was revered by the Sundanese as Prabu Wangi because of his heroic act to defend his honour against Majapahit. His descendants, the later kings of Sunda, were called Siliwangi
. This tragedy severely harmed the relationship between the two kingdoms and resulted in hostility for years to come, the situation never again returning to normality. Gajah Mada faced opposition, distrust and sneering at the Majapahit court because of his careless act which was not to the taste of the Majapahit nobles and undermined king Hayam Wuruk's influence.
The story of the Princess Pitaloka and the battle of Bubat is the main theme of the Kidung Sunda
while an historical account of Pasunda Bubat is also mentioned in Pararaton, but not in the Nagarakretagama
.
Sunda Kingdom
The Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...
in Western Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. According to the Pararaton
Pararaton
The Pararaton, also known as the Book of Kings, is a manuscript in the Kawi language. The comparatively short text of 32 folio-size pages contains the history of the kings of Singhasari and Majapahit in eastern Java...
or Book of Kings, she was supposed to marry Hayam Wuruk
Hayam Wuruk
Hayam Wuruk, also called Rajasanagara, , was a Javanese King and the fourth monarch of Majapahit empire. Together with his prime minister Gajah Mada, he reigned the empire at the time of its greatest power. He was preceded by Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi and succeeded by his son in law...
, the new young king of Majapahit who had a great desire to take her as his queen. However in the tragedy known as the The Bubat Incident
Battle of Bubat
The Battle of Bubat also known as Pasunda Bubat is the battle between Sundanese royal family and Majapahit army that took place in Bubat square on the northern part of Trowulan in 1279 Saka or 1357 CE...
she took her own life. Tradition describes her as a girl of extraordinary beauty.
Wedding proposal
Hayam Wuruk, king of Majapahit decided, probably for political reasons, to take princess Citra Rashmi (Pitaloka) as his spouse. She was a daughter of Prabu Maharaja Lingga Buana of the Sunda Kingdom. Patih Madhu, a matchmaker from Majapahit was sent to the kingdom to ask for her hand in royal marriage. Delighted by the proposal and seeing the opportunity to foster an alliance with Majapahit, the mightiest kingdom in the region, the king of Sunda gave his blessing and decided to accompany his daughter to Majapahit for the wedding.In 1357 the Sunda king and the royal family arrived in Majapahit after sailing across the Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
then encamped on Bubat square in the northern part of Trowulan
Trowulan
Trowulan is a village in Mojokerto, in the Indonesian province of East Java. It is surrounded by an archaeological site covering approximately 100 square kilometres. It has been suggested it was the site of the eponymous capital city of the Majapahit Empire, which is described by Mpu Prapanca in...
, capital city of Majapahit, and awaited the wedding ceremony. However Gajah Mada
Gajah Mada
Gajah Mada was, according to Javanese old manuscripts, poems and mythology, a powerful military leader and mahapatih or prime minister of the Majapahit Empire, credited with bringing the empire to its peak of glory...
, the Majapahit prime minister saw the event as an opportunity to demand Sunda's submission to Majapahit overlordship, and insisted that instead of becoming queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Majapahit, the princess was to be presented as a token of submission and treated as a mere concubine of the Majapahit king. The Sunda king was angered and humiliated by Gajah Mada's demand.
Suicide of the princess
As a result, a skirmish popularly known as Battle of BubatBattle of Bubat
The Battle of Bubat also known as Pasunda Bubat is the battle between Sundanese royal family and Majapahit army that took place in Bubat square on the northern part of Trowulan in 1279 Saka or 1357 CE...
took place on Bubat square between the Majapahit army and the Sunda royal family in defence of their honour. Despite courageous resistance, the royal family were overwhelmed and decimated by the Majapahit army with almost all of the Sundanese royal party massacred in the tragedy. Tradition mentions that the heartbroken Princess took her own life to defend the honour and pride of her country.
According to tradition, Dyah Pitaloka's death was mourned by Hayam Wuruk and the entire population of the Sunda kingdom who had lost most members of their royal family. Her deed and her father's courage are revered as noble acts of honour, courage and dignity in Sundanese
Sundanese people
The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They number approximately 31 million, and are the second most populous of all the nation's ethncities. The Sundanese are predominantly Muslim...
tradition. Her father, Prabu Maharaja Lingga Buana was revered by the Sundanese as Prabu Wangi because of his heroic act to defend his honour against Majapahit. His descendants, the later kings of Sunda, were called Siliwangi
King Siliwangi
Siliwangi is a legendary great king of the Sunda kingdom in West Java. The kingdom flourished between 669 to 1759 AD. He brought the kingdom greatness and prosperity. Some accounts of his life are taken from the Pantun Sunda oral tradition that describe his reign as a glorious era for the Sundanese...
. This tragedy severely harmed the relationship between the two kingdoms and resulted in hostility for years to come, the situation never again returning to normality. Gajah Mada faced opposition, distrust and sneering at the Majapahit court because of his careless act which was not to the taste of the Majapahit nobles and undermined king Hayam Wuruk's influence.
The story of the Princess Pitaloka and the battle of Bubat is the main theme of the Kidung Sunda
Kidung Sunda
Kidung Sunda is a Middle-Javanese kidung of probable Balinese provenance. In this poem, the story of king Hayam Wuruk of Majapahit who was looking for a bride to be, is narrated. At last he chose the princess of Sunda, a kingdom in West Java. The princess' name is remained undisclosed in this...
while an historical account of Pasunda Bubat is also mentioned in Pararaton, but not in the Nagarakretagama
Nagarakretagama
The Nagarakretagama or Nagarakrtagama, also known as Desawarnana, is an Old Javanese eulogy to Hayam Wuruk, a Javanese king and the monarch of the Majapahit Empire. It was written as a kakawin by Mpu Prapanca in 1365 . The Nagarakretagama contains detailed descriptions of the Majapahit Empire...
.
See also
- Kidung SundaKidung SundaKidung Sunda is a Middle-Javanese kidung of probable Balinese provenance. In this poem, the story of king Hayam Wuruk of Majapahit who was looking for a bride to be, is narrated. At last he chose the princess of Sunda, a kingdom in West Java. The princess' name is remained undisclosed in this...
- PararatonPararatonThe Pararaton, also known as the Book of Kings, is a manuscript in the Kawi language. The comparatively short text of 32 folio-size pages contains the history of the kings of Singhasari and Majapahit in eastern Java...
- Sunda KingdomSunda KingdomThe Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...