Hayam Wuruk

King of Majapahit at its zenith.

Life

Son of the queen

Hayam Wuruk was the son of Majapahit's Queen Tribhuwana. He succeeded to the throne in 1350, assisted by his chief minister Gajah Mada.

Zenith

During his reign, Majapahit's power and influence extended over most of the present-day Indonesian archipelago and parts of the Malay Peninsula. The "Nagarakretagama", written by the court poet Prapanca, describes the splendor of his royal tours of the realm. He also had contacts with the Ming dynasty.

Nagarakretagama

After Gajah Mada died in 1364, he governed in person. After his death in 1389, the royal family fell into infighting and Majapahit began to decline.

Legacy

The reign of Hayam Wuruk was Majapahit's Golden Age, and Indonesians today often treat Majapahit as a historical symbol of national unification.

Did you know? In the Bubat incident, the party of his Sundanese bride clashed with Majapahit troops on the way to the wedding; the bride took her own life, a tragedy retold between Java and Sunda for centuries.

Key dates

• 1350Succession
• 1357Bubat incident
• 1364Gajah Mada died
• 1365Nagarakretagama completed
• 1389Died