Duchy of Surabaya
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The Duchy of Surabaya (
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
and Javanese: ) was a Javanese principality centered in
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
, on the northeastern coast of Java (in today's
East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
), that existed as an independent polity from to 1625. It became independent following the disintegration of the
Demak Sultanate The Demak Sultanate (کسلطانن دمق) was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak. A port fief to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in ...
, and by the beginning of the 17thcentury had become the leading power in east Java and the most important port on Java's northeastern coast. Subsequently, it entered into decades of conflict with the
Mataram Sultanate The Sultanate of Mataram () was the last major independent Javanese kingdom on the island of Java before it was colonised by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force radiating from the interior of Central Java from the late 16th centu ...
that ended in the victory of Mataram and the fall of Surabaya in 1625.


History

The Portuguese writer
Tomé Pires Tomé Pires (1465?–1524 or 1540)Madureira, 150–151. was a Portuguese apothecary from Lisbon who spent 1512 to 1515 in Malacca immediately after the Portuguese conquest, at a time when Europeans were only first arriving in Southeast As ...
mentioned that a Muslim lord was in power in Surabaya in 1513 though likely a vassal of the Hindu–Buddhist
Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
. At that time, Surabaya was already a major trading port, owing to its location on the
River Brantas The Brantas is the longest river in East Java, Indonesia. It has a length of 320 km, and drains an area over 11,000 km2 from the southern slope of Mount Kawi-Kelud-Butak, Mount Wilis, and the northern slopes of Mount Liman-Limas, Mou ...
delta and on the trade route between
Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
and the
Spice Islands A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices ar ...
via the
Java Sea The Java Sea ( id, Laut Jawa, jv, Segara Jawa) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its nort ...
. During the decline of Majapahit, the lord of Surabaya resisted the rise of the
Demak Sultanate The Demak Sultanate (کسلطانن دمق) was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak. A port fief to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in ...
, and only submitted to its rule in 1530. Surabaya became independent after the death of
Sultan Trenggana Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
of Demak in 1546. There is a dearth of historical records about the duchy in the second half of the 16thcentury. In 1589 Surabaya led other east Javanese principalities in opposing the
Pajang Sultanate The Kingdom of Pajang or Sultanate of Pajang (كسلطانن ڤاجڠ ;1586–1568) was a short-lived Muslim state in Java. It was established by Hadiwijaya or Jaka Tingkir, Lord of Boyolali, after a civil war and was a successor to Sultanate o ...
, Demak's successor state, in Japan (today's
Mojokerto Mojokerto ( jv, ꦩꦗꦏꦼꦂꦠ (''Måjåkěrtå'')) is a city in East Java Province, Indonesia. It is located 40 km southwest of Surabaya, and constitutes one of the component units of the Surabaya metropolitan area (known as Gerbangkert ...
), thereby stopping Pajang's eastward expansion. Javanese historians said that a holy man, a descendant of
Sunan Giri Sunan Giri (also called Raden Paku or Joko Samudro), Muhammad Ainul Yakin (born 1442 CE in Blambangan (now Banyuwangi) is considered one of the Wali Sanga (revered saints of Islam) of Indonesia. History He was the son of Dewi Sekardadu and ...
, convinced the opposing sides to return without a battle. Dutch historian H. J. de Graaf wrote that in the second half of 16thcentury, the court of Surabaya became a centre of culture and Islamic Old Javanese literature, as opposed to the "upstart" central Javanese courts such as the
Pajang The Kingdom of Pajang or Sultanate of Pajang (كسلطانن ڤاجڠ ;1586–1568) was a short-lived Muslim state in Java. It was established by Hadiwijaya or Jaka Tingkir, Lord of Boyolali, after a civil war and was a successor to Sultanate ...
and
Mataram Sultanate The Sultanate of Mataram () was the last major independent Javanese kingdom on the island of Java before it was colonised by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force radiating from the interior of Central Java from the late 16th centu ...
s. In the early years of the 17th century, Surabaya, allied with
Pasuruan Pasuruan ( nl, Pasoeroean) is a city in East Java, Java, Indonesia. It had a population of 186,262 at the 2010 Census and 208,006 at the 2020 Census. It is surrounded by, but administratively separate from, Pasuruan Regency. It is located around ...
, expanded its influence throughout eastern Java. It became the most powerful state in east Java, rivalling the Mataram Sultanate in central Java. By 1622 it was in control of
Gresik Gresik Regency ( older spelling: Grissee, ) is a regency within East Java Province of Indonesia. As well as a large part of the Surabaya northern and western suburbs, it includes the offshore Bawean Island, some 125 km to the north of Java ...
and Sedayu in eastern Java. It was also the overlord of
Sukadana Sukadana () is a town and regency seat of North Kayong Regency (Kabupaten Kayong Utara), on the island of Borneo. North Kayong regency is one of the regencies of West Kalimantan province in Indonesia. The nearest airport is Rahadi Osman-Ketapang K ...
and
Banjarmasin ) , translit_lang1 = Other , translit_lang1_type1 = Jawi , translit_lang1_info1 = بنجر ماسين , settlement_type = City , motto = ''Kayuh Baimbai'' ( Banjare ...
in southern
Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
. More doubtful reports said it might have also extended its influence to
Pasuruan Pasuruan ( nl, Pasoeroean) is a city in East Java, Java, Indonesia. It had a population of 186,262 at the 2010 Census and 208,006 at the 2020 Census. It is surrounded by, but administratively separate from, Pasuruan Regency. It is located around ...
and
Blambangan The Blambangan Kingdom was the last Javanese Hindu kingdom that flourished between the 13th and 18th centuries, based in the eastern corner of Java. The capital was at Banyuwangi. It had a long history of its own, developing contemporaneously ...
(both in the
eastern salient of Java The eastern salient of Java ( Indonesian: ', "eastern end" or ', "The Horseshoe" – referring to the region's shape on the map; jv, bang wetan, "far east", nl, Oosthoek, "eastern corner") is a region that makes up the easternmost part of the isl ...
), the Brantas valley region, and Wirasaba. Surabaya formed and led an alliance of eastern Javanese principalities, primarily in response to the growing power of Mataram. Other than Surabaya and its subordinate areas, the alliance also included
Tuban Tuban is a town located on the north coast of Java, in Tuban Regency (of which the town is the administrative capital), approximately west of Surabaya, the capital of East Java. Tuban Regency is surrounded by Lamongan Regency in the east, Bojo ...
,
Malang Malang (; ) is a landlocked List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of East Java. It has a history dating back to the age of Singhasari, Singhasari Kingdom. It is the second most popul ...
, Kediri,
Lasem Lasem ( fa, لاسم, also romanized as Lāsem and Lasm; also known as Lishan) is a village in Bala Larijan Rural District, Larijan District, Amol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, ...
, all in eastern Java, as well as
Madura Madura Island is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively 5,379.33 km2 including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administrati ...
off the northern coast. The
Dutch East Indies Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock c ...
(known by its Dutch acronym, VOC) established a trading post in Gresik, under Surabaya's control, in 1602. Dutch writers wrote about Surabaya's expanding influence. In 1620 Dutch writers described Surabaya as a rich and powerful state with a field army of 30,000 men. The city measured in circumference, surrounded by a canal and protected with cannon.


Conflict with Mataram and decline

As both Mataram and Surabaya expanded their territories and influence, they began to compete for hegemony in east and central Java. In 1590, Mataram, under the rule of Panembahan Senopati, attacked and took Madiun, which were supported by Surabayan auxiliaries. Mataram and Surabaya backed rival pretenders In a war of succession in Kediri. The Surabaya-backed faction won in 1591, and the loser fled to Mataram. In 1598 and 1599 Mataram unsuccessfully attacked Tuban, a member of the Surabaya alliance. In 1610 Mataram began conducting raids on Surabaya itself, destroying its rice crops and sacking
Gresik Gresik Regency ( older spelling: Grissee, ) is a regency within East Java Province of Indonesia. As well as a large part of the Surabaya northern and western suburbs, it includes the offshore Bawean Island, some 125 km to the north of Java ...
in 1613. Dutch writers reporting from the trading post of Gresik wrote of the frequent Mataram–Surabaya conflicts in the early 17thcentury. The Dutch post was closed in 1615 as the conflict intensified. In 1613 Hanyakrakusuma (, later titled ''
Sultan Agung Sultan Anyakrakusuma is known as Sultan Agung ( jv, ꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦒꦸꦁꦲꦢꦶꦥꦿꦧꦸꦲꦚꦏꦿꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩ, Sultan Agung Adi Prabu Anyakrakusuma) was the third Sultan of Mataram in Central Java ruling from 1613 to 1645. ...
'', "the Great Sultan", and referred to as such in literature) rose to the throne of Mataram. He began a campaign that would ultimately result in the fall of Surabaya. In 1614 Agung invaded several allies of Surabaya, notably including Wirasaba. Surabaya and its allies then counterattacked and invaded Mataram, but were defeated in Siwalan, near Pajang, in January 1616. Subsequently, Mataram gradually conquered members of Surabaya's alliance, notably Tuban in 1619. In 1620 Mataram attacked the city of Surabaya itself. Because of a combination of geographic, logistical, and climatic factors, Mataram was not able to launch a direct assault on Surabaya, or maintain a continued siege on the city. Instead, Mataram periodically attacked Surabaya during the dry seasons, laying sieges, destroying crops, and pillaging harvests from the surrounding areas. The final siege took place in 1625. Mataram forces dammed the river Brantas, limiting the city's water supply, and spoiled the remaining water supply using dead animals. With the city starved and riddled with disease, Jayalengkara, the duke of Surabaya, decided to surrender. He was allowed to stay in Surabaya as Agung's vassal, but the elderly duke died soon afterward. The decline of Surabaya and other coastal towns in northeastern Java contributed to the decline of Javanese trade in the following period, and the rise of the Sultanate of Makassar in
Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
as a major centre of the spice trade in
Nusantara Nusantara most commonly refers to: *Nusantara (archipelago), an Old Javanese term which initially referred to the conquered territories of the Majapahit empire, corresponding to present-day Indonesia *Nusantara (planned city), the future capital ci ...
.


Economy

With an economy oriented toward trade, Surabaya became a major trading port by the early 16thcentury. Its ships were seen throughout Nusantara, as far west as
Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
and as far east as the
Spice Islands A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices ar ...
. It owed its importance to its location on the international trade route between those two points. In addition, its location on the delta of the Brantas river connected it with inland agricultural areas. The upriver communities supplied it with
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
, both as food for Surabayans and as a trading commodity for Surabayan merchants. Surabaya supplied the inland communities with trade goods such as clothing, jewelry, and
porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
. Most other port towns on the northeastern coast of Java, such as
Demak Demak is on the north coast of Central Java province, on the island of Java, Indonesia. * Demak, Demak, modern-day large town * Demak Sultanate, sixteenth century sultanate * Demak Regency Demak ( jv, ꦢꦼꦩꦏ꧀) is a regency located in t ...
and
Tuban Tuban is a town located on the north coast of Java, in Tuban Regency (of which the town is the administrative capital), approximately west of Surabaya, the capital of East Java. Tuban Regency is surrounded by Lamongan Regency in the east, Bojo ...
, were allied with Surabaya before they fell under Mataram control. The VOC had a trading post in Gresik, a port town under Surabaya's control, from 1602 to 1615. At this time, the VOC's territorial control in Java was limited to
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
(today's
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
).


Rulers

The rulers of Surabaya had the rank of '' adipati'', usually translated to English as a
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. The rulers became Muslim from at least 1513, when Surabaya was still subordinate to the Hindu-Buddhist
Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
. The dukes of Surabaya claimed to be descendants of
Sunan Ampel Sunan Ampel (born Raden Ahmad Rahmatullah; 1401–1481) was one of the Javanese nine revered saints Wali Songo, credited for the spread Islam in Java. According to local history around Demak the mosque of Demak Masjid Agung Demak was built by ...
(1401–1481), one of the nine saints (''wali songo'') credited with the spread of Islam in Java. However, deGraaf wrote that there was no evidence for this claim although he considered it likely that the ruling family were distantly related to Sunan Ampel. The last duke of Surabaya was Jayalengkara (), who at the fall of Surabaya in 1625 was already blind and aged. His son,
Pangeran Pekik Pangeran Pekik (or Prince Pekik, died in 1659) was a Javanese prince, and son of the last Duke of Surabaya, Jayalengkara. After the Mataram conquest of Surabaya he was forced to live in Mataram court. He was executed in 1659 under the orders of ...
, was forced to live in Mataram after Mataram's victory. He later married Sultan Agung's sister, and according to deGraaf, "did much to civilize the Court" of Mataram.


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Surabaya, Duchy
Duchy of Surabaya The Duchy of Surabaya ( Indonesian and Javanese: ) was a Javanese principality centered in Surabaya, on the northeastern coast of Java (in today's East Java, Indonesia), that existed as an independent polity from to 1625. It became independent f ...
History of East Java Precolonial states of Indonesia History of Surabaya