Seated Male Deity Holding a Cuirass (Chest Armour) last quarter of the 10th–first half of the 11th century

Karambalangan is a type of personal armor from

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

. It is a metal coating worn in front of the chest or

breastplate A breastplate or chestplate is a device worn over the torso to protect it from injury, as an item of religious significance, or as an item of status. A breastplate is sometimes worn by mythological beings as a distinctive item of clothing. It is ...

History

Karambalangan was recorded in the ''Kidung'' ''Panji Wijayakrama-Rangga Lawe'' (written as early as 1334 AD), which mentioned that Ranggalawe wore ''karambalangan manik'' (jeweled karambalangan) when he rebelled against

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 ...

(1295 AD).Berg, C.C. (1930).
Rangga Lawe: Middeljavaansche Historische Roman: Critisch uitgegeven
'. Batavia: Kon. Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen (''Bibliotheca Javanica'', 1). Emperor

Raden Wijaya Raden Wijaya or Raden Vijaya (also known as Nararya Sangramawijaya, regnal name Kertarajasa Jayawardhana) (reigned 1293–1309) was a Javanese emperor, and the founder and first monarch of the Majapahit Empire.Slamet Muljana, 2005, ''Runtuhny ...

in that

kidung Kidung is a form of Old Javanese poetry. They differ from kakawin in that they use Javanese meters instead of imported Sanskrit ones, and mostly appeared later. The subject matter is based on historical events. Like kakawin, they later became an im ...

was recorded using golden ''karambalangan manik''. In the ''Kidung Sundayana'', it is written that

Gajah Mada Gajah Mada (c. 1290 – c. 1364), also known as JirnnodharaMunandar, 2010: 77 was, according to Old Javanese manuscripts, poems, and inscriptions, a powerful military leader and '' Mahapatih'' (the approximate equivalent of a modern Prime ...

before the

Bubat tragedy The Battle of Bubat also known as Pasunda Bubat is the battle between the Sundanese royal family and Majapahit army that took place in Bubat square on the northern part of Trowulan (Majapahit capital city) in 1279 Saka or 1357 CE. Historical acc ...

wore a karambalangan (a metal plate on the front of the chest—breastplate) decorated with gold emboss, armed with a gold-plated spear, and a shield decorated with diamonds. 233 Krishnayana Reliefs (26560553538)

References

{{Indonesian weapons Indonesian inventions Asian armour Body armor Military equipment of antiquity Military equipment of Indonesia

History

See also

References