![Portrait of Panembahan Senapati](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Portrait_of_Panembahan_Senapati.jpg)
Panembahan Senapati, formally styled Panembahan Senapati ing Ngalaga Sayyidin Panatagama (died in Jenar (now
Purwodadi, Purworejo
Purwodadi is a district (Indonesian: Kecamatan) of Purworejo Regency, Central Java, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consist ...
), 1601), was the founder of 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 ...
.
Origin
Born Danang Sutawijaya, known as Dananjaya, he was the son of
Ki Ageng Pamanahan, a Javanese chief and retainer to
Joko Tingkir
Joko Tingkir, or sometimes written as Jaka Tingkir, is the founder and the first king of the Sultanate of Pajang. He ruled from 1549 to 1582. He is also known by the title of Sultan Hadiwijaya.
Ancestry
Joko was the son of Ki Ageng Pengging, ...
, who reigned as Hadiwijaya,
Sultan of Pajang.
It was said that Pamanahan was a descendant of the last Majapahit king. Sutawijaya's
mother
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...
was Nyai Sabinah who, according to Javanese chronicles, was 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 ...
, a member of
Walisanga
The Wali Songo (also transcribed as Wali Sanga) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word ''wali'' is Arabic for "trusted one" ("gua ...
. Nyai Sabinah had a brother, Ki Juru Martani, who was elected as the first ''patih'' (viceregent) of Mataram. He had an important role in arranging strategy to suppress Arya Penangsang's rebellion in 1549.
Sutawijaya was adopted by Hadiwijaya as an inducement, because Hadiwijaya and his wife still had no children yet in that time. Hadiwijaya gave him a residence in the north of a market, thus his nickname "Raden Ngabehi Loring Pasar".
Early role
According to Javanese tradition, the Senopati who was Joko Tingkir's foster son assassinated
Arya Penangsang of Jipang-Panolan (now in
Cepu,
Blora Regency), making him the last direct heir of the
Sultans of Demak. His death established the legitimacy of the Sultanate of Pajang.
Senapati ing Alaga
Ki Ageng Pamanahan was granted Mataram region in 1556. After his death in 1575, Sutawijaya succeeded him as a chief of Mataram, styled Senapati Ing Ngalaga (meaning "commander in battlefield").
In 1576, Ngabehi Wilamarta and Ngabehi Wuragil of Pajang came to Mataram to ask for Mataram's loyalty, given that Senapati didn't come to Pajang more than a
year
A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the hou ...
. Senapati, who was riding his horse in Lipura village, didn't pay attention for them. However, the two senior officials were able to keep Sultan Hadiwijaya's feeling from the report they had arranged.
Divine mandate
The traditional chronicle ''
Babad Tanah Jawi
''Babad Tanah Jawi'' ( jv, ꦧꦧꦢ꧀ꦠꦤꦃꦗꦮꦶ, "History of the land of Java"), is a generic title for many manuscripts written in the Javanese language. Their arrangements and details vary, and no copies of any of the manuscripts are o ...
'' alleges that Senopati, in his quest to become the supreme ruler of Java, had a spiritual alliance with
Nyai Roro Kidul
''Kanjeng Ratu Kidul'' Sundanese: ᮑᮤ ᮛᮛ ᮊᮤᮓᮥᮜ᮪, Nyai Rara Kidul) ( Javanese: ꦚꦻꦫꦫꦏꦶꦢꦸꦭ꧀, Nyi Rara Kidul) ( Balinese: ᬜᬶᬭᭀᬭᭀᬓᬶᬤᬸᬮ᭄, Nyi Rara Kidul) is a supernatural being in Ind ...
, the Javanese goddess of the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
. The Babad, however derives Senopati's support from Muslim saint
Sunan Kalijaga
Sunan Kalijaga (1460-1513), born as Raden Mas Said son of a Duke of Tuban in East Java, Indonesia, was one of the "nine saints" of Javanese Islam (Wali Sanga). the "Kalijaga" title was derived from an orchard known as "Kalijaga" in Cirebon. O ...
, who is considered to be one of the
Wali Songo
The Wali Songo (also transcribed as Wali Sanga) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word ''wali'' is Arabic for "trusted one" ("gua ...
or 'Nine Apostles' of Islam in Java.
Other than Nyi Roro Kidul, Senapati also contacted the ruler of
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, ''Gunung Merapi'' (literally Fire Mountain in Indonesian and Javanese), is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active ...
. He also built fortification and trained his soldiers.
Rebellion against Pajang
In his effort, Senapati also dared to divert the journey of ''mantri pamajegan'' (tax collector) from
Kedu and
Bagelen who wanted to deliver
tax
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
to Pajang. They could be persuaded by Senapati so they swore allegiance to him.
Sultan Hadiwijaya was restless to hear about his adopted son's development. He then sent 3 messengers to investigate Mataram's development, i.e. Arya Pamalad of Tuban,
Prince Benawa, and Patih Mancanegara. Senapati welcomed them with party. However, there was a quarrel between Raden Rangga (Senapati's
son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...
) with Arya Pamalad.
In 1582, Sultan Hadiwijaya banished Tumenggung Mayang to
Semarang
Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...
because he had helped his son, Raden Pabelan, to enter ''keputren'' (residence for Mataram princesses) and seduce Ratu Sekar Kedaton, Sultan's youngest daughter. Raden Pabelan himself was sentenced to death and his corpse was thrown away to
Jenes River in
Laweyan (currently located in
Surakarta
Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...
).
Pabelan's mother was Senapati's sister. Senapati then sent ''mantri pamajegan'' to liberate Tumenggung Mayang who were on journey to exile.
Outraged by Senapati's action, Sultan Hadiwijaya invaded Mataram with his soldiers. The war then took place. Pajang's soldiers could be defeated although outnumbered Mataram's one.
Sultan Hadiwijaya fell sick in his journey back to Pajang, and died after it. In his deathbed, Sultan Hadiwijaya requested to his children not to dislike Senapati and they had to treat him as an eldest brother. Senapati himself also attended his adoptive father's funeral.
Ruler of Mataram
Arya Pangiri
Arya Pangiri was the duke of Demak who succeeded in becoming the second king of the Pajang Sultanate, who ruled from 1583 to 1586 with the title of Sultan Awantipura. According to the Chinese chronicle of the Sam Po Kong Temple, Ja Tik Su (Sunan Ku ...
was Sultan Hadiwijaya's
son-in-law
Son-in-Law (22 April 1911 – 15 May 1941) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.
The National Horseracing Museum says Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this count ...
who became Duke of Demak. Supported by Panembahan Kudus, he occupied Pajang in 1583 and ousted Prince Benawa by appointing him as Duke of Jipang.
Prince Benawa then allied with Senapati in 1586. They viewed Arya Pangiri's reign had harmed people of Pajang. The war broke out. Arya Pangiri was arrested and sent back to
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 th ...
.
Prince Benawa offered Pajang's throne to Senapati, but refused. Senopati just demanded some Pajang's
heirloom
In popular usage, an heirloom is something that has been passed down for generations through family members. Examples are a Family Bible, antiques, weapons or jewellery.
The term originated with the historical principle of an heirloom in ...
s to be looked after in Mataram.
Prince Benawa became Sultan of Pajang until 1587. He requested that Pajang was merged with Mataram. He requested Senapati to be Mataram's king. Pajang then became Mataram's vassal state, administered by Prince Gagak Baning, Senapati's brother.
Since that time, Senapati became the first ruler of Mataram, titled Panembahan. He didn't want to use Sultan as a title to honour Sultan Hadiwijaya and Prince Benawa. His royal court was located in
Kotagede
Kotagede (Javanese: ꦏꦸꦛꦒꦼꦝꦺ ''Kuthagedhé'') is a city district (''kemantren'') and a historic neighborhood in Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Kotagede contains the remains of the first capital of Mataram Sultanat ...
.
Reign
During his reign, the kingdom adhered to Javanese traditions, although
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
had already been introduced to
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 ...
. The Javanese Muslim state of Pajang (and the ancient Hindu-Javanese kingdom of Mataram, still on the same site) got in trouble when Panembahan Senopati schemed to undermine the authority of the King of Pajang. Senopati had conquered the Mataram district himself and circa 1576 he conquered Pajang, imposed the new religion and established his own court. The Mataram ruler refused to embrace Islam. Many historiographical problems surrounded Senopati's reign. He concentrated his spiritual powers through meditation and asceticism. Senopati's reliance upon both
Sunan Kalijaga
Sunan Kalijaga (1460-1513), born as Raden Mas Said son of a Duke of Tuban in East Java, Indonesia, was one of the "nine saints" of Javanese Islam (Wali Sanga). the "Kalijaga" title was derived from an orchard known as "Kalijaga" in Cirebon. O ...
and
Nyai Loro Kidul
''Kanjeng Ratu Kidul'' Sundanese: ᮑᮤ ᮛᮛ ᮊᮤᮓᮥᮜ᮪, Nyai Rara Kidul) ( Javanese: ꦚꦻꦫꦫꦏꦶꦢꦸꦭ꧀, Nyi Rara Kidul) ( Balinese: ᬜᬶᬭᭀᬭᭀᬓᬶᬤᬸᬮ᭄, Nyi Rara Kidul) is a supernatural being in Ind ...
in the chronicles' accounts nicely reflects the Mataram Dynasty's ambivalence towards Islam and indigenous Javanese beliefs. The straight line between
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, ''Gunung Merapi'' (literally Fire Mountain in Indonesian and Javanese), is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active ...
at the north and the southern sea, with the Mataram kingdom at the center, was a strong concept of cosmology among the Javanese.
Senopati's grandson,
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, 1613–1645), was described as a great Muslim ruler and was claimed as the greatest of Mataram's rulers, though both Senopati and Sultan Agung established a liaison with the Goddess of the Southern Ocean of
Nyai Loro Kidul
''Kanjeng Ratu Kidul'' Sundanese: ᮑᮤ ᮛᮛ ᮊᮤᮓᮥᮜ᮪, Nyai Rara Kidul) ( Javanese: ꦚꦻꦫꦫꦏꦶꦢꦸꦭ꧀, Nyi Rara Kidul) ( Balinese: ᬜᬶᬭᭀᬭᭀᬓᬶᬤᬸᬮ᭄, Nyi Rara Kidul) is a supernatural being in Ind ...
.
[Ricklefs, M.C. (1993) ''A History of Modern Indonesia since c. 1300''. The Macmillan Press second edition. ]
Expanding Mataram's territory
After Hadiwijaya's death, many vassal states in
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 ...
seceded. The alliance of East Java's dukes were still led by
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 ...
as the strongest entity. They were involved in a battle against Mataram in
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 ...
, but they could be mediated by
Giri Kedaton
Giri Kedaton (also called Giri Kadaton in Javanese language, Javanese, Kedatuan Giri in Indonesian language, Indonesian) was an Islamic ''kedatuan'' (city-state or principality) located in Gresik Regency, Gresik, East Java and existed in the 15th t ...
's messenger.
Other than Pajang and Demak,
Pati was also subjugated peacefully. Pati was led by
Duke Pragola I, son of Ki Panjawi. His sister Queen Waskitajawi became the main queen consort of Mataram. It had made Duke Pragola I hoped that Mataram would be led by his sister's descendants.
In 1590, joined troops of Mataram, Pati, Demak, and Pajang attacked
Madiun
Madiun ( jv, ꦑꦸꦛꦩꦝꦶꦪꦸꦤ꧀, translit=Kutha Madhiun) is a landlocked city in the western part of East Java, Indonesia, known for its agricultural center. It was formerly (until 2010) the capital of the Madiun Regency, but is now adm ...
, which were led by
Rangga Jumena (the youngest son 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 c ...
), who had prepared a large troops awaiting the invader. With a brilliant trickery, Madiun was conquered. Rangga Jumena fled to Surabaya, while his daughter namely Retno Dumilah was married by Senapati.
In 1591, a
coup d'etat took place in
Kediri. Raden Senapati of Kediri was driven out by new regent, Ratujalu, supported by Surabaya.
Raden Senapati of Kediri was adopted by Panembahan senapati as his son and he helped him to take over the throne of Kediri. The war ended with the death of both Raden Senapati with Duke Pesagi (his uncle).
In 1595, Duke of Pasuruan intended to submit to Mataram peacefully, but was prevented by his
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
, Rangga Kaniten. Rangga Kaniten was defeated by Panembahan Senapati in a
duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
. He himself was assassinated by Duke of Pasuruan, who swore allegiance to Mataram.
In 1600, Duke Pragola I of Pati rebelled against Mataram. The rebellion was precipitated by appointment of Retno Dumilah of Madiun as second queen consort. Pati military forces were able to occupy some regions in the north of Mataram. A war broke out near
Dengkeng River, where Mataram force led by Senapati himself destroyed Pati force.
Death
Panembahan Senapati alias Danang Sutawijaya died in Kajenar village in 1601. He was buried in
Mataram Cemetery
Mataram may refer to:
*Mataram Kingdom (716–1016), a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom in Java
* Mataram Sultanate ( 1586–1755), a Javanese Islamic kingdom which later was a protectorate of Dutch East Indies
*House of Mataram, dynasty or family that occup ...
, Kotagede and was succeeded by his son
Mas Jolang, born from Ratu Mas Waskitajawi.
Children
# Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Pambayun / Retna Pembayun, married with
Ki Ageng Mangir, a chief of Mangir, a
fiefdom
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form o ...
located in the west of Mataram.
# Pangeran Ronggo Samudra (Duke of Pati)
# Pangeran Puger / Raden Mas Kentol Kejuron (Duke of Demak)
# Pangeran Teposono
#
Pangeran Purbaya / RM. Damar
# Pangeran Rio Manggala
# Pangeran Adipati Jayaraga / Raden Mas Barthotot, Duke of Ponorogo
#
Panembahan Hadi Prabu Hanyokrowati/Panembahan Seda ing Krapyak (Panembahan Senapati's successor, reigned from 1601 to 1613)
# Gusti Raden Ayu Demang Tanpa Nangkil
# GRAy. Wiramantri
# Pangeran Adipati Pringgoloyo I (
Regent of Madiun, 1595–1601)
# Ki Ageng Panembahan Juminah/Pangeran Juminah/Pangeran Blitar I (Regent of Madiun between 1601 and 1613)
# Pangeran Adipati Martoloyo / Raden Mas Kanitren (Regent of Madiun between 1613 and 1645)
# Pangeran Tanpa Nangkil
Notes
External links
The Mataram Kingdom & Royal Palaces - in English
{{Authority control
1601 deaths
Sultans of Mataram
16th-century Indonesian people
17th-century Indonesian people