Kediri (, ''Kutha Kadhiri'') is a city, located near the

Brantas River The Brantas is the longest river in East Java, Indonesia. It has a length of 320 km, and drains an area of over 11,000 km2 from the southern slope of Mount Kawi-Kelud-Butak, Mount Wilis, and the northern slopes of Mount Liman-Limas, ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third 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 border its northern ...

on the island of

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It covers an area of 67.23 km² and had a population of 268,950 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 286,796 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 298,830 (comprising 148,296 males and 150,524 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kota Kediri Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3571) It is one of two ' Daerah Tingkat II' that have the name 'Kediri' (the other is the Regency of Kediri, which surrounds the city). The city is administratively separated from the Regency, of which it was formerly the capital. Archaeological artefacts discovered in 2007 appeared to indicate that the region around Kediri may have been the location of the

Kediri Kingdom Kediri Kingdom or Kadiri, also known as Panjalu, was a Hindu-Buddhist Javanese people, Javanese kingdom based in East Java from 1042 until 1222 (1292–1293 under Jayakatwang). This kingdom is centered in the ancient city ''Dahanapura'', des ...

, a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

kingdom in the 11th century. The city is a major trade centre for the Indonesian

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

and

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...

industry. Kediri is the second largest city by economy in East Java, after

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

, with a 2016 estimated GDP at Rp76.95 trillion.

History

Traditionally, the city of Kediri is said to have been founded on 27 July 879, and today the city's anniversary is celebrated on that date. The

valley was known as the site of classical Javanese culture, particularly between the 10th and 15th centuries. The town of Kediri was established by King

Airlangga Airlangga (also spelled Erlangga), regnal name Rakai Halu Sri Lokeswara Dharmawangsa Airlangga Anantawikramottunggadewa (born 1002 in Bali, Indonesia – died 1049 in Java), was the only king of the Kingdom of Kahuripan. The Kingdom was bui ...

on the banks of the upper Brantas River in 1042. It was originally called Dahanapura or Daha. After the death of Airlangga his kingdom was divided into two parts: the kingdom of Panjalu in the west, and the kingdom of

Janggala The Kingdom of Janggala is one of the two Javanese kingdoms that was formed when Airlangga abdicated his throne in favour of his two sons in 1045. The other Kingdom was Kediri. The Kingdom of Janggala comprised the northeastern part of the Ki ...

in the east. Daha became the capital of Panjalu, and later the capital of the

Kediri kingdom Kediri Kingdom or Kadiri, also known as Panjalu, was a Hindu-Buddhist Javanese people, Javanese kingdom based in East Java from 1042 until 1222 (1292–1293 under Jayakatwang). This kingdom is centered in the ancient city ''Dahanapura'', des ...

. Over the centuries, control of the city passed to the

Singhasari Singhasari ( or , ), also known as Tumapel, was a Javanese people, Javanese Hindu-Buddist empires, Hindu-Buddhist Monarchy, kingdom located in east Java (island), Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as th ...

Majapahit Majapahit (; (eastern and central dialect) or (western dialect)), also known as Wilwatikta (; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia based on the island o ...

, Demak and Mataram kingdoms. The name "Kediri", or "Kadiri", is derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word ''Khadri'', meaning Indian Mulberry, indicative of the mulberry trees (locally known as ''pacé'' or ''mengkudu'') which grew in the area. After the era of the Javanese kingdoms, Kediri went into decline, becoming a small rural settlement, which was later annexed by the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

(

VOC VOC, VoC or voc may refer to: Science and technology * Open-circuit voltage (VOC), the voltage between two terminals when there is no external load connected * Variant of concern, a category used during the assessment of a new variant of a virus * ...

) as part of the Dutch conquest of Java. East Java in the 1740s was controlled by Cakraningrat IV, a Madurese regent who was favorably disposed toward the VOC, as he believed the Dutch would help him in securing the independence of

Madura is an list of islands of Indonesia, Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administratively ...

from the Kasunanan Kartasura kingdom. However, when his plans were rejected by the VOC, Cakraningrat rise against the Europeans. The rebellion was ultimately suppressed by the VOC, assisted by two generals sent by

Pakubuwana II Pakubuwono II (also transliterated Pakubuwana II) (1711–1749) was the ruler of Mataram. His correct title in Javanese etiquette standards contains honorific appellations, some of which each successive ruler inherits. The move of his court fro ...

, Sunan Kartasura. Kediri then became part of the VOC and remained under Dutch control until the independence of Indonesia in 1945. Kediri began to flourish when the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

founded the autonomous ''Gemeente Kediri'' in 1906. ''Zelfstanding Gemeenteschap'' (self-government with full autonomy) was granted in 1928. During the

Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during A ...

in 1945–1949, Kediri became a target of General

Sudirman Sudirman (; 24 January 1916 – 29 January 1950) was an Indonesian military officer and revolutionary during the Indonesian National Revolution and the first commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Born in Purbalingga, Dutch East Ind ...

's guerrilla campaign. Kediri suffered terrible bloodshed during the

Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 Large-scale killings and civil unrest primarily targeting members and supposed sympathizers of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) were carried out in Indonesia from 1965 to 1966. Other affected groups included alleged communist sympathise ...

after the failed

30 September Movement The Thirtieth of September Movement (, also known as G30S, and by the syllabic abbreviation Gestapu for ''Gerakan September Tiga Puluh'', Thirtieth of September Movement, also unofficially called Gestok, for ''Gerakan Satu Oktober'', or Fir ...

coup. One estimate suggests that around 13% of Kediri's population or 22,000 people were killed during the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66. The

Gudang Garam PT Perusahaan Rokok Tjap Gudang Garam Tbk ( Republican spelling Indonesian for "Salt Warehouse brand Cigarette Company plc"), trading as PT Gudang Garam Tbk, is an Indonesian tobacco company, best known for its '' kretek'' (clove cigarette) pro ...

kretek Kretek () is a type of Indonesian cigarette made with a blend of tobacco, cloves and other flavors. They are available filtered or unfiltered. The word "kretek" itself is an onomatopoetic term for the crackling sound of burning cloves. Partl ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

industry was established in 1958 by

Chinese Indonesian Chinese Indonesians (), or simply ''Orang Tionghoa'' or ''Tionghoa'', are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries. Chinese Indonesians are the fourth largest community of Overseas Chinese in th ...

Tjoa Ing Hwie. He purchased vast lands in Kediri and established a kretek cigar factory. Today, Gudang Garam is the major employer of the city, with more than 40,000 workers.

Administrative districts

The city of Kediri is divided into three

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

(''kecamatan''), tabulated below with their areas and their population totals from the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kota Kediri Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3571) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of

administrative village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

s or subdistricts (urban ''kelurahan'') in each district, and its postal codes. The names of the ''kelurahan'' in each district area: * Mojoroto District: Bandar Kidul, Bandar Lor, Banjarmlati, Bujel, Campurejo, Dermo, Gayam, Lirboyo, Mojoroto, Mrican, Ngampel, Pojok, Sukorame, Tamanan. * Kota District: Balowerti, Banjaran, Dandangan, Jagalan, Kaliombo, Kampungdalem, Kemasan, Manisrenggo, Ngadirejo, Ngronggo, Pakelan, Pocanan, Rejomulyo, Ringinanom, Semampir, Setonogedong, Setonopande. * Pesantren District: Banaran, Bangsal, Betet, Bawang, Blabak, Burengan, Jamsaren, Ketami, Ngletih, Pakunden, Pesantren, Singonegaran, Tempurejo, Tinalan, Tosaren.

Society and culture

Being the site of an ancient capital of Javanese kingdoms, the city is one of the major cultural centres for

Javanese people The Javanese ( , ; ) are an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of the Indonesian island of Java. With more than 100 million people, Javanese people are the largest ethnic group in both Indo ...

, the city also contains some ancient ruins and candis that date back to the era of the Kediri and Majapahit Kingdom.

Sport

Kediri is the home of

Persik Kediri Persatuan sepak bola Indonesia Kediri ( ''Indonesian football association of Kediri''; abbreviated Persik Kediri) (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. They currently compete in the Liga 1. Th ...

, which plays in the Premier Division of the Indonesian Football League. Persik Kediri has won a total of two titles of the Premier Division of Indonesian Football League, last occurring in 2006.

Education

Kediri city has Three National Universities, they are Universitas Brawijaya (branch III Kediri), STAIN Kediri, and Politeknik Negeri Kediri. Kediri also has many private institutions for higher education, such as the Institut Ilmu Kesehatan Bhakti Wiyata,

Universitas Nusantara PGRI Kediri ''Universitas'' is a Latin word meaning "the whole, total, the universe, the world", or in Roman law a society or corporation; the latter sense is where the word university is derived from. Universitas may also refer to: * Universitas 21, an in ...

Universitas Kadiri ''Universitas'' is a Latin word meaning "the whole, total, the universe, the world", or in Roman law a society or corporation; the latter sense is where the word university is derived from. Universitas may also refer to: * Universitas 21, an in ...

, and

Universitas Islam Kadiri ''Universitas'' is a Latin word meaning "the whole, total, the universe, the world", or in Roman law a society or corporation; the latter sense is where the word university is derived from. Universitas may also refer to: * Universitas 21, an in ...

Tourism

The city of Kediri hardly has any natural attractions for a tourist destination. A few amusement parks are present, e.g. Paggora Amusement Park, Tirtayasa Water Park, Selomangleng Water Park. Selomangleng Cave is a man-made cave, allegedly used by the princess Dewi Kilisuci to meditate, according to folk tales. A few shopping centres are also built in the city, such as Golden Swalayan, and Kediri Mall. Along with the older shopping district Jalan Dhoho they serve the population of Kediri (both the city and the

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

) and the surrounding areas.

List of mayors

In 1906 Kediri was given the status of a '' gemeente'', along with its ''gemeenteraad''. The head was an ''assistent-resident''. In 1929 its status was changed to ''stadsgemeente'' with a ''burgemeester'' as its head. With the Act no. 16 Year 1950, Kediri is given the status of City (Kota Besar or Kota Madya) with a mayor (walikota) within Indonesian administrative structure

Dutch East-Indies Era

* Mr. L.K. Wennekendonk (1929–1936) * J.G. Ruesink (1936–1940) * M. Scheltema (1940–1941) * Dr. J.R. Lette (1941–1942)

Indonesian Era

* R. Soeprapto (1945–1950) * R. Dwidjo Soemarto (1950–1960) * R. Soedjono (1960–1966) * Hartojo (1966–1968) * Anwar Zainuddin (1968–1973) * Drs. Soedarmanto (1973–1978) * Drs. Setijono (1978–1989) * Drs. Wijoto (1989–1999) * H.A. Maschut (1999–2009) * Dr. H. Samsul Ashar Sp.PD (2009–2014) * Abdullah Abu Bakar, S.E. (2014-now)

Climate

Kediri has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(Aw) with moderate to little rainfall from June to October and heavy rainfall from November to May.

Notable people from Kediri

* Susilo Wonowidjojo, an

n billionaire businessman and owner of

Pramono Anung Pramono Anung Wibowo (born 11 June 1963), more colloquially referred to as Mas Pram, is an Indonesian politician who is the 15th governor of Jakarta since 20 February 2025. Previously cabinet secretary from 2015 to 2024, he is a member of the In ...

, Cabinet Secretary of the Working Cabinet in 2015 - 2019, The Onward Indonesia Cabinet in 2019 - 2024 and

Governor of Jakarta } The Jakarta Special Region is administratively equal to a Provinces of Indonesia, province with special status as the largest city of Indonesia. Instead of a mayor, the executive head of Jakarta is a governor. The Governor of Jakarta is an elect ...

since in 2025. *

Anthony Fokker Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker (6 April 1890 – 23 December 1939) was a Dutch aviation pioneer, aviation entrepreneur, aircraft designer, and aircraft manufacturer. He produced fighter aircraft in Germany during the First World War such ...

, Dutch aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer * Maarten Paes, Indonesian footballer who currently plays for

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The franchise be ...

, his maternal grandmother was born in Kediri. * Nadeo Argawinata, Indonesian footballer who currently plays for

Bali United Bali United Football Club (; , ''æklub’ sépak bola Bali United'') is a professional football club based in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Bali United emerged in 2015 as the ...

References

External links

City of Kediri official website
{{Authority control Populated places in East Java Enclaves and exclaves Brantas basin