The Rise and Fall of Majapahit Kingdom Lady Lou D. Mejos MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology Prof Artchil C. Daug History 70
The Majapahit Kingdom
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Abstract The Majapahit was the last and the greatest kingdom of Javanese civilization had ever existed, it expands for almost three times larger than the preceding kingdom the Sri Vijaya. The aspiring and last ruler of Singosari and his son-in-law gave birth to the Majapahit Kingdom that lived in the twilight period under Hayam Wuruk’s direction with his powerful military leader Gajah Mada, Hayam Wuruk’s death in which causes conflict over succession and the arrival of Islam sparks off the decline of Majapahit Of course there is a starting point, in which something new emerges, next it goes on waxing and becomes a vital force. It then established a unique entity and grows old. And finally it will wane and demise. Spengler proved that a civilization can be explained into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. For Spengler, spring is the time of origin of its basic main beliefs, the time of the birth of religion of that culture. Life is rural, agricultural and primitive. Java’s (present day Indonesia) ideal agricultural conditions and the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation started as early as the 8th century BCE, allowed villages, towns, and small kingdoms to flourish by the 1st century CE (Taylor, 2003). These kingdoms evolved with their own ethnic and tribal religions. Java's hot and even temperature, abundant rain and volcanic soil, was perfect for wet rice cultivation. Such agriculture required a well organised society in contrast to dry-field rice which is a much simpler form of cultivation that doesn't require an elaborate social structure to support it. A number of Hindu and Buddhist states flourished. But Hinduism gradually weakened that Balinese people abruptly responded a solution. Bali’s Hindu leadership redesigned the temple system so that each village would have its own temples. But the bond between people and Hindu god’s was forged.
