Kediri
was a Hindu kingdom based in East Java from 1045 to
1221. In 1045 Airlangga divided Kahuripan into two kingdoms,
Janggala (based on contemporary Malang) and Kediri,
abdicates in favor of his sons to live the life of an
ascetic. He died four years later. In 1068, Virarajendra,
the Chola king of Coromandel, conquered Kedah from Srivijaya.
The Cholas continued a series of raids and conquests
throughout what is now Indonesia and Malaysia for the
next 20 years. Although the Chola invasion was ultimately
unsuccessful, it gravely weakened the Srivijayan hegemony
and enabled the formation of regional kingdoms based,
like Kediri, on agriculture rather than trade.
Kediri collected spices from tributaries
in southern Kalimantan and the Maluku Islands, known
to the West as the Spice Islands or Moluccas. Indian
and Southeast Asian merchants among others then transported
the spices to Mediterranean and Chinese markets by way
of the Spice Route that linked a chain of ports from
the Indian Ocean to southern China. In 1117 Kamesvara
became king of Kediri and ruled until 1130. He married
a princess of Janggala and reunited the two kingdoms
founded by Airlangga.
In 1135 Joyoboyo acceded to the throne
of Kediri and ruled until 1157. Joyoboyo's reign was
a golden age of Old Javanese literature. The 'Prelambang
Joyoboyo', a prophetic book ascribed to Joyoboyo, predicted
that Indonesia would be ruled by a white race for a
long time, then a yellow face for a short time, and
then get independent. The Joyoboyo prophecies also mention
Ratu Adil, the Just Prince, a recurring figure in Javanese
folklore. Many other literary works were produced, including
Bharatajuddha Kakawin, a Javanese version of the Mahabarata
by Mpu Sedah and his brother Mpu Panuluh. This work
was published in 1157. During the reign, Ternate was
a vassal state of Kediri.
Kediri fell in 1221 when Ken Arok,
the lord of Tumapel, defeated the forces of Kediri at
the Battle of Genter and founded the new kingdom of
Singhasari.
