Battle of Genter
Date1221–1222
Location
East Java
Result Decisive Tumapel victory.
Collapse of the Kingdom of Kediri
Establishment of the Rajasa dynasty and Kingdom of Singhasari by Ken Arok
Belligerents
Kingdom of Tumapel Kingdom of Kediri
Commanders and leaders
Ken Arok Kertajaya Surrendered

The Battle of Genter, also known as the Battle of Ganter, was a military engagement fought between two rival Javanese rulers in the early 13th century. The battle resulted in one ruler, Ken Arok, defeating his rival and routing their army. The battle cemented Arok's control over Eastern Java, and resulted in the ruler founding the Rajasa dynasty.[1]

History

From the 8th to the 12th century, the island of Java was ruled by a number of kings and noble families. In the eastern part of the island, agriculture-centric feudal nations (namely the Sailendra, Kediri, Tumapel, and Majapahit kingdoms) intermittently fought over arable land on which to grow rice. In the early 13th century, these combatants were challenged by the emergence of a new political force in the region.[2] This challenger came in the form of Ken Arok, a peasant-turned village chief who sought to increase his political power; later Javanese folklore surrounding the figure would add that Arok was endowed with a great sense of personal ambition.[3] Arok succeeded in aligning his village with the Kingdom of Tumapel, and in doing so became an important adviser the nation's king, Tunggul Ametung. After a series of machinations, Arok became king himself after he avenged Tunggul by killing the latter's assassin; some stories speculate that Arok arranged this same assassination or killed Ametung himself.[3][4]

Having replaced Ametung as King of Tumapel, Arok began to consolidate his military and political power to make war against the Kingdom of Kediri, Tumapel's longtime rival. The king of Kediri, Kertajaya, likewise marshaled his forces and prepared to meet Arok in battle. The climactic engagement of the conflict took place in either 1221 or 1222 at a place called Genter (also called Ganter) in eastern Kediri.[5] During the battle, Arok defeated Kertajaya (either by killing him or forcing him to surrender), causing the rout of the Kedirian army.[6][7]

The battle fought at Genter marked the end of the Kingdom of Kediri.[6] On the opposing side, the victory of his forces at the Battle of Genter allowed for Arok to establish his own royal line; this lineage became the Rajasa dynasty, which ruled over the Kingdom of Singhasari.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Ooi, Keat Gin (2004). Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781576077702.
  2. ↑ Komandoko, Gamal (2010). Student and General Encyclopedias . Widyatama Library. ISBN 9789796103713.
  3. 1 2 Kingdom, Majapahit. "Majapahit Story : The History Of Rajasa Dinasty". www.eastjava.com. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  4. ↑ "Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, From Angkor Wat to East Timor (3 Volume Set)" by Keat Ooi. ISBN 1576077705
  5. 1 2 Kahin, Audrey (2015-10-29). Historical Dictionary of Indonesia. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810874565.
  6. 1 2 Cœdès, George (1968). The Indianized states of Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824803681. pp. 185–187,199
  7. ↑ "History Of Kediri Regency - Kediri History". www.eastjava.com. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
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