Jump to content

Draft:Kusumawardhani

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kusumawardhani (Javanese: ꦑꦸꦱꦸꦩꦮꦂꦝꦤꦶ) was a Majapahit princess and later the queen consort. She was the daughter of Hayam Wuruk and wife of Wikramawardhana. She was well-known for being the respective subordinate ruler of Kabalan and Lasem.

Kusumawardhani
Bhre Kabalan
Bhre Lasem Sang Ahayu
Modern artist's impression of Kusumawardhani
Queen Consort of Majapahit
Reign1389 – 1400
PredecessorPaduka Sori
SuccessorRatnapangkaja
(as Prince Consort)
3rd Princess of Lasem
Reign1389 – 1400
PredecessorNagarawardhani
Successoreldest daughter of Ranamanggala
1st Princess of Kabalan
Reignca. 1358 – 1389
Died1400
Kawidyadharen, Kingdom of Majapahit
SpouseWikramawardhana
IssueHyang Wekas ing Sukha II
HouseRajasa
FatherRajasanagara Dyah Hayam Wuruk
MotherPaduka Sori

Early life[edit]

Her name came from Old Javanese's Kusuma "flower" and Wardhani, Wardani, or Warddanī, a feminine form of Wardhana from Sanskrit's Vardhana. Kusumawardhani was the only child of the greatest king of Majapahit, Rajasanagara Dyah Hayam Wuruk born from his queen consort, Paduka Sori. Paduka Sori was the daughter of Bhra Parameswara (Wijayarajasa), thus being the stepdaughter of the king's aunt. Princess Kusumawardhani had a half-brother recorded in history, he was the future Bhre Wirabhumi whose mother was a royal concubine.

[1] The very young princess was arranged to marry her first cousin, Prince Wikramawardhana, a son of the king's younger sister when they were no older than 7 and 12 as Krom assumed. Nagarakretagama written in 1365 reported that the couple was already married besides Kusumawardhani's father was only 31.

During the reign of her father, she was styled as Bhre Kabalan, being a respective subordinate ruler of Kabalan at the time when Wikramawardhana, Prince of Mataram was the head of the royal high court.

Succession conflict[edit]

After the death of the respected senior Majapahit royal family members notably the retire Queen regnant Tribhuwana Tungadewi as well as Kusumawardhani's paternal grandmother and her sister Rajadewi in the 1370s, there was a separatist action led by Kusumawardhani's maternal grandfather who was also Rajadewi's husband, Wijayarajasa.

The conflict divided Majapahit into western and eastern courts. King Hayam Wuruk didn't take resolute action to the eastern considering his son, The Prince of Wirabhumi, supported Wijayarajasa. Due to a lack of legitimacy for being the son of a concubine, such as the prince didn't have any chance to be the heir of Hayam Wuruk. Instead, the crown precedenced Kusumawardhani.

Wijayarajasa died in 1388, and not long after, Hayam Wuruk died in 1389. As a result, Wikramawardhana took Majapahit's throne over her legitimacy. On the other hand, Bhre Wirabhumi being the head of the eastern court succeded Wijayarajasa.

Ruler of Lasem[edit]

After being crowned as the new king, Wikramawardhana granted the title Bhre Lasem to Kusumawardhani even though the title was had been being held by his younger sister, Nagarawardhani, a principal wife of Bhre Wirabhumi. King Wikramawardhana refused to admit Bhre Wirabhumi's sovereignty by doing so. The two queen consorts also the two Princesses of Lasem were compared in Pararaton. Kusumawardhani was mentioned as Bhre Lasem Sang Ahayu means "The Fair Princess of Lasem" while Nagarawardhani was Bhre Lasem Sang Alemu or "The Fat Princess of Lasem".

Issues[edit]

At least a child was born from her marriage to Wikramawardhana, he was the 2nd Hyang Wekas ing Sukha, as told in Pararaton. In the following part, the book mentions either the name or royal titles of the other three children of Wikramawardhana, they were the 2nd Prince of Tumapel, Suhita, and the 3rd Prince of Tumapel (Kertawijaya) without any information about their birth mother. [1] Perhaps, they belonged to Kusumawardhani seeing that their names were written without additional prefixes rabi anom, rabi haji, or rabi ksatriya usually used to refer to a son or daughter of royal concubines. [2] Or, it could be only Hyang Wekas ing Sukha and Suhita since she had precedence in taking the throne prior than her two brothers. The oldest prince seemed to be the heir apparent in view of the fact that the appointment of Gajah Manguri as mahapatih (prime minister) done by him in 1398, however he died just a year later.

Death and aftermath[edit]

In 1400, Pararaton reported that Bhra Hyang Wisesa (Wikramawardhana) abdicated to became a Buddhist priest, the same year as the death of Bhre Lasem, Bhre Kahuripan, and Bhre Lasem Sang Alemu. [1] The Bhre Lasem was most likely referred to Kusumawardhani. If so, it might explain the feud between Wikramawardhana and Bhre Wirabhumi in 1401.

Potrait[edit]

Modern artist's impression of Kusumawardhani

Prapanca described her as a perfect princess with beautiful eyes and slender arches. She was mentioned as Bhre Lasem Sang Ahayu or Sang Ayu literally means The Beautiful Princess of Lasem in Pararaton.

Ancestry[edit]

Kertawardhana
1st Prince of Tumapel
Dyah Hayam Wuruk
Rajasanagara
4th Great King of Majapahit
Dyah Wijaya
Kertarajasa Jayawardhana
1st Great King of Majapahit
Dyah Tya
Tribhuwana Tunggadewi
3rd Great Queen of Majapahit
Dyah Gayatri
Rajapatni
Kusumawardhani
1st Princess of Kabalan
3rd Princess of Lasem
Wijayarajasa
Bhra Parameswara of Pamotan
1st Prince of Wengker
Paduka Sori

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Noorduyn, J. (1978). "Majapahit in the Fifteenth Century". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 134 (2/3): 207–274. ISSN 0006-2294. JSTOR 27863183.
  2. ^ Muljana, Prof Dr. Slamet (2005-08-18). Runtuhnya Kerajaan Hindu-Jawa dan Timbulnya Negara-Negara Islam di Nusantara (in Indonesian). Lkis Pelangi Aksara.