Nagarakretagama

Welcome to this specialized exhibition hall, dedicated not to a building of stone, but to a monument of words: the Nagarakretagama, phonetically pronounced Nah-gah-rah-kray-tah-gah-mah. As a historian specializing in Southeast…

Approach the first display case and observe the delicate, horizontal strips of organic material. These are 'lontar' leaves, prepared from the palmyra palm, the ancient paper of the Indonesian archipelago. …

Move to the next section, which focuses on the political architects of the empire. While King Hayam Wuruk sat on the throne, the relentless expansion of Majapahit was driven by his Prime Minister, the legendary Gajah Mada. …

Let us turn our attention to the architectural descriptions found in the poem. Prapanca dedicates significant passages to describing the capital city, Trowulan. …

This interactive map before you is a visual representation of Pupuh, or cantos, thirteen and fourteen of the Nagarakretagama. This is perhaps the most heavily analyzed section of the text by modern historians. …

The true lifeblood of Majapahit, as detailed in the manuscript, was trade. Move to the economic exhibit. …

Our final stop in the exhibition focuses on the philosophical legacy of the text. Look at the phrase illuminated on the wall: 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika'. …

As we conclude our tour of the Nagarakretagama exhibition, consider the ultimate fate of the Majapahit Empire. By the sixteenth century, internal succession disputes, the rise of the Malacca Sultanate, and the spread of Islam…