Mongol invasion of Java

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Mongol invasion of Java
Date 1293 Location Java, modern Indonesia Result Majapahit victory
Belligerents
Yuan Dynasty of the Mongol Empire	The Kingdom of Singhasari Majapahit Dynasty
Commanders
Kublai Khan Shi-bi Ike Mese Gaoxing	Jayakatwang Raden Wijaya
Strength
20-30,000	More than 100,000
Casualties and losses
More than 3,000 killed	More than 5,000 killed and drowned

v • d • e Mongol invasions Central Asia (Khwarizm) – Georgia and Armenia – Volga Bulgaria (Samara Bend – Bilär) – Anatolia – Europe (Rus' – Poland – Hungary) – Baghdad – Korea – India – Japan (Bun'ei – Kōan) – Vietnam (Bạch Đằng) – China (Jin – Song) – Burma (Ngasaunggyan – Pagan) – Java – Syria – Palestine (Ain Jalut)

During the reign of Kublai Khan, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, a large invasion fleet was sent to Java with over 20,000^[1]-30,000 soldiers by the Great Khan Kublai in 1293. This was a punitive expedition against Singhasari King Kertanegara who had disrespected the Yuan by tatooing on a Han Chinese messenger Meng Qi (孟琪)'s face and cutting his ears and refusing to pay tribute.

Contents 1 Background 2 Invasion 3 Aftermath 4 References 5 Further reading 6 See also

[edit] Background

Kublai Khan had sent envoys to many states in order to maintain trade and cultural contact and request them to put themselves under his protection and to pay tribute. Men Shi or Meng-qi, one of his ministers who was sent to Java, was not well received in Java^[2]. The king of Java, Kertanagara, was offended by his proposal and branded him in the face with a hot iron as was done to common thieves, cut his ears, and scornfully sent him on his way.

After defeating Srivijaya in Sumatra in 1290, Singhasari became the most powerful kingdom in the area. But Jayakatwang, the Adipati (Duke) of Kediri, a vassal state of Singhasari, had usurped and killed Kertanagara. Most of his relatives and former royal family members hated him. After being pardoned by Jayakatwang with the aid of Madura's regent, Arya Wiraraja, Raden Wijaya, Kertanegara's son-in-law, was given the land of Tarik timberland. He then opened that vast timberland and built a new village there. The village was named Majapahit, which was taken from a fruit name that had a bitter taste in that timberland (maja is the fruit name and pahit means bitter).

The Great khan was shocked and ordered a punitive expedition against this king, whom he labeled a barbarian, in 1292. According to the Yuan shi, the history of the Yuan Dynasty, 20,000-30,000 (Tong jian ganagmu) were collected from Fujian, Jiangxi and Huguang in Southern China, along with 1000 ships, and provisions for a year^[3]. Officers were Mongol Shi-bi, Uyghur Ike Mese and Gaoxing Chinese. What kind of ships they used for the campaign is not mentioned in the history of the Yuan Dynasty, but they were apparently large since smaller boats had to be constructed for entering the rivers of Java. It is known that they stopped at Ko-lan (Billiton).

[edit] Invasion

The Mongols traveled along the coast of Dai Viet and Champa along the way to their primary target. The small states of Malay and Sumatra submitted and sent envoys to them. Yuan commanders left darughachis there. After arriving in Java, Shi-bi split the forces up into one group sent ashore and a second which proceeded by boat, had gone ahead first before the main army. As noted in Kidung Panji-Wijayakrama, they probably looted the coastal village of Tuban.

When the Mongolian Yuan army sent by Kublai Khan arrived in Java, Wijaya allied himself with the army to fight against Jayakatwang and gave the Mongols a map of the country Kalang. According to the Yuan-shi, Wijaya attacked Jayakatwang without success when he heard of the arrival of Yuan navy. Then he requested their aid. In response, Yuan generals demanded his submission to their emperor and he accepted it.

The account of the war which appears in the Yuan-shi (Books 210) is brief:

“… The soldiers from Dahanese came to attack Wijaya on the 7th day of the month, Ike Mese and Gaoxing came on 8th, some Dahanse were defeated, rest of them fled to the mountains. On the 19th day, Mongols and their allies arrived in Daha, fought more than 100,000 soldiers, attacking 3 times, killing 5000 outright while forcing many thousands into the river where they drowned. Jayatkatwang retreated into his palace …”

Once Jayakatwang was destroyed by the Mongols, Raden Wijaya returned to Majapahit, ostensibly to prepare his tribute settlement, leaving his allies to celebrate their victory. Shi-bi and Ike Mese allowed Raden Wijaya to go back to his country to prepare to send tribute and a new letter of submission. But Gaoxing disliked the idea and he warned other two. Wijaya asked the Mongols to come his dominion unarmed. Raden Wijaya quickly mobilized his forces again, while 200 unarmed Yuan soldiers headed by 2 officers were sent to Raden Wijaya's country. They were ambushed and destroyed by Wijaya's army and then he quickly turned on the Mongol main army in a surprise attack, killing many and sending the rest running back to their ships.

The Yuan army had to withdraw in confusion as they were in hostile territory. It was also their last chance to catch the monsoon winds home; otherwise, they would have had to wait for another six months on a hostile island. The Yuan army lost more than 3,000 of its best soldiers^[4].

[edit] Aftermath

Three generals, who had gotten much booty in gold, precious stones and some captives, went back to their empire with the surviving Mongol soldiers. Upon their arrival, Shi-bi was condemned to receive 70 lashes and have a third of his property confiscated for allowing Wijaya to escape. Ike Mese also was reprimanded and a third of his property taken away by the court of the Yuan Dynasty. But Gaoxing was awarded 50 taels of gold for protecting the soldiers from a total disaster. It was Kubilai Khan's last expedition.

Later, Shi-bi and Ike Mese were shown mercy and the Emperor restored their reputation and property^[5].

Majapahit became most powerful medieval state of its era in modern Indonesia^[6].

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Bade, David W. (2002) Khubilai Khan and the Beautiful Princess of Tumapel: the Mongols Between History and Literature in Java. Ulaanbaatar: A. Chuluunbat.
• John Man - Kublai khan: The Mongol king who remade China Bantam Books Ltd, 2007 ISBN 0553817183.
• Louise Levathes: When China Ruled the Seas p54:"The ambitious khan (Kublai Khan) also sent fleets into the South China Seas to attack Annam and Java, whose leaders both briefly acknowledged the suzerainty of the dragon throne" p54, Simon & Schuster, NY, 1994 ISBN 0-671-70158-4
• Constantin Mouradgea d'Ohsson: Histoire des Mongols, depuis Tchinguiz-Khan jusqu'à Timour Bey ou Tamerlan. Chapitre 3 Kublai Khan, Tome III Adamant Media, Boston, 2002 ISBN 9780543947291

[edit] See also

• Mongol Empire
• Yuan dynasty
• Mongol invasions of Vietnam
• Java

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