Ken Dedes, first queen of Singhasari

Singhasari

Singhasari was a kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded Kingdom of Kediri as the dominant kingdom in eastern Java.-Foundation:...

, was the consort

Queen consort

A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...

 of Ken Arok

Ken Arok

Ken Arok was the founder and first ruler of the Singhasari Kingdom, an ancient Hindu-Budhist kingdom in the East Java area of Indonesia. He was considered as the founder of Rajasa dynasty of both the Singhasari and Majapahit line of monarchs. He came from humble origins but subsequently rose to...

, the first ruler of Singhasari

Singhasari

Singhasari was a kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded Kingdom of Kediri as the dominant kingdom in eastern Java.-Foundation:...

, Java

Java

Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

. She was later considered as the origin of the lineage of kings that rule Java, the great mother of the Rajasa dynasty

Rajasa Dynasty

House of Rajasa was the ruling family of Singhasari kingdom and later Majapahit empire in 13th to 15th century eastern Java. The rulers of Singhasari and Majapahit trace their origins back to the mysterious figure of Ken Arok or Sri Ranggah Rajasa, who founded the Rajasa dynasty early in the 13th...

, the royal family that ruled Java from the Singhasari

Singhasari

Singhasari was a kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded Kingdom of Kediri as the dominant kingdom in eastern Java.-Foundation:...

 to the Majapahit era. Local tradition also mentioned her as a woman with extraordinary beauty, an embodiment of perfect beauty.

Early life

Most of the record of her life comes from the account of Pararaton

Pararaton

The Pararaton, also known as the Book of Kings, is a manuscript in the Kawi language. The comparatively short text of 32 folio-size pages contains the history of the kings of Singhasari and Majapahit in eastern Java...

 (The Book of Kings), which is a mixed historical account including fictional supranatural tales and stories. She was the daughter of a Buddhist monk, Mpu Purwa. According to tradition, Ken Dedes' exceptional and extraordinary beauty was famous throughout the land and attracted Tunggul Ametung, the ruler of Tumapel (now the Singhasari district, East Java

East Java

East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...

) who later took her as his wife.

According to local tradition, Ken Dedes was kidnapped while her father was away meditating and forced to become Tunggul Ametung's wife. Her father cursed Tunggul Ametung, saying he would be killed because of Ken Dedes' beauty. The curse became reality when Ken Arok succeeded in assassinating Tunggul Ametung and took Ken Dedes as his wife.

The Consort of Ken Arok

According to Pararaton and local tradition, Ken Arok's usurpation of Tunggul Ametung was caused by Ken Dedes' exceptional beauty and charisma. The story goes that Ken Arok happened to be standing close to where the royal carriage came to halt and caught a glimpse of the young queen as she descended. When Ken Dedes' clothes accidentally parted, Ken Arok

Ken Arok

Ken Arok was the founder and first ruler of the Singhasari Kingdom, an ancient Hindu-Budhist kingdom in the East Java area of Indonesia. He was considered as the founder of Rajasa dynasty of both the Singhasari and Majapahit line of monarchs. He came from humble origins but subsequently rose to...

 caught sight of her naked legs and thighs and he saw that her genital were 'shining'. A Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

, Lohgawe, told Ken Arok that this radiance was the sign that Ken Dedes bears the divine quality and would be the bearer of kings. The beauty of Ken Dedes was said to have been so perfect that whoever married her, regardless of his status, would inevitably be destined to become king of kings.
By this, Ken Arok was motivated to murder and usurped Tunggul Ametung.

Ken Arok later launched a campaign and succeeded to defeat Kertajaya, king of Kediri, and founded his own kingdom, Singhasari

Singhasari

Singhasari was a kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded Kingdom of Kediri as the dominant kingdom in eastern Java.-Foundation:...

. Ken Dedes became his wife, the first queen of Singhasari. According to local beliefs, the statue of Prajnaparamita

Prajnaparamita

Prajñāpāramitā in Buddhism, means "the Perfection of Wisdom." The word Prajñāpāramitā combines the Sanskrit words prajñā with pāramitā . Prajñāpāramitā is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva Path...

, the goddess of transcendental wisdom in buddhist tradition, found in Cungkup Putri near Singhasari temple, was made in her likeness. Probably served as her mortuary deified statue.

Anusapati

Anusapati

Anusapati, the second king of Singhasari , was the son of Tunggul Ametung and the first husband of Ken Dedes....

, Ken Dedes's son from Tunggul Ametung, her first husband, murdered Ken Arok and became the second ruler of Singhasari.

An image of a statue of Ken Dedes appeared on the obverse of the 10Rp banknote issued by Bank Indonesia in 1952.

General

• Bullough, Nigel (Indonesian 50th independence day commemorative edition - 1995). Historic East Java: Remains in Stone. Jakarta: ADLine Communications.