Singhasari kingdom rises in Java

1238

Ken Arok, a figure of mixed legend and history, founded the kingdom of Singhasari in eastern Java after a series of assassinations and coups that read like a Javanese Game of Thrones. His dynasty would expand Javanese influence across the archipelago and eventually give birth to the Majapahit empire. The kraton at Singhasari drew on both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, blending them into a distinctly Javanese court culture.