Kertanagara summary

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Kertanagara , (flourished 13th century, Java), Last king (1268–92) of Tumapel (Singhasari) in Java. His birth reunited the two halves of the Javanese kingdom, and his name means “Order in the Realm.” To bolster his kingdom against Kublai Khan, he expanded it, marrying a princess of Champa (central Vietnam), sending envoys to Malayu (Sumatra), and conquering Bali. He refused to pay homage to Kublai Khan but was killed by a vassal before Kublai’s armed forces arrived to punish him. Two early Javanese chronicles give contradictory pictures of the king: one describes him as drunken and incompetent; the other depicts him as a wise king and zealous follower of Tantric Buddhism. He is still venerated as one of Java’s greatest rulers.

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