Majapahit's Kertanagara: The King Who Defied the Mongols

Before Hayam Wuruk and Gajah Mada, another king set Majapahit on the path to empire: Kertanagara of Singhasari. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore his bold vision of a united Nusantara under the banner of Tantric Buddhism, his strategic marriage alliances to Javanese and Malayu courts, and his fatal—but spectacular—defiance of the Mongol Yuan emperor Kublai Khan. They unpick the legend of the Pamalayu expedition, Kertanagara's 1275 Cāṇḍi Jago inscription, and the dramatic events of 1292 when Kublai's envoys were mutilated and sent back to China. They also touch on the shadowy role of Jayakatwang, the rebel who killed Kertanagara, and how that opened the door for Raden Wijaya—Majapahit's founder. It's a story of ambition, religion, and a king who dared to say no to the world's greatest empire. #Kertanagara #Singhasari #MongolInvasion #KublaiKhan #Pamalayu #TantricBuddhism #CandiJago #Nusantara #RadenWijaya #Jayakatwang #MajapahitOrigins #Trowulan #JavaHistory #SoutheastAsia #13thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #Empire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo