The Kalingga Kingdom: Origins of The Name, Founder, Rulers and Downfall

UNGKIT.COM – The Kalingga Kingdom—often referred to as the Keling or Holing Kingdom—was an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom situated on the northern coast of Central Java between the 6th and 7th centuries CE.

Archaeological evidence and historical records regarding this kingdom are not particularly detailed, and the exact location of its capital remains uncertain.

However, historians estimate that the kingdom's administrative center was located in the vicinity of Pekalongan, Jepara, or the Dieng Plateau region, Java, Indonesia.

The name "Kalingga" did not originate in the Nusantara archipelago. It derives from a kingdom in southern India, even though the Indonesian kingdom was located on the northern coast of Central Java.

One theory regarding the name and founding of the Kalingga Kingdom suggests that "Kalingga" comes from the Kalinga region in Eastern or Southern India (present-day Odisha).

Legend has it that a group of people or nobles from that region fled to the archipelago after their kingdom was destroyed by the forces of Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire during the Kalinga War.

Alongside that theory, there is another historical perspective based on local evidence and Chinese records. Local historical evidence, such as the Sojomerto Inscription, identifies Dapunta Syailendra as the founder or early ruler of the Kalingga Kingdom.

He was the progenitor of the Syailendra Dynasty, which would later become the major ruling dynasty of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom in the 8th century CE. This indicates strong local or regional roots in the kingdom's formation.

An analysis by some historians of sources such as the "Carita Parahyangan" and the Sojomerto Inscription suggests that Kalingga's early figures were part of the lineage of a local Syailendra dynasty, rather than merely political refugees of the sort recorded in official Indian chronicles.

Based on the perspective of Chinese chronicles, some historians argue that the name "Kalingga" or "Holing" arose from a misunderstanding by Tang Dynasty chroniclers.

At that time, the Chinese frequently used the terms "Kling" or "Kalinga" to refer to people hailing from the Indian subcontinent.

When envoys from Java arrived in China bearing similar attire and physical features, they were mistaken for immigrants or representatives of Indian culture; consequently, their region of origin was recorded as Holing or Kalingga.

It was only after the Chinese sailed directly to the Indonesian archipelago that the region's identity was clarified as Java (Japo).

After being founded by Dapunta Syailendra, the throne was handed over to Prabu Wasumurti, who is recognized as the first king of Kalingga.

Prabu Wasumurti ruled the Kalingga Kingdom from 594 to 605, before being succeeded by Prabu Wasugeni, who reigned until 632.

Following Prabu Wasugeni, the kingdom was led successively by Prabu Wasudewa (632–652), Prabu Kirathasingha (632–648), Prabu Wasukawi (652), Prabu Kartikeyasingha (648–674), and Queen Shima (674–695).

Shima was the consort of Prabu Kartikeyasingha. Kartikeyasingha’s father was Prabu Kirathasingha (632–648). Shima assumed rule over the Kalingga Kingdom following her husband's death.

Queen Shima was the daughter of a priest in ancient Java named Hyang Syailendra, the son of Santanu. Meanwhile, Kartikeyasingha’s mother hailed from the Malay Kingdom of Sribuja, which was based in Palembang.

The King of Sribuja—who was defeated by Sriwijaya in 683—was the older brother of Prabu Kartikeyasingha’s mother. The marriage of Kartikeyasingha and Queen Shima produced two children: Dewi Parwati and Narayana (Iswara).

Under Queen Shima's leadership, the Kalingga Kingdom prospered and reached the pinnacle of its glory, bringing great renown to the queen. She was celebrated for her firmness, honesty, and wisdom in the fair administration of justice.

It is said that Queen Shima taught her people to always be honest and dealt sternly with theft. She enforced a severe punishment: the amputation of the hand for anyone who stole.

At one point, a king from across the sea heard of the renown of the Kalingga people, who were known for their honesty and law-abiding nature.

To put this to the test, he placed a bag of gold coins at a crossroads near the market. Not a single Kalingga citizen dared to touch—let alone take—an item that did not belong to them.

Three years later, the crown prince touched the pouch with his foot. To uphold the law, Queen Shima sentenced her son to death. The council of ministers pleaded with the Queen to pardon her son's transgression.

Since it was the prince's foot that had touched an object not belonging to him, he was sentenced to have his foot severed.

The Keling Kingdom began to decline after Queen Shima passed away in 695, a period followed by attacks from the Sriwijaya Kingdom and internal palace conflicts.

The kingdom was briefly divided into two parts—north and south—for the heirs to the throne; this move sparked a power struggle and weakened central defenses.

The rise of other major powers, such as the Sriwijaya Kingdom, displaced Keling's trade. Sriwijaya's strong influence over maritime trade routes encroached upon Kalingga's territories along the northern coast of Java.

Shifts in trade routes and the relocation of the seat of power contributed to the end of this kingdom located on the northern coast of Central Java.

In historical records, the Kalingga Kingdom is referred to by the Chinese as Ho-ling. Information regarding the existence of Ho-ling comes from Tang Dynasty accounts and the records of I-Tsing, a Buddhist monk who traveled by sea to India via the maritime Silk Road.

Tang Dynasty records describe Ho-ling—or Java—as being situated across the southern seas. To its north lay Ta Hen La (Cambodia); to its east, Po-Li (Bali); and to its west, Sumatra.

The capital of Ho-ling was enclosed by a wall made of wooden stakes. The king resided in a large, multi-storied building with a palm-leaf roof, and his throne was crafted from ivory.

The people of Ho-ling were skilled at producing alcoholic beverages from coconut blossoms. The region yielded tortoise shells, gold, silver, rhinoceros horns, and elephant ivory.

Chinese records also note that, beginning in 674, the people of Ho-ling were ruled by a female sovereign known as Hsi-mo (Queen Shima). She was a remarkably just and wise ruler; under her reign, Ho-ling enjoyed great peace and stability.

Records by the monk I-Tsing from 664–665 CE indicate that, by the 7th century, Java had become a major center of Buddhist learning.

A Chinese monk named Hwining resided in Ho-ling and translated a Buddhist scripture into Chinese, collaborating with a Javanese monk named Janabadra.

The translated text included, among other things, an account of Nirvana—though this version differed from the concept of Nirvana found in Hinayana Buddhism. (*)

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