Ratu Kalinyamat or Ratna Kencana (died after 1579) was the queen regnant of Kalinyamat and Jepara, a Javanese Islamic polity on northern coast of Central Java in ca. 1549–1579.[1] She is mainly known for her attack and naval expeditions against Portuguese Malacca.[2]

Ratna Kencana
Nimas Ratu Kalinyamat
Modern painting of Ratu Kalinyamat
Queen of Kalinyamat
Reign1549 – 1579
Predecessor"Monarch Established"
SuccessorPangeran Arya Jepara
SpouseSultan Hadlirin
FatherSultan Trenggana
ReligionIslam

She was the daughter of Sultan Trenggana of Demak and the spouse of Sultan Hadlirin. Ratna Kencana ascended the throne after the assassination of her brother, Sunan Prawoto, and her husband by Arya Penangsang.

Reign

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Queen Kalinyamat ascended to the throne after the death of her husband, the Duke of Jepara as the couple was childless and there was no one else to take the throne. After the completion of the hermitage, she became Kanjeng Ratu Kalinyamat the queen of Kalinyamat that reign in Jepara. The coronation is marked by Surya Sengkala (chronogram): "Terus Karya Tataning Bumi" or approximately 1549 AD to the alleged date of 12 Rabi'ulAwal.

Queen Kalinyamat was described as an able and brave leader. Portuguese historical record "Da Asia" written by De Couto praised Queen Kalinyamat as "Senhora Rainha de Jepara ponderosa e rica"; which means 'the Queen of Jepara', a rich woman and has great power. Her reign was marked by her overseas campaigns in 1550 and 1574, against the Portuguese in Malacca.[3][4]

Legacy

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She was awarded National Hero of Indonesia on 10 November 2023 by Joko Widodo.[5] Five days later, a public service office in Jepara was named after her.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Chusnul Hayati, Agustinus Supriyono, Sugiyarto, Siti Maziyah, Mulyo Hadi Purnomo, and Alamsyah, Ratu Kalinyamat: Biografi tokoh wanita abad XVI dari Jepara (Semarang:Penerbit Jeda, 2007)
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Uka Tjandrasasmita, Islamic Antiquities of Sendang Duwur, 1975
  4. ^ Barros, João de (1778). Da Asia de João de Barros e de Diogo de Couto. Lisboa: Na Regia officina typografica.
  5. ^ Safitri, Eva. "Jokowi Resmi Beri Gelar Pahlawan Nasional ke 6 Tokoh". detik.com. Detik. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Mal Pelayanan Publik Jepara Ganti Nama Jadi MPP Ratu Kalinyamat, Ini Pesan Pj Bupati Edy" (in Indonesian). 16 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.