Mongol invasion of Java

Date: 1293
Location: Java, modern Indonesia
Result: Majapahit victory

Belligerents:
Yuan Dynasty of the Mongol Empire vs The Kingdom of Singhasari and Majapahit Dynasty

Commanders:
Kublai Khan
Shi-bi
Ike Mese
Gaoxing

Jayakatwang
Raden Wijaya

Strength:
20-30,000 More than 100,000

Casualties and losses:
More than 3,000 killed More than 5,000 killed and drowned

During the reign of Kublai Khan, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, a large invasion fleet was sent to Java with over 20,000[1]-30,000 soldiers by the Great Khan Kublai in 1293. This was a punitive expedition against Singhasari King Kertanegara who had disrespected the Yuan by tatooing on a Han Chinese messenger Meng Qi (孟琪)'s face and refusing to pay tribute.

Background
Kublai Khan had sent envoys to many states in order to maintain trade and cultural contact and request them to put themselves under his protection and to pay tribute. Men Shi or Meng-qi, one of his ministers who was sent to Java, was not well received in Java. The king of Java, Kertanagara offended at his proposal and branded him in the face with a hot iron as is done to common thieves, and scornfully sent him on his way.

After defeating Srivijaya in Sumatra in 1290, Singhasari became the most powerful kingdom in the area. But Jayakatwang, the Adipati (Duke) of Kediri, a vassal state of Singhasari, had usurped and killed Kertanagara. Most of his relatives and former royal family members hated him. After being pardoned by Jayakatwang with the aid of Madura's regent, Arya Wiraraja; Raden Wijaya, Kertanegara's son-in-law, was given the land of Tarik timberland. He then opened that vast timberland and built a new village there. The village was named Majapahit, which was taken from a fruit name that had bitter taste in that timberland (maja is the fruit name and pahit means bitter).

Great khan was shocked and ordered a punitive expedition against barbarian king whom he had once called in 1292. According to Yuan shi - The history of Yuan Dynasty, 20,000 - 30,000 (Tong jian ganagmu) were collected from Fujian, Jiangxi and Huguang in Southern China, that there will be 1000 ships, provisions for a year. Officers were Mongol Shi-bi, Uyghur Ike Mese and Gaoxing Chinese. What kind of ships they used for the campaign is not mentioned in The history of Yuan Dynasty, but they were apparently large since smaller boats had to be constructed for entering the rivers of Java. It is known that they stopped at Ko-lan (Belitung).

Invasion
Mongols passed through the coast of Dai Viet and Champa along the way to their primary target. And small states of Malay and Sumatra submitted and sent envoys to them. Yuan commanders left darughachis there. After arriving in Java, Shi-bi split the forces up into one group sent ashore and a second which proceeded by boat, had gone ahead first before the main army. As noted in Kidung Panji-Wijayakrama, they probably looted coastal village Tuban.

When Mongolian Yuan army sent by Kublai Khan arrived Java, Wijaya allied himself with the army to fight against Jayakatwang and give Mongols a map of the country Kalang. According to Yuan-shi, Wijaya attacked Jayakatwang without success when he heard of the arrival of Yuan navy. Then he requested their aid. In response, Yuan generals demanded his submission to their emperor and he accepted it.


The account of the war which appear in Yuan-shi (Books 210) is brief as above:

“… The soldiers from Dahanese came to attack Wijaya on the 7th day of the month, Ike Mese and Gaoxing came on 8th, some Dahanse were defeated, rest of them fled to the mountains. On the 19th day, Mongols and their allies arrived in Daha, fought more than 100,000 soldiers, attacking 3 times, killing 5000 outright while forcing many thousands into the river where they drowned. Jayatkatwang retreated into his palace …”

Once Jayakatwang was destroyed tastily by the Mongols, Raden Wijaya forced his allies to withdraw from Java by launching a surprise attack. Shi-bi and Ike Mese allowed Tuan Wijaya to go back to his country for preparing sending tribute and a new letter of submission. But Gaoxing disliked the idea and he warned other two. Wijaya asked Mongols to come his dominion without any weapon. Unarmed 200 soldiers headed by 2 officers were sent to their country. But they were ambushed and destroyed by Majapahit army.

Yuan's army had to withdraw in confusion as they were in hostile territory. It was also their last chance to catch the monsoon winds home; otherwise, they would have had to wait for another six months on a hostile island. Yuan army lost more than 3,000 of their best soldiers.

Aftermath
Three generals, who had gotten much booty in gold, precious stones and some captives, went back to their empire with surviving Mongol soldiers. Upon their arrival, Shi-bi was condemned to receive 70 lashes and a third of his property were confiscated for allowing Wijaya to escape. And Ike Mese also was reprimanded and a third of his property take away by the court of Yuan Dynasty. But Gaoxing rewarded 50 taels of gold for protecting soldiers from a total disaster. It was Kublai khan's last expedition.

Later, Shibi and Ike Mese were shown mercy and the Emperor restored their reputation and property.

Majapahit became most powerful medieval state of its era in modern Indonesia.