This book offers new ways of understanding the past glory of the Majapahit empire from the present-day perspective through re-interpretations of the existing data, research of new data and findings, and syntheses of various results of previous studies. The book informs critical research on Indonesia’s ancient past within the oeuvre of Indonesian Studies, differentiating itself from other studies about Majapahit, which focus much on its glory and create a rather mythical portrayal. The ‘dark’ side of the kingdom that is believed to have laid the foundation for Indonesia’s unity seldom receives a serious attention or adequate exposure - and this book confronts this overlooked aspect. It covers analyses of the Majapahit Kingdom from different viewpoints that include archaeology, art history, philology, politics, postcolonial studies, diplomacy, and literary studies, which as a whole provides new insights about the ancient kingdom. It is a critical text for researchers and students studying the past and how it shapes and leaves its legacies in the present. The book is a timely contribution to the study of Indonesian history, and its role and postcolonial positionality within wider Southeast Asian history.
