Kertanegara of Singhasari
Kertanegara of Singhasari Kertanegara of Singasari (died 1292), was the last and most important ruler of the Singhasari kingdom of Java, reigning from 1268 to 1292. Under his rule Javanese trade and power developed considerably, reaching the far corners of the Indonesian archipelago. Kertanegara was the 5th ruler of Singasari and was the son of the previous king, Wisnuwardhana. He effectively held power from 1254 and officially succeeded his father when the latter died in 1268. The Singasari dynasty had come to power in Java following the overthrow of the previous Kingdom of Kediri by Ken Arok, the 1st Singhasari ruler in 1222. Kertanegara was a follower of a mystical Tantric syncretism of Hinduism and Buddhism, and presented himself as the divine god-king incarnation of Siwa and Buddha. Kertanegara celebrated many religious festivals and commissioned sculptures and metal plaques during his reign. Singhasari reached the height of its power during Kertanegara's rule, which saw the...