Eastern Java
From the 1000s to the 1200s, a Hindu kingdom descending from the
original Mataram ruled from Kediri, and was followed
by the Singhasari kingdom. After 1292, the
great Majapahit kingdom ruled from Trowulan west of Surabaya.
Madura is home of the Cakraningrat princes who were part of
the power intrigues of the 1600s and 1700s. Madura has language and
traditions that are distinct from Java.
Surabaya, once a sultanate, is today one of the largest cities
of Indonesia. In 1945, Indonesians fought a fierce battle here against
British soldiers who had been commanded to return Indonesia to Dutch
rule.
Pasuruan was an important Islamic city already in the 1500s.
Malang was a center for rebels against the Dutch East India
Company and their princely allies in the 1700s.
Banyuwangi is the main city of easternmost Java, the "Eastern
Salient". This area, including the kingdom of Balambangan, remained
Hindu longer than the rest of Java.
Rembang was the home of Raden Kartini, a pioneer in
women's education, in the 1890s.
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