Page 276 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

an agricultural country and also a trading nation. Trade relations had created a tangle of
commercial relations between the Kingdom of Majapahit with other kingdoms in Indonesia
(Ricklefs, 2010: 35). The kingdom’s position was also described as the holder of hegemony
in the world of maritime trade on Maritime Trade Zone of Java Sea (Haal, 1972: 99).
The Nagarakretagama or Nagarakrtagama, also known as Desawarnana, is a eulogy
written in Old Javanese by the poet Mpu Prapanca in 1365 (1287 Saka year) praising the
recently deceased Hayam Wuruk, a Javanese king of the Majapahit Empire. The work has
also been referred to as “Suarakraton yang Di-Pertuannya”. Mpu Prapanca was a Majapahit
poet who had sailed with the commercial sailing fleet of Majapahit Kingdom. The poem
contains detailed descriptions of the Majapahit Empire at the height of its power with its
temples, palaces and ceremonial observances.
The text mentions the names of ports visited by the royal merchant fleet. In certain
places, the Majapahit placed representatives as ambassadors in the kingdoms who
accepted their presence, named according to the place of the departing port of the
merchant fleet, namely Gersik. That name was applied to several ports in the west coast
of Sulawesi as Garasi (Gersik), exactly where a number of traders from the Majapahit
settled. Except the region awarded by Kedatuan Luwu as dowry on the marriage of his
son, Ana’ Kaji, with a daughter of Majapahit kingdom known as Tappacina, the place was
called Manjapai. This fact shows that commercial relationship was established with the
kingdoms on commercial sailing lanes of Java’s royal fleet.
The kingdom’s commercial sea lanes followed the monsoon conditions in the Indonesian
archipelago. Commercial sailing activity started with the arrival of the northwest monsoon
winds, beginning in September, but entering the Majapahit’s maritime territory in October.
At that time, the merchant fleet set sail to the east to the Spice Islands. The mainstay
commodity was rice which was collected from the countryside and transported to the
central government through Brantas River.
The sea voyage to the Spice Islans passed the islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, and
the territory of East Nusa Tenggara, Flores, Solor, Alor, and Timor. Along the way, they
purchased locally woven fabric from Timor, Flores, Rote, Sabu and Alor, which could
fetch a good price in Papua. Woven fabric from East Nusa Tenggara was used as marriage
dowry. There, they bought sandalwood to take on the return journey that would be sold
in Malacca.
When the southeast monsoon winds blew in June, the merchant fleet set their course
for the spice-producing areas, Amboina, Banda, Ternate, Tidore, Halmahera and Papua.

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