Ratna Kencana, best-known as the “Queen of Kalinyamat”, who was one of the archenemies of the Portuguese in Indonesia and the surrounding areas during the 16th century, was recently made a national hero by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The president bestowed the title of national hero to the “Kalinyamat Queen” and five other people at the State Palace in Jakarta on 10 November – the nation’s “Hero’s Day”.
Ratna Kencana was a daughter of Sultan Trenggana, ruler of Demak Sultanate, and was married to Sultan Hadlirin (also known as Toyib of Kalinyamat), a merchant named Tjie Bin Thang – or shortened as Win Tang – from China whose ship was wrecked by storm and was stranded on the shore of Jepara, where the Kalinyamat Sultanate was located.
A version of the story tells that her husband was a Chinese Muslim of non-Indonesian origin, while another says he was a son of Sultan Mughayat Syah from the Aceh Sultanate, Prince Toyib, who went on an adventure to China and was adopted as a son by a Chinese minister named Tjie Hwio Gwan.
Ratna Kencana succeeded her husband as the ruler of Jepara and the entire Kalinyamat Sultanate’s region. During her rule, she was known to be a fierce archenemy of the Portuguese in the region. She made several attacks on the Portuguese in Malacca and Moluccas.
Meanwhile, the five other people who were also declared Indonesia’s national heroes on 10 November are Ida Dewa Agung Jambe (Bali), Bataha Santiago (Sulawesi Utara), M. Tabrani (Jawa Timur), KH Abdul Chalim (Jawa Barat) dan KH Ahmad Hanifah (Lampung) – the awards were received by their descendants. (Wong Kin Ang)
Image: Government of Jepara Regency/Jatmiko
Caption: Queen of Kalinyamat
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