At its peak the Majapahit empire, in the days of King Hayam Wuruk and his feared vizir Gajah Mada, controlled a huge amount of territory, from modern day southern Thailand to Singapore, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, Lombok, and beyond. Some two hundred years after it rose to power, it fell into rapid decline. Its cities were abandoned, and its palaces and temples were reclaimed by the jungle. To many Indonesians, Majapahit represents a glorious past when it commanded respect across the region. In this narrative, Gajah Mada, the legendary vizir, is the “hero of national identity”. To others, such as Acehnese and Sulawesian separatist figures, he was nothing but a Javanese aggressor in search of imperial glory at any cost. For all Majapahit’s strengths and weaknesses, there can be no doubt that its rise and fall remains a story worthy of a broader audience. In his new book, Herald van der Linde tells the Majapahit story through the lens of intrigue, murder, secrets, suspense, revenge, and war in a land filled with beautiful temples and imposing palaces.
Speaker and Chair Biographies:
Herald van der Linde is HSBC’s Chief Asia equity strategist, also known as “The Flying Dutchman” given his frequent travels around the region. He also is adjunct assistant professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he teaches a course in their Master of Finance program twice a year. He has travelled, lived and worked in Indonesia and Hong Kong since the 90s. Married to an Indonesian, he is passionate about the social and cultural history of Indonesia and is the author of “Majapahit: Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indonesia’s Greatest Empire” (2024) as well as “Jakarta: History of a Misunderstood City” (2020). Fluent in Dutch, Indonesian and English, he enjoys delving into local Indonesian archives to unearth intriguing narratives from the archipelago’s past.
Professor Kirsten E. Schulze is a Professor in International History at the London School of Economics. She is the author of Contesting Indonesia: Islamist, Separatist, and Communal Conflict in Indonesia since 1945 as well as numerous articles on local jihad in Ambon and Poso, Indonesian jihadi training camps at home and abroad, the Free Aceh Movement, and on how Aceh moved from conflict to peace.
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