Pagaruyung Kingdom

Pagaruyung was the central government administration of the Minangkabau rulers. From the stone inscriptions, the first verifiable king, or ‘raja’ of the then largely animistic Minangkabau was the mid-14th century Adityawarman.

Adityawarman, who was a descendent of the Majapahit royal kingdom in east Java of mixed Javanese and Sumatran parentage, established the Pagaruyung in 1343.

He was sent to govern Dhamasraya, presumably because of his links to Melayu tribe and because of the economic importance of this gold-bearing region.

The export of gold, spices, woven cloth and resins were the basis of the power and prestige of the Minangkabau raja who reigned at Pagaruyung, near Bukit Tinggi.

Throughout the late 1600s, Pagaruyung extended their influence northward into the Angkola and Mandailing Batak regions and southward into Rejang.

The Minangkabau Kingdom as a political and cultural force ended with the destruction of the Pagaruyung court in the early 19th century.
Pagaruyung Kingdom