Majapahit's Rice Economy: Feeding an Empire of 200,000

Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History · Jun 18, 2026 · 6m · transcript

Lucas and Luna explore the agricultural backbone of Majapahit: how the empire fed its capital Trowulan, home to perhaps 200,000 people. They discuss the rice terraces of the Brantas River delta, the irrigation networks managed by the state, the role of wet-rice (sawah) agriculture, and the labor system that kept the granaries full. Lucas explains how the Majapahit kings, especially Hayam Wuruk, invested in water control — canals, dams, and the famous Candi Tikus reservoir — to ensure surplus harvests. They also touch on the tax system recorded in the Negarakertagama, where villages paid in…