Majapahit's Law and Order: The Ancient Police of Trowulan

Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History · Jun 11, 2026 · 6m · transcript

What did law enforcement look like in a 14th-century Javanese empire? While Trowulan was a bustling metropolis of perhaps 200,000 people, the Negarakertagama — the epic poem by Mpu Prapanca — describes a system of royal officials called dharma adhyaksa who oversaw justice. But how did they patrol the streets? Lucas shares recent archaeological evidence of 'police stations' — small brick guard posts called bangunan pengawas — found along the canals and gates of Trowulan. He also unpacks the role of the rakryan i jro, a kind of detective or inquisitor who investigated crimes like…