Getting To Know The National Hero From Jepara, Ratu Kalinyamat

JAKARTA - Queen Kalinyamat is proof that women's emancipation has been going on from the past. The ruler of Kalinyamat, Jepara is proof that women are not only active in kitchen matters. A woman can even be reliable in political matters to the military.

Everyone was reluctant to Queen Kalinyamat. Portuguese colonialists, let alone. Portuguese exhibitions in Melaka were broken down. Queen Kalinyamat sent thousands of her troops against the invaders. The narrative is proof that one of the kingdoms in the archipelago was once led by a brave woman.

The general spirit rarely recognizes the name Retna Kencana. However, if people mention the name Queen of Kalinyamat, the memory will bring back the euphoria of the great woman who controls Jepara in the 16th century era.

Ratu Kalinyamat was born under the name Retna Kencana. Retna is the daughter of the 3rd King of Demak, Sultan Trenggana. He was then matched with Prince Attend. The marriage made the two of them rule the Kingdom of Kalinyamat which was centered in Jepara.

Dewa Fortuna is not always in the Retna family. Political intrigue made Retna's husband killed 1549. The death carried a very deep wound. Retna became the responsibility of being the ruler of Jepara.

People then began to know her as Queen of Kalinyamat. The territory of her power is quite large. From Jepara to Blora. The leadership of Queen Kalinyamat was able to open the tone of pessism that women do not deserve to be leaders.

The Kingdom of Kalinyamat in its era actually reached the peak of glory. The fleet is piled up. Even so taken into account throughout the country. The fleet of seas makes the Kingdom of Kalinyamat undaunted against its enemies.

All because of the genius of a woman. He is reliable in politics and the military. Even Jepara's commercial affairs are not only known as transit ports. This is because the Kingdom of Kalinyamat is also known as a coconut producer, kapuk, and palawija.

The Queen of Kalinyamat is a leader of Jepara land who is highly respected. In his hands, Jepara became the Kingdom of Bahari where his people lived by relying on the ocean as the main source of his livelihood.

It was this Queen who succeeded in establishing a strong maritime empire. Under her control, Jepara experienced a very rapid development, namely becoming the largest port in Java and having a large and strong marine fleet. During his 30 years of government, Jepara reached his heyday," explained Bambang Sulistyanto in the book Queen Kalinyamat: History or Myth. (2019).

The anger of Queen Kalinyamat has risen to see the arbitrariness of the Portuguese in Melaka. Moreover, the invaders came only with the intention of monopolizing the local spice trade. Not building Melaka.

Ratu Kalinyamat immediately agreed to the request of the King of Johor who wanted his territory back. He intends to help seriously. The Kalinyamat ruler mobilized 40 warships. The warship he sent was able to load a total of 5 thousand soldiers in 1550.

The attack shocked the Portuguese. However, Melaka's weapons made the attack possible. The attack may have been considered a failure by Queen Kalinyamat. He also tried to gather strength and attack back 24 years later to the Portuguese headquarters in Malacca.

The results were brilliant. Queen Kalinyamat deployed 300 sailing vessels, of which 80 were large, each weighing 400 tons. The contents of the ship contained 15 thousand selected troops. The war was indeed unable to free Melaka from the Portuguese, but his attack made the Portuguese a deterrent and did not interfere with the kingdom in Java. Even though the Queen of Kalinyamat is dead.

The courage of Queen Kalinyamat is also being re-recorded by the government. Queen Kalinyamat is considered the perfect form of women's emancipation. The power owner then gave the Indonesian National Hero award to Queen Kalinyamat.

The award was given plenaryly on November 10, 2023. Therefore, the award breaks the chain of opinion that the Queen of Kalinyamat is a myth.

Tapi sudah ada penelitian yang dilakukan dan ada hasilnya dalam bentuk buku soal Ratu Kalinyamat. Buku Ratu Kalinyamat: Sejarah atau Myth(2019), ini adalah buku pertama yang dibuat berdasarkan sumber tutur. Kemudian setelah 4 tahun tim peneliti bekerja keras akhirnya berhasil mengumpulkan bukti dari laporan penelitian empirik.

"In the end, it can be used as a basis and can be accounted for academically, as primary evidence that the existence of Queen Kalinyamat is real and her role can also be traced according to historical records in the Portuguese," said Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, Lestari Moerdijat as interviewed by VOI, February 21, 2022.