The Rajasa Dynasty was founded by former criminal Ken Arok and it united the whole of Java during the 13th century.
Legend had it that Ken Arok, a former criminal who later became a royal bodyguard, had a magical kris made by the mystical blacksmith Mpu Gandring. Ken Arok was rather impatient and took the kris from Mpu Gandring before it was blessed. His good friend, another bodyguard by the name of Kebo Ijo was mesmerised by his new toy. Ken Arok eagerly lent his weapon to Kebo Ijo, knowing that he would show it off in public. He told Kebo that he could keep the weapon for as long as he liked.
He then hatched a plan to assassinate the man he was supposed to protect -Tunggul Ametung, ruler of East Java whose wife he lusted for after seeing her bathing by the river. He stole the kris from Kebo Ijo and killed Tunggul Ametung with it while the latter was sleeping. He then left the kris next to Tunggul’s body. When the body was discovered, everyone recognised it was Keo Ijo’s kris. Before Kebo Ijo had a chance to explain, Ken Arok had him killed, took the pregnant Ken Dedes as his wife and became ruler of Java.
The weapon had been used before the blacksmith had a chance to bless it and as prophesized, it would become a cursed item. True enough, the dynasty was best remembered for murders within the royal family. Living in close proximity, sons murdered fathers, brothers, cousins and uncles removed one another with the same kris. Historians sarcastically refer to it as a “family heirloom”. Ken Arok was himself was killed by the same kris when his stepson Anusapati found out that Ken was not his biological father. Anusapati was in turned murdered by his half brother Tohjaya.
