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Little physical evidence of Majapahit remains,[13] and some details of the history are rather abstract.[8](p18) Nevertheless, local Javanese people did not forget Majapahit completely, as Mojopait is mentioned vaguely in Babad Tanah Jawi, a Javanese chronicle composed in the 18th century. Majapahit did produce physical evidence: the main ruins dating from the Majapahit period are clustered in the Trowulan area, which was the royal capital of the kingdom. The Trowulan archaeological site was first documented in the 19th century by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Lieutenant-Governor of British Java of British East India Company from 1811 to 1816. He reported the existence of "ruins of temples.... scattered about the country for many miles", and referred to Trowulan as "this pride of Java".[14]
Nagarakretagama palm-leaf manuscript. Composed by Prapanca in 1365, it provides a primary historical account of Majapahit court during the reign of King Hayam Wuruk.
By the early 20th century, Dutch colonial historians began to study old Javanese and Balinese literature to explore the past of their colony. Two primary sources were available to them: the Pararaton ('Book of Kings') manuscript was written in the Kawi language c. 1600, and Nagarakretagama (Desawarnaña) was composed in Old Javanese in 1365.[15] Pararaton focuses on Ken Arok, the founder of Singhasari, but includes a number of shorter narrative fragments about the formation of Majapahit. The Nagarakretagama is an old Javanese epic poem written during the Majapahit golden age under the reign of Hayam Wuruk, after which some events are covered narratively.[8](p18) The Dutch acquired the manuscript in 1894 during their military expedition against the Cakranegara royal house of Lombok. There are also some inscriptions in Old Javanese and Chinese.
The Javanese sources incorporate some poetic mythological elements and scholars such as C. C. Berg, an Indies-born Dutch naturalist, have considered the entire historical record to be not a record of the past, but a supernatural means by which the future can be determined.[ii][6] Most scholars do not accept this view, as the historical record corresponds with Chinese materials that could not have had similar intention. The list of rulers and details of the state structure show no sign of being invented.[8](p18)
The Chinese historical sources on Majapahit mainly acquired from the chronicles of Yuan and following Ming dynasty. The Chinese accounts on Majapahit, mainly owed to the 15th century Zheng He's account – a Ming Dynasty admiral reports during his visit to Majapahit between 1405 and 1432. Zheng He's translator Ma Huan wrote a detailed description of Majapahit and where the king of Java lived.[17] The report was composed and collected in Yingya Shenglan, which provides valuable insight on the culture, customs, also various social and economic aspects of Chao-Wa (Java) during Majapahit period.[18]
The Trowulan archaeological area has become the centre for the study of Majapahit history. The aerial and satellite imagery has revealed an extensive network of canals crisscrossing the Majapahit capital.[19] Recent archaeological findings from April 2011 indicate the Majapahit capital was much larger than previously believed after some artefacts were uncovered.[20]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majapahit
