The rise and fall of the Majapahit Empire is one of intrigue, murder, secrets, suspense, revenge, and war in a land filled with beautiful temples and imposing palaces. It remains, however, the most powerful empire in Asia that most people have never heard of.
At its peak the Majapahit empire, in the days of King Hayam Wuruk and his feared vizir Gajah Mada, controlled a huge amount of territory, from modern day southern Thailand to Singapore, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, Lombok, and beyond.
Published in 2024, van der Linde’s very readable book tells the story of this empire.
Herald van der Linde is HSBC’s Chief Asia equity strategist, also known as “The Flying Dutchman” given his frequent travels around the region. He also is adjunct assistant professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he teaches a course in their Master of Finance programme twice a year. He has travelled, lived and worked in Indonesia and Hong Kong since the 1990s.
Married to an Indonesian, he is passionate about the social and cultural history of Indonesia. In addition to Majapahit, he has also written Jakarta: History of a Misunderstood City (2020). Fluent in Dutch, Indonesian and English, he enjoys delving into local Indonesian archives to unearth intriguing narratives from the archipelago’s past.