Demak Sultanate: Map & History
The Demak Sultanate was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak.
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The Demak Sultanate was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak. A port fief to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in the last quarter of the 15th century, it was influenced by Islam brought by Muslim traders from China, Gujarat, Arabia and also Islamic kingdoms in the region, such as Samudra Pasai, Malacca and Bani (Muslim) Champa. The sultanate was the first Muslim state in Java, and once dominated most of the northern coast of Java and southern Sumatra.
Modern Countries Once Part of Demak Sultanate
At its mapped extent, Demak Sultanate covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Demak Sultanate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Demak Sultanate in Depth
History
During the reign of Wikramawardhana of Majapahit, during the period from 1405 to 1433, a series of Ming armadas naval expeditions led by Zheng He, a Muslim Chinese admiral, arrived in Java. This Chinese expedition supported the establishment of the Muslim state of Malacca in the first half of the 15th century, later assisted by the establishment of Muslim Chinese, Arab and Malay communities in northern ports of Java such as Semarang, Demak, Tuban, and Ampel; thus Islam began to gain a foothold on the northern coast of Java.
According to later Javanese tradition, Sunan Ampel ordered Raden Patah to establish an Islamic learning center in the Glagah Wangi village in coastal Central Java.
Economy
Demak derived its income from trade, importing spices and exporting rice to Malacca and the Maluku Islands. It was a busy port located at the end of a then navigable channel separating Java and Muria Island. The channel subsequently filled, joining Muria to Java; from the 15th to the 18th century until the 18th century, it was a major waterway for ships traveling along the northern Javanese coast to the Spice Islands and, via the Serang River, to the rice-producing interior of Java. This strategic location enabled Demak to become a leading trading center in Java.According to Tomé Pires, Demak had more inhabitants than any other port in Sunda or Java, and was the primary exporter of rice to Malacca.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Demak Sultanate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Demak Sultanate: Key Facts
| Founded | 1475 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1548 |
Facts from Wikidata Q49322 (CC0).
Demak Sultanate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Demak Sultanate appears, with the other states of the time.
Demak Sultanate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 45,552 km² in 1549 CE.
Demak Sultanate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Demak Sultanate exist?
The Demak Sultanate is dated to 1475 CE – 1551 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of the Demak Sultanate?
The capital of the Demak Sultanate was Bintara, Demak.
How large was the Demak Sultanate at its peak?
At its peak in 1549 the Demak Sultanate covered about 45,552 km².
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