Airlangga

Airlangga (c. 1001-c. 1049), king of East Java (1019-1049), who restored native power after a long rule by the Sumatran kingdom of Sri Vijaya. After years of hiding from his enemies, he emerged in 1019 to be invested as king but could claim authority over only a fragment of the realm left to him. When Indian raids weakened Sri Vijaya about 1025, Airlangga moved in forcefully and by 1030 was recognized as the overlord of Java. His reign was marked by a great resurgence of the economy and a flourishing of literary activity. Modern Indonesians regard him as a national hero.