Baskadia

Tumapel Scramble

Tumapel is one of the subordinate regions of the Kadiri Kingdom. At that time, what became Akuwu (the equivalent of a sub-district head today) of Tumapel was called Tunggul Ametung. With Lohgawe's help, Ken Arok was accepted to work as a bodyguard for Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok was then attracted to Ken Dedes, the beautiful wife of Tunggul Ametung. Moreover, Lohgawe also predicted that Ken Dedes would bring down the kings of the land of Java. This made Ken Arok even more determined to seize Ken Dedes, even though Lohgawe didn't approve.

Ken Arok needed a powerful dagger to kill stump Ametung, who was known to be powerful. Bango Samparan also introduced Ken Arok to his best friend named Mpu Gandring from the village of Lulumbang, now Plumbangan, Doko, Blitar, who is an expert in making powerful heirlooms. Mpu Gandring was able to make a powerful dagger within a year. Ken Arok was impatient. Five months later he came to take the order. The unfinished keris was seized and stabbed into Mpu Gandring's chest until he died. In his death, Mpu Gandring cursed that the keris would kill 7 kings, including Ken Arok himself and his grandchildren.

Back in Tumapel, Ken Arok carried out his plan to seize the power of Tunggul Ametung. At first he lent his keris to Kebo Hijo, a fellow bodyguard. Kebo Hijo proudly showed off the keris as his own to everyone he met, so that everyone thought that the kris belonged to Kebo Hijo. Thus, Ken Arok's strategy was successful. The following night, Ken Arok stole the heirloom keris from Kebo Hijo's hands, who was drunk on wine. He then infiltrated the bedroom of Tunggul Ametung and killed his employer in bed. Ken Dedes witnessed the murder of her husband. But her heart melted by Ken Arok's seduction. After all, Ken Dedes married Tunggul Ametung out of a sense of compulsion.

In the morning, Kebo Hijo was sentenced to death because his keris was found embedded in the corpse of Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok then appointed himself as the new akuwu in Tumapel and married Ken Dedes. No one dared to challenge the decision. At that time Ken Dedes himself was pregnant with Tunggul Ametung's child, named Anusapati, also called Panji Anengah.