In the ancient kingdom of Java, where volcanic mountains touched the clouds and rice terraces cascaded down verdant hillsides like emerald staircases, there lived a prince named Pangeran Adipati Agung. He was the brother of the sultan himself, a warrior of extraordinary courage and intelligence whose name was spoken with reverence throughout the land. The people loved him not only for his martial prowess but for his wisdom and kind heart. Yet despite all his nobility and valor, Pangeran’s heart belonged to someone the palace would never accept.
She was a dancer, the lead performer of a troupe invited to entertain at the royal court. When she moved, it was as if the very essence of Java’s beauty took human form. Her grace captivated all who watched, but it was Pangeran who truly saw her not just the dancer, but the woman beneath the silk and gold. Their eyes met across the grand hall, and in that moment, both their fates were sealed.
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Knowing that the rigid traditions of the court would never permit a prince to marry a commoner, Pangeran made a choice that would echo through generations. He married her in secret, away from the disapproving eyes of the palace. Their union was blessed with profound happiness, and soon, a daughter was born to them, a child so beautiful that they named her Radin Mas Ayu, which means “golden princess.” She was the living embodiment of their forbidden love, innocent and radiant.
But secrets, especially those kept within palace walls, have a way of revealing themselves. When the sultan discovered his brother’s transgression, his fury knew no bounds. How dare Pangeran, a prince of royal blood, sully their lineage by marrying a mere dancer? The sultan’s rage simmered, waiting for the perfect moment to exact his revenge.
That moment came when hostile invaders threatened the kingdom’s borders. The sultan summoned Pangeran and commanded him to lead the army against the enemy. Pangeran’s wife saw this as a potential blessing perhaps if her husband returned victorious, his valor would soften the sultan’s heart and lead to reconciliation. With hope in her heart, she bid her beloved husband farewell, holding little Radin Mas close as Pangeran rode off to war.
But the sultan’s heart held no forgiveness, only cold vengeance. While Pangeran fought bravely on distant battlefields, the sultan ordered his men to burn Pangeran’s house to the ground. The flames consumed everything and in that inferno, Pangeran’s beloved wife perished. Only by the desperate bravery of a loyal servant was little Radin Mas rescued from the fire, pulled from the smoke and flames just as the roof collapsed.
When Pangeran returned victorious from battle, expecting to be welcomed home by his family, he found only ashes and devastating news. His wife was gone, murdered by his own brother’s command. The grief that tore through Pangeran’s heart transformed into cold resolve. He severed all ties with the sultan and the palace that had taken everything from him. Taking his daughter Radin Mas and the faithful servant who had saved her, Pangeran turned his back on Java forever.
The three set sail across the vast ocean, leaving behind the land of Pangeran’s birth. After days at sea, they arrived at the island of Singapore and found sanctuary in a humble village at Telok Blangah. There, Pangeran buried his royal identity deep within his heart. He lived as the other villagers did, speaking nothing of palaces or princes, raising his daughter in simplicity and peace.
But some things cannot remain hidden forever. Singapore’s waters were plagued by sea pirates who terrorized the coastal villages, stealing what little the people had. When the pirates struck Telok Blangah, it was Pangeran who rallied the villagers and led them in defense. His warrior training, honed in Java’s courts and battlefields, proved decisive. The pirates were defeated, and the village was saved.
News of this remarkable victory reached the Sultan of Singapore, who summoned the mysterious warrior to his palace. By chance, an envoy from Java was visiting the Sultan’s court that very day. When the envoy saw Pangeran, recognition flashed across his face. He informed the Sultan of Pangeran’s true identity that this humble villager was actually a prince of Java.
The Sultan was delighted to have such a noble warrior in his kingdom. To honor Pangeran and bind him to Singapore, the Sultan arranged for his own daughter, a princess, to marry Pangeran. Understanding that this alliance would provide security for his beloved Radin Mas, Pangeran agreed. In time, a son was born to them, named Tengku Chik.
The years passed, and Radin Mas grew from a child into a woman of extraordinary beauty, carrying herself with the natural grace she had inherited from her mother. But her beauty and the deep bond she shared with her father stirred jealousy in her stepmother’s heart. The princess who had married Pangeran could not bear to see his devotion to his first daughter, the child of the dancer she considered beneath her station.
One fateful day, as Radin Mas served the family meal, she accidentally dropped a plate. It shattered on the floor, and in the chaos, a sharp fragment cut little Tengku Chik’s foot. The wound was minor, but Radin Mas’s stepmother seized upon it as an opportunity. She accused Radin Mas of deliberately harming the child, of harboring murderous intent toward her half-brother. Pangeran, knowing his daughter’s gentle heart, refused to believe such accusations.
Frustrated by Pangeran’s unwavering trust in Radin Mas, the stepmother conspired with her nephew, Tengku Bagus. This young man had long harbored desires for Radin Mas, coveting her beauty and dreaming of possessing her. The stepmother saw in this a perfect solution if Radin Mas married Tengku Bagus, she would leave the household, and the stepmother would no longer have to compete for Pangeran’s attention.
Their plot was as cruel as it was cunning. Tengku Bagus plied Pangeran with wine laced with sleeping drugs. When the prince fell into a deep, unnatural slumber, Tengku Bagus and his accomplices dragged him to an unused well in a remote part of the grounds and imprisoned him there in the darkness.
The next morning, Tengku Bagus appeared before Radin Mas with a marriage proposal and a terrible threat: marry him, or her father would die in the well. Radin Mas felt her world collapse around her, but what choice did she have? To save her beloved father, she agreed.
During the solemnization ceremony, as tradition required, Radin Mas was asked if she had her father’s permission for this marriage. Her heart breaking, knowing her father was suffering in that dark well, she whispered a lie that cut her soul: “My father has died while visiting Java.”
At that very moment, young Tengku Chik, who had been exploring the grounds in play, spoke up innocently: “But I saw Uncle Pangeran in the old well! He’s alive!”
The child’s words shattered the conspiracy like lightning splitting a tree. The wedding party rushed to the well, pulling Pangeran from his prison. The plot was revealed in all its ugliness, and Tengku Bagus’s face twisted with rage and fear. Knowing that Pangeran would seek justice for this betrayal, Tengku Bagus made a desperate choice.
He drew his kris that wavy ceremonial dagger sacred to Malay warriors and lunged at Pangeran with murderous intent. But Radin Mas, her father’s daughter in courage as well as beauty, sprang forward without hesitation. She placed her own body between the blade and her father, just as she had been shielded from flames as an infant.
The kris plunged deep into Radin Mas’s heart. She fell into her father’s arms, her blood staining the ground as her life ebbed away. She had saved him, but at the cost of her own precious life.
As chaos erupted and guards seized Tengku Bagus, the stepmother tried to slip away in the confusion. But the heavens themselves seemed to pass judgment on her wickedness. A bolt of lightning struck from a clear sky, ending her life in an instant divine retribution for her cruelty.
Pangeran held his daughter as she took her final breaths, his heart shattering once more. He had lost her mother to fire and betrayal, and now he had lost his golden princess, his Radin Mas Ayu, to the same forces of jealousy and greed. She was buried with all honor at the foot of what would later be called Mount Faber, near Telok Blangah where they had found their brief peace together.
To this day, the shrine known as Keramat Radin Mas stands at Mount Faber Road, marking where the golden princess was laid to rest. For centuries, visitors have come to pay respects to the daughter who gave everything for her father’s life. The shrine reminds all who visit that love and sacrifice transcend death itself.
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The Moral
This legend teaches the profound power of filial love and selfless sacrifice. Radin Mas exemplifies the highest virtues, loyalty to family, courage in the face of danger, and the willingness to give one’s own life to protect those we love. The story also warns against the destructive forces of jealousy, greed, and cruelty. The stepmother and Tengku Bagus, consumed by their selfish desires, met terrible ends, while Radin Mas, through her sacrifice, achieved immortality in the hearts of the people. True nobility lies not in royal blood or social status, but in the purity of one’s heart and the depth of one’s love. Even death cannot diminish the legacy of those who live and die with honor.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who was Radin Mas Ayu and why was she called the “golden princess”?
A: Radin Mas Ayu was the daughter of Pangeran Adipati Agung, a Javanese prince, and a dancer he secretly married. Her name means “golden princess” in Malay. She was given this name because she was beautiful and precious, the beloved child born from her parents’ forbidden but genuine love.
Q2: Why did Pangeran leave Java and come to Singapore?
A: Pangeran left Java after his secret marriage to a dancer was discovered by his brother, the sultan. When Pangeran was away at war, the sultan ordered his house burned, killing Pangeran’s wife. Devastated and betrayed, Pangeran severed ties with his brother and the palace, fleeing to Singapore with his infant daughter Radin Mas and a loyal servant.
Q3: How did Pangeran come to marry the Sultan of Singapore’s daughter?
A: After settling in Telok Blangah village, Pangeran led villagers in defeating sea pirates. This victory brought him to the attention of the Sultan of Singapore. When a Javanese envoy revealed Pangeran’s royal identity, the Sultan was pleased to have a prince in his kingdom and arranged for his daughter to marry Pangeran to honor and bind him to Singapore.
Q4: What was the plot against Pangeran and Radin Mas?
A: Radin Mas’s jealous stepmother conspired with her nephew Tengku Bagus, who wanted to marry Radin Mas. They drugged Pangeran and imprisoned him in an unused well. Tengku Bagus then threatened to kill Pangeran unless Radin Mas agreed to marry him, forcing her to accept the proposal to save her father’s life.
Q5: How did Radin Mas die, and what happened to her stepmother?
A: When the plot was exposed and Pangeran was rescued, Tengku Bagus attacked Pangeran with a kris. Radin Mas threw herself in front of her father to shield him, and the blade pierced her heart, killing her. Her stepmother tried to escape during the chaos, but was struck and killed by lightning, seen as divine judgment for her wickedness.
Q6: What is the Keramat Radin Mas and why is it significant in Singapore?
A: Keramat Radin Mas (also called Makam Puteri Radin Mas) is a shrine and tomb located at Mount Faber Road near Telok Blangah, marking where Radin Mas was buried. It remains an important cultural and historical site in Singapore, visited by people who honor her memory and sacrifice. The shrine represents Singapore’s Malay heritage and the enduring power of filial devotion and selfless love.
