Nagarakretagama, Palm-leaf manuscript in Jakarta, Indonesia

The Nagarakretagama is a lontar palm-leaf manuscript of 98 cantos written in Old Javanese kakawin verse, each stanza having four lines of 8 to 24 syllables. It is kept at the National Library of Indonesia under code NB 9. The text praises King Hayam Wuruk and lists regions paying tribute to Majapahit.

Written in 1365 by Mpu Prapanca, the manuscript documents the empire during King Hayam Wuruk's reign with precise geographical and political information. It stands as one of the most important written records for understanding the extent and power of this realm.

The poem's 98 cantos include 23 on the annual cycle of Majapahit ceremonies: the musyawarah assembly, the kirap procession, and the yearly festival. It also describes sacred buildings in Java and Bali and the srada rites Hayam Wuruk held for his ancestors.

The lontar manuscript is kept at the National Library of Indonesia in Jakarta under code NB 9, after Leiden University returned it in 1970. It is a research collection item, so access is arranged with the library rather than through an open display; ask staff about consulting the original or its reproductions.

The manuscript was war booty: Dutch troops took it in 1894 from the destroyed Cakranegara palace in Lombok, and Brandes saved the royal library's palm-leaf collection from the fire. Kept at Leiden University Library as L Or 5.023, it was returned to Indonesia in 1970 and is now National Library manuscript NB 9.