Administration

The statue of Parvati as mortuary deified portrayal of Tribhuwanottunggadewi, queen of Majapahit, mother of Hayam Wuruk.

During the reign of Hayam Wuruk, Majapahit employed a well-organized bureaucratic structure for administrative purposes. The hierarchy and structure relatively remain intact and unchanged throughout Majapahit history. The king is the paramount ruler, as the chakravartin he is considered as the universal ruler and believed to be the living god on earth. The king holds the highest political authority and legitimacy.

 Bureaucracy officials

During his daily administration, the king is assisted by bureaucratic state officials that also included the close relatives of the kings that hold certain esteemed titles. The royal order or edict usually transmitted from the king to the high officials well to their subordinates. The officials in Majapahit courts are:

• Rakryan Mahamantri Katrini, usually reserved for the king's heir
• Rakryan Mantri ri Pakira-kiran, the board of ministers that conduct the daily administration
• Dharmmadhyaksa, the officials of laws, state laws as well as religious laws
• Dharmma-upapatti, the officials concerning religious affairs

Within the ministers of Rakryan Mantri ri Pakira-kiran there is the most important and the highest minister titled Rakryan Mapatih or Patih Hamangkubhumi. This position is analogous to prime minister, and together with king, they determine the important state policies, including war or peace. Among the Dharmmadhyaksa officials there is Dharmmadhyaksa ring Kasewan (State's highest Hindu Shivaist priest) and Dharmmadhyaksa ring Kasogatan (State's highest Buddhist priest), both are the religious laws authorities of each dharmic faiths. There is also the board of advisors consist of the elders within royal family called Bhattara Saptaprabhu.

 Territorial division

Majapahit recognize the hierarchy classifications of lands within its realm:

1. Bhumi: the kingdom, ruled by the king
2. Nagara: the province, ruled by the rajya (governor), or natha (lord), or bhre (prince or duke)
3. Watek: the regency, administered by wiyasa,
4. Kuwu: the district, administered by lurah,
5. Wanua: the village, administered by thani,
6. Kabuyutan: the hamlet or sanctuary place.

During its formation, Majapahit traditional realm only consists of lesser vassal kingdoms (provinces) in eastern and central Java. This region is ruled by provincial kings called Paduka Bhattara with the title Bhre. This title is the highest position below the monarch and similar to duke or duchess. Usually this position reserved for the close relatives of the king. Their duty is to administer their own provinces, collect taxes, send annual tributes to the capital, and manage the defenses of their borders.
During the reign of Hayam Wuruk (1350 to 1389) there were 12 provinces of Majapahit, administered by king's close relatives:

Provinces	Titles	Rulers	Relation to the King
Kahuripan (or Janggala, today Surabaya)	Bhre Kahuripan	Tribhuwanatunggadewi	queen mother
Daha (former capital of Kediri)	Bhre Daha	Rajadewi Maharajasa	aunt and also mother in-law
Tumapel (former capital of Singhasari)	Bhre Tumapel	Kertawardhana	father
Wengker (today Ponorogo)	Bhre Wengker	Wijayarajasa	uncle and also father in-law
Matahun (today Bojonegoro)	Bhre Matahun	Rajasawardhana	husband of the duchess of Lasem, king's cousin
Wirabhumi (Blambangan)	Bhre Wirabhumi	Bhre Wirabhumi1	son
Paguhan	Bhre Paguhan	Singhawardhana	brother in-law
Kabalan	Bhre Kabalan	Kusumawardhani2	daughter
Pawanuan	Bhre Pawanuan	Surawardhani	niece
Lasem (a coastal town in Central Java)	Bhre Lasem	Rajasaduhita Indudewi	cousin
Pajang (today Surakarta)	Bhre Pajang	Rajasaduhita Iswari	sister
Mataram (today Yogyakarta)	Bhre Mataram	Wikramawardhana2	nephew

¹ Bhre Wirabhumi is actually the title: the Duke of Wirabhumi (Blambangan), the real name is unknown and he referred as Bhre Wirabhumi in Pararaton. He married to Nagawardhani, the king's niece.
² Kusumawardhani (king's daughter) married to Wikramawardhana (king's nephew), the couple become the heir.
When Majapahit entered the thalassocratic imperial phase during the administration of Gajah Mada, several overseas vassal states were included within the Majapahit sphere of influence, as the result the new larger territorial concept was defined:

• Negara Agung, or the Grand State, the core kingdom. The traditional or initial area of Majapahit during its formation before entering the imperial phase. This includes the capital city and the surrounding areas where the king effectively exercises his government. This area covered the eastern half of Java, with all its provinces ruled by the Bhres (dukes), the king's close relatives.
• Mancanegara, areas surrounding Negara Agung. These areas are directly influenced by Javanese culture, and obliged to pay annual tributes. However these areas usually possess their own native rulers or kings, that might foster alliance or intermarried with the Majapahit royal family. Majapahit stationed their officials and officers in these places and regulate their foreign trade activities and collect taxes, yet they enjoyed substantial internal autonomy. This includes the rest of Java island, Madura, Bali, as well as Dharmasraya, Pagaruyung, Lampung and Palembang in Sumatra.
• Nusantara, areas which do not reflect Javanese culture, but are included as colonies and they had to pay annual tribute. They enjoyed substantial autonomy and internal freedom, and Majapahit did not necessarily station their officials or military officers here; however, any challenges on Majapahit oversight might draw severe response. These areas such as the vassal kingdoms and colonies in Maluku, Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Malay peninsula.

All of those three categories were within the sphere of influence of the Majapahit empire, however Majapahit also recognize the fourth realm that defines its foreign diplomatic relations:

• Mitreka Satata, literary means "partners with common order". It refer to independent foreign states that is considered as Majapahit's equals, not the subject of Majapahit powers. According to Nagarakretagama canto 15, the foreign states are Syangkayodhyapura (Ayutthaya of Siam), Dharmmanagari (Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom), Marutma, Rajapura and Sinhanagari (kingdoms in Myanmar), Champa, Kamboja (Cambodia), and Yawana (Annam). Mitreka Satata can be considered as Majapahit's allies, since other foreign kingdoms in China and India was not included in this category, although Majapahit known has conducted foreign relations with these nations.

In later period, Majapahit's hold on its overseas possessions began to waned. According to Wingun Pitu inscription (dated 1447) it was mentioned that Majapahit was consist of 14 provinces, that administrated by the ruler titled Bhre. The provinces or vassal areas are:

Daha (former capital of Kediri) Jagaraga Kabalan

Kahuripan (or Janggala, modern Surabaya) Keling Kelinggapura

Kembang Jenar Matahun (today Bojonegoro) Pajang (today Surakarta)

Singhapura Tanjungpura Tumapel (former capital of Singhasari)

Wengker (today Ponorogo) Wirabhumi (today Blambangan)