RRI.CO.ID, East Java - Ancient Indonesian strategy outsmarted the terrifying Mongol Empire without relying on any lucky seasonal typhoons. The founder of Majapahit achieved this victory through unmatched psychological warfare and strategy.

Before reaching the archipelago, this superpower army shattered the Islamic Golden Age by brutally sacking Baghdad in 1258. Historical records show their military machine destroyed numerous civilizations across Eurasia in its destructive wake.

When Khubilai Khan sent a massive punitive fleet to Java in 1293, absolute terror gripped the region. Local Javanese prince Raden Wijaya faced this overwhelming force while his homeland suffered civil war.

His royal family suffered a devastating blow when usurper King Jayakatwang killed his royal patron, Kertanegara. Seeking vengeance, the displaced prince engineered a brilliant plan to reclaim his lost birthright.

Rather than fighting blindly, the clever royal formed a temporary tactical alliance with the invading superpower. Wijaya deliberately used the foreign army to crush his regional rival, King Jayakatwang.

According to historical accounts, the unsuspecting Mongol commanders accepted this local alliance for food and support. Once rival forces were eliminated, the exhausted foreign troops let down their guard.

In addition, Wijaya immediately turned on his temporary allies with a coordinated surprise ambush in dense timberlands. His warriors systematically drove the remaining battered superpower forces out of the archipelago.

This cinematic double-cross bypassed the weather-dependent luck that saved medieval Japan from the exact same empire. While Japan relied on divine typhoons, Java relied purely on human cunning.

After getting the triumph, the strategist cleared a forest and established a magnificent new royal settlement. This geopolitical maneuver birthed the Majapahit Empire that ruled for centuries. (Fauzan)