Gajah Mada (c. 1290 – c. 1364) was, according to
Javanese old manuscripts, poems and mythology, a powerful military leader and
mahapatih or prime minister of the
Majapahit Empire, credited with bringing the empire to its peak of glory. He delivered an oath called
Sumpah Palapa, in which he vowed not to eat any food containing spices until he had conquered all of the
Southeast Asian archipelago of
Nusantara for
Majapahit. In modern
Indonesia, he serves as an important national hero, a
symbol of
patriotism and national unity.