Traditionally, the city of Kediri is said to have been founded on 27 July 879, and today the city's anniversary is celebrated on that date. The
Brantas River valley was known as the site of classical Javanese culture, particularly between the 10th and 15th centuries. The town of Kediri was established by King
Airlangga on the banks of the upper Brantas River in 1042. It was originally called
Dahanapura or
Daha. After the death of Airlangga his kingdom was divided into two parts: the kingdom of Panjalu in the west, and the kingdom of
Janggala in the east. Daha became the capital of Panjalu, and later the capital of the
Kediri kingdom. Over the centuries, control of the city passed to the
Singhasari,
Majapahit,
Demak and
Mataram kingdoms. The name "Kediri", or "Kadiri", is derived from the
Sanskrit word
Khadri, meaning
Indian Mulberry, indicative of the mulberry trees (locally known as
pacé or
mengkudu) which grew in the area. – then the capital of Trunajaya – in 1678 during the
Trunajaya War. Depicted in an 1890 Dutch children's novel. After the era of the Javanese kingdoms, Kediri went into decline, becoming a small rural settlement, which was later annexed by the
Dutch East India Company (
VOC) as part of the Dutch conquest of Java. East Java in the 1740s was controlled by
Cakraningrat IV, a Madurese regent who was favorably disposed toward the VOC, as he believed the Dutch would help him in securing the independence of
Madura from the
Kasunanan Kartasura kingdom. However, when his plans were rejected by the VOC, Cakraningrat rise against the Europeans. The rebellion was ultimately suppressed by the VOC, assisted by two generals sent by
Pakubuwana II, Sunan Kartasura. Kediri then became part of the VOC and remained under Dutch control until the independence of Indonesia in 1945. Kediri began to flourish when the
Dutch East Indies founded the autonomous
Gemeente Kediri in 1906.
Zelfstanding Gemeenteschap (self-government with full autonomy) was granted in 1928. During the
Indonesian National Revolution in 1945–1949, Kediri became a target of General
Sudirman's guerrilla campaign. Kediri suffered terrible bloodshed during the
Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 after the failed
30 September Movement coup. One estimate suggests that around 13% of Kediri's population or 22,000 people were killed during the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66. The
Gudang Garam kretek tobacco industry was established in 1958 by
Chinese Indonesian Tjoa Ing Hwie. He purchased vast lands in Kediri and established a kretek cigar factory. Today, Gudang Garam is the major employer of the city, with more than 40,000 workers. == Administrative districts ==