Kraton (Javanese: ꦏꦿꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀) or keraton is a type of royal palace in Java, Indonesia. Its name is derived from the Javanese ka-ratu-an meaning residence of the ratu, the traditional honorific title for a monarch. In Java, the palace of a prince is called pura or dalem, while the general word for palace is istana, which is identical to Malay.
Kratons, or keratons, that function as the residence of a royal family include:
The locations of the former kraton have been determined by historical records or archaeological efforts. Former kraton include:
In the Banten region, there are remnants of the Sultanate of Banten's palaces:
In the regions of Surakarta and Yogyakarta, there are remnants of the Sultanate of Mataram palaces:
The term kraton 'palace' is also used as a way to refer to the court which it houses.
This is especially the case for native Indonesian states where the succession is disputed, giving issue to two or more branches of the dynasty, or even rival dynasties, each setting up an alternative court while competing for the same state, but generally only controlling part of it.
An example is the West-Javan state of Cirebon, which was founded in 1478 and since 1662 was ruled from three Kraton (palaces):
