Pangeran Adipati Agung, the younger brother to the Sultan of Java, was known as a courageous and beloved warrior prince. When threats loomed over the kingdom, the Sultan would send him into battle to lead the charge. After one such battle where he defeated the country’s enemies, the prince returned home, eager to see his wife and daughter, Radin Mas Ayu.

However, upon his arrival, he found black soot settled all over the damaged remains of his palace. The charred smell attacked his nostrils, and he coughed vigorously. He could not believe it: his palatial home had been burnt to the ground. Pangeran Adipati staggered to the ground. His servant came up to him with a sad and mournful look on his face spoke up, “Pangeran...” his voice grave and serious, “your wife has been killed in a fire. We don’t know why the fire started.”

Hand shaking, eyes tearing and knees weakened by the devastating news, Pangeran Adipati mustered his remaining strength and whispered faintly the only question that mattered at that moment, “What about my daughter?”

“Thankfully, we managed to rescue Radin Mas Ayu,” the servant gestured to the girl who sat at the side. Despite his shock, Pangeran Adipati was relieved to hear that his only daughter was safe and sound.

Wracked with grief at the loss of his wife, Pangeran Adipati Agung vowed to uncover the truth and to find out who was responsible. He soon discovered that his brother, the Sultan of Java, had devised a plot to separate Pangeran Adipati from his wife. The Sultan disapproved of their marriage because Pangeran Adipati’s wife had been a court dancer before.

Fearing that the Sultan might harm Radin Mas, Pangeran Adipati came up with a secret plan to leave his home. One quiet night, after days of planning, he left Java and set sail to Singapura with his daughter and some of his faithful servants.

Weeks passed and they finally reached the waters around Singapura. Pangeran Adipati was elated. However, his joy did not last long. Pangeran Adipati and his men were faced with a group of pirates who threatened to board their ship and kill everyone on board. With nerves of steel and an unbreakable spirit, Pangeran Adipati and his men put up a good fight against the menacing pirates.

News soon reached the Sultan of Singapura who was pleased knowing that his kingdom would be gaining the strength of these warriors.

Once the Pangeran and his men reached the shores of Singapura, the Sultan invited them to the palace for a feast. He wanted to thank them for helping to rid the kingdom’s waters of the pirates.

The day of the feast arrived. People near and far were invited to the feast. A court official from the Kingdom of Java, who was loyal to his brother, was there too. Almost instantly, he recognised Pangeran Adipati and greeted him, “My Prince, your brother deeply regrets what he had done to your family. He would like me to welcome you home.”

Pangeran Adipati did not say a single word and went silent for a moment. After a long while, he shook his head. “Tell my brother that some things cannot be forgotten. I will make Singapura my new home.”

That night, after all the guests had left, the Sultan of Singapura called for the Pangeran to meet him. “I did not know you were the Prince of Java, Pangeran Adipati. We will host you well here, in exchange for your effort in fighting our enemies.”

"Your Majesty, I humbly accept your offer. Thank you for giving us a new home." And so, it was decided then that Pangeran Adipati would settle in Telok Blangah with his daughter.

But the Sultan was not done with his offer to Pangeran Adipati. “I would also like to offer my daughter’s hand in marriage to you,” the Sultan continued, “for your bravery has shown that you are of good character to be husband to the Princess.”

“Thank you for your generosity, your Majesty,” Pangeran Adipati bowed his head deep in respect to the king. “However, I have a daughter, Radin Mas Ayu. I would like to talk to her before I decide to marry again.”

Radin Mas wanted nothing but for her father to be happy. If marrying the Princess of Singapura made him happy again after her mother’s death, she was glad to give him, her blessings.

And so, Pangeran Adipati married the Sultan's daughter in a grand ceremony.

Several years later, they had a son, Tengku Chik, whom Pangeran Adipati loved just as much as Radin Mas. Radin Mas was also overjoyed to have a new addition to the family. Despite sensing how her stepmother was colder to her than towards other family members, she was very fond of her younger half-brother. She would bring him out to the palace garden to play with him, and gifted him the toys he liked.

However, the Princess of Singapura was a jealous woman who wanted things her way, having grown up in a palace which granted her every wish. Seeing how her husband was still very attentive towards Radin Mas, the Princess believed Pangeran Adipati still favoured his first daughter over their son. She  became bitterly displeased. She wanted all his love to go to her and their son only.

As the years passed, Radin Mas grew more beautiful, with a group of suitors who have expressed their interest in marrying her. The Princess’s jealousy also grew stronger and stronger with time. 

The Princess knew her nephew, Tengku Bagus, was also interested in Radin Mas, and planned to marry her off to him. This was the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of Radin Mas for good. That way, Radin Mas would be sent away to live with Tengku Bagus once they were married, and her husband’s attention would only be on her and Tengku Chik.

However, the Princess knew that Pangeran Adipati disapproved of Tengku Bagus. How could the wedding go on if Pangeran Adipati did not want it to?

After thinking long and hard, she came up with a cunning plan. Without wasting any second, the Princess instructed her men to intoxicate the Pangeran. Once he was unconscious, she told them to throw Pangeran Adipati into a well and to seal it off. That way, he would not find out about the wedding and could not stop it.

Once her husband was trapped in the well, the Princess then forced Radin Mas to agree to marry Tengku Bagus. She threatened to kill her father if she did not. Radin Mas had no choice but to do as the Princess said.

On the day of the wedding, when the officiant asked Radin Mas if her father approved of this marriage, Radin Mas kept quiet. She had been ordered by her stepmother to say that Pangeran Adipati had died on his journey back to Java, so that no one would question why he was not there.

As Radin Mas was about to tell the lie in order to save her father, a voice came from within the crowd. It was Tengku Chik, Radin Mas’ half-brother. “Isn’t Father in a well? I saw him being thrown into the well by mother’s men.”

The wedding guests gasped at this sudden turn of events. Radin Mas hurriedly ordered her servants to find and release Pangeran Adipati. The Princess knew her scheme had fallen through, and surreptitiously, made a quiet escape. 

Before long, father and daughter were reunited. They embraced each other tightly. Radin Mas was grateful that her father, the man who loved her the most, was safe and sound. Pangeran Adipati sobbed quietly realising that he had failed his daughter. But unbeknownst to both of them, Tengku Bagus stood in a corner, his anger brewing like a storm in a teacup. He could not believe that his plan to marry Radin Mas had fallen through!

Furious, he he drew the keris he had by his side and lunged forward to stab Pangeran Adipati!

However, Radin Mas noticed the angry man rushing towards her father and quickly reacted. Seeing her beloved father in danger, she turned her body to shield him, and the keris went through her body instead. She died instantly in her father's arms. 

The crowd fell silent—stunned. A quiet stillness settled in the air. Pangeran Adipati shuddered, then his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. He cradled his daughter’s body closer to him, as he cried for the cruel way that his kind daughter was taken away from him. The guests wept alongside Pangeran Adipati too, reeling from their shared grief.

Shortly after, the palace declared a mourning period for Radin Mas, as she was well-loved by all—from the royal family members to the staff and servants.

It is believed that to remember her sacrifice, a shrine was built where she was buried on Mount Faber. The place around the area was also named after her. Her grave, the Keramat Radin Mas, can still be found on Mount Faber today.

Did you know that there are many other places in Singapore with their own histories and stories of how they got their names? Let's find out more!

Illustrations by: Inani Rahman