Gajah Mada (translated as Elephant General) (circa 1290 – circa 1364) is, according to old Javanese 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 swears an oath called Sumpah Palapa, in which he vows not to eat any food containing spices until he has 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.