Aru Kingdom

Aru Kingdom
1225–1613
1565 map of Sumatra with south orientation on top, showing "Terre Laru" on center-lower left
Capital		Kota Rentang
Religion		Animism, Hinduism, Islam
Government		Monarchy
History
•	Established	1225
•	Defeat of Aru Kingdom to Sultanate of Aceh	1613
Succeeded by Sultanate of Deli
Today part of		Indonesia

Aru (or Haru) was a major Sumatran kingdom from the 13th to the 16th century, located on the eastern coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. During that time period, the kingdom was a formidable maritime power, controlling northern parts of Malacca strait.

The kingdom was initially established as a Batak Karo polity. The indigenous population practicied native animism, as well as Hinduism, presumably brought by Tamil settlers, and — beginning around late 13th century — Islam. Aru's capital was locatted in or around present-day Medan city and Deli Serdang. The people of the kingdom were believed to be the descendants and related to the Karo people of interior North Sumatra, which today mainly inhabit Tanah Karo.

Traditionally, the location of Haru or Aru kingdom is connected to the site of its successor state, the Sultanate of Deli, which was in and around the city of Medan and Deli Serdang today, as suggested by British orientalist Winstedt. Groenveldt, a Dutch historian however, suggested that center of Haru kingdom was located further southeast, near the estuarine of Barumun and Panai river, in Labuhan Batu Regency, thus related and connected to the earlier Pannai Kingdom. Gilles suggested that the capital was located near Belawan harbour, while another opinion suggested the estuarine of Wampu river by Haru Bay, Langkat Regency.