H.J. de Graff, et al., in Chinese Muslims in Java in the 15th and 16th Centuries: Between Historicity and Myth (1998: 106-107), stated that in Javanese legend, Jepara is said to be older than Semarang. In Jepara, the Javanese people also had relations with the Hanafi Muslim Chinese. This explains the strong Chinese nuances in the architecture and decorative motifs of the Mantingan Mosque. In addition, the figure of Sultan Hadlirin, who is also believed to be a figure who spread Islam using Chinese tennis, provides a picture of the existence of this ethnic group in the spread of Islam in Java. According to H.J. de Graff and Pigeaud, Sultan Hadlirin was the founder of the mosque as well as the founder of the city of Jepara. He was a ship captain who had been converted to Islam by Sunan Kudus with a new name, namely Raden Toyib, Raden Mukim, Rakit, alias Wintang. He married one of the daughters of Sultan Trenggana. After his father-in-law died, he was said to be involved in polemics and political conflicts in Demak together with his wife, Queen Kalinyamat.

As mentioned above, according to the genealogy, Queen Kalinyamat was the daughter of Sultan Trenggana. Her eldest brother, Raden Mukmin (Sunan Prawata, father of Arya Pangiri), replaced Trenggana as the sultan of Demak and moved the center of government from Bintara to Prawata. Kalinyamat was the second daughter of Sultan Trenggana. The Sultan's first daughter married Prince Langgar (Duke of Sampang), the second daughter, namely Queen Kalinyamat married Prince Hadlirin (Duke of Jepara, also the ruler of Demak representing the young Arya Pangiri), the third daughter married Prince Pasarean and Prince Hasanudin, the fifth daughter married Duke Pajang (Sultan Hadiwijaya) Hadiwijaya son of Prince Benawa, while the Sultan's youngest daughter married Prince Timur (Duke of Madura). The tombstones of Queen Kalinyamat and Sultan Hadlirin in Mantingan Jepara are in a dome. Inside the cupola there is a carved wooden structure with threaded posts on top of the jirat as a drape for cloth and mosquito nets. On every 17 Robiul Awal, the death of Sultan Hadlirin is carried out and the Ganti Luwur ritual is carried out, namely the procession of changing the grave net.

Then, who is Sultan Hadlirin? Sultan Hadlirin or Prince Hadlirin was the son-in-law of the Sultan of Demak, as well as the ruler of Jepara. His area of power included Jepara, Juwana, Pati, and Rembang (Veth, 1974: 249). The name Kalinyamat was actually a nickname for Prince Hadliri, namely Susuhunan Kalinyamat, the original ruler of Jepara. Meanwhile, his wife, who was known as Queen Kalinyamat, was actually named Queen Pembayun or Retna Kencana. The port city of Jepara was handed over by Sultan Trenggana to his son-in-law in 1536. However, as a result of political intrigue for power, Sultan Hadlirin was killed by the son of Sultan Trenggana who ruled in Jipang, Arya Panangsang (Hayati, et al.: 2007: 63).

The conflict actually started with the killing of Raden Kikin or Prince Sekar, Arya Panangsang's father by Raden Mukim (Sunan Prawata). After Prince Sabrang Lor died, Prince Sekar was killed on the edge of the river. The intellectual actor in this murder was Raden Mukmin, Trenggana's son, who made him ascend to the throne. Years later, Arya Panangsang avenged his father's death by sending people to Prawata and killing Sunan Prawata (Raden Mukmin) and his wife. In 1549 AD, after returning home asking for justice from Sunan Kudus who sided with Jipang, Queen Kalinyamat's entourage was attacked by Arya Panangsang's men who killed Sultan Hadlirin. The death of Sultan Hadlirin has given rise to resentment and disappointment for Queen Kalinyamat. Grief and revenge became one, which made the Queen determined to go into seclusion, undergo penance, and ask God for justice. It is said that he meditated "tapa wuda, sinjang rikma", meditated naked only covered by his long hair, on Mount Danaraja, Tulakan, north of Jepara. She swore that she would not dress before she could make Arya Panangsang's head her footwear, "ora pati-pati wudhar tapaningsun, yen durung keramas getihe Arya Panangsang lan kesed jembule" (Soebekti, 2001: 6).

She then asked for help from her brother-in-law, the Duke of Pajang, Raden Jaka Tingkir (Hadiwijaya). After going through a competition opened by the Sultan of Pajang, Arya Panangsang was finally killed by the keris of Kyai Setan Kober which he pulled out himself and accidentally cut his intestines which were hanging out after his stomach was torn by Kyai Plered Danang Sutawijaya's spear. After Arya Panangsang died, Queen Kalinyamat was willing to come down from her hermitage to then replace her husband and was crowned as the ruler of Jepara on April 10, 1549, with the sengkalan, Trus Karya Tataning Bumi. That date is then commemorated every year as Jepara's Anniversary. Queen Kalinyamat, who had no biological son, died around 1579. In addition to the Sultan and Queen, inside the dome, there is also the grave of Sultan Hadlirin's adoptive father named Tjie Hwio Gwan. This figure is a figure who came from China and was named Abdurrahman. He is also known as Patih Sungging Badar Duwung, a teacher who taught the art of wood carving to the people of Jepara. There is also a grave of Garwa Selur, and Dewi Wuryan Retnowati, his adopted daughter. Sultan Hadlirin's concubine was named Nyai Prodobinabar, from Kudus (Interview with Sulasimin, Caretaker of the Mantingan Tomb, July 23, 2019).

After her husband's death and revenge for his death were avenged, Queen Kalinyamat continued her husband's rule. During her reign, Jepara developed into the largest port on the North Coast of Java and had a large and strong naval fleet (Meilink-Reolofsz, 1962: 102-117). Queen Kalinyamat was so great that Diego de Conto described her as Rainha de Jepara senhora pederosa e rica, which means Queen of Jepara, a very powerful woman. During her 30 years of reign, Queen Kalinyamat succeeded in bringing Jepara to the peak of its glory. Her strong naval fleet had carried out two attacks on the Portuguese in Malacca, namely in 1551 and 1574. Both attacks were carried out by Queen Kalinyamat to help the Sultan of Johor and the Sultan of Aceh to expel the Portuguese from Malacca. The first attack failed, while the second attack succeeded in besieging Malacca for three months, although in the end she was unable to win the attack and was forced to return to Java (Veth, 1974: 249; Graaf and Pigeaud, 2001: 117-122).