Third Javanese War of Succession

Third Javanese War of Succession
Date 15 December 1749 – February 1757 (7 years and 2 months) Location Mataram Sultanate, Central Java, Indonesia Status Treaty of Giyanti End of the Mataram Sultanate Division of Mataram in 3 independent states called Surakarta Sunanate, Yogyakarta Sultanate and Mangkunegaran Palace Raden Mas Said's surrender
Belligerents
Mataram Sultanate (until 1755) VOC Yogyakarta Sultanate (from 1755) Surakarta Sunanate (from 1755)	Anti-Dutch rebels
Commanders and leaders
Pakubuwana III Nicolaas Hartingh Hamengkubuwono I (from 1755)	Prince Mangkubumi (until 1755) Raden Mas Said
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Third Javanese War of Succession was an armed conflict that raged from 1749 to 1757 on the island Java. It led to the partition of the Mataram Sultanate into two, and later three, nominally independent 'Princely States': Surakarta, Yogyakarta and Mangkunegara.

Cause

One of the causes of the war was Governor-General van Imhoff's lack of respect for Javanese customs and his humiliation of Prince Mangkubumi, who was Pakubuwana II of Surakarta's younger brother in a dispute when the Governor-General demanded the lease of Javanese northern coast for 20.000 reales annually, a move opposed by Mangkubumi. Van Imhoff and Patih Pringgalaya then persuaded Pakubuwana II to cancel Mangkubumi's promised fief in Sukawati (now Sragen) as a reward for defeating Raden Mas Said's rebellion there in 1746. Prince Mangkubumi then left Surakarta and rose up in against the Dutch East India Company and Pakubuwana II, whom he saw as a Dutch puppet, and joined force with his nephew and former enemy, Raden Mas Said.

History

In the midst of Mangkubumi rebellion in 1749, Pakubuwana II fell ill and called Van Hohendorff, his trusted friend who saved his life during the fall of Kartasura in 1742. He asked Hohendorff to assume control over the kingdom. Hohendorff was naturally surprised and refused, thinking that he would be made king of Mataram, but when the king insisted on it, he asked his sick friend to confirm it in writing. On 11 December 1749, Pakubuwana II signed an agreement in which the "sovereignty" of Mataram was given to VOC. Mangku Bumi, who saw themselves as the rightful heir to the throne, demanded the title of ruler on. For its part the VOC continued a powerless puppet, Pakubuwana III of Surakarta on the throne. By the people of Mataram was Mangku Bumi, like Hamengkubuwana called, as the only real ruler of Mataram and regarded as a freedom fighter. After years of changing fight with battles at Grobogan, Demak and members the Dutch under de Clerck a crushing defeat at the Bogowonto River. Hereinafter referred to as Governor-General Mossel decided to peace negotiations with Hamengkubuwana. This eventually led to the conclusion of the Treaty of Giyanti, named after the place East of Surakarta where the negotiations took place: the Kingdom of Mataram was divided between the two warring parties. The old capital Kartasura, which as a result of the fratricidal out there had taken place as a doom-laden place was considered, was abandoned.

The Pakubuwana III, founded as faithful to the Dutchmen Ruler a new kraton in Surakarta and controlled the eastern part of Mataram (Kasoenanan Solo or Surakarta) (1750-1788). On the other hand, reigned as sultan Hamengkubuwana I over the Western half of Mataram, and he built North of the old capital Kartasura, his new kraton Yogyakarta (Kasultanan Yogyakarta) (1755-1792). MAS Said the fight is not for also gave to him a part of Mataram as 'princely state' was given: he ruled as Mangkoenegara, built his own kraton in the proximity of the Surakarta/Solo and was especially areas in the extreme South-East of Mataram as its inheritance (Mangkoenegaran) (1757-1796).

Sources

• Ricklefs, M. C., A History of Modern Indonesia since c. 1200, Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008 (terbitan ke-4), ISBN 978-0-230-54686-8