The Diponegoro War

The Diponegoro War, also known as the Java War (English: The Java War, Dutch: De Java Oorlog) was
a major war and lasted for five years (1825-1830) on Java Island, the Dutch East Indies (now
Indonesia). This war was one of the biggest battles ever experienced by the Dutch during their
occupation in the archipelago, involving Dutch troops under the leadership of General Hendrik
Merkus de Kock [7] who tried to quell the resistance of the Javanese population under the
leadership of Prince Diponegoro. As a result of this war, the population of Java killed reached
200,000 people, while the death toll on the Dutch side amounted to 8,000 Dutch soldiers and 7,000
native soldiers. The end of the war asserted Dutch control of Java. (ORIENTATION)

The beginning of the war

In mid-May 1825, Smissaert decided to improve the small streets around Yogyakarta. However, the
construction of the road which initially went from Yogyakarta to Magelang via Muntilan was
deflected past the fence east of Tegalrejo. In one sector, road pegs installed by kepatihan people
crossed the tomb of the ancestors of Prince Diponegoro. Patih Danurejo did not inform Smissaert's
decision so Diponegoro only found out after the pegs were installed. The dispute broke out between
the farmers working on land with Patih Danurejo's men so that it peaked in July. Stakes that have
been revoked are installed so Prince Diponegoro has ordered replacing stakes with spears as a
declaration of war. [8]

On Wednesday, July 20, 1825, the palace sent two senior palace regents who led the Javanese-
Dutch troops to capture Prince Diponegoro and Mangkubumi in Tegalrejo before the war broke out.
Although Diponegoro's residence fell and was burned, the prince and most of his followers managed
to escape because they were more familiar with the terrain in Tegalrejo. [8] Prince Diponegoro and
his family and troops moved west to Dekso Village in Kulonprogo Regency, and continued south until
the next day arrived at Selarong Cave which is located five kilometers west of Bantul City. Prince
Diponegoro then made Goa Selarong, a cave located in Kentolan Lor Hamlet, Guwosari Pajangan
Bantul, as its base. The prince occupies the western cave called Goa Kakung, which is also his
hermitage, while Raden Ayu Retnaningsih (the most loyal concubine accompanying the Prince after
his two wives died) and his retinue occupy Goa Putri in the east.

The attack on Tegalrejo began the Diponegoro war which lasted for five years. Diponegoro led the
Javanese community, from farmers to prijajis who donated money and other valuables as war funds,
in the spirit of "Sadumuk bathuk, sanyari bumi, which was called by the starch press"; "A handful of
a day's ground is defended to death". Fifteen of the 19 princes joined Diponegoro. Even
Diponegoro also managed to mobilize professional bandits who were previously feared by the rural
population, although this was a controversy in itself. [8] Diponegoro's struggle was assisted by Kyai
Mojo who was also the spiritual leader of the rebellion. In this Java war, Prince Diponegoro also
coordinated with the I.S.K.S. Pakubowono VI and Raden Tumenggung Prawirodigdoyo Gagatan
Regent.
 For Diponegoro and his followers, this war was a war of jihad against the Dutch and apostate
Javanese. As a devout Muslim, Diponegoro was displeased with the slack religiosity in the
Yogyakarta court due to the influence of the Dutch entry, in addition to the pro-Dutch policies issued
by the palace. [9] Dutch infiltration at the palace has made the Yogyakarta Palace like a brothel. On
the other hand, Smissaert wrote that Prince Diponegoro was increasingly engrossed in fanaticism
and many members of the kingdom considered him conservative in religion. [8]

In his report, Lieutenant Jean Nicolaas de Thierry described Prince Diponegoro wearing Arabic-style
clothing and a turban that was entirely white. The clothing was also worn by Diponegoro's troops
and was considered more important than Javanese traditional clothing even though the war had
ended. The report of Paul Daniel Portier, an Indo, mentioned that Dutch prisoners of war received
life threats if they were not willing to convert to Islam. [8]

In 1827, the Dutch attacked Diponegoro by using the fort system so that the Diponegoro Troops
were trapped. In 1829, Kyai Mojo, the spiritual leader of the rebellion, was arrested. Following then
Prince Mangkubumi and his chief commander Alibasah Sentot Prawirodirjo surrendered to the
Dutch. Finally on March 28, 1830, General De Kock succeeded in pinning Diponegoro's troops in
Magelang. There, Pangeran Diponegoro stated that he was willing to surrender on condition that
the rest of the members of the army be released. Therefore, Prince Diponegoro was captured and
exiled to Manado, then moved to Makassar until his death at Fort Rotterdam on January 8, 1855.

The end of the Javanese War was the end of the Javanese aristocratic resistance. The Javanese War
claimed many lives on the part of the Indies government as many as 8,000 European soldiers, 7,000
natives, and 200,000 Javanese. [10] After the war ended, the population of Yogyakarta shrank by
half.

Because for some people of the Yogyakarta Diponegoro Palace were considered rebels, it was said
that the descendants of Diponegoro were no longer allowed to enter the palace until Sri Sultan
Hamengkubuwono IX granted an amnesty to the Diponegoro descendents by considering the
national spirit that Diponegoro had at that time. Now Diponegoro's children and grandchildren can
freely enter the palace, especially to take care of their pedigree, without fear of being expelled.

On the other hand, the Netherlands is actually facing the Padri War in West Sumatra. The cause of
the Paderi War was a dispute between the Padri (alim ulama) and the Indigenous people (indigenous
people) who were concerned about the religion of Islam, religious teachings, drunkenness, gambling,
maternalism and paternalism. At this time the Dutch entered and tried to take the opportunity. But
in the end the Dutch had to fight both the adat and the paderi who were later united. The Paderi
War took place in two stages: round I between 1821-1825, and round II.
 To face the Diponegoro War, the Dutch were forced to withdraw troops used in the war in West
Sumatra to face the persistent guerrilla Prince Diponegoro. A ceasefire was agreed in 1825, and
most of the troops from West Sumatra were diverted to Java. However, after the Diponegoro War
ended (1830), the ceasefire agreement was torn up, and there was a second round of the Padri War.
In 1837 the leader of the Paderi War, Tuanku Imam Bonjol was finally arrested. The Padri War
ended.

After the Dipenogoro war, in 1832 all the kings and regents in Java submitted to surrender to the
Dutch except the Ponorogo regent Warok Brotodiningrat III, instead intended to attack all Dutch
offices located in the cities of Madiun residency and in central Java such as Wonogori, karanganyar
which was inhabited by many inhabited by Warok. [1] (Series of event)

In Dutch records, the Warok who have war skills and invulnerable knowledge are very strong for the
Dutch troops. Therefore to avoid causing harm to the Dutch, an agreement was made to make the
Bupati's office in the center of Ponorogo City, as well as supporting facilities such as paved roads,
railroad tracks, direct vehicles from Europe such as cars, motorcycles to various brands of wind
bikes, hence not surprised until now the city with the largest number of old bicycles was in
ponorogo which at that time was used by Warok as well. (Re orientation)