Chapter Title: CAPTURE AND DEATH OF RADEN TRUNA JAYA DECEMBER 1679 -

JANUARY 1680

Book Title: Islamic States in Java 1500-1700

Book Subtitle: Eight Dutch Books and Articles by Dr. H.J. de Graaf
Book Author(s): THEODORE G. Th. PIGEAUD and H. J. DE GRAAF
Published by: Brill
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctt1w8h12p.10

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 VI.

CAPTURE AND DEATH OF RADEN TRUNA JAYA

DECEMBER 1679 - JANUARY 1680

Summaryof:
H. J. de Graaf, Gevangenneming en dood van Raden Truna-
Djaja, 26 Dec. 1679 - 2 Jan. 1680. Jakarta 1952. Tijdschrift
voor Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (T.B.G.). Vol.
85, pp. 273-309.

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 VI. RADEN TRUNA JAYA'S DEATH

p.273. Javanese tales of Truna Jaya's end, incorporated In 18th-

century Central Javanese Babads, are romanticized. Theyare at variance
with Dutch reports written by V.O.C. officials who were on the spot.
These reports are preserved in the State Archives at The Hague.
p.274. After the fall of his capital at Kaçliri, Truna Jaya retreated
along the river Brantas upstream, passing the towns of Blitar and
Malang. The pursuit by the king's irregular Javanese troops was in-
effectual. Truna Jaya still had a small force of devoted Madurese
warriors and began to establish a new centre of action in the hilly and
sparsely-populated Batu region west of Malang, between the mountains
Kawi and Arjuna, which had belonged to great pre-Islamic East
Javanese states. He still kept in touch with his adherents in the interior
of East Java, including those in Panaraga and Kertasana, and he asked
the Sultan of Banten and the ruler of Bulèlèng for help, but in vain.
The district of Batu produced insufficient food, and his Madurese
followers were decimated by disease.
p.277. Christiaan Poleman, Hurdt's successor as commander of the
V.O.C. forces in East Java, died af ter a short time and the command
was given to J acob Couper. Ris first action was directed against the
kraèng of Galésong, who had established a fortified centre of Makasa-
rese in Kakapar (or Kèper) in the Brantas delta. The fortification was
stormed and taken by a small V.O.C. force with Buginese auxiliaries.
But the kraèng escaped to the hills where he died of exhaustion in the
residence of his father-in-Iaw Truna Jaya, with whom he had quarreled
for a long time. Most of the Makasarese made peace with the V.O.C.
captain Jeremias van Vliet; they and their families were sent back
to Celebes in V.O.C. ships. So Truna Jaya was deprived of his
auxiliarics.
p. 280. Af ter a short period of rest in Surabaya, the king with his
retinue and the commander Jacob Couper moved to Kakapar. The
commander sent several letters to Truna Jaya in his mountain retreat
to persuade him to submit to the king, since his position was hopeless.
Truna Jaya did not believe that the V.O.C. forces had come only to
fight in the king's service, as the commander said. At last Couper

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 VI. RADEN TRUNA lAVA'S DEATH 83

decided to attack. Truna Jaya's fortified residence in Ngantang was

stonned and taken with great difficulty, but the leader escaped once
more over mountain-passes southward.
p. 284. Buginese warriors who where sent in pursuit returned after
a short time empty-handed. There were rumours that they had been
bribed to give up the pursuit. Couper distrusted the Buginese as auxilia-
ries and observed that their leader Aru Palakka did not stand weIl with
the king. 80 he hastened their return to their native island. Couper was
not in a position to pursue Truna Jaya himself as he had fallen ill, so
he came down from Ngantang to recuperate in Biara.
p.287. The king proceeded westward from Kakapar and taking up
residence in Payak, a village not far from Biara, he began his own
correspondence with Truna Jaya without the commander's knowiedge,
to invite the rebel to submit. In his answer Truna Jaya tried to persuade
the king to break away from the V.O.C. alliance and to restore the old
kingdom of Majapahit, the capital of which had not been far away.
The king did not respond to this suggestion, but took the initiative and
ordered the Ambonese V.O.C. captain Jonker with his men to find
Truna Jaya in the highlands and to bring him down a captive.
p.292. Jacob Couper, although still ill, joined the king in Payak.
The king received Central Javanese reinforcements from Wanakerta,
in Pajang (the district of Mataram proper was still in the power of
his recalcitrant brother pangéran Puger).
p.294. Captain Jonker did find Truna Jaya and the remainder of
his followers (among whom were still some Makasarese gentlemen) in
a retreat high up in the mountains. Af ter some negotiation the Madu-
rese prince unconditionally surrendered, forced by hunger to do so. His
store of victuals was exhausted. He cast himself on the mercy of the
V.O.C. commander.
p.301. In Payak the Madurese prince met with a honourable treat-
ment as a captive of the V.O.C. commander. But it always had been
the king's wish to have him at his mercy. Mangku Rat was afraid of
Truna Jaya's scheme to dissolve the alliance between the House of
Mataram and the V.O.C., on which he depended to win his inheritance.
Truna Jaya knew too much about Mangku Rat's dealings when he had
been crownprince. The king therefore thought it best that he should
die. During a ceremonial visit in the royal residence in Payak, Truna
Jaya was personally stabbed with a criss by Mangku Rat and then
finished off by his courtiers. Neither Jacob Couper, who was absent
because of his illness, nor the V.O.C. government in Batavia gave much

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84 ISLAM IC STATES IN JAVA 1500-1700

credence to Mangku Rat's excuse for this deed, that Truna Jaya had
intended to murder him. Nevertheless the king was not called to account
for the death of the V.O.C. captive. It was thought that the country
was weIl rid of the troublesome Madurese prince. Ris followers were
also killed by the king's Central Javanese guardsmen.

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