Dutch–Mataram conflicts

The Dutch–Mataram conflicts, also called the Dutch–Mataram wars, were the military and political conflicts fought in Java from 1628 to 1757 between the Mataram Sultanate and the forces of the Dutch East Indies Company. The conflicts began due to trade competition. However, over time, they began involved rivalries for political power and control over the throne in Mataram.

Dutch–Mataram conflicts
Mataram siege of Batavia, 1628. (1680s print)
Date 1628–1757 (129 years) Location Java Result Dutch victory Fall of Mataram Sultanate Territorial changes Mataram is divided into two kingdoms and one principality: Yogyakarta Sultanate Surakarta Sunanate Mangkunegaran
Belligerents
Mataram Sultanate Anti-Dutch rebels	Dutch East India Company (VOC) Pro-Dutch factions
Commanders and leaders
Sultan Agung Amangkurat II # Untung Surapati † Amangkurat III Tan Kee Wie † Panji Margono † Singseh (POW) Pakubuwana II  Hamengkubuwana I  Mangkunegara I	Jan Pieterszoon Coen # Pakubuwana I François Tack † Bartholomeus Visscher Hugo Verijsel Pakubuwana II # Cakraningrat IV Pakubuwana III Nicolaas Haartingh Hamengkubuwana I
Strength
See list: 10,000 (1628) 14,000 (1629) 23,500 (1741–1743)	See list: 500–800 (1628) 46,000 (1704–1708) 3,400 (1741–1743)
Casualties and losses
unknown

Background

The conflict began when the Dutch East India Company came and sent ambassadors to trade and build lodges and forts on the North Coast of Mataram but this was rejected by the Sultan Agung. However, during the Military campaign in Surabaya, Sultan Agung using and manipulately the VOC to help him fight against Surabaya and its alliance. After completing the conquest of Surabaya, the sultan sent his ambassador to Batavia to make peace with certain conditions but was rejected by the VOC.

Course of conflicts

Siege of Batavia (1628–1629)

Main article: Siege of Batavia

Mataram ships when they invaded Batavia

In the first attack, Bahureksa's fleet carried 150 head of cattle, 5,900 sacks of sugar, 26,600 coconuts and 12,000 sacks of rice for transfer to the Dutch. However, the Dutch realized this and created a line of defense. After many ships beached, they finally invaded Batavia and they were assisted by a second army in October led by Mandurareja. However, all these attacks failed. And in the end, Bahureksa and Mandurareja were executed in Batavia by executioners sent by Sultan Agung in December 1628.

The second attack was carried out in May 1629, the first army was led by Adipati Ukur and the second army was led by Adipati Juminah. This time, Mataram prepared rice supplies in Karawang and Cirebon. When the attack was carried out they succeeded in damming and polluting the Ciliwung River which caused Jan Pieterszoon Coen to die from the Cholera epidemic. However, the Dutch used spies to find out Mataram's supplies and destroyed them so that the Mataram troops lacked supplies and were defeated.

Untung Surapati rebellion

Battle of Kartasura (1686)

19th century depiction of the murder of François Tack in Kartasura

After his escape from slavery, Untung Suropati joined the rebel forces, becoming famous for his fighting skills and bravery against the Dutch East India Company. In 1686, the VOC sent Captain François Tack to capture Suropati to Kartasura to convince Amangkurat II to deliver Surapati to him. Suropati was considered a major threat to the stability of the VOC power in Java. When Tack arrived there, Tack said that he was a soldier from Amangkurat who attacked Untung Surapati's residence.

The attack was carried out secretly, because Amangkurat II had no intention of releasing Surapati, who was considered a valuable ally. Tack and 74 other people were finally killed by Surapati's troops. The remaining VOC troops withdrew to the Dutch garrison or troops in Kartasura. Surapati then left Kartasura and went to Pasuruan.

Attack on Pasuruan

In 1690, Amangkurat II pretended to send troops to seize Pasuruan. The Dutch troops failed because the battle was only an attempt to deceive the VOC.

First Javanese War of Succession (1704–1708)

Main article: First Javanese War of Succession

c. 1890 painting of Amangkurat III

When the Trunajaya rebellion occurred, the capital of Mataram, Plered, was destroyed. Finally, they moved the capital to Kartasura. Amangkurat II, son of Amangkurat I and grandson of Sultan Agung, persuaded his older half-brother, Prince Puger, to come with him in Kartasura, then Prince Puger refused and the conflict began. Prince Puger lost and surrendered to Jacob Couper, a VOC officer who helped Amangkurat II and finally Prince Puger recognized Amangkurat II's sovereignty as Sultan and ruler of Mataram.

In 1703, Amangkurat II died and was succeeded temporarily by his son Amangkurat III. His uncle, Prince Puger, fled from Kartasura to Semarang to seek support from the VOC, and after receiving support and recognizing Prince Puger as Sultan, Puger went to war against his nephew. He launched a military campaign that overwhelmed Amangkurat III and left many places behind.

Finally, after several battles, Amangkurat III was forced to surrender and negotiate with the VOC. He handed over the status of Sultan to Prince Puger and the VOC exiled him to Ceylon. And also the Dutch made a contract with Mataram and also had to admit that Cirebon was a Dutch proctetorate.

Battle of Kartasura (1705)

In early 1705, Prince Puger's troops, assisted by mercenaries of Ambon, Banda, Makassar, Madura, and Malay attacked Kartasura. This was a major defeat for Amangkurat III and the troops sacked Kartasura, there Prince Puger entered the palace and became Sultan.

Battle of Pasuruan (1706)

In October 1706, Prince Puger's troops again attacked Amangkurat III, this time in Pasuruan. They succeeded in defeating the Amangkurat troops and also the leader of the troops, namely Untung Surapati died due to this battle

Java War and Yellow War (1741–1750)

Main article: Java War (1741–1743)

After the First and Second Javanese War of Succession, there was a riot in Batavia. The was known as Geger Pacinan, which left 10,000 Chinese traders dead and expelled them from Batavia.

Towards the end of October 1740, the survivors of the massacre, led by Khe Pandjang, attempted to escape to Banten, but was blocked by 3,000 troops of Banten Sultanate. The survivors then fled to the east, going to Semarang. Although Chinese Lieutenant, Kwee Yong Khoo, had warned of the possibility that an uprising was imminent, the military commander for Java, Bartholomeus Visscher, ignored the threat. Although the Chinese were a minority group on Java, they began to form alliances with the Javanese, who were the largest ethnic group on the island.

The conflict began during the action in Pati (1741) and the rebels attacked the posts and houses of Dutch soldiers in Rembang, Juwana, Demak, and Jepara. This made the VOC commander at that time mentally unstable and was replaced by a new commander.

Then the rebels immediately attacked and surrounded Semarang and this put pressure on the Dutch and also caused many casualties on the Dutch side. In this situation, the Dutch were almost desperate but reinforcements came and attacked the rebels so that the rebels were in disarray and Pakubuwana II left the rebels and chose to defect to the Dutch.

And in the end, Pakubuwana II was considered a traitor by the Chinese-Javanese rebels and they launched an attack on Kartasura. The attack was successful and caused the Dutch troops and also the Pakubuwana II family to withdraw from Kartasura as a result of this attack. However, this victory did not last long. In the end, the Dutch attacked rebel posts in Demak and Kudus and defeated the rebels.

Sack in Pati (1741)

In 1741, a group of 37 rebels attacked the house of a Dutch corporal in Pati, killing the corporal and looting the house including weapons.

Battle of Juwana (1741)

On 23 May 1741, 1,000 rebel troops attacked Juwana's post in Rembang. They succeeded in defeating the Dutch troops there and looted all the treasures at the post.

Battle of Jepara (1741)

After almost all the territory owned by the VOC was captured, finally the VOC commanders and troops were unable to provide significant resistance and they were increasingly pushed back and in the end Jepara fell into the hands of the rebels.

Siege of Semarang (1741)

Rebel forces launched an attack on the VOC's most important city, namely Semarang. There they sent many expeditions so that Semarang fell into the hands of the rebels and this succeeded in bringing the rebels close to the VOC fortress in Semarang.

And reinforcements came from Cakraningrat IV and also VOC reinforcements to counter this attack. They were finally able to regain the Semarang area that was captured by the rebels while killing many rebels. This situation made Pakubuwana II panic and in the end he decided to turned his coat from the rebels to the VOC.

Fall of Kartasura (1742)

Pakubuwana II abandoned the rebels and was considered a traitor to the rebels, ultimately continuing this rebellion.

Khe Pandjang, the leader of the Chinese rebels, attacked Kartasura and this attack was the biggest victory for the rebels because they captured the capital of Mataram and the palace there.

Pakubuwana II's troops numbering 2,000 men continued to defend the city from rebel hands. Meanwhile, Pakubuwana II and his family fled and crossed the Bengawan Solo River and in the end the city of Kartasura fell into the hands of the rebels.

Battle of Salatiga (1742)

VOC troops and Pakubuwana II troops cleared areas or places that were considered rebel nests, they were finally trapped in Salatiga and attacked by rebels and ultimately they lost. All soldiers were captured and executed.

Battle of Demak and Kudus (1742)

In the end, VOC power returned and they were finally able to repel and defeat the rebels. They attacked Demak and Kudus which eventually returned to the VOC and also ended the rebellion.

Battle of Surakarta (1747)

In 1747, troops led by Prince Mangkubumi attacked Surakarta with 13,000 troops. They managed to defeat the VOC and get Surakarta, at that time the VOC was in the worst situation.

Third Javanese War of Succession (1749–1757)

Main article: Third Javanese War of Succession

After the Chinese–Javanese rebellion, Mataram experienced many losses such as losing important cities, namely Demak and Semarang, and also losing a lot of territory and high financial losses. The war of succession raged again due to the bad treatment of the Governor General, Gustaaf Willem baron van Imhoff, towards Prince Mangkubumi, which made the prince rebel against the Dutch. This movement was also supported by Prince Sambernyawa, his cousin who was a brilliant soldier.

After the appointment of Raden Mas Suryadi as Pakubuwana III, a split occurred which caused the war for the throne to take place, military campaigns were launched in Surakarta and Demak.

And this caused serious divisions in Mataram and in the end this war ended with the Treaty of Giyanti, namely the treaty to separate the Mataram region.

Battle of Surakarta (1750)

Mangkubumi attacked Surakarta again in 1750, they attacked the VOC and also managed to capture several posts there causing many casualties on the VOC side.

Battle of Grobogan (1750)

In 1750, Mangkubumi's troops attacked Grobogan. This time, casualties fell on the VOC and caused the VOC to lose humiliatingly.

Battle of Demak (1750)

Sambernyawa's troops attacked the VOC again in Demak Finally, the VOC was defeated and caused more casualties on the VOC side.

Battle of Bogowonto (1750)

Mangkubumi and Sambernyawa troops attacked the VOC on the Bogowonto River and the attack was successful which resulted in the VOC losing and many casualties

Aftermath

See also: Treaty of Giyanti

The Giyanti Agreement text is signed and stamped by the parties involved.

In the end, Mataram lost all the wars they fought against the VOC and all these wars caused many areas to fall into the hands of the VOC.

And also this conflict caused Mataram to collapse and suffer major losses in the treaty they made with the VOC and this war showed the supremacy of the VOC's power in the archipelago.

References

Sources

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