1825 July - December - Research Documentation on Djogjakarta

1825 July - December - Research Documentation on Djogjakarta

Author: Peter Carey, Feureau

Year: 1825

This extensive archival collection documents the crucial first six months of the Java War (1825–1830), tracing the rebellion's outbreak in Yogyakarta from July to December 1825 through Dutch colonial correspondence, military reports, legal testimonies, and financial records. The material reveals how Pangeran Diponegoro, the Javanese prince and Muslim religious leader, along with his brother Mangkubumi and other allied princes, initiated a widespread uprising against Dutch authority, driven by personal grievances, economic exploitation through land rent and oppressive taxation, religious fervor, and the fatal miscalculations of Resident Smissaert, who dismissed Diponegoro's legitimate complaints as madness. The documents chronicle the failed diplomatic efforts, the initial military expedition to Tegalreja that sparked open conflict, the rapid spread of rebellion across Kedu, Solo, Madiun, and Patjitan, and the desperate Dutch response, including the appointment of Lieutenant-General De Kock with full civil and military powers, the suspension of Smissaert, and the gradual shift to a military strategy hampered by troop shortages, supply difficulties, and fierce guerilla resistance. Al