Combat between VOC and Trunajaya forces

1676

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Caption Bahasa Indonesia

The crown of Mataram: historical account of the Dutch's first campaign in the interior of Java

Source: De kroon van Mataram: historisch verhaal van den eersten krijgstocht der Nederlanders in de binnenlanden van Java [J. Hendrik van Balen , 1890]

Semarang fell under Trunajaya Force who initiated a military campaign against Amangkurat I of Mataram, and VOC troops.

Previous event:

1674 - Trunajaya takes a huge step in his campaign against Amangkurat I. With 9.000 in total troops from Madura and Makassar, Trunajaya managed to capture Surabaya. At the same time, the alliance between Trunajaya and Mas Rahmat (Amangkurat II) was disbanded due to the reneging of the initial agreement between the two nobles; Mas Rahmat turned to favor Amangkurat I (his father).

Related events:

1676 - Raden Kajoran, who was also Trunajaya's father-in-law, joined the resistance with the focus of the movement through the interior of Java. The outcome of this movement was the capture of most of the important cities on the north-east coast of Central Java, including Semarang, Demak, Kudus, and Pati.

April 1677 - Admiral Cornelis Speelman and his VOC troops were able to defeat Trunajaya and recapture Surabaya. Trunajaya and his troops retreated towards Kediri.

June 1677 - Trunajaya alliance troops led by Raden Kajoran were able to

penetrated Mataram's stronghold and captured the palace of Plered.

Amangkurat I and Mas Rahmat fled westward.

13 July 1677 - Amangkurat I passed away and was buried in a place called Tegalarum (south of Tegal), Mas Rahmat was appointed as the successor king of Mataram with the title Amangkurat II.

September 1678 - Governor General Anthonio Hurdt and Amangkurat II began a military campaign with the aim of attacking and destroying Trunjaya's last stronghold in Kediri through the interior of Java.

25 November 1678 - Kediri is seized by the VOC and Amangkurat II. Trunajaya once again fled towards the interior of East Java; in the hilly area, when VOC troops and Mataram troops ravaged Trunajaya's fortified town.

Amangkurat II of Mataram without the knowledge of the VOC's commander made contact with Trunajaya. Amangkurat II requested Trunajaya to surrender, submit to the king, and end the resistance. Trunajaya did not respond, instead made suggestions that persuaded the king to break away from the alliance with VOC and restore the old glory of the Majapahit Kingdom.

Amangkurat II did not respond to these suggestions, but took the initiative and ordered VOC captain Jonker of Ambon and his men to search for Trunajaya in the highlands and take him as a prisoner.

September 1678 - VOC troops under the command of Captain Jan Albert Sloot moved to attack Raden Kajoran's last stronghold in Mlambang, Gunung Kidul. The VOC took control of Mlambang, Raden Kajoran surrendered, but Sloot ordered to kill Raden Kajoran immediately.

At the end of 1679 - Trunajaya was captured in the interior of East Java and handed over to Amangkurat II with treatment as a prisoner of honour of the VOC Commander.

January 1680 - Trunajaya was stabbed with a keris by Amangkurat II at Payak, during a ceremonial visit by royal relatives. The main reason for this act, which was widely condemned by both sides, was that Amangkurat II feared Trunajaya would scheme and take action to dissolve the alliance between the VOC and the House of Mataram, on which Amangkurat II depended to win his inheritance.

A painting that depicted Prince Amangkurat II stabbing the rebel Trunajaya with his kris named "Kyai Blabor", whom he had brought before him with his two wives; Klinting Koening and Klinting Woengoe. In spite of the fact that the Commander-in-chief of VOC's army; Couper and Captain Jonker, commander of the Prince's bodyguard, had promised Trunajaya his life.

Source: Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology in Leiden/ by J.H. Maronier. - 's-Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff, 1967.