Pakualaman
In eastern Yogyakarta city lies the well-preserved Pakualaman Palace, home of the Pakualaman principality. The four palaces—namely Yogyakarta, Pakualaman, Surakarta, and Mangkunegaran—in the Yogyakarta and Surakarta regions each represent a different past political entity, but all are descendants of the Javanese Mataram kingdom.
Pakualaman itself is a relatively new principality, created by British Lieutenant-Governor Sir Thomas Raffles on becoming aware of correspondence between the royal households of Yogyakarta and Surakarta proposing they jointly oust the British from Java. In 1812 Raffles marched on the Yogyakarta kraton (palace) and its sultan, Hamengkubuwono II. British troops looted the kraton, destroying its archives and cultural treasures. The sultan's brother and former confidante, Natakusuma, who assisted the British, was rewarded with a territory of 4,000 households carved from Yogyakarta. Natakusuma took the title Paku Alam and is described in historical accounts as very savvy. He and his supporters adopted European manners and dressed in British cavalry uniforms for formal occasions (Carey 1992: 20), thus gaining greater access to Raffles' court. Paku Alam offered priceless Javanese artifacts to Raffles, well known for his interest in maritime Southeast Asia. Paku Alam is also thought to have informed the British of an alliance between Yogyakarta and Surakarta. While Paku Alam's independent territory was established in June 1812, the agreement was not formally sealed until 17 March 1813 when the Contract and Engagement between Britain and Paku Alam was signed (Carey 1992: 14). Contention with the British arose in October 1812, when Paku Alam attempted to claim more lands; Sepoy troops of the British garrison blocked further enlargement.
During World War II Paku Alam IIX forged an agreement with the Sultanate of Yogyakarta to accept a subordinate role to the main kraton. Both the sultan and Paku Alam supported the independence struggle led by Sukarno against the Dutch (1945–1949). In recognition of this, Yogyakarta retains a special status whereby the sultan of Yogyakarta is the provincial governor. In the interregnum after the death of Hamengkubuwono IX, Paku Alam IIX was appointed interim governor.
While most people living in the Yogyakarta area give their allegiance to the city's sultan, the princedom of Pakualaman has found a niche in promoting Javanese culture. Paku Alam and his immediate descendents (Paku Alam II and Paku Alam III) were all gifted in architecture, culture, and literature and did much to restore Javanese high culture in the Yogyakarta region after British destruction of the Yogyakarta kraton. The palace itself remains a repository of Javanese culture with displays of architecture, antiques, regular performances of Javanese gamelan orchestra, and other cultural arts.
Further Reading
Allan, Jeremy. (1989) Yogyakarta. Singapore: Times Editions.
Carey, Peter, ed. (1992) The British in Java 1811–1816: A Javanese Account. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Koentjaraningrat. (1985) Javanese Culture. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and Oxford University Press.
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