Kartasura

Kartasura
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Conventional long name	Kartasura
Common name	Kartasura
Status	Capital of the Mataram Sultanate
Year start	1680
Year end	1745
Event start	Foundation by Amangkurat II
Event end	Capital moved to Surakarta
P1	Mataram Sultanate
S1	Surakarta Sunanate
Capital	Kartasura
Common languages	Javanese
Religion	Islam
Government type	Monarchy
Title leader	Susuhunan
Leader1	Amangkurat II
Year leader1	1680–1703
Leader2	Pakubuwana II
Year leader2	1726–1745

Kartasura was the capital of the Mataram Sultanate on the island of Java from 1680 until 1745. Its history is pivotal to understanding the consolidation of Dutch political and military influence over the interior of Java, marking a critical transition from independent Javanese power to a protectorate under European colonial control. The court's internal conflicts and reliance on VOC military support established patterns of indirect rule that defined much of the subsequent colonial period in Indonesia.

Foundation and Early History

Kartasura was established in 1680 by Amangkurat II following the destruction of the previous capital, Plered, during the Trunajaya rebellion. The rebellion, a major civil war within Mataram, was ultimately suppressed with crucial military assistance from the Dutch East India Company (VOC), setting a precedent for future dependency. The new capital's location, near modern-day Surakarta, was strategically chosen but remained vulnerable. The foundation of Kartasura symbolized a new, fragile era for Mataram, one beginning under the shadow of a powerful foreign creditor and ally whose support came with escalating political and territorial demands.

Role in the Mataram Sultanate

As the royal seat, Kartasura was the political and cultural heart of the Mataram Sultanate during a period of severe instability. The court was the center of Javanese court culture, gamelan music, and wayang theater, but its authority was continuously challenged by regional rivals and internal dissent. The Susuhunan (monarch) ruled from the kraton (palace), but his power was increasingly circumscribed by the need to balance competing factions of princes, regional lords (bupati), and religious leaders. This internal weakness made the court perpetually reliant on external military support to maintain its position, a role the VOC was eager to fill.

Relations with the Dutch East India Company (VOC)

The relationship between Kartasura and the VOC evolved from a military alliance into one of deepening subordination. Initial cooperation against common enemies, like the rebellion led by Surapati, saw VOC forces stationed near the court. In return for their support, the Dutch extracted increasingly costly concessions, including monopolies on trade, control over key ports like Semarang and Surabaya, and the cession of territories. Treaties, such as those signed by Amangkurat II and his successors, transformed the VOC from a merchant partner into the kingdom's paramount creditor and political guarantor, effectively controlling its foreign policy and succession.

The Kartasura Succession Wars

The fragility of the Kartasura court was catastrophically exposed during the First Javanese War of Succession (1704–1708) and the Second Javanese War of Succession (1719–1723). These conflicts were fratricidal wars among royal princes, each seeking VOC backing to claim the throne. The Dutch, represented by officials like Governor-General Joan van Hoorn, systematically intervened, choosing candidates who promised the most favorable treaties. The wars devastated the countryside, further weakened the kingdom's economy, and cemented the VOC's role as kingmaker. The victor, Pakubuwana I, owed his throne entirely to Dutch arms, binding Kartasura's sovereignty to Batavia.

Treaty and Vassalage under Dutch Influence

The succession wars culminated in formal treaties that legally enshrined Kartasura's vassalage. The treaty following the First Succession War granted the VOC extensive territorial and economic rights. Subsequent agreements required the Susuhunan to seek Dutch approval for major decisions, host VOC garrisons, and pay for the cost of the troops that kept him in power. This system of indirect rule allowed the Dutch to dominate central Java without the administrative burden of direct government. The court of Kartasura became a client state, its autonomy hollowed out, setting a model for later Dutch relations with the successor states of Surakarta and Yogyakarta.

Decline and Move to Surakarta

Kartasura's final crisis came during the reign of Pakubuwana II, whose involvement in the Third Javanese War of Succession (1746–1757) and the Chinese War (1740–1743) led to disaster. In 1742, the court was sacked and occupied by a rebel coalition. Although retaken with VOC help, the palace was considered spiritually polluted (tulah) and irreparably damaged. In 1745, Pakubuwana II, with Dutch consent, abandoned Kartasura and moved his capital to the newly built Surakarta (Solo). This move physically marked the end of Kartasura's political significance and the beginning of a new, albeit more firmly divided, albeit, albeit, the Netherlands East India Company's Sunanate.

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