Causes of the Java War
If you have read the other 19th Century pages you will know that the causes of the Java War can be traced directly back to the French Revolution of 1789. This page focuses on the shorter term causes of the war, but there is a review task at the bottom of the page which asks you to link the long term and shorter term causes together.
Diponegoro's final split from the Yogyakarta court
By early 1824, Diponegoro had fallen out entirely with the Yogya court. Arguments over tax and the dismissal of two of his close friends had led to him pursuing an active spiritual life. He spent periods in complete silence in a cave in Secang especially during the fasting month. He even went down to the south coast to pray with the goddess of the southern ocean, a traditional Javanese spirit. According to Diponegoro’s babad, the fifteen months before the Java War from May 1824 to July 1825, were a very important time for him. The dreams he had during his time in the cave led to him seeing himself as fulfilling the role of the Ratu Adil who would lead a war in Java to establish a new spiritual kingdom.
Diponegoro's Spiritual and social appeal
Diponegoro was not alone in his beliefs. The late December 1822 eruption of Mount Merapi and the previous year’s cholera epidemic, seemed to ordinary Javanese to be proof that the time of the Just King was coming. Thus, when Diponegoro began to stockpile weapons and call his followers to arms, he was also able to command widespread support from different social groups. This made his rebellion the first of its kind in Java. Previous rebellions and conflicts had been largely between rival princes for control of resources or territory.
Proximate cause/The Trigger Point
The final step before open war was the building of a highway through Diponegoro’s lands. The prince is supposed to have ordered that the stakes marking the road to be replaced by pikes as a sign that he considered the unannounced highway a reason for war. He also sent his wives, children and older retainers away from Tegalreja to safety in Selarong with money and valuables to pay for his troops. The prince began to wear his favourite kris and all the signs were there that he had decided to fight. War was coming.
Review Cards: Short Term Causes of the Java War
Review Task: Concept Map
Create a concept map showing the causes of the Java War. The best ones will a) include links to the longer term causes of the Java War b) group the causes into categories. Here is an example of a concept map covering the causes of WW1