Introduction the Java War

The Java War and the start of the culture system

‘I succeeded yesterday in getting the brother and the sister of the Sultan in the fortress as well; the mother, Ratoe Kentjana, doesn’t want to come and is desperate; we had to lock her in. Our house is full, and our household very costly. (...) I wish my wife and children were here, then I would be at ease. My pregnant wife suffers a lot. (...) We beg your Excellence, send us reinforcements quick (...)

The causes of the Java War	The Java War and the start of the culture system

The Java War was the result of several complex developments which had caused a deep and structural crisis in central Java. Responsible for these developments, which had partially started before 1800, were not only the colonial leaders, but also the Javanese royals. In a paradox, several of the problems were caused by the period of peace and economical growth which has followed on the di (...)

De Kock against the ratu adil	The Java War and the start of the culture system

The revolt spread quickly over Central- and East-Java, but the center of it still was Jogjakarta. About half of the high nobility supported Diponegoro, besides the biggest part of the Islamic leaders, which saw the revolt as a holy war against the pagan strangers on Java. But a big amount of support also came from the farmers as well. The reason why Diponegoro was accepted as leader among these ve (...)

The best exploitation system	The Java War and the start of the culture system

The Java War had exhausted the Dutch finances even more. However the power of the traditional elite was finally broken, the colonial state wasn't doing too good as well. The state dept of 20 million guilders that Van der Capellen had left behind in 1820 was doubled. Symbolic for the situation was the health of commissioner-general Du Bus de Gisignies, sent to the in 1825 East by King Willem I to r (...)

End of the new colonial order	The Java War and the start of the culture system

Van den Bosch took over the government from Du Bus de Gisignies on 16 January 1830. This event meant the end of the new colonial order which Daendels, Raffles and Van der Capellen - each in their totally own way - tried to establish over the Indies. "What the local population concerned, their spiritual health doesn't seem good to me," wrote Van den Bosch in February 1830 to J.C. Baud, the high ser (...)