Moehammad Amar Ma’ruf/Author Book of Katulistiwa
One more spectacular exhibitions and performances organized by National Library of the Republic of Indonesia ( Perpusnas RI) in collaboration with many participants from Social, Cultural and Art communities in celebrating the 200th years of Perang Diponegoro or Java War. The celebration was attended by many representatives of Librarian Officers coming from all part of regions in Indonesia as well as collegues from abroad including some representative of diplomatic missions and international organizations under the wing of Organization Islamic Cooperation/OIC, namely IRCICA which its headquarter in Istanbul Turkiye. The exhibition will last from July 20 to August 20, 2025.
What makes all attendee amused is the Java War or Diponegoro War happened in 1825-1830 has been written by the Prince Diponegoro himself or Bendara Raden Mas Mustahar or Raden Mas Ontowiryo (Son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono ke-III) during his exile in Makassar Sulawesi. This cultural and literacy works has reflected his heroic movement toward injuctice behaviour of foreign colonizer in Nusantara land during the period of colonialism.
Furthermore, Indonesian people especially current generation as well as the world citizen should be aware that International document under the UNESCO administration has recorded that the Babad or manuscript Diponegoro has been awarded as Memory of the World during the 11th meeting of the International Adviser Committee for the Memory of the World Program in Gwangju South Korea on June 21, 2013. UNESCO considered the manuscript has fulfilled some aspects, namely manuscript’s originality, historical significance, and its unique value to humanity.
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The UNESCO recognizes that Babad of War Diponegoro offer a Javanese perspective on the Java War, a conflict largely documented from the Dutch colonial viewpoint which provides insights into Prince Diponegoro motivations, his role as a leader, and his vision for Javanese society. His struggle has awakened of spirit of leadership, justice, and the role of Islam in Javanese society. The Babad Diponegoro is considered a unique and irreplaceable document, offering insights into a specific historical and cultural context. For that reason, the recognition of Babad Diponegoro decided by UNESCO as a Memory of the World underscores its global importance and its contribution to the understanding of world history and culture.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the visitors of this program during the opening celebration of this event which will last from July 20 to August 2025 in National Library building and will also be displayed in National Galery in next days under the theme NYALA will brings new hope that the visitors as current and young generation will get a precious lesson from this celebration especially in taking a good lesson of Indonesian hero in defending their peoples right and beloved country from deceitful efforts of colonialist who in fact had been doing encroachment over the Java land and its natural resources, and even doing oppression toward local peoples for their own interests in many aspects of life. Unfortunately, the colonialist injustice has influenced the family of kingdom of Jogja in making partial policy to its peoples that lead to the resistance under the leadership of Prince Diponegoro and its partners Kyai Mojo and Ali Basah Sentot Prawirodirjo. The resistance become direct war which supported by man and women under the leadership of Pangeran Diponegoro with unbalancing war materials between the Colonialist.
The picture of colonizer oppression had caused many miseries and undermining the basic right of Java peoples who actually respects the outsiders for doing living with tolerance and had changed the point of views of the local peoples under the leader of Prince of Diponegoro who actually very humble and open minded into the physical and arm resistance to the Colonialist.
The War place taken place at Tegal Rejo-Jogjakarta has spread all over Java land and becoming the great war between native peoples and Dutch colonialist. The History said that the war has caused many victims in both sides. In the side of Colonialist, at least 8000 Dutch troops died including 7000 native paid-soldier who backed the colonialist and in the side of Prince Diponegoro had taken hundred thousand martyrs.
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The Babad Diponegoro also tell all Indonesian current generation as well as the world citizen and invited to observe cunning attitude of the leader of Colonialist under the leader of General De Kock who has in fact feel scare of the braveness of Prince Diponegoro and its martyrs. The babad depicted how cunned behavior of Colonialist by inviting the Prince Diponegoro to negotiate in the residence of Kedu Regency-Magelang. What happened was very unexpected. The General De Kock has betrayed Prince Diponegoro who finally being caught and then exiled to Makassar until he died on January 8, 1855 in Rotterdam Fort in Makassar.
The Celebration of the 200th Java War or Diponegoro war is indeed always relevant and contain aspects of novelty for Indonesian current generation especially in appreciating the priceless gift of our hero in achieving Independence from the colonials in August 17, 1945. This celebration not only reminding us to the great sacrificed of our Indonesian hero but also obliging us as current generation and our future generation to respect our national commitment in maintaining the national history that was awarded by UNESCO as Memory of the World. This recognition implied us to maintain the Heroic struggle of Indonesia Heroes such as Pangeran Diponegoro, Kyai Mojo, Ali Basah Sentot Prawirodirjo, Pangeran Mangkubumi, Pangeran Adinegoro, Suryodipuro, Prince Ronggo and Ngabehi Mangunharjo into more real contribution to the Indonesian beloved country and play active role in contributing to the world peace.
At last, the 200th celebration of Java War or Dipenogoro War will always inspire us to remember the priceless contribution of our Indonesian heroes and realize our obligation to work for creating welfare and eliminating poverty level by respecting our local wisdom and avoiding injustice and respecting humanity. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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