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Yogyakarta Palace recovers centuries old manuscripts
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Finally home: Sultan Hamengkubuwono X observes a digital copy of a classic babad (chronicle). (JP/Tarko Sudiarno)
S
eventy-five of Yogyakarta Palace’s centuries old manuscripts have finally returned home after being stolen by British troops around 200 years ago, albeit only in their digital form.
The Brits stole the manuscripts after winning a battle known as the Geger Sepoy (Sepoy Mayhem) in 1812, during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono II.
The manuscripts contain historical and cultural accounts during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. The valuable documents were pillaged when British forces attacked the palace.
They plundered not only hundreds of babad (chronicles) and serat (texts) but also palace heirlooms, treasures and cash. The tragic incident occurred during the British colonial rule over Java under Lieut. Gen. Sir Stamford Raffles.
The invasion of the palace was led by Col. RR Gillespie, peaking on June 20, 1812. The event is historically known as Geger Sepoy (Sepoy Mayhem). It was the dark side of Raffles’ colonial rule in Indonesia.
According to Peter Carey, a British historian specializing in Javanese history, the palace was assaulted by allied forces comprising the British infantry, sepoy (Indian soldiers), aristocratic defectors and the Chinese community.
