Sunday, November 23, 2014
Hamengkubuwono IX
"
even
though I have tasted Western Education, I am still and will always be
Javanese" words spoken at his cornanation ceremony on the 18 March
1940. Later in his life he would be given the title of a National Hero
for Indonesia.
He played such a vital role in the independence of Indonesia from the Dutch
Colonial
Government
.
When the Japanese Inperial Army was advancing and taking control of
Indonesia he was told to to evacuate to Australia or to the Netherlands,
but he refused insisting that a Sultan has to stay close to its people
in times of crises - in fact he saved his people from being sent to
Burma to become forced labors by asking the Japanese to allow the
building of a water canal ( the Selokan Matarami)
When the Dutch returned to lay claim to their former colony he played a vial role again in the resistance. He was
handed
the authority in 1949 as the Dutch retreated and again by Queen Julianna in Amsterdam in December of the same year.
Directly after the declaration of independence because he gave support
to the new Central Government he was recognized by the appoint of a Life
Government and a special area was set apart.
Noni was not happy at this - he never took a Queen to be his wife but
preferred to have four concubines which gave him 21 children.
He was a fan of movies and novels and of Cooking. He began an unofficial cooking club which even member
Cabinet
Ministers as members.. He was very involved in the Scouts and enjoyed bird watching and exploring.
At the musuem we were told all this but I didnt understand most of it
until now when I did a searched. About the place I visited... Now I can
connect the dots with the tour leader and pictures and the internet
information. He is painted as a true hero a man like,our Winston
Churchill or
Abraham Lincoln
... I wonder what the real truth is ...