A portrait of Susuhunan Pakubuwono IX of Surakarta (1830-1893)
Pencil and charcoal drawing on paper in original frame,
H. 28.5 x 28.5 cm / H. 46 x W. 46 cm (incl. frame)
Pakubuwono IX, ruler of Surakarta then known as Solo, was the second son of Pakubuwono VI and reigned from 1861 till his death in 1893. He was born as Gusti Raden Mas Duksina and was still in the womb when his father was exiled to Ambon by the Dutch for supporting Prince Diponegoro's rebellion. After reaching adulthood, Raden Mas Duksina got the title Kangjeng Gusti Pangeran Haryo Prabuwijaya. As Pakubuwono IX, he ascended the throne to replace Pakubuwono VIII (his father's uncle) on December 30, 1861. The great Javanese poet Ranggawarsita (1802- 1873) described his reign in many of his literary works, for example, in Serat Kalatida.
The relationship between Pakubuwono IX and Ranggawarsita itself was less than harmonious due to slander from the Dutch that Mas Pajangswara (Ranggawarsita's father, who served as palace clerk) had leaked the secret of the alliance between Pakubuwono VI and Prince Diponegoro. As a result, Pakubuwana VI was exiled to Ambon. Pakubuwono IX never forgave Mas Pajangswara's family, even though the clerk himself died of torture in a Dutch colonial prison. Ranggawarsita himself tried to improve his relationship with the king through the writing of his Serat Kalatida, one of his most popular works. In Serat Kalatida, Ranggawarsita praises Pakubuwono IX as a wise king surrounded by sycophantic officials seeking personal gain and called the era ‘the Mad Era’.
Part of the Indonesian Archipelago collection.
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