Prince Dipanagara

Javanese mystic leader who waged a five-year war against Dutch colonialism

Prince Dipanagara (1785-1855) led the Java War (1825-1830), one of the largest anti-colonial resistances in Southeast Asia. This Javanese aristocrat combined spiritual leadership with military strategy:

• Mobilized 100,000 fighters using traditional pesantren networks
• Developed guerrilla tactics in Central Java's volcanic terrain
• Inspired later nationalists like Sukarno

Though ultimately captured and exiled, Dipanagara's 5-year resistance cost the Dutch 8,000 troops and 7 million guilders. His memoir Babad Dipanagara remains crucial for understanding Javanese cosmology and resistance. Modern scholars credit his war with delaying complete Dutch control of Java by decades.