Mangkunegara I, 1st Duke of Mangkunegaran also known as Prince Sambernyawa ("Life Reaping Prince"), his birth name was Raden Mas Said (7 April 1725 – 28 December 1795), established the Puro Mangkunegaran, in Surakarta, Java Island. Thus, he was the first ruler of The Principality of Mangkunegaran.
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Personal life
Mangkunegara was given the nickname "Life Reaping Prince" by Nicolaas Hartingh because the prince had brought his enemies to death during the war. Hatingh was the Dutch East India Company's Governor of the Northeast Coast of Java, located in Batavia.
Raden Mas Said was born on 7 April 1726 in Kartasura. Mangkunegara was brought up by his mother, Raden Ayu Wulan and his father, Prince Mangkunegara of Kartasura. His father was the eldest son of Amangkurat IV born to a concubine, Mas Ayu Sumanarsa of Nglaroh (also known as Mas Ayu Karoh), and by his princely title of Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Mangkunegara, he was the crown prince of Mataram. His maternal grandfather was Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Blitar, younger brother of Amangkurat IV. Thus, his parents were first paternal cousin.
In 1747 (1642 AJ), he married Raden Ajeng Inten or Raden Ajeng Bruwok, daughter of Hamengkubuwana I. She was later styled Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Bendara upon her father's ascension.
He was in-law with Pakubuwana III as his eldest son, Kanjeng Pangeran Harya Prabuwijaya, born to Raden Ayu Matahati of Nglaroh, wed his daughter. She was originally a concubine by the name of Mas Ayu Matahati, elevated to Raden Ayu Mangkunegara Sepuh.
War against the Dutch East India Company
Said's war against the Dutch East India Company started with the rebellion in Kartasura Palace on 30 June 1742, which was led by Raden Mas Garendi (a.k.a. Sunan Kuning) and destroyed the four meters of Kartasura's castle wall. Pakubuwono II, the ruler of Kartasura Palace at that time, evacuated himself to Ponorogo Regency.
Said was 19 years old when he joined his uncle, Mangkubumi, to defend the people of Mataram which was oppressed by the Dutch Company, and their king, Pakubuwono II. The uncle-nephew siege the Kartasura Palace, which was called the Dutch puppet Kingdom. When the army sieged the palace, the nobles left the Kartasura Palace to evacuate themselves. Raden Mas Said built a fortress in Randuwalang, to the north of Surakarta, and merged his army with Sunan Kuning forces to fight against the Dutch Company. Said was promoted and became the warlord.
Their army managed to destroy the Surakarta Palace. When Pakubuwono II died, Prince Mangkubumi ran to Semarang to meet the ruler of the Dutch East India Company and asked him so Mangkubumi become the king of Mataram. Of course, the Dutch East India Company did not grant Mangkubumi's wish. Then, Mangkubumi joins Prince Puger in Sukowati, a district in Surakarta. With the help of the Dutches, all of the Chinese armies drove out from Kartasura Palace, but six months later, Pakubuwono II went back to Kartasura just to find out that his palace had been destroyed.
But the king's request for reinforcement from the Dutches is not for free, and must be paid expensively; the north region of Java, from Rembang, Pasuruan, Surabaya, and Madura Island must be handed over to the Dutch East India Company. Also, every coronation and promotion in the palace must receive approval from the Dutch Company first.
When Prince Mangkubumi declared that he join the army with Said, he chose to guerrilla against the Dutch Company in the jungle in Yogyakarta.
He married to Raden Ayu Kusumapatahati, the daughter of a clerics, Kyai Kasan Nur Iman. Then, at the age of 22, married again for the second time with Raden Ajeng Inten, a daughter of Prince Mangkubumi by his primary consort. When Said separated his army from Raden Mas Garendi, and built a headquarters in Panambangan, then declared himself as Prince Mangkunegara I. Not long after his declaration, his throne was struck by lightning. This means that Said cannot be the king or act like the king in the palace.
Family
According to Babad Panambangan (1918), his three concubines: Bok Ajêng Kasiyah, Bok Ajêng Tambiyah, and Bok Ajêng Amiyah were carried off by his servant, Ngabei Matangrasa. His children were listed below.
Unnamed daughter, died
Radèn Mas Sura, titled Pangeran Arya Prabu Wijaya, married Gusti Kangjêng Ratu Alit. They had a son, Pangeran Arya Prangwadana, who, after the passing of his grandfather, succeeded as Kangjêng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Mangkunegara II
Radèn Ayu Sombrong or Radèn Ayu Anggèr, married Radèn Tumênggung Yudanagara of Banyumas
Radèn Ayu Suryanagara of Kaduwang
Radèn Ajêng Sri, styled Radèn Ayu Suryanagara of Kaduwang, married the same man as her sister.
Radèn Ajêng Sêmi, styled Radèn Ayu Ănggadirja or Wăngsadirja
Radèn Ayu Surya of Kabanaran
Radèn Mas Slamêt, titled Pangeran Arya Purbanagara
Radèn Ajêng Soblêm, styled Radèn Ayu Rêksanagara of Tegal
Radèn Mas Sakatun, titled Radèn Mas Suryaditruna
Radèn Ajêng Srêndêp, styled Radèn Ayu Mangkukusuma
Radèn Ayu Puspakusuma of Surakarta
Pangeran Arya Padmanagara of Wirasaba
Radèn Mas Tumênggung Arya Suryamarjaya of Wirasaba
Radèn Mas Tumênggung Arya Suryakusuma of Pace