Surakarta

History

Until the independence of the Indonesia in 1945, Surakarta was the seat of a royal court. The city was founded in 1743 by Paku Buwono II, sunan (" souverain") of Mataram, a kingdom of the center of Java. Kartasura, the capital, had been put at bag by the prince Tjakraningrat of Madura. In the Javanese royal tradition, when a misfortune arrived at the kingdom, the king moved the capital. Paku Buwono II chooses a place at the edge of the river Solo, to 12 km in the east of Kartasura.

In 1746 a brother of Paku Buwono II, the prince Mangkubumi, joined its nephew prince Said, entered in rebellion 1741. This act starts the 3rd Javanese war of succession. The sunan falls ill in 1749. The baron von Hohendorff, governor of the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Company or " Dutch Company of the Eastern Indies " , created in 1602 by Dutch merchants) for the north-eastern coast of Java, establishes the son of Paku Buwono II, which takes the title of Paku Buwono III. The new governor, Nicolaas Hartingh, promises in Mangkubumi to offer part of Java to him. A treaty is signed in 1755 with Giyanti, by which the VOC recognizes the sovereignty of Mangkubumi on half of Java Centers. Mangkubumi takes the title of sultan Hamengku Buwono and built his capital, which he baptizes Yogyakarta, on the site of old Mataram.

But Said continued its rebellion. Neither Surakarta, neither Yogyakarta, nor the VOC managed to capture it. Said, on its side, could not hope to demolish them to conquer Java. It starts negotiations and ends up lending allegiance to the three powers in 1756. In return, it receives sunan a stronghold of 4.000 hearths, the Principauté of Mangkunegaran. It takes the title of Pangeran Adipati (prince) Mangkunegara and makes build its palate with Surakarta.

Java enters during one time of peace which will be stopped only in 1825 with the rebellion of prince Diponegoro de Yogyakarta. See also: History of Java

Culture and tourism

Sit of an old royal court and of a princely court, Solo preserves a rich person cultural heritage.

The city shelters a STSI (Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia, " school higher of arts of Indonésie").

Of Solo, one can visit the temples of Ceto and Sukuh on the sides of the volcano Lawu, in the east of the city.

Transport

Solo is on one of the two principal railways of Java, that which connects Jakarta to Surabaya by the south. The city is also connected by rail to Bandung, capital of the province of Western Java and important university center.

The airport of Adisumarno Solo has an international statute. It is connected to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and to Singapore.

Solo is also accessible via the International airport of Yogyakarta, located at approximately 60 km.

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