Following confirmation that he would not be running in the
2024 regional elections, Anies Baswedan released a video statement on August
30, 2024, on his YouTube channel. In the video, he addressed several ongoing
discussions and shed light on current issues. However, aside from his
statement, what caught the public’s attention were three objects behind him:
YouTube’s Gold Button, a painting of Prince Diponegoro, and a staff gifted by
the people of Kotagede during Anies’ visit in August 2023.
The staff and the painting of Prince Diponegoro in the video
rekindled public memory of one of the most iconic relics from the Java War
hero, known as the Kiai Cokro staff. The image of Anies holding the staff
during his tenure as Minister of Education and Culture, after it had been
repatriated from the Netherlands, resurfaced across the internet.
In 2015, the Dutch government returned the Kiai Cokro staff
to Indonesia, marking a significant moment in the repatriation of Indonesian
historical artifacts. This was part of a larger effort, with other personal
items of the prince, such as his horse saddle, spear, and self-penned notes,
being returned to Indonesia as well.
Prince Diponegoro, born on November 11, 1785, as Raden Mas
Ontowiryo, was the eldest son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III of Yogyakarta and
Raden Ayu Mangkarawati, a concubine from Pacitan. Despite being the eldest,
Diponegoro could not ascend the throne because he was born to a concubine, not
the queen. However, his influence in the politics of Yogyakarta began at the
age of 27, helping his father in a power struggle against his grandfather,
Sultan Hamengkubuwono II.
After declining a position as crown prince offered by the
British, Diponegoro remained influential even as his younger brother and later
his nephew ascended to the throne. His appointment as one of the guardians for
the underage Sultan Hamengkubuwono V in 1823 marked the beginning of his
tension with the Dutch colonial rulers.
The conflict escalated when Dutch authorities began placing
stakes on Diponegoro’s land in Tegalrejo without his permission, marking the
construction of a new road. This act of provocation ignited the Java War
(1825–1830), as Diponegoro rallied various allies, including Kiai Mojo, Sentot
Alibasyah, and Nyi Ageng Serang, to fight against the Dutch.
The five-year resistance culminated in Diponegoro’s capture
on March 28, 1830, after a controversial meeting with Dutch General de Kock in
Magelang. Although the prince came to discuss ending the war, he was deceived
and arrested, a move de Kock himself later admitted was dishonorable and
deceitful.
Prince Diponegoro’s legacy has not only endured through
stories of his resistance but also through artifacts associated with him. One
such artifact is the Kiai Cokro staff, a 1.4-meter-long iron-handled staff
believed to have been made in the 16th century for the King of Demak. The staff
was later passed down to Diponegoro, who used it during pilgrimages. According
to historian Peter Carey, the staff symbolized Diponegoro’s claim to the title
of Ratu Adil (Just King), a prophesied leader who would bring justice to the
people, further fueling his image during the war.
For years, the Kiai Cokro staff was kept in the Netherlands,
taken as a war trophy by the coalition forces of Java and the Dutch. In 1834,
it was presented to Governor-General J.C. Baud, who returned to the Netherlands
with the staff after his term ended in 1836. The staff was safeguarded by
Baud’s descendants until 2015, when it was returned to Indonesia after being
rediscovered by curators at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The return of the Kiai Cokro staff and other Diponegoro
artifacts highlights Indonesia’s ongoing efforts to reclaim its cultural
heritage. In 2020, the Keris Nogo Siluman was returned by the Dutch during King
Willem-Alexander’s visit to Indonesia, reinforcing the symbolic importance of
these artifacts in Indonesia’s fight for independence.
The presence of the staff in Anies Baswedan’s video
reignited public interest in Diponegoro’s legacy. The staff, once used by the
prince during pilgrimages, is more than a historical relic; it serves as a
reminder of the nation’s long struggle for independence and the enduring spirit
of resistance against colonial powers.
As Indonesia continues to honor its past, artifacts like the
Kiai Cokro staff stand as testaments to the country’s rich history and the
enduring memory of those who fought for its freedom.
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