Prabu Suryodilogo To Be Installed As Ruler Of Jogjakarta Royal Enclave

By Azeman Ariffin JAKARTA, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- After much tussle between two royal families ver who should be crowned the 10th Paku Alam (Raja Kecil or ruler) of the subordinate royal enclave of Pakualaman in Jogjakarta, the honour finally went to Wijoseno Hariyo Bimo, the eldest son of Paku Alam IX, who passed away in November last year. Wijoseno, 53, whose official title and name is Kanjeng Bendara Pangeran Haryo (KBPH) Prabu Suryodilogo, will be crowned Paku Alam X Thursday during a ceremony steeped in royal rituals and customs. The Kadipaten Pakualaman, or Pakualaman principality, lies within the historic Jogjakarta Sultanate. While the Sultan of Jogjakarta, Hamengkubuwono, holds the position of Governor in the Jogjakarta Special Region, the Paku Alam holds the position of Deputy Governor. Prabu Suryodilogo was previously the head of the Jogjakarta Special Region's Community Well-being Bureau and he has two children, Suryo Sri Bimantara and Bismo Srenggoro Kuntonugroho. Indonesian media have quoted Prabu Suryodilogo as saying that he was ready to accede to the throne and be the next Adipati Kadipaten Pakualaman or duke of the Pakualaman principality. "I pray to the Almighty that all will go well. I also hope that I'm worthy of the trust placed in me. One more thing, I will not be able to rule single-handedly and I will need the help of my friends and companions - those who can voice out their disapproval or criticise me (if the need arises) to stop me from thinking that I'm always right," he was quoted as saying in a report carried by the Kompas newspaper. INSTALLATION CEREMONY Head of Ceremonies Roy Suryo Notodiprojo told a media conference that the installation ceremony of Paku Alam X would take place at the Pakualaman Complex, located near the Jogjakarta palace. The Raja Kecil resides at Pura Pakualaman and status-wise, he is ranked just below Sultan Hamengkubuwono. Rituals pertaining to Paku Alam X's installation ceremony will begin at 8.30am Thursday at Pura Pakualaman before he and other members of the royal family proceed to the main hall at the Pakualaman Complex for the remaining ceremonies. The newly-installed Paku Alam X is scheduled to deliver his first address after the installation ceremony, where he is expected to outline his vision and mission as Kadipaten Pakualaman. A motorcade along the main roads of Jogjakarta has been scheduled for Thursday evening, where Paku Alam X will be introduced to the local people whilst being driven around in the Kyai Manik Kumala, as the royal vehicle is known. He will be accompanied by members of royalty and dignitaries. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE According to history, the principality of Pakualaman was founded by Sultan Hamengkubuwono 1's son, Pangeran Notokusumo. During the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono 11, the title of Paku Alam was created when chaos broke out following a plot to topple the ruler by a group of palace officials who were under Dutch influence. The Dutch then intervened in the royal affairs and Pangeran Notokusumo, who was anti-Dutch, had to leave the palace. Then came the British and as a reward for cooperating with them, Pangeran Notokusumo was crowned the first Paku Alam on March 17, 1813. His territory or principality covered a part of Kulon Progo and the city of Jogjakarta. Two grandchildren of Paku Alam III, Suryopranoto and Suwardi Suryaningrat, turned out to be notable personalities. Suryopranoto was known for defending the rights of the working class and had organised strikes in 1920 during the Dutch administration, so much so that the Dutch labelled him "De Koning van Stakings" or King of Strikes. Suwardi Suryaningrat, on the other hand, advocated education and urged the people to become knowledgeable so that they could oppose the Dutch more effectively. When Indonesia attained independence and became a republic, the government decided to retain Jogjakarta's monarchy and, hence, established the Jogjakarta Special Region. Sultan Hamengkubuwono's heirs were entitled to the Governor's post while the Deputy Governor's position went to Paku Alam's lineage. PRESENT-DAY DISPUTE Meanwhile, in 1999 the late Ambarkusomo or Paku Alam IX was officially appointed Deputy Governor to replace his father Gusti Raden Mas Harya Sularso Kunto Suratno (Paku Alam VIII), who passed away in 1998. But Ambarkusomo's appointment gave rise to controversy as he was the son of the second wife of Paku Alam VIII, who also has a son named Anglingkusomo with his first wife. Ambarkusomo, however, was seen as more qualified to hold the Deputy Governor's post as he was older than Anglingkusomo, who was the fourth child of the first wife. Paku Alam VIII's wives had eight children each and after deliberating on the matter, the royal family decided to name Ambarkusomo as heir to the throne as he was the oldest among the sons. Ambarkusomo held the post for 16 years until he breathed his last on Nov 20 last year at the age of 77. After his death, Tjondrokusumo, who was head of ceremonies at the palace, hurriedly acknowledged Ambarkusomo's son Prabu Suryodilogo as acting Deputy Governor and Paku Alam IX's successor. This was, however, disputed by Prabu Suryodilogo's uncle Wiroyudho, who alleged that Tjondrokusumo did not have the right to make such an appointment as it was the prerogative of the royal family to do so. Wiroyudho said since there were other heirs who also have the right to be appointed to the post, the matter had to be discussed by all the parties concerned before a decision was made on who should be appointed. The dispute eventually died down and Thursday, Prabu Suryodilogo will officially replace his father as Paku Alam. -- BERNAMA