Yogyakarta

The Special Region of Yogyakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, or DIY), is the smallest province of Indonesia (excluding Jakarta). It is located on the island of Java. It is the only province in Indonesia that is still formally governed by a pre-colonial Sultanate, the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. In English it is pronounced /ˌdʒoʊgdʒəˈkɑrtə/, which derives from its Dutch spelling Jogjakarta. In Javanese (and Dutch) it is pronounced [jogjaˈkartɔ].

The city of Yogyakarta is the capital of the province. Yogyakarta is located in south-central Java. It is surrounded by the province of Central Java (Jawa Tengah) and the Indian Ocean in the south. The city is located at 7°47′S, 110°22′E. The population of DIY in 2003 was approximately 3,000,000. The province of Yogyakarta has a total area of 3,185.80 km². Yogyakarta has the second-smallest area of the provinces in Indonesia, after the Jakarta Capital Region. However it has, along with adjacent areas in Central Java, some of the highest population densities of Java.

Yogyakarta province is administratively subdivided into four regencies (kabupaten) and one city (kota): Bantul Regency (506.86 km²), Gunung Kidul Regency (1,485.36 km²), Kulon Progo Regency (586.27 km²), Sleman Regency (574.82 km²) and Yogyakarta City (32.5 km²).

Yogyakarta (city) is located within the Yogyakarta province, Yogyakarta city is known as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows. It is also famous as a center for Indonesian higher education. At Yogyakarta's center is the kraton, or Sultan's palace. While the city sprawls in all directions from the kraton, the core of the modern city is to the north.

The Yogyakarta Sultanate, formally the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, was formed in February 13, 1755 when the existing Sultanate of Mataram was divided by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in two under the Treaty of Giyanti. This treaty states that the Sultanate of Mataram was to be divided into the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat with Yogyakarta as the capital and mentioned Pangeran Mangkubumi who became Sultan Hamengkubuwono I as its Sultan with the title of Sultan Hamengkubuwono Senapati Ingalaga Abdul Rakhman Sayidin Panatagama Khalifatullah (The Carrier of the Universe, Chief Warrior, God's Servant, Cleric and Caliph that Safeguards the Religion); and the Sultanate of Surakarta Hadiningrat with Surakarta as the capital and Pakubuwono III who was the ruler of the Sultanate of Mataram as its Sultan. The Sultan Hamengkubuwono I spent the next 37 years building the new capital, with the Kraton as the centerpiece and the court at Surakarta as the blueprint model. By the time he died in 1792, his territory exceeded Surakarta's.

The ruler Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX (April 12, 1912 - 1988) held a degree from the Dutch Leiden University, and held for a time the largely ceremonial position of Vice-President of Indonesia, in recognition of his status, as well as Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense. In support of Indonesia declaring independence from the Dutch and Japanese occupation, in September 5, 1945, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogya and Sri Paku Alam VIII in Yogya declared their sultanates to be part of the Republic of Indonesia. In return for this unfailing support, a law was passed in 1950, in which Yogyakarta was granted the status of province Daerah Istimewa (Special Region Province), with special status that recognizes the power of the Sultan in his own region's domestic affairs. Hence Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX was appointed as the governor for life. During the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch after World War II (1945-1950), the capital of the newly-declared Indonesian republic was temporarily moved to Yogyakarta when the Dutch reoccupied Jakarta from January 1946 until August 1950.

The current ruler of Yogyakarta is his son, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who holds a law degree from Universitas Gadjah Mada. Upon the elder sultan's death, the position of governor, according to the agreement with Indonesia, was to pass to his heir. However, the central government at that time insisted on an election. In 1998, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was elected as governor by the provincial House of Representatives (DPRD) of Yogyakarta, defying the will of the central government. He remains the only governor in Java without a military background: "I may be a sultan," he has been quoted in Asia Week as saying, "but is it not possible for me to also be a democrat?"

The principal residence of the sultan is the kraton (palace), sometimes called the Yogyakarta Kraton but more properly known as Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat.

Style and titles of Immediate Family Members of Yogyakarta Sultanate:
Garwa Padmi (The Queen) : Gusti Kanjeng Ratu.

Garwa Ampeyan (Concubines) : Kanjeng Raden Ayu.

Putra Mahkota (Crown Prince) : Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Anom.

Son / Daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Padmi : Gusti Raden Mas/Gusti Raden Ajeng.

Son / Daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Ampeyan : Bendara Raden Mas/Bendara Raden Ajeng. Son of the Sultan (prior to his initiation as Crown Prince) : Gusti Bendara Pangeran Haryo (GBPH). First daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Padmi : Sekarkedhaton .

Second daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Padmi : Sekartaji.

Third daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Padmi : Candrakirana.

First son of the Sultan from Garwa Ampeyan: Bendara Raden Mas Gusti, after marriage his title changes into Gusti Pangeran.

First daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Ampeyan: Bendoro Raden Ajeng Gusti, after marriage her title changes into Pembayun.

Oldest daughter of the Sultan from Garwa Ampeyan: Kanjeng Ratu.

Titles of Extended Family Members and the Descendants:
Male family members of second to fourth generations: Raden Mas, after marriage the title changes into Raden or Raden Tumenggung .

Female family members of second to fourth generations: Raden Ajeng, after marriage the title changes into Raden Ayu.

Male family members of fifth and subsequent generations: Raden Bagus, after marriage the title changes into Raden.

Female family members of fifth and subsequent generations: Raden Roro, after marriage the title changes into Raden or Raden Nganten.

Title that is bestowed upon and cannot be passed on to the next generation: Male: Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo.

The province of Yogyakarta bore the brunt of a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on 27 May 2006 which killed 5,782 people and left some 36,299 persons injured. More than 135,000 houses are damaged, and 600,000 people are homeless. The earthquake extensively damaged the local region of Bantul, and its surrounding hinterland. The most significant number of deaths occurred in this region.

The coincidence of the recent eruption of Mount Merapi, and the earthquake would not be lost on the older and more superstitious Javanese - as such natural phenomena are given considerable import within their understanding of the spiritual aspect of such events.

Yogyakarta is served by Adisucipto International Airport and has signed a sister relationship agreement with Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, and California, United States.

Source: Wikipedia