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Major General Muhammad Mangundiprojo was an Indonesian military officer, revolutionary, and civil servant. Born in the
Sragen Regency Sragen Regency () is a regency () in the eastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. It covers an area of 994.57 km2 and had a population of 858,266 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 976,951 at the 2020 Censu ...
on the island of
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, Mangundiprojo joined a nationalist group during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He later fought in the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during A ...
against the return of Dutch colonial authority to Indonesia, and later went on to become a politician.


Early life

Muhammad Mangundiprojo was born on 5 January 1905 in the Javanese province (which are referred to as regencies) of
Sragen Sragen Regency () is a regency () in the eastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. It covers an area of 994.57 km2 and had a population of 858,266 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 976,951 at the 2020 Censu ...
. At the time, Java and many other provinces constituted the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, a colonial possession ruled by the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. Mangoendiprodjo's family had a history of fighting against the Dutch; his great grandfather had served the
Sultanate of Demak The Demak Sultanate () was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak. A port fief to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in the last quarter of ...
and had fought alongside
Diponegoro Prince Diponegoro (; born Bendara Raden Mas Mustahar, ; later Bendara Raden Mas Antawirya, ; 11 November 1785 – 8 January 1855), also known as Dipanegara and Dipa Negara, was a Javanese prince who opposed the Dutch colonial rule. The eldest s ...
, a 19th-century Javanese noble whom had opposed Dutch rule in the
Java War The Java War (; ; ), also known in Indonesia as the Diponegoro War (; ), was an armed conflict in central and eastern Java from 1825 to 1830, between native Javanese rebels headed by Prince Diponegoro and the Dutch East Indies supported by J ...
. During his formative years, Mangundiprojo chose to pursue the career of becoming a civil servant in the Dutch colonial government. In 1926, he graduated from a Dutch-operated university on Java and planned to join the
Municipal Police Municipal police, city police, or local police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. This includes the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive fundi ...
. However, he instead became a prosecutor in the
Jombang Regency Jombang Regency (; ) is a regency of East Java, Indonesia, situated to the southwest of Surabaya. The capital of the regency is the town of Jombang. The regency has an area of 1,159.50 km2 and a population of 1,202,407 at the 2010 censusBiro ...
.


Japanese occupation

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Japanese army invaded and occupied Java in 1942. The Japanese dismantled much of the island's colonial infrastructure and chose to support nationalist movements which would oppose the return of Dutch authorities. On such effort was
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
, a volunteer army unit which Mangundiprojo joined in 1944. Before being deployed, he received a military education
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
; he was then given command of a unit in the
Sidoarjo Regency Sidoarjo Regency () is a regency in East Java, Indonesia. It is bordered by Surabaya City and Gresik Regency to the north, by Pasuruan Regency to the south, by Mojokerto Regency to the west, and by the Madura Strait to the east. It has a land ar ...
in East Java. When the war ended in 1945, many of the PETA units were disarmed. However, many soldiers and officers, including Mangundiprojo, maintained their military training and discipline.


Indonesian National Revolution


Battle of Surabaya

With the world war II over, the Dutch government sought to regain control over its former colony in Indonesia, which had declared itself independent from the Netherlands on 17 August 1945. On 26 October, British soldiers and men from the
Netherlands Indies Civil Administration The Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (, NICA) was a semi-military organisation, established in April 1944, tasked with the restoration of civil administration and law of Dutch colonial rule after the capitulation of the Japanese occupation ...
landed in Surabaya to occupy the city, which had recently been evacuated by the Japanese garrison. This act caused tensions to flair between the British and the local Indonesians, many of whom now considered themselves to be citizens of an independent Indonesia. Violence soon began, and soon former members of
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
, including Mangundiprojo, formed units to fight against the British forces. A ceasefire was called on 29 October, Chief of Staff Indonesian armed forces,
Oerip Soemohardjo General Priyayi, Raden Oerip Soemohardjo (; Perfected Spelling System, Perfected Spelling: Urip Sumoharjo; 22 February 1893 – 17 November 1948) was an Indonesian general, the first chief of general staff of the Indonesian National Arme ...
, and local military leader Moestopo, selected Mangundiprojo to work with the British to ensure the ceasefire was maintained. In 30 October, While touring the Surabaya city with British brigadier general
Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby Brigadier Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby CIE OBE (12 December 1899 – 30 October 1945) was a British Indian Army officer who was killed in a shootout during the Battle of Surabaya in what was then the newly proclaimed as independent Republic ...
, the British officer attempted to secure the safe return of a group of Anglo-Indian soldiers whom had been surrounded by a crowd of independence supporters. However, the situation escalated when Mangundiprojo was captured by the Anglo-Indian soldiers, and in the confusion, Mallaby was killed by members of the crowd while the brigadier sheltered in his car. His death provoked a reprisal by the British, starting the battle of
Battle of Surabaya The Battle of Surabaya () was a major battle in the Indonesian National Revolution fought between regular infantry and militia of the Indonesian nationalist movement and British and British Indian Army, British Indian troops against the re-imp ...
. Later, Mangundiprojo fought during the battle against the British. During the later
Indonesian war of Independence The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during ...
, Mangundiprojo played a role in seizing a large sum of money that the Dutch colonial authorities were keeping in a bank.


Post-Independence

After the war of Independence, Mangundiprojo joined the Indonesian civil service. He served as the
Regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
of
Ponorogo Ponorogo Regency (; ) is an inland Regency (Indonesia), regency () of East Java Province of Indonesia. It is considered the birthplace of Reog, Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indonesian dance form. The regency covers an area of , and it had a popu ...
from 1951 to 1955.


Death

Mangundiprojo died in Bandar Lampung in 1988. In 2014, he was posthumously named as a
National Hero of Indonesia National Hero of Indonesia () is the highest-level Orders, decorations, and medals of Indonesia, title awarded in Indonesia. It is posthumously given by the Government of Indonesia for actions which are deemed to be heroic, defined as "actual de ...
.


References

{{Authority control 1905 births 1988 deaths Indonesian revolutionaries Members of Pembela Tanah Air National Heroes of Indonesia People from Sragen Regency