Sultan Agung of Mataram

Sultan Agung Adi Prabu Anyakrakusuma (Javanese: ꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦒꦸꦁꦲꦢꦶꦥꦿꦧꦸꦲꦚꦏꦿꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩ), commonly known as Sultan Agung, was the third Sultan of Mataram in Central Java ruling from 1613 to 1645. He was a skilled soldier who conquered neighbouring states and expanded and consolidated his kingdom to its greatest territorial and military power.

Sultan Agung or Susuhunan Agung (literally, "Great Sultan" or "Majestic Sultan") is subject to a substantial amount of literature due to his legacy as a Javanese ruler, a fighter against the incursions of the Dutch East India Company, a conqueror, and his existence within a cultural framework where myth and magic are intertwined with verifiable historical events and personages. The Dutch literature wrote his name as Agoeng de Grote (literally, "Agung the Great").

For his service as a fighter and cultural observer, Sultan Agung was declared as National Hero of Indonesia on November 3, 1975.

Rangsang ascended to the throne when he was 20 years old, succeeding his half-brother, Duke Martapura, who became Sultan of Mataram for only one day. Rangsang was technically the fourth Sultan of Mataram, but he is commonly considered the third sultan because the coronation of his intellectually disabled half-brother was just to fulfill his father's promise to his wife, Queen Tulungayu, Martapura's mother.

During the second year of Sultan Agung's reign, Patih Mandaraka died of old age, and his position as patih (viceregent) was occupied by Tumenggung Singaranu.

The capital of Mataram during his coronation was still located in Kotagede. In 1614, the new Karta Palace was built in Karta, approximately 5 km in southwest of Kotagede, which began to be occupied four years later.

Sultan Agung became the ruler of Mataram in 1613. In the following year he attacked Surabaya, as well as Malang which lies south of Surabaya, and the eastern end of Java island, but failed to conquer them both. He was however able to extract a significant indemnity and used this in 1615, to conquer Wirasaba (present-day Mojoagung, near Mojokerto), an operation which he led.

In 1616, Surabaya attempted to attack Mataram in retaliation, but lacking allies the Surabaya army was crushed by Sultan Agung's forces in Siwalan, Panjang (near Surakarta). The coastal city of Lasem, near Rembang, was conquered later in 1616, and Pasuruan, southeast of Surabaya, was taken in 1617. Tuban, one of the oldest and biggest cities on the coast of Java, was taken in 1619.