Storming of Pleret

Pleret was abandoned as a capital but still played another role during the Java War (1825–1830) between the Dutch and the Javanese forces under Prince Diponegoro.^[3] Pleret was occupied by Diponegoro in 1825.^[4] He kept his weapons and livestock there. Diponegoro used it as a base to attack convoys supplying the nearby Imogiri held by the Dutch.^[3] In April 1826, the Dutch attacked Pleret under General Josephus Jacobus van Geen [nl].^[3] Diponegoro did not engage in combat and withdrew to the west.^[3] Van Geen entered Pleret and took the weapons and livestock kept there as booty.^[3] Lacking forces to keep the town, he withdrew to Yogyakarta.^[3] Thereafter Diponegoro reocuppied the town and fortified it.^[3] Diponegoro gave particular importance to this city.^[5] In June 1826, Dutch forces with a strong contingent of Madurese auxiliaries besieged the town. On 9 June, the besiegers detonated a mine under the ramparts, causing a breach through which they attacked.^[3] After a day of "bloody fighting", the attackers completely occupied Pleret.^[3] This battle was Diponegoro's first major defeat in the war. The Dutch left a garrison of 700 men, and there was no further attempt from Diponegoro to retake Pleret.^[3]