THE JAVA WAR, ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY WARS AGAINST THE DUTCH COLONIALISTS
By: Hamly Hadi
(History Observer)
The Java War (Diponegoro War) caused enormous casualties, estimated at over 200,000 Javanese, including peasants, fighters, and civilians, in addition to European and indigenous casualties fighting for the Dutch, making it the deadliest conflict of its time. Approximately 8,000 European soldiers and 7,000 indigenous soldiers were killed.
These figures demonstrate the extraordinary impact of this war, not only in terms of military combat but also in the widespread social and economic crisis across Java due to the destruction of villages and the suffering of the people.
During the war, the Dutch spent 25 million guilders (equivalent to 2.2 billion USD today/36 trillion Rupiah).***
Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, December 29, 2025
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