Unable to Bear Seeing the Poor Suffer, Indonesia's Richest King Gave Away Rp 20 Billion
A king in Indonesia once distributed Rp 20 billion to the people. This was because the king could not bear to see the surrounding community trapped in poverty and suffering. On this basis, Sultan Hamengkubuwana IX gave away money to the people over a period of four months.
This story took place in 1947 in Yogyakarta, when the Dutch sought to recolonise Indonesia, during the period of the Military Aggression. At that time, the fighting caused widespread suffering. People became poorer and often lost their homes.
Civil servants suffered the same fate. Since the arrival of the Dutch, they were effectively unable to work and receive salaries, leaving their families at home without food. In such circumstances, the people faced two choices: remain loyal to Indonesia despite hardship, or defect to the Dutch and live comfortably.
This situation moved the Sultan to provide assistance. Moreover, he had previously urged everyone to offer help during difficult times.
As a result, Sultan Hamengkubuwana IX promptly opened the palace treasure chest and distributed its contents to those in need. Dutch guilders were handed out to the people outside the palace, assisted by his personal secretary and other officials.
In an interview with the author of Takhta untuk Rakyat: Celah-Celah Kehidupan Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX (1982), he admitted he did not know how much money had been distributed.
“Ah, it’s impossible to remember. I just scooped it up like this,” said the Sultan, mimicking the motion of someone scooping sand with both hands.
The Sultan distributed money not only to individuals but also to institutions. The army and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) unit received grants from the Sultan’s personal funds, all of which were used to expel the Dutch forces.
Although the Javanese king did not know the exact amount distributed, Vice President Mohammad Hatta apparently remembered the precise figure: around 5 million guilders. Five million guilders is equivalent to roughly Rp 20 billion today. When the Sultan was distributing the money, Hatta asked whether the state needed to reimburse all of the Sultan’s wealth.
However, the Sultan did not answer and instead demonstrated his sincerity in helping others. He reportedly distributed money daily to the people of Yogyakarta and employees of the Sultanate for three to four months.
“Perhaps three to four months. At the time the Dutch occupation of Yogya was nearly over. As for the main purpose, well, both. So that the people would not support the Dutch, and I saw that many of our people needed help to survive, including the families of our leaders,” said the Sultan.
For the ruler of Yogyakarta, five million guilders was only a small portion of his wealth. History records that he was one of the richest people in Indonesia, having acquired his fortune through inheritance and the kingdom’s feudal system. Previously, he had donated 6.5 million guilders to the government as initial capital for the formation of Indonesia. The sum of 6.5 million guilders is equivalent to Rp 32 billion today.