Rulers index

The diplomatic letters were sent to Batavia Castle by hundreds of different kings, sultans, governors and other power holders from across a very broad region which included not only the Indonesian archipelago, but the whole of Asia, and stretching west as far as the Middle East, Africa and Europe. All of these rulers had their successors, and this is also evident when studying these letters. In different ways, this page provides a clear overview of all the rulers found in these letters, including their kingdoms’ locations, the period of their respective reigns, and the amount of letters they sent and received.

The top ten diplomats and monarchs who corresponded with Batavia by diplomatic letter are presented here:

Download the full overview here of the rulers and ordered by their total number of letters

Download the full overview here, ordered geographically and chronologically

Download more background information about the rulers and the chronology of their reign, as presented here in a separate overview by Maarten Manse and Simon Kemper


Browsing and searching for rulers

The names of the rulers engaged in this diplomatic correspondence can be browsed and searched for. This includes both the original correspondents and those receiving the letters. The ruler’s names are standardized according to modern spelling and are arranged alphabetically. Rulers may have different alternative names in the letters, and these alternative names are also mentioned for each ruler. For research purposes, the ruler’s alternative names will all direct the researcher to the standardized name.


Name Alternative names Location Number of letters
Lords of Kupang Kupang 70
Sangaji Lamahala Lamahala 70
Sultan Hasanuddin Muhammad Ali Shah (1695-1731) Sultan Hasanuddin Muhammad Ali Shah bin Sultan Jamaluddin
Bima 70
Ngabehi Kartayuda (1690-1720) Governor of Ciasem
Ciasem 69
Susuhunan Amangkurat II (1677-1703) Raden Mas Rahmat
Pangeran Adipati Anom
Sunan Amral
Kartasura 66
Ama Tomananu (1698-1731) Lord of Sonebai
Kupang 64
Susuhunan Pakubuwono I (1704-1719) Pangeran Puger
Raden Mas Drajat
Susuhunan Paku Buwana Senapati Ingalaga Ngabdurahman Sayidin Panatagama Khalifatulah Tanah Jawa
Kartasura 64
Panglima Raja Padang Panglima Maharaja Laut
Padang 60
Sultan Muhammad Arif Zainul Asyikin (1753-1777) Banten 60
Lords of Barus Raja's and Penghulu's of Barus
Barus 59
Sultan Mahmud III (1761-1811) Sultan Mahmud III Shah Alam ibni al-Marhum Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah
Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah
The Most Serene Prince Paduka Sri al-Wakil al-Imam Sultan Mahmud Ri’ayat Shah Zilu’llah fil’Alam Khalifat ul-Muminin ibni al-Marhum Sultan ‘Abdu’l Jalil Shah
Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Johor and Pahang and their dependencies
Johor 59
Sultan Amir Iskandar Zulkarnain Saifuddin (1714-1751) Kaicili Sehe
Raja Laut
Paduka Sri Sultan Amir Iskandar Zulkarnain Saif ud-din ibni al-Marhum Sultan Said Fathu'llah
Ternate 57
Sultan Sulaiman Saidullah (1801-1825) Tahmidullah II
Sultan Sulaiman al-Mu'tamidullah
Banjarmasin 57
Raja Tumenggung Secadipura (1731-1752) Minister Secadipura
Cirebon 56
Sangaji Dasi (1665-1701) Jacob Dasi
Lamakera 54
Sultan Sepuh II Jamaluddin (1697-1723) Cirebon 54
Sultan Muhammad Sahadin (1741-1780) Muhammad Sahudin Shah Kaicili Danukalamo
Bacan 53
Lords of Bima Bima 52
Sultan Anom I Badruddin (1662-1703) Prince Kartawijaya
Sultan Anom Abil Makarimi Muhammad Badrudin
Cirebon 52
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin I (1724-1757) Palembang 52