As a youth in the care of his grandfather, Mangkunegara I had been prepared for the succession to the royal throne which had been diverted from his father Crown Prince Arya Prabumijaya I who died before his father Mangkunegara I. Boundary disputes with neighboring areas increased tensions which led to open warfare.

While Mangkunegara II was ruler in the Duchy of Mangkunegaran, his administration was preoccupied with war and territorial expansion.

The use of the word "Legion" for the army reflects the Mangkunegaran absorption of new ideas from Europe through Daendels, who served as Governor-General in Dutch East Indies.

Territory taken from Yogyakarta Sultanate, the first Duke of the Duchy, Prince Natakusuma was appointed Paku Alam I with the title Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya on 13 March 1813.

Ada group Natakusuma with his son Natadiningrat group in addition to Crown Prince (candidate Hamengkubuwono III) by Captain Yogyakarta region namely China Tan Jiem Sing (later titled Tumenggung Secadiningrat).

In the two periods of the Governor-General (Daendels and Raffles), Yogyakarta suppressed with military force to compel Hamengkubuwono II from the throne.

At the same time-Sepehi Gurkha Soldiers who came to Java with the British plan involved a rebellion against British rule because of circulating rumors that they will be sold to the Netherlands and they abandoned England so as to enlarge the number of troops hit Yogyakarta then Raffles contacting their Prince Prangwadana of Mangkunegaran to exert Legion Mangkunegaran back up troops Natakusuma.

Terhadap combat forces that extend the power were not reluctant to act tough even if they have to dissolve the authority and traditional rulers in Java.

At the time, Raffles ruled Java and replaced Janssens, Sultanate Yogyakarta threatened dibubarkan.

Solution founding of the Duchy of Yogyakarta is compromised to prevent the emergence of a kingdom with two rulers.