[1] The establishment of the Special Region was done by President Sukarno as a reward for the recognition of the kings of the Surakarta Sunanate and the Duchy of Mangkunegaran who declared their territory as part of the Republic of Indonesia on 19 August 1945.

The government of Praja Mangkunegaran, which was a continuation of the monarchy before Indonesian independence, was led by the Patih for and on behalf of Mangkunegara VIII.

The last condition before the Second World War put Surakarta Sunanate and Mangkunegaran Praja in a position to develop the agrarian industry, especially sugar cane and tobacco.

After Indonesian independence, supported by the decline of economic life and political turmoil, the working class moved to form a revolution.

Like the East Sumatran Social Revolution, the Surakarta anti-swapraja movement wanted to abolish the royal system on the grounds of anti-feudalism.

[19] At the time of the establishment of the Special Region of Surakarta, Dr. Moewardi had a stronger influence than Pakubuwono XII,[20] who was considered to have no experience in managing matters of public interest, lacked the seriousness and courage to make decisions and did not understand the forces of revolution that were moving towards western democracy and popular sovereignty.

The Barisan Banteng (BB) unit, led by Muwardi, managed to take control of Surakarta while the Indonesian government did not suppress it because of General Sudirman's defence.

On the city's seizure in January 1946, the Barisan Banteng kidnapped Pakubuwono XII, Kanjeng Ratu, and Soerjohamidjojo, demanding that Sunan be aligned with other popular leaders as "Bung" (meaning Comrade or Brother).

Another motive was the seizure of agricultural lands controlled by the two monarchies to be divided to the peasants (landreform) by the socialist movement of the anti-swapraja.

The action was responded positively by the leader of the TRI (Tentara Republik Indonesia) General Soedirman by releasing the 12 people.

[19] The increasingly precarious conditions in Surakarta culminated on the 3 July Affair, when the first Prime Minister of Indonesia, Sutan Syahrir, was kidnapped by the republican opposition, Persatoean Perdjoangan (Union of Struggle), led by Major-General Sudarsono[22] and 14 civilian leaders, among them was Tan Malaka, of the Indonesian Communist Party.

However, on 2 July 1946, 3rd Division soldiers led by Major General Soedarsono stormed Wirogunan prison and released the 14 rebel leaders.

[30] The power of Surakarta Hadiningrat Sunanate and Kadipaten Mangkunegaran became increasingly limited and wained as a result of the 1948 law governing the appointment of the Head of the former Special Region, who was always chosen from the descendants of the Royal family.

Eventually, the Minister of Home Affairs, through a decree dated 3 March 1950, declared that the territories of the Sunanate and Mangkunegaran were administratively part of the province of Central Java.

that at the beginning of his reign, Pakubuwono XII failed to take an important role and take advantage of the political situation of the Republic of Indonesia.

Pakubuwono XII at that time was considered powerless in the face of anti-swapraja groups who aggressively maneuvered in politics and spread rumours that the Surakarta nobles were allies of the Dutch government, so that some people felt distrustful and rebelled against the rule of the Sunanate.

The TNI had even prepared Colonel GPH Jatikusuma (the first Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army), the son of Pakubuwono X, to be appointed as the new Susuhunan and Lt. Col. Suryo Sularso to be the new Mangkunegara.

On 14 December 2010, a group of people held a demonstration and a joint prayer, known as 'Ritual Wilujengan', at the border of Yogyakarta Province, near the south side of Prambanan Temple area.

The protesters demanded the government's promise to give them as a special region, in accordance with UUD 45 article 18 and that they would go to the Constitutional Court if not fulfilled.

The petitioners contended that the Special Region of Surakarta held historical and constitutional significance, possessing its own government and culture.

They argued that the region's dissolution and subsequent integration into Central Java Province contravened the provisions outlined in the 1945 Constitution.

[39] The lawsuit garnered media attention, which prompted a reaction from then elected governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo and his provincial government.

While Ganjar stated that he would respect whatever decision the Constitutional Court makes regarding the lawsuit and that the matter of Surakarta Special Region is up to the president and the parliament, while the governor and the provincial council can only give recommendations after a thorough study.

[40] Though, he questioned the rationale behind the demand for Surakarta Special Region, and whether it would improve governance and public service, as it could create unrest among the people.

Moreover, the court raised doubts regarding the legitimacy of one of the petitioners, who claimed to be the son of Susuhunan Pakubuwono XII, the final ruler of the Surakarta Palace.

A member of the Surakarta Palace's Traditional Council, Satriyo Hadinagoro, criticizes the Constitutional Court's ruling and called it “funny and unreasonable” and said that his side would file another lawsuit.