One of the causes of the war was Governor-General van Imhoff's humiliation of Prince Mangkubumi, the younger brother of Pakubuwana II of Surakarta's, by demanding the lease of the Javanese northern coast for an annual payment of 20,000 reales.

Van Imhoff and Patih Pringgalaya then persuaded Pakubuwana II to cancel the grant of a fief in Sukawati (now Sragen) which had been promised to Mangkubumi as a reward for defeating Raden Mas Said's rebellion there in 1746.

In response, Mangkubumi left Surakarta and rose up against the Dutch East India Company and Pakubuwana II joined forces with his nephew and former enemy, Raden Mas Said.

[1] In the midst of the Mangkubumi rebellion in 1749, Pakubuwana II fell ill and asked Johan Andries, Baron Van Hohendorff to assume control over the kingdom.

[2] After years of battles including at Grobogan and Demak, the Dutch under de Clerck suffered a crushing defeat at the Bogowonto River.