Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Mangkunagara VIII (born in Kartasura, 7 April 1925; died in Surakarta

Surakarta

Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...

, 2 August 1995 at the age of 70 years; came to power in 1944) was the last ruler of Mangkunegaran

Mangkunegaran

Mangkunegaran is a small hereditary Grand duchy located within the region of Surakarta in Indonesia.It was established in 1757 by Raden Mas Said, when he submitted his army to Pakubuwana III in February, and swore allegiance to the rulers of Surakarta, Yogyakarta, and the Dutch East Indies Company,...

, in Java

Java

Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...

, in modern Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

. He experienced the Dutch colonial period and the beginning

Indonesian National Revolution

The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...

 of Indonesia's independence.

Mangkunagara VIII faced extreme difficulty in maintaining the sovereignty of his state. As a result, the state of Surakarta

Surakarta

Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...

 (including Mangkunagaran) were incorporated into the province of Central Java

Central Java

Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...

 in 1950. Mangkunagara VIII died in 1995 and was succeeded by his third son as Mangkunegara IX

Mangkunegara IX

Mangku Negara IX is the current traditional ruler of the former state of Mangkunegaran, located in Java, in modern Indonesia. He succeeded the last ruler, Mangku Negara VIII, as Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Mangku Negara on 3 September 1987.-References:...

.