This book was originally a thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, as a fulfilment for a Master of Arts degree in the year 1977. The original title was Keagung-binatharaan - A Study of the Dynamics of the Absolute Power of the Kings of Mataram: 1550 - 1755. The manuscript was completed in 1975, and then sent to the Faculty of Arts, Monash University in …