Shortly after his accession, the chief of Balambángan, aided by forces from Báli, again revolted, and an army was sent against him. The troops, however, were no sooner set in motion, than a plot was concerted against the prince's life, with the knowledge of his younger brother, Alit; but intelligence of it being communicated to the prince, Aria Salíngsing, who had been the instigator of the plot, was with his son beheaded, on the spot where a new kráton was erecting. On the intercession of Pangerán Purbáya, the prince was disposed to be lenient to his brother, as well on account of his age as a strong affection which he bore towards him. Ascending the royal eminence, the prince ordered the heads of the parties to be brought, and summoning his brother Alit into his presence, placed the heads before him, saying, "behold the reward of those who have attempted to overthrow my authority. Bring before me without delay all your followers." The Pangéran immediately retired, and not knowing what was to be the result, immediately assembled all his adherents and attendants, and informed them of what had passed, when they unanimously agreed to amók the Susúnan's party, urging that, as soon as the Matárem people saw them commence to amók, they would join them. The Pangéran, who was quite a youth, gave into the plan, and they forthwith proceeded to the alun alun, where they were not joined by a single man of the Matárem people. They however commenced amók, and the people fled in every direction, until Pangéran Chákra Níngrat of Madúra approached Alit, kissed his feet, telling him it was the order of the prince, who was aware of this proceeding, that his person should be seized, but on no account wounded or hurt, and implored him to surrender; but Alit, disregarding his proposal, drew his kris and stabbed the Pangéran, who died on the spot. The Madurese, who witnessed this scene, immediately fell upon Alit, who was soon dispatched. The Susúnan was deeply affected at the loss of his brother, and in the violence of his agitation, on receiving the account of what had passed, wounded himself in the left arm; and from this period, the Javan historians state, "that he never forgave an offence however trifling. When he was unhappy, he always put to death those who were the cause of his unhappiness, and on the slightest occasions was subject to the most violent gusts of anger."
It is related that the prince evinced great sorrow for the loss of his brother, and that when the time of mourning had expired, he wreaked his vengeance on the supposed authors of this calamity, by a massacre unparalleled in the annals of the country. A rigorous investigation was instituted to ascertain the abettors and accomplices in this attack against the prince's life, and for this purpose a commission was appointed under the direction of his favourites. The chiefs of the four quarters of the capital were directed to inscribe the names of all the priests within their respective divisions, under pretext that the prince intended to confer certain marks of distinction upon those who resided at Matárem, but in fact to prevent their escape; for no sooner were the registers made than a cannon was fired from the palace, as a signal to commence the slaughter, and within less than half an hour all the priests, whether guilty or innocent, with their wives and children, amounting to upwards of six thousand souls, were inhumanly and indiscriminately butchered.
On the following morning when the Susúnan appeared in public, he seemed much agitated, and remained without saluting his courtiers or uttering a word for the space of an hour. He then addressed himself to his uncle Purbáya, saying that the priests, who ought to have set an example to others, had conspired against his life; and to cover the atrocity of the massacre, he brought forward three or four priests, who had been purposely saved from the general slaughter, and from whom it was easy to obtain whatever evidence best suited his purpose.
In the war against Balambángan, although the Matárem forces were successful in obtaining possession of the capital, the chief and his principal adherents fled to Báli. Wíra Gúna was anxious to follow them; but a serious illness breaking out among the troops, he was obliged to withdraw them, and retreat with the few who had survived, in number not exceeding a thousand. On reaching Kedíri, intelligence was sent to Matárem of the failure of the expedition, when the Susúnan immediately ordered the chief, Wíra Gúna, with all his family, to be put to death, under the pretext of punishing his want of success, but in reality to satisfy a revenge, which he had long been anxious to gratify against this chief, on account of his having, during the lifetime of his father, preferred a complaint against him for carrying off one of his concubines.
It is said that the father of his first rátu (queen) having a pet fowl, which had been produced from a jungle hen and a domestic cock, brought it as a curiosity into the kráton and gave it to the Susúnan. The Susúnan conceiving it to be an omen, that as soon as the Pangéran Adipáti became of age he would quickly obtain the throne, assembled his pengáwa and informed them of his apprehensions. The Pangéran on hearing of it, immediately called all his family together, to the number of sixty persons, who, on the first day that the Susúnan appeared in public, sat themselves down in tears under the waríngen tree. The Susúnan inquiring their object, they called God and the Prophet to witness, that they were innocent of the bare thought of any thing which should alarm the mind of the Susúnan, and intreated that, if he anticipated sorrow or misfortune from them, he would put them to death immediately, and avert the apprehended calamity. The Susúnan desired them not to listen to people who told them such stories, and retired. Some time afterwards, the Pangéran Adipáti fell desperately in love with a young woman, who from her infancy had been brought up under an aged mántri for the royal embrace. Becoming dangerously ill on her account, he at length communicated the cause to his grandfather, Pangéran Pákik, who prevailed on the mántri to part with her for two thousand rings, one thousand dollars, and a káti of gold. The young pair were immediately married. As soon, however, as the Susúnan became apprized of the transaction, he caused his son, the Pangéran Adipáti, to appear before him with his young bride, and then directed him, in his presence, to stab her to death. He afterwards banished his son, and sentenced the Pangéran Pákik, with all his family, to capital punishment; and this aged chief, with his wife, Rátu Pándan, and his relations, to the number of forty, were accordingly put to death on the alun alun.
It is even related, among the atrocities committed by this prince, that he violated his own daughter, Rátu Bráwa, who was affianced to the son of Panambáhan Gíri Láya of Chéribon, and that on the death of one of his wives, Rátu Pamálang, he confined sixty of her attendants in a dark room, and deprived them of food until they all died.
The injustice and severity of the Susúnan became still greater as he advanced in years. His fits of anger became more frequent, and the day and night were employed in barbarous executions. Life enjoyed no security: every one was upon his guard, and fears and apprehensions wrought among people of the highest and the lowest rank. At length the attention of the chiefs having been directed to the Pangéran Adipáti, who had evinced a kind disposition in the presents he was continually making to the poor, they implored him to assume the government; and the young prince, entering into their views, formed an agreement with the celebrated chief, Trúna Jáya, who was the nephew of the Bopáti of Madúra, Chákra Níngrat. It was by these means arranged, that while Chákra Níngrat was at Matárem, Trúna Jáya should forthwith proceed to Madúra, and there heading the Madurese and the people of the eastern provinces, first rear the standard of rebellion, while the young prince himself, to preserve appearances, should remain at the court of his father, in seeming ignorance of what was going on. No sooner had Trúna Jáya, in prosecution of this plan, declared the independence of Madúra, than there arrived at Pasúruan a considerable force from Makásar, headed by Dáin Galéngsong and Dáin Manápok. An army sent against them from Matárem was repulsed, and the provinces of Pásúruan, Probolíngo, Wirasába, and Jápan, submitted to their arms.
The first establishment of the Makásars in Java, appears to have taken place A.D. 1675, when a chief from Celebes, named Kráin Monte-maráni, with numerous followers, left his country in discontent and settled in Java, to the eastward of Surabáya, near Besúki, where he collected all the vagabonds of the country, and committed great depredations by sea and land.
In this dilemma, and finding himself unequal either to dislodge the Makásar establishment or to reduce the Madurese to submission, the Susúnan dispatched his son, Pangérán Púgar, to the Dutch, A.D. 1676, with various presents, soliciting their aid.
A second army was immediately assembled, and directed to proceed by the route of Japára, where, according to the Javan accounts, the chiefs had instructions to ask the assistance of all the white people who had factories there, Dutch, French, and Portuguese, and in case of refusal, to drive them from the country. On this occasion the Dutch commandant at Japára is represented as having said, "that this application on the part of the Susúnan, was what the Dutch had been long anxious for, and that he was ready to obey his orders and sacrifice his life in his service."