This struggle gained the support of central Javanese society, many of whom saw the prince as a latter-day messiah, a Javanese “Just King” (Ratu Adil), who would liberate Java from foreign influence. Fired by a mixture of Javanese mysticism and Islam, Diponegoro demanded recognition from the Dutch as protector of Islam in Java, but successful Dutch military tactics, in particular their use of mobile columns and fortified outposts (bèntèng), eventually forced him to the conference table, where he was treacherously arrested and exiled.