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The largest city in Indonesia, Jakarta is located on the northwestern coast of Java. Originally known as Sunda Kelapa, Jakarta spreads across 661.52 square kilometers. Jakarta in Indonesia has history of nearly 500 years. And if you go through the history of Jakarta, you will learn that this port city that originated along the downstream of Ciliwung River developed into a famous trading center by 14th century. This port was involved with trade from Palembang, Tanjungpura, Malacca, Maccasar, Madura, India and South China and served as the base for exporting pepper, rice and gold. This port, part of a Hindu kingdom-Sunda, was called Kelapa and witnessed the imperial rule of the Portuguese since 1513. The Portuguese built a warehouse and a fort in Kelapa in a measure to symbolize protest against the Muslim reign of the Sultanate of Demak brewing in the central part of Java. However, the city soon succumbed to attack by a youth, Fatahillah, who led Muslim soldiers from Cirebon and Demak on June 22, 1557. This is when Fatahillah changed Sunda Kelapa into Jayakarta meaning Complete Victory. Jakarta still celebrates its birthday on this date.
Jayakarta, was again renamed as Batavia in the 17th century by the Dutch imperial
forces, who arrived in 1596 and built many fortifications in Jakarta. Jakarta’s
History says at this time, that Prince Jayawikarta, a follower of the Sultan
of Banten, a harbor town on the west of Jakarta, controlled the mouth of Ciliwung
River from the western side. He also invited British forces to built houses
on the western bank of the river to compete the stronghold of the Dutch in that
area. However, when the interaction between the Dutch and Prince gradually grew
sour, then the Prince attacked Dutch areas with the help of English troops and
defeated them in 1618. Meanwhile, the relation between the Sultan of Banten
and the Prince also deteriorated because the Prince laid the siege
without taking permission from the Sultan. Finally, the Prince had to shift
his base to Tanara , a part of Banten. This gave the Dutch the scope to reassert
themselves and revive the relationship with Banten Empire. With the help of
soldiers from Japan, Germany, Scotland, Denmark and Belgium, the Dutch
then reoccupied Jayakarta and renamed it to Batavia to pay homage to the ethnic
group of Batavier, who were the ancestors of the Dutch. The city, which henceforth
was administered from a base about 500 meters from the Port, grew southward.
However, the unplanned growth of the city harmed the ecological balance and
thus was shifted to higher terrain by the Dutch forces. Though, the original
remnants of the town of Jakarta, were entirely destroyed during the Dutch invasion,
the name Batavia continued to be in use till 1942.
It was during the Japanese invasion in 1942, that Batavia was once again renamed
Jakarta reminding of Jayakarta. Then the Indonesian war of Independence followed
and continued till 1949 with the simultaneous attack by the Dutch. Finally,
Indonesia was given the independent status by the Dutch and Jakarta was restored
as the capital of Indonesia.
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