CIREBON
The Border Of Sunda And Java
Cirebon (formerly referred to as Cheribon in English) is a port city
on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the
province of West Java near the provincial border with Central Java,
approximately 297 km east of Jakarta. The urban core of Cirebon is very
small in extent, however, its dense suburbs sprawl into the surrounding
regency. The seat of a former Sultanate, the city’s West and Central Java
border location have seen its history influenced by both Sundanese and Javanese
culture as well as Chinese.
Being on the border of “Sunda” (i.e., West Java) and “Jawa” (i.e.,
Central Java), many of Cirebon’s residents speak a dialect that is a mix of
Sundanese and Javanese. It is thought that the word “cirebon” derives from the
Javanese word, caruban, meaning “mixed”, a reference to the city’s mix of
Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, and Arabic cultural elements. Alternatively, it
could be derived from the Sundanese words of “Ci” (water or river) and “Rebon”
(“shrimp”). (Indeed, the main production of the city is fishery including shrimps).
Aside from fishery, its harbour, Tanjung Emas, on the Java Sea has
been a major hub for timber from Borneo. A small landing site “Penggung” also
serves the TNI-AU. The city lies on Jalur Pantura (Pantai Utara Jawa), a major
road on the northern coast of Java that stretches from Anyer, passes through
Jakarta, and ends at Surabaya.
According to the manuscript Purwaka Caruban Nagari, in the 15th
century Cirebon started as a small fishing village named Muara Jati. At that
time the port of Muara Jati already attracted foreign traders. The port master
at that time was Ki Gedeng Alang-Alang, who was appointed by the king of Galuh
kingdom, located inland in Kawali, Ciamis. Ki Gedeng Alang-Alang moved the port
to Lemahwungkuk, 5 kilometres southward. As the new settlement leader, Ki
Gedeng Alang-Alang was bestowed the title “Kuwu Cerbon” (Cerbon village
leader).
A prince from Pajajaran, Prince Walangsungsang, converted to Islam and
was appointed as Adipati of Cirebon with the title Cakrabumi. He established
the new kingdom of Cirebon and declared independence from Galuh. The
establishment of the Cirebon sultanate marked the first Islamic rule in Western
Java, which grew from the modest fishing village of Muara Jati to a busy port
on Java’s northern coast. Cirebon grew as one of the independent sultanates
under the leadership of Sunan Gunungjati, in the early 16th century.
The kingdoms of Banten and Mataram fought over Cirebon, which declared
its allegiance to Sultan Agung of Mataram. But the later Mataram king ceded the
city to the Dutch in the 1677. A treaty in 1705 saw Cirebon become a Dutch
protectorate jointly administered by three sultans whose courts rivalled those
of Central Java.
During the time of the Dutch “Culture System” a flourishing trade in colonial
cash crops attracted many Chinese entrepreneurs and the Chinese influence is
still evident in the batik for which Cirebon is famous. Cirebon suffered a
famine in 1844, apparently triggered by a combination of drought and the shift
from subsistence agriculture to cash crops, particularly indigo and sugarcane.
Picture Source : Google
No comments:
Post a Comment