Among public discussion of both social and government it is often quoted that
the original resident of Jakarta is the Betawi. If as also a movement within the
feeling of Betawi blood arises lately in Jakarta, beside the joke that people
says like Betawi owns Jakarta land on history. Anthropologists have researched
the files of the history and all possible sources of the ethnic with its all pecularities.
The main source is the dministration of Dutch overseas trade such as VOC, and
their language mixed elements of vocabulary and dialect level in Betawi language
shwing broad influence of ethnics in Indonesia with the strong basis of Malay
language, and also influence of foregin ethnics such as China, Arab, India, Dutch
and Portugais. Soon from their art it is clear that various influences have been
mixed within their history. The Gambang Kromong is Chinese art, the Rebana belong
to Arab, Keroncong Tugu an Arab - Portugais art, Tanjidor is Dutch element now
recorded as the art of Betawi.
The search of the origin of the Betawi or the formation of Betawi identity has
been started by Indonesian antrhopologists with the involvement of foreign sources.
The main source is the file of Dutch administration on Jakarta or Batavia, starting
17th century which could bring more clear perspective on the ethnic history. But
how befoe 17th century? If we trace back the record about history, west Java in
general has been controled by at least 3 kingdoms, first was the Taruma Negara,
second Pakuan Pajajaran, and Sriwijaya the Sumatran kingdom, and toward the fall
of these three kingdoms it was recorded many ports along the northern and western
shore of west Java. Pajajaran kingdom which was annexed by Majapahit kingdom through
an accident called " Bubat " mentioned port of Kalapa, which is later
known as Sunda Kelapa. Sunda Kelapa is he traditional port of current Jakarta
full with traditional boat of phinisi. It is also recorded in the hitory that
phinisi has been the main sea transportation for Indonesia in the past which belong
to the tradition of south Sulawesi ethnic called " Bugis " So, it is
no doubt that the port was inhabited by the people of Sunda and Bugis from the
beginning. As in fact that sea port always in contact with foreign traders such
as Indian, China, and Arab. The control of Sunda over Sunda Kelapa continued until
1526 when Demak under commander of Fatahillah conquered the port, and the Sundanese
driven back to the area of Bogor. Since then sunda Kelapa was inhabited by the
people from Demak and Cirebon, and Sunda Kelapa changed into Jayakarta. In 1619
the Dutch conquered Jayakarta under Jan Pieter Zoon Coen army, and then the town
was under the control of Dutch, and the people of Demak, Cirebon, Arab, and China
moved to the Ciliwung sides, and other people moved to the area under Banten sultanate.
Starting the end of 17th century with various agreements between Banten and Mataram
and the Dutch, the area of Jayakarta again resided by various people. The new
residents were classified as group of slave and free inlanders. Until the mid
of 19th century many mixed marriage happened, between Dtuch, local and Chinese,
which born Indo at Batavia. It is said that the women slaves were transported
from Bali, although not nacessaryly all Balinese, as Bali at the time used as
transit trade of slaves by the royal family and Chinese trader from east of Indonesia.
The Chinese is said like to merry women from Bali and Nias, and part of this society
still maintain Chinese tradition for example the people of Glodok and what is
known as Chinese Benteng in Tanggerang, and a part mixed with Javanese which formed
the group of Betawi Ora, inhabit the area of Parung. Decendants of Indian and
Arabian were very small until 1840 ehen the people of Hadramaut arrived in big
numbers. This people also married local women, and maintained their Arab tradition.
In the town of Jayakarta which has been changed into Batavia centered as the majority
were chinese, Mardijk ( Indian ), Sri Langka, and the slaves from various ethnics
of Indonesia. The people of Banten who was the society originated from Demak and
Cirebon were forbidden to live in the town. Dutch file records 27.086 person living
in the town in 1673 consist of 2.740 Dutch, and Indo, 5.362 Mardijk, 2.747 Chinese,
1.339 Javanese, and Moor ( Indian ), 981 Bali, 611 Malay, plus slaves 13.278 persons,
from various ethnics. During Dutch colonization of Jakrta they were very active
in registering the people including their group or ethnic origin. Research on
the history of people Jakarta started by Australian historian Lance Castle found
that the residnet register of 1615 and 1815 mentioned various ethnics but no mention
of Betawi. Register of 1893 show the disspearance of some ethnics such as Arab,
Moors, Java, Sunda, south Sulawesi, Sumbawa, Ambon, Banda, and Malay. Yet register
on 1930 appeared suddently group of Betawi with the number of 778.953 and they
were majority of Batavia resident but an awareness as Betawi was not yet formed
until 1923 when Moh. Husni Thamrin formed the association of Betawi. Dr. Yasmine
Zaki Shahab MA wrote that the formation of Betawi group started between 1815 -
1893 and according to Prof. Dr. Parsudi Suparlan, the awareness of Betawi as a
group of ethnic were not standing in depth, and they prefer to called themselves
based on the location where they live such as Kemayoran, Senen, or Rawabelong.
Sinc e the independence of Indonesia in 1945, various ethnics have been moving
to Jakarta, causing in a short time the Betawi become a miniroty or even dissapeared
at some places. A discussion about the Betawi people has been published on the
web site.
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