Sunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta. In the original name, it is known "Sunda Kalapa" (from Sundanese words). The port is situated in Penjaringan sub-district, of North Jakarta, Indonesia. Although Sunda Kelapa today only a small port of Jakarta, this port is important for the development of this city. Jakarta has its origins in Sunda Kalapa and the village around it.
According to a Chinese source in the book of Chu-fan-chi written around 1200, Chou-Ju-Kua describe that in Indonesian archipelago there was two most powerful and richest kingdoms; Srivijaya and Java (Kediri). According to this source in early 13th century Srivijaya still ruled Sumatra, Malay peninsula, and western Java (Sunda). About Sunda, the book describe it further that the port of Sunda (Sunda Kelapa) is really good and strategic, pepper from Sunda is among the best quality. People work on agriculture and their house are build on wooden piles (rumah panggung). However the country was invested by robbers and thieves. [1].
Sunda Kelapa and Europe
Sunda Kelapa, together with Aceh and Makassar, was one of the few Indonesian ports that maintained close ties with Europe. In 1522, Portuguese had concluded a politico-economic agreement with Sunda Kingdom, the authority of the port. In exchange for military assistance against the threat of rising Islam Javan kingdoms, Prabu Surawisesa, king of Sunda at that time, granted them free access to the pepper trade. Some Portuguese who were in the service of the sovereign, made their homes in Sunda Kelapa.
Sunda Kelapa port built by Dutch colonialist.
In 1619, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, a Dutch man, seized the port from the Sultanate of Banten and built a port there.
Footnotes
References
Jan Gonda, 1951, Sanskrit in Indonesia.
Adolf Heuken SJ dan Grace Pamungkas, 2000, Galangan Kapal Batavia selama tiga ratus tahun. Jakarta:Cipta Loka Caraka/Sunda Kelapa Lestari
Supratikno Rahardjo et al., 1996, Sunda Kelapa sebagai Bandar di Jalur Sutra. Laporan Penelitian. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI
Thomas B. Ataladjar dan Sudiyono, 1991, 'Sunda Kelapa' di Ensiklopedi Nasional Indonesia. Jakarta: Cipta Adi Pustaka
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