Pekalongan is a city of Central Java, Indonesia. It was formerly the seat
of Pekalongan Regency on the northern coast of the province, but is now an
independent municipality within the province. The city is Central Java's most
important port, and is known for its batik.
The
coastal area around Pekalongan was part of the ancient Holing (Kalingga)
kingdom. The 7th century Sojomerto inscription, discovered in neighboring
Batang Regency, Central Java, is linked with Kalingga as well as the ancestor
of the Sailendras. The exact location of the Kalingga capital is unclear
however, that it was suggested lies somewhere between Pekalongan and Jepara.
However it is most likely that Kalingga was located in Pekalongan instead of
Jepara, since there is similarity of names between Kalingga and Pekalongan. The
name probably slightly shifted over centuries, from Kalingga, Kaling, Kalong,
and later added with pe- -an circumfix forming "Pekalongan".
The
history of Pekalongan dated back to the early 12th century. A book written in
1178 by a Song dynasty official already had record of Pekalongan, then known to
Chinese merchants as "Pukalong", it was then a seaport of Java (then
known as Dvapa); the king of Java lived at Pukalong, knotted his hair at the
back of his head, while his people wore short hair and wrapped their body with
colorfully weaved cloth.[2] Chinese merchant ship set sail from Canton during
November, with the aid of fair wind sailed nonstop day and night, arrived at
Pukalong in about one month. The people made wine from coconuts, produced very
delicious red and white cane sugar, the kingdom made coins out of bronze and
copper, 60 copper coins exchanged for one tael of gold. Local produces included
pepper, clove, sandalwood, eaglewood and white round cardamom.[3]
Pekalongan
became a part of the empire of the Sultanate of Mataram through treaty and
marriage alliances by the early 17th century. The area was on the geographic
periphery of the empire, which was based in interior central Java. However, it
was a wealthy area, and by the end of the 17th century, the substantial money
and produce it sent to the center made it a key part of Mataram's realm. The
area went into economic decline during the 18th century, and the Dutch East
India Company began to gain substantial influence over the area's political and
economic life. The Dutch built a fort in the city in 1753; this fort still
stands.
From the
1830s, the Pekalongan area became a major producer of sugar. Sugarcane had been
grown in the area since early 12th century, as recorded in Chinese history
books, but production expanded substantially during the mid-19th century due to
Dutch efforts. Initially, production was boosted through compulsory corvée
labor; the Dutch colonial government took advantage of longstanding Javanese
expectations that the peasantry contributes a part of their labor to the state.
Between the 1860s and the 1890s, this system was phased out, and workers were
paid directly. The colonial sugar industry collapsed during the Great
Depression of the 1930s, but sugar remains a key export of the area in
independent Indonesia.
On October
8, 1945, an anti "Swapraja"/anti feudalism movement called Three
Regions Movement/"Gerakan Tiga Daerah" was established in Tegal,
Pekalongan, and Brebes. The goal of this movement was to replace the blue blood
regents (related to the kings from Jogyakarta and Surakarta) with ordinary
people. According to the leaders of this movement, the old regents had
cooperated with Japanese during the world war II and sent people to the
Japanese slave labor camps.
The main
leader of this movement was Sarjiyo who became the new regent of Pekalongan.
Other leaders of this movement were Kutil, K. Mijaya, and Ir. Sakirman. Ir
Sakirman was the local leader of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
The old
regents were arrested, stripped naked, and dragged into the prisons. Other
government officials and police officers were kidnapped and massacred at Talang
bridge. This movement also started a racial riot against ethnic Chinese in
Brebes.
The government
of Republic of Indonesia (RI) in Jogyakarta disagree with this movement and
declared it as an illegal movement.
On
November 4, 1945, the movement attacked Indonesian army HQ and the regent
office in Pekalongan. The rebels were defeated by Indonesian army in a fierce
battle on December 21, 1945. Most leaders of this movement were arrested and
thrown into the prisons. This rebellion is called Three Regions Affair.
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