A Short Background History of Banten
The history of Banten is a complex narrative of trade, political change, and cultural interactions. Banten was one of two major ports of the 14th century Sundanese kingdom of Pajajaran. The Sundanese began trading with the Portuguese in Melaka in the early 16th century. Muslim expansionism from the kingdom of Demak pushed toward Banten during this time. Hasanudin seized Banten and took control of the area for the Muslim power. The Sultan of Demak named Hasanudin the king of Banten and married him to his sister. This act created a new dynasty of which Banten was the capital of the new Muslim kingdom.
The watu gilang,a stone slab, that was to serve as the king’s throne for public address, still stands to this day and is a reminder of the powerful Muslim state that existed in Southeast Asia, centering in Banten.
The kingdom thrived under Hasanudin’s reign and upon his death in 1570 the kingdom of Bantenwas extensive with its booming trade, which established Banten as one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia.
Banten has been the site of various battles, of particular note is the naval battle between the Portuguese and Dutch, which saw the defeat of the Portuguese. Both the Dutch and the English sought to undermine the sovereignty of Banten, in which the Dutch moved to Batavia (Jakarta) and established a blockade of Banten harbour. This created a critical situation for the Bantenese economy, which culminated in drastic action by Prince Ranamanggalla (the Regent of Banten) to pull up all the pepper plants, which were identified as the main reason for European presence due to the prominence of the precious spice in the trading economy.
The Bantenese economy began to recover helped along by the interaction of Chinese merchants between Banten and Batavia. In 1628, the English returned to settle in Banten, which helped to further bolster Banten’s economy in providing both a market for its products and the protection they provided against the Dutch who had established themselves in Batavia. From 1628 to 1639 there were continued clashes between Banten and Batavia which eventually resulted in a peace treaty, however, this peace came only at a hefty price for the Bantenese. Over the following years, peace was restored and the kingdom once again flourished. This was to come to an unfortunate end due to conflict between Sultan Ageng and his son, Sultan Haji, who allied himself to the Dutch in Batavia. This conflict allowed the Dutch to seize control resulting in the imprisonment and death of Sultan Ageng in 1692.
The Dutch built Fort Speelwijk over the old fortifications of the city heralding the beginning of the colonial era.
Reference: Guillot, C. 1990. ‘The Sultanate of Banten’. Gramedia Book Publishing Division: Jakarta.
Archaeology in Banten Lama 