Every 22 June, Jakarta celebrates its anniversary. However, not many\nknow that the date of 22 June 1527, long considered the city\u2019s birthday,\ndoes not actually come from a historical source that explicitly records\nthe founding of the city.<\/p>\n
Citing the official website of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government,\n22 June 1527 serves as the benchmark because it commemorates the success\nof Fatahillah\u2019s forces in seizing Sunda Kalapa and renaming it\nJayakarta.<\/p>\n
The problem is that no historical document has been found to date\nthat definitively states when the name Sunda Kalapa officially changed\nto Jayakarta. The designation of 22 June as Jakarta\u2019s anniversary\nactually originated from research by historian Sukanto, published in the\nbook Dari Djakarta ke Djajakarta in 1954.<\/p>\n
In the early 1950s, Sukanto sought to determine when Sunda Kalapa\nbecame Jayakarta. He estimated the change occurred on 22 June 1527 based\nsolely on conjecture about the harvest season calendar and a rough\ncalculation of the days following Fatahillah\u2019s attack on Sunda Kalapa.\nHe himself acknowledged that he could not ascertain the exact day.<\/p>\n
Sukanto stated, \u2018Considering what has been described, namely that the\nfirst season falls in June (the harvest month or the month after\nharvest), we think it is quite likely that the name Jayakarta was given\non the first day of the first season, which is on 22 June 1527. We\ncannot determine the exact day.\u2019<\/p>\n
Despite this, the research findings were accepted by the Temporary\nCity Council of Djakarta Raja. On 23 February 1956, the institution\nofficially designated 22 June 1527 as Jakarta\u2019s birthday through a\nformal decree, which has since become the basis for the city\u2019s\nanniversary celebrations to this day.<\/p>\n
This designation has long drawn criticism from a number of\nhistorians. They argue that the basis for choosing 22 June is too\nspeculative because it is not supported by explicit written\nevidence.<\/p>\n
Citing research titled \u2018Hari Jadi Kota Jakarta\u2019 (2009), one figure\nwith a differing view is Indonesian historian Hoesein Djajadiningrat. He\nonce suggested that a more appropriate date for Jakarta\u2019s anniversary\nwould be 17 December, based on his interpretation of available\nPortuguese sources. However, this view is also merely conjecture.<\/p>\n
As a result, nearly five centuries after its birth, Jakarta\u2019s\nfounding date remains a question mark. There is still no official\ndocument stating that Jayakarta was officially established or that Sunda\nKalapa officially changed its name on 22 June 1527.<\/p>\n
In other words, the Jakarta anniversary commemorated each year is not\na date derived from definitive historical evidence, but rather the\nresult of an interpretation that was subsequently agreed upon and\ninstitutionalised by the government.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/is-jakartas-birthday-really-on-22-june-the-answer-is-unexpected-1782103914", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }