{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1701785,
        "msgid": "outrage-over-javas-richest-man-having-320-servants-heres-who-he-is-1777207883",
        "date": "2026-04-26 18:45:00",
        "title": "Outrage Over Java's Richest Man Having 320 Servants: Here's Who He Is",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Anthropology",
        "summary": "Augustijn Michiels, known as Mayor Jantje, was the wealthiest individual in Java during the 1800s, employing 320 slaves or domestic workers to manage his vast estate spanning thousands of hectares across regions now in Bogor and Bekasi. His fortune originated from inherited land rich in swiftlet nests, a valuable commodity, which he expanded through savvy business investments after leaving his military career. This historical account highlights the opulent lifestyle and economic power of colonial-era elites in Java, drawing parallels to the scale of a European province.",
        "content": "<p>Owning a super-sized house naturally cannot be managed\nsingle-handedly. The owner must inevitably hire others, in this case\nDomestic Workers (PRT), as done by the richest person in Java in the\n1800s, namely Augustijn Michiels. The scale was no longer in the tens,\nbut hundreds of people. Michiels is recorded as having 320 servants, who\nat the time were called slaves or babu. Historian Djoko Soekiman in\nKebudayaan Indis dan Gaya Hidup Masyarakat Pendukungnya di Jawa (2000)\nreveals that the household of Augustijn Michiels, alias Mayor Jantje,\nrequired 320 slaves. Hundreds of people were divided into detailed\ntasks. Some handled domestic work like sweeping, washing, and cooking.\nOthers worked outside the home, managing gardens and land. The division\nwas even specific. There were 80 people cutting grass, 9 people picking\nvegetables, and 5 people tending the garden. Some others were assigned\nfor entertainment, dancing and playing gamelan. Even to care for 362\nhorses, Michiels employed dozens of PRT. Michiels\u2019 own wealth and land\nwere spread across several areas. From Cileungsi, Klapanunggal, Nambo,\nCipanas, Ciputri, Cibarusah, to Naggewer, which now fall within Bogor\nand Bekasi regions. The scale was even said to be equivalent to a\nprovince in Europe. According to F. de Haan in De Laatste der Mardijkers\n(1917), the estimated area of land owned by Michiels was equivalent to\nthe size of Utrecht Province, Netherlands, reaching 1,449 km\u00b2 or 144,000\nhectares. The magnitude of his wealth came from his father\u2019s\ninheritance, namely Jonathan. In 1776, Jonathan bought land in\nCileungsi. That land was later found to be a habitat for swiftlets,\nwhose nests were highly valuable and later became the main source of the\nfamily\u2019s wealth. When Jonathan passed away, the wealth was inherited by\nhis children, one of whom was Michiels. From there, Michiels took it\nfurther. He, who initially worked as a soldier, then stopped to manage\nhis assets. He then rotated money from his assets through business and\ninvestments. Later, Michiels\u2019 ability in managing assets became the key.\nBy expanding land ownership while maintaining its productivity,\nespecially from high-value commodities like swiftlet nests, made his\nposition unrivalled in his time. No wonder his wealth continued to swell\nand placed him as one of the richest people in Java in his era.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/outrage-over-javas-richest-man-having-320-servants-heres-who-he-is-1777207883",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}