Three must-read books a mirror on Jakarta's past and present
Three must-read books a mirror on Jakarta's past and present
Ignatius Haryanto, Contributor, Jakarta
It's nice to take a trip back in time from our Jakarta to the
Batavia of yesteryear.
Personally, I do not agree with glorifying the past, because
it seems to me that we are also saying that everything about
Jakarta today is decadent and negative -- and progress counts
for nothing.
However, as we commemorate the city's 476th anniversary on
Sunday, it's hard to decide whether we have much to be proud
about when spiraling crime, pollution, ridiculous "development"
ideas and horrendous traffic define Jakarta today.
Books can be our window into the past, and also a mirror to
put contemporary Jakarta in perspective. There are many books on
the capital, from historical tomes, glossy photo works and
anthropological explorations of local communities. Today, there
is even Jakarta Undercover -- Sex 'n the city, the wildly
successful exploration of the seamier side of life in the capital
(everybody is reading it but nobody wants to admit it).
Among the hundreds of books written on Jakarta, here are three
books which I consider to be the definitive works in
understanding the capital, its history and the future.
* Historical Sites in Jakarta by Adolf Heuken SJ (Cipta Loka
Caraka, 1985). In English.
Twenty-two years after it was first published, this is still
the work to read on heritage sites around the city, with
beautiful explanations and an excellent selection of
illustrations. Like any engaging history book, it reads well and
provides valuable nuggets of information.
Few of us probably know that Portuguese was once the language
in old Batavia, or that Balinese was also commonly spoken. Heuken
shows how Jakarta has always been a melting pot, drawing ships
from around the world whose occupants shared their culture with
the Betawi people. It's little wonder that our remarkable city
can have a Hindu statue by a Dutch church and a mosque -- and
even a Chinese temple with Islamic-influenced architecture.
An interesting story, and with particular relevance today, is
about Jl. Medan Merdeka, where the National Monument now stands
in its own park. Although deer may romp through its grounds now,
and are said to be stressed by the chaos going on around them,
Heuken tells how it was once the place to bathe water buffaloes.
Different governors have had different priorities for the city
(Daendels, for instance, used the park as a military training
ground) but it would seem that our present "leader" is putting
animals before the needs of the people.
* The Kapitan Cina of Batavia 1837-1942 by Mona Lohanda
(Djambatan, Jakarta, 1994). In English.
A story about people who have made this city, with Lohanda
focusing on the Chinese community and a captain who left his
imprint on the city. Lohanda uses him as the starting point to
discuss the Chinese community's presence in the archipelago since
the 17th century.
She writes that most Chinese-Indonesians are descended from
Hokkein natives of southern China, and their culture mixed with
the local Betawi culture. She notes that the influence is
apparent in the Betawi dialect.
Profil Orang Betawi: Asal Muasal, Kebudayaan dan Adat
Istiadatnya (Profiles of the Betawi: Origins, Culture and
Customs) by Ridwan Saidi. (Gunara Kata, Jakarta 2001)
An interesting work about the native Jakarta community by
Saidi, himself a Betawi. He criticizes the theory of Lance Castle
that the Betawi are descended from slaves brought to Jakarta from
the 17th to 18th centuries.
Saidi challenges Castle's widely accepted view by stating that
the Betawi people were already recognized before the 16th
century. He notes that at least 15,000 people were living in the
city when the Dutch first arrived in the 17th century.
The author also examines different Betawi enclaves in the
city, such as Tanah Abang, Kebayoran and Gambir, and devotes
chapters to Betawi culture, famous figures such as composer
Ismail Marzuki and comedian-singer Benyamin Suaeb as well as the
food specialties and arts of the people.
Not surprisingly, considering the condition of the city today,
with all its assorted problems, these books remain my selection
of the best on Jakarta. They also show us that the city is losing
much of its soul, as its beautiful historical buildings are
leveled to make way for shopping malls and office buildings.
The writer is a journalist and Jakarta citizen.