Bandung:

The Birth and Development of a Priangan Town in West Java

Abstract

Bandung, the “mother-town” (ibukota) of the Priangan mountain region in the eastern part of West Java, might originally have been the residential area of local powerful family (bupati), at about the time when a part of the Priangan people, who had been nomads, hunters or swidden farmers in natural forests, began to settle down near rivers or on open land. The residence of this local powerful family was sited in front of the town square (alun-alun), around which was also a sacred Hindu temple (later a great mosque), a jail and a retainers residential area. In the 17th century, Bandung was dominated by the Mataram Kingdom of Central Java, whose territorial town it became.
 On the other hand, old Priangan legends such as Sangkuriang and Lutung Kasarung suggest that Priangan people had the notion of town (dayeuh＝region of palace) in contrast to forest, which was a terrible place but at the same time gave people a kind of spiritual power and material affluence. Without the power of the forest, the town or kingdom was thrown into confusion because of its nature of luxury, idleness or profligacy.
 This small essay firstly proposes a meaning of the incident of “Bandung Lautan Api” (Bandung, Sea of Fire) in March 1946. After discussing the original character of Bandung as above, it then follows the process of colonization of the town. Lastly, it concludes that the town of Bandung is now characterized as a common third-world city rather than a Priangan town, because of the very deep gap between the rich and the poor, and the existence of a vast number of poor “informal sector” people.