JAWA
BARAT
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When the Dutch arrived on Java the west of the island was a part of Banten sultanate. In 1619 the Dutch took the port of Jayakarta and founded the city of Batavia there. This became the capital of the Dutche settlements in the archipelago and the nucleus of the expansion of the V.O.C.. In 1677 and 1684 the central part of the province was conquered and in 1705 the south-east. In 1809 Banten was annexed and in 1813 Cheribon. Under Dutch rule a province was founded in 1927 which comprised the divisions (afdeelingen) of Banten, Batavia, Buitenzorg, Cheribon and Priangan. After WW II the Sundanese Republic (Republik Pasundan) was founded on its territory on 4 May 1947. This republic was dissolved the same year. On 26 February 1948 the Negara Jawa Barat (State of West Java) was established which was renamed Negara Pasundan two months later (24 April 1948). This Sundanese State lasted until 11 March 1950 when it was incorporated into the Republic of Indonesia. Since then it is the Province of West Java. In 2000 the province of Banten was separated from the province. Capital:
Bandung [1]. |
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Because West Java was the very nuclues of Dutch presence in the archipelago, its heraldry was well developed. After the proclamation of the Ordonnantie of 7 September 1928 by which it was made possible for the lesser governmental bodies to adopt a coat of arms, West Java was the first province to be granted one. It is: Arms: Per pale: the first Azure, a staff of Mercury
Or; the second Or, three ears of rice per pale Vert. Crown: Of five leaves which is the crown of a
marquess. Supporters: A lion Or, langued and unguled Gules
and a banteng (Bos javanicus - Bovidę) Argent, hoofed and horned Or. By decree of the Government, 1932, no. 30. The staff of Mercury
symbolizes trade, the ears of rice fertility. Gold is for prosperity and blue
for navigation. [2] |
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1945-1950 |
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In the time of the Struggle for Independence the Territorial Command West-Java consisted for the main part of the C-Division 7 December and the arms of this Division were also used for the TC West Java. After the retreat of the C-Division in 1949 the emblem was maintained for the relieving troops but the letters EM were replaced by the letters WJ.
The Dutch V-
and W-Brigades were encamped near Bandung. [3] |
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Arms
of the V-Brigade: Tierced
per bend sinister Gules, Argent and Azure, the letter ‘V’ Tenne. |
Arms
of the W-Brigade Tenne,
a bayonet per pale proper, charged with the letter ‘W’ Sable, surrounded by a
garland proper. |
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In the south of
the province there was the famous 1st TNI Division Siliwangi.
Arms
of the 1st TNI Division ‘Siliwangi. Vert,
a tiger’s head affrontée proper, and the title ‘SILIWANGI’ in white lettering in base Today this Division, renamed Kodam III/Siliwangi,
controls West Java and Banten. |
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1948.04.24-1950.03.11 |
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For the Negara Pasundan a complete set of heraldic symbols was designed. This consisted of flags, an achievement of state, a coat of arms of the wali negara, a cap badge for the police and an emblem for the administrators. |
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Two flags were used by the Negara Pasundan. The first consisted of two breadths green and white and the other of three breadths green, white and green [4]:
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Of an achievement
of state there exists a design dated April 1948, made by the Dutch heraldist
Dirk Rühl who published several books on Indonesian heraldry and made the
design for the achievement of state of the Republic of Indonesia. It is not
known if this design was actually adopted and used, but my reconstruction of it is as follows:
Arms: Vert, a koedjang Argent and Or,
surrounded by a garland of branches of the waringin (Ficus
benjamina - Moraceę) and stalks of rice of the last. Supporters: Two tigers proper. Motto: GEMAH RIPAH, PASIR
WUKIR, LOH DJINAWI
(Prosperity and joy from the ocean to the mountains makes everybody thriving
and longliving) in black lettering on a white ribbon. [5] |
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A design for
the arms of the Wali Negara is in the same file as the design of the
achievement of state and is also dated April 1948. Its reconstruction is as
follows: Arms: Or, a pile Sable, a lotus-flower
crowned with a makuta and between two keris per chevron, hilts
in base, all proper. In base a legend in arab script Or. [7] This was the
coat of arms of Raden Ario Adipati
Muharram Wiranatakusumah (Wali Negara, 4.3.1948-10.2.1950) |
Arms
of the Wali Negara Pasundan, 1948-‘50 |
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The present arms of West-Java Province are: Arms: Vert, a kudjang Argent hilted Gules, surrounded by a garland of rice and cotton proper, rising from a tjhre-topped mountain-ridge Sabvle; and a base per pale embattled Or, the sinister barry wavy Azure and Argent of five pieces; the dexter chequy Argent and Azure of 6 Ķ 5 pieces. Motto: GEMAH RIPAH REPEH RAPIH (Prosperity is with the peaceful and united people) in white lettering on a yellow scroll. An explanation of this coat of arms is given by a leaflet edited by the “Biro Perpetaan, Kantor Gubernur Kepala Daerah Djawa-Barat” (n.d.). It reads:
š See illustration in the head of this essay. |
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Negara
Pasundan Police cap-badge 1949-‘50. |
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The cap
badge for the state police of the Negara Pasundan was published in the
Berita-Negara Pasundan 1949 No. 15. It was attached
in the middle of the cap on the black lace above the peak and consisted of
the Negara police-emblem: a kudjang on a shield, branches of the
waringin-tree and ears of rice of gilded metal or embroidery (as illustrated,
about real size). The present arms of the regional police (POLDA) of Jawa Barat shows, on the usual shield per bend sinister Or and Sable, a disc Gules, a tiger’s head Sable between two kujang in base and in orle, hilts in base, Or. |
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© Hubert de Vries 2010.10.14.
Heraldry of the World