Bantenese are a people of Indonesia living in and around the Banten province, at the western tip of the island of Java. The Bantenese make up less than 5 percent of the total population of Indonesia. Today, most Bantenese live in rural areas. Nearly all Bantenese are Muslims.
Bantenese culture is a unique mixture of two other cultures of Java: Sundanese and Javanese. Most Bantenese speak a dialect of the Sundanese language. Bantenese celebrations and religious commemorations often represent a combination of Islamic and Hindu customs and traditional beliefs. Most Bantenese are farmers. Traditional Bantenese celebrations revolve around the life cycle and harvest season.
Bantenese society is marked by different social classes. These classes include religious leaders, called ulamas; royalty or government officials; and commoners. Outside these groups are the jawara, local strongmen who master traditional martial arts. In the past, jawara were recruited as warriors. Many people believed that the jawara possessed supernatural powers, such as the ability to resist wounds from metal weapons. Today, the jawara demonstrate their strength, fighting skill, and invulnerability to metal in traditional performances called debus.
Before the introduction of Islam, the Bantenese were subjects of the Hindu kingdom of Tarumanegara and later the Sunda kingdom of Pajajaran. In 1526, Sunan Gunung Jati, a Muslim leader from Cirebon in western Java, seized the port city of Banten and established a powerful sultanate (territory ruled by a sultan). The sultanate ended in 1813 due to internal conflicts and to the Dutch exercise of colonial powers in Banten.
In 1888, Bantenese farmers, led by ulamas and nobility, rebelled against the Dutch. The uprising was driven by the hardships endured by Bantenese farmers, growing dissatisfaction among Banten royals, and negative perceptions of the Dutch as foreign infidels and oppressors. The rebellion failed, however, and the leaders were captured and sent into exile.
After Indonesia gained its independence, the Bantenese fell under the administration of the West Java province. In 1999, the Bantenese started a movement to demand autonomy (self-government). In 2000, the Indonesian parliament approved the establishment of the Banten province, separated from West Java.
