Majalengka Regency is a regency in the Pasundan region of West Java Province, Indonesia. Its capital is Majalengka.
The Buddhist Kingdom Era in Talaga
The Government of Batara Gunung Picung
The Hindu Kingdom of Talaga was founded in the 13th century AD. The king was a descendant of Queen Galuh who reigned in Ciamis, he was the fifth son, also related to the kings of Pajajaran or known as King Siliwangi. Sunan Talaga was the son of Pandita Prabu Darmasuci, son of Batara Gunung Picung, son of Suryadewata, youngest son of Maharaja Sunda Galuh Prabu Ajiguna Linggawisesa (1333-1340) in Galuh Kawali, Ciamis. The ruler of the Sunda Galuh Kingdom was usually given the title Siliwangi. The area of his power includes Talaga, Cikijing, Bantarujeg, Lemahsugih, Maja and part of South Majalengka. The government of Batara Gunung Picung was very good, the religion embraced by the people of this kingdom was Hinduism. During his reign, the construction of economic road infrastructure was made along more than 25 km, precisely Talaga - Salawangi in the Cakrabuana area. Other development areas, irrigation improvements in Cigowong which include irrigation channels all in the Cikijing area. The reign of Batara Gunung Picung lasted 2 windu. The king had 6 sons, namely: - Sunan Cungkilak - Sunan Benda - Sunan Gombang - Queen Panggongsong Ramahiyang - Prabu Darma Suci - Queen Mayang Karuna The end of his reign was then continued by Prabu Darma Suci.
The Government of King Darma Suci
Also called Pandita Perabu Darma Suci. During the reign of this king, Hinduism developed rapidly (13th century), his name was known in the Pajajaran Kingdom, Central Java, Jayakarta to the Sumatra region. In the art of pantun, many stories are told about the visits of these guests from neighboring kingdoms to Talaga, whether the visits of these guests were family relations is not widely known. The remaining relics from this kingdom include Bronze Objects, Gongs, Harnas or Iron Clothes. In the 19th century AD he died leaving 2 sons, namely: - Bagawan Garasiang - Sunan Talaga Manggung
The reign of Sunan Talaga Manggung
The throne was temporarily held by Begawan Garasiang, but he placed great importance on the Life of Faith so that not long afterward the throne was handed over to his younger brother, Sunan Talaga Manggung. Not much is known about the reign of this king apart from his move from Talaga to the Cihaur Maja area.
The reign of Sunan Talaga Manggung
Sunan Talaga Manggung is a king who is famous until now because of his fair and wise attitude and his attention to Hinduism, agriculture, irrigation, crafts and folk arts. Good relations were established with neighboring kingdoms and distant kingdoms, such as the Majapahit Kingdom, the Pajajaran Kingdom, the Cirebon Kingdom and the Sriwijaya Kingdom. He had two sons, namely: - Raden Pangrurah - Ratu Simbarkencana The king died due to a stabbing carried out by the order of the Patih Palembang Gunung named Centangbarang. Then Palembang Gunung replaced Sunan Talaga Manggung by marrying Ratu Simbarkencana. Not long after, Ratu Simbarkencana killed Palembang Gunung on the instructions of the Citrasinga commander with a hairpin while sleeping. With the death of Palembang Gunung, then Ratu Simbarkencana married a descendant of Panjalu named Raden Kusumalaya Ajar Kutamanggu and was blessed with 8 sons, among whom the first son of Sunan Parung was very famous.
The reign of Queen Simbarkencana
Around the beginning of the 14th century AD, during his reign, Islam spread to the areas under his control, brought by the Santri from Cirebon. It is also known that the throne of government at that time was moved to an area north of Talaga called Walangsuji near Buniasih village (Kagok Banjaran Village). After her death, Queen Simbarkencana was succeeded by her son, Sunan Parung.
The reign of Sunan Parung
Sunan Parung's reign was not long, only a few years. The important thing during his reign was that there was already a Government Representative called Dalem, among others placed in the areas of Kulur, Sindangkasih, Jerokaso Maja. Sunan Parung had an only daughter named Ratu Sunyalarang or Ratu Parung.
The Islamic Kingdom Era in Talaga (Influence of the Cirebon Sultanate)
The reign of Queen Sunyalarang
As the only daughter she ascended the throne replacing her father Sunan Parung and married a descendant of Prabu Siliwangi's son named Raden Rangga Mantri or better known as Prabu Pucuk Umum. During his reign, Islam had developed rapidly. Many of his people embraced the religion until finally both Queen Sunyalarang and Prabu Pucuk Umum embraced Islam. Islam had a big influence on the areas under his control including Maja, Rajagaluh and Majalengka. Prabu Pucuk Umum was the 2nd King of Talaga who embraced Islam. The relationship between the Talaga government and Cirebon and the Pajajaran Kingdom was very good. As is known, Prabu Pucuk Umum was a descendant of Prabu Siliwangi because in this case his father named Raden Munding Sari Ageung was the son of Prabu Siliwangi. So the marriage of Prabu Pucuk Umum with Queen Sunyalarang was a family marriage in the IV degree. The most important thing during the reign of Queen Sunyalarang was that Talaga became a trading center in the South.
The Government of Rangga Mantri or Prabu Pucuk Umum
From the marriage of Raden Rangga Mantri with Queen Parung (Queen Sunyalarang daughter of Sunan Parung, half-sister of Queen Pucuk Umun husband of Prince Santri) gave birth to 6 sons namely: - Prabu Haurkuning - Sunan Wanaperih - Dalem Lumaju Agung - Dalem Panuntun - Dalem Panaekan At the end of the 15th century AD, the people of Majalengka were Muslim. Before he died, he appointed his sons to rule in the areas under his control, such as: Sunan Wanaperih held the reins of government in Walagsuji; Dalem Lumaju Agung in the Maja area; Dalem Panuntun in Majalengka while his first son, Prabu Haurkuning, in Talaga which was later in Ciamis. Later, many of his descendants served as Regents. Meanwhile, the Dalem Panaekan were originally from Walangsuji and then moved to Riung Gunung, Sukamenak, Nunuk Cibodas and Kulur. Prabu Pucuk Umum was buried near Situ Sangiang, Talaga District.
The government of Sunan Wanaperih
Famous Sunan Wanaperih, in Talaga as a King who embraced Islam and all the people in this country have embraced Islam. He had 6 sons, namely:- Dalem Cageur - Dalem Kulanata - Apun Surawijaya or Sunan Kidul- Ratu Radeya - Ratu Putri - Dalem Wangsa Goparana. It is said that Ratu Radeya married Arya Sarngsingan while Ratu Putri married the son of Sheikh Abdul Muhyi from Pamijahan named Sayid Faqih Ibrahim better known as Sunan Cipager. Dalem Wangsa Goparana moved to Sagalaherang Cianjur, later his descendants served as regents such as Regent Wiratanudatar I in Cikundul. Sunan Wanaperih ruled in Walangsuji, but he was replaced by his son Apun Surawijaya, so the center of government returned to Talaga. The son of Apun Surawijaya named Prince Ciburuy or also called Sunan Ciburuy or also known as Prince Surawijaya married a Cirebon princess named Queen King Kertadiningrat, sister of Panembahan Sultan Sepuh III Cirebon. Prince Surawijaya was blessed with 6 children, namely - Dipati Suwarga-Mangunjaya - Jaya Wirya - Dipati Kusumayuda - Mangun Nagara - Queen Tilarnagara Queen Tilarnagara married the Regent of Panjalu (Panjalu Ciamis Kingdom) named Prince Arya Sacanata who was a descendant of Prabu Haur Kuning. The successor of Prince Surawijaya was Dipati Suwarga who married Princess Nunuk and had 2 sons, namely: - Prince Dipati Wiranata - Prince Secadilaga or Prince Raji Prince Surawijaya died and was replaced by Prince Dipati Wiranata and after that was succeeded by his son Prince Secanata Eyang Raga Sari who married the Queen of Cirebon replacing Prince Secanata. Arya Secanata ruled ± 1762.
Dutch Colonial Period
Formation of Maja Regency.
In 1819, the Cirebon Residency was formed, consisting of the Regencies of Cirebon, Kuningan, Bengawan Wetan, Galuh (Ciamis Now) and Maja. Maja Regency was the forerunner of Majalengka Regency. The formation of Maja Regency was based on the Decree of the Commissioner of the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies No. 23 dated January 5, 1819. Maja Regency was a combination of three districts, namely Sindangkasih District, Talaga District, and Rajagaluh District. Maja Regency had its capital in the current Maja District City. The first Regent of Maja Regency was RT Dendranegara. Maja Regency covered the areas of Talaga, Maja, Sindangkasih, Rajagaluh, Palimanan and Kedondong.
Change of name of Maja Regency to Majalengka Regency.
On February 11, 1840, Staatsblad letter No. 7 and Besluit Governor General of the Dutch East Indies No. 2 were issued which explained the transfer of the Regency Capital to the Sindangkasih Region which was then named 'Majalengka', then the name of the Regency was adjusted to the name of the new regency capital, from Maja Regency to Majalengka Regency. The naming of Majalengka or where the origin of Majalengka is still a mystery, the name Majalengka according to legend is the utterance of 'Majane Langka' from the Cirebon troops and Prince Muhammad and Siti Armilah when they did not find the Maja fruit after the Maja Tree Forest was removed by Nyi Rambut Kasih, Queen of the Sindangkasih Kingdom. In the History of Majalengka Book by N. Kartika who interviewed the Culturalist Ayatrohaedi, the name Majalengka when translated into Old Javanese, namely the word 'Maja' is the name of the fruit and the word 'Lengka' which means bitter, so the word 'Majalengka' is another name for the word Majapahit. Majalengka as the capital of the district was further strengthened by the existence of the Staatsblad Letter, 1887 No. 159 regulating and explaining the boundaries of the city of Majalengka.
Japanese Occupation Period
The Japanese occupation (1942–1945) in Majalengka was marked by the exploitation of romusha (Indonesian forced laborers) and the construction of a Japanese military airfield in the Ligung area. The airfield was completed in 1944, and Japanese troops flew from there to conduct military operations in Burma (Myanmar) in 1945.
Geographically, Majalengka Regency is located in the eastern part of West Java Province. Majalengka Regency is located at coordinates 108° 03′ – 108° 19′ East Longitude to the West, 108° 12′ – 108° 25′ East Longitude to the East, 6° 36′ – 5°58′ South Latitude to the North, and 6° 43′ – 7°44′ South Latitude to the South.
The northern part of the regency is lowland, while the central area is hilly, and the southern region is mountainous, with peaks including Mount Ceremai, which borders Kuningan Regency, and Mount Cakrabuana, which borders Tasikmalaya and Sumedang Regencies. Administratively, it borders:
Majalengka Regency consists of 26 sub-districts, divided into 330 villages and 13 urban villages. The regency's administrative center is located in Majalengka District.
The following are the sub-districts in Majalengka Regency:
Topography and Geography
The northern part of the regency is lowland, while the southern part is mountainous. Mount Ciremai (3,076 m) is located in the east, on the border with Kuningan Regency. This mountain is the highest in West Java Province and is part of a national park, Mount Ciremai National Park.
The geographical conditions, particularly the morphology and physiography of the Majalengka Regency area, are very varied and are influenced by the differences in altitude between one area and another, with the following distribution:
The morphology of the lowlands covering the districts of Kadipaten, Kasokandel, Panyingkiran, Dawuan, Jatiwangi, Sumberjaya, Ligung, Jatitujuh, Kertajati, Cigasong, Majalengka, Leuwimunding, and Palasah. The land slope in this area is between 5%-8% with an altitude of between 20-100 m above sea level (asl), except in Majalengka District where several low hills are scattered with a slope of between 15%-25%.
The hilly and undulating terrain covers the southern Rajagaluh and Sukahaji sub-districts, Maja sub-district, and parts of Majalengka sub-district. The land slope in this area ranges from 15-40%, with an elevation of 300-700 m above sea level.
The steep hilly terrain encompasses the area around Mount Ciremai, small parts of Rajagaluh, Argapura, Sindang, and Talaga Districts, parts of Sindangwangi, Cingambul, Banjaran, Bantarujeg, Malausma, and Lemahsugih Districts, and the northern part of Cikijing District. The slope in this area ranges from 25% to 40%, with elevations ranging from 400 to 2,000 m above sea level.
Geology
According to the geological conditions which include the distribution and structure of rocks, there are several rocks and rock formations, namely Alluvium covering an area of 17,162 Ha (14.25%), Pleistocene Sedimentary Facies covering an area of 13,716 Ha (13.39%), Miocene Sedimentary Facies covering an area of 23.48 Ha (19.50%), Undifferenced Volcanic Product covering an area of 51,650 Ha (42.89%), Pliocene Sedimentary Facies, covering an area of 3,870 Ha (3.22%), Liparite Dacite covering an area of 179 Ha (0.15%), Eocene covering an area of 78 Ha (0.006%), Old Quaternary Volcanic Product covering an area of 10,283 Ha (8.54%). There are several types of soil in Majalengka Regency, generally consisting of Latosol, Podsolic, Grumosol, Alluvial, Regosol, Mediterranean, and their associates. These soil types play a crucial role in determining soil fertility, which supports the success of the agricultural sector.
Hydrology
From a hydrological perspective, Majalengka Regency has several potential water resources that can be used to meet community needs. These potential water resources include:
Surface water, such as springs, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, fields, or swamps; groundwater, such as drilled wells and pumps; and rainwater. Large rivers include the Cilutung, Cijurey, Cideres, Cikeruh, Ciherang, Cikadondong, Ciwaringin, Cilongkrang, Ciawi, and Cimanuk.
Climate
The average annual rainfall in Majalengka Regency ranges from 2,400 mm to 3,800 mm per year, with an average of 11 rainy days per month. Winds generally blow from the south and southeast, except from April to July, when they blow from the northwest at speeds of 3-6 knots (1 knot = 1,285 m/hour).
Demographics
The population of Majalengka Regency according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Majalengka Regency in 2013 was 1,180,774 people, consisting of 590,038 male residents and 590,736 female residents. The average population density of Majalengka Regency in 2013 was 981 people/km². The highest density was in Jatiwangi District with a density of 2,087 people/km². The areas with the largest populations are:
The majority of Majalengka's population is of Sundanese ethnicity. The language used is Sundanese, but it differs in several meanings and vocabulary from the Sundanese language of the Priangan region. Sundanese in Majalengka is a Central Eastern Sundanese dialect. In several areas of Majalengka, the people are Cirebon (Wong Cerbon) and speak Cirebonese, such as in the north and east of Jatitujuh, Kertajati, Ligung, Sumberjaya, and Patuanan Village in Leuwimunding District.
As a region traversed by two major cultures, namely Sundanese & Cirebon, Majalengka Regency has a diversity of arts and culture, namely:
Land transportation
Road Transportation
Majalengka Regency connects Priangan and Cirebon, passing through the Bandung-Cirebon and Cirebon-Ciamis national roads. It is also crossed by the Cikampek-Palimanan (Cikapali) toll road, with two toll gates in the Kertajati and Sumberjaya areas. The following land transportation facilities and infrastructure are available in Majalengka:
Inner City Transportation
Urban Transportation
Intercity Transportation
Elf (Micro Bus)
Bus
Train
Majalengka Regency once had a railway line connecting Cirebon and Kadipaten. Built by the private Dutch company Semarang Cheribon Stoomtram Maatschappij (SCS) in 1901, the line closed in 1978 due to competition from other land transportation modes. The following is a list of former railway stations in the Majalengka area:
Air transport
Construction of the West Java International Airport project began in Kertajati District in 2013. It is targeted to be operational in 2017. The airport will require 1,800 hectares of land, and plans also include the Kertajati Aerocity area to support the airport.
Source: Majalengka Regency Website, Wikipedia
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