Place:Jawa Timur, Indonesia

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East Java (; ; Kangean: ; ) is a province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern and southern coasts, respectively, while the narrow Bali Strait to the east separates Java from Bali. Located in eastern Java, the province also includes the island of Madura (which is connected to Java by the longest bridge in Indonesia, the Suramadu Bridge), as well as the Kangean islands and other smaller island groups located further east (in the northern Bali Sea) and Masalembu archipelagos in the north. Its capital is Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, a major industrial center and also a major business center. Banyuwangi is the largest regency in East Java and the largest on the island of Java.

The province covers an area of 47,800 km², and according to the 2010 Census, there were 37,476,757 people residing in the East Java, making it Indonesia's second-most-populous province; the 2020 Census showed an increase to 40,665,696 people, while the official estimate for mid 2021 was 40,878,790. East Java is inhabited by many different ethnic groups, such as the Javanese, Madurese and Chinese. Most of the people in East Java adheres to Islam, forming around 94% of the total population. Other religions are also practiced, such as Christianity, Buddhism and Confucianism which are mostly practised by Tionghoa people and immigrants from Eastern Indonesia and North Sumatra, and also Hinduism which are practised by the Tenggerese people in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park and the Balinese people inhabiting the easternmost part of the province bordering Bali.

The Indonesian language is the official language of the province as well as the whole nation, but Javanese and Madurese are most frequently used, especially the Surabaya dialect (Javanese: or — the Javanese dialect of Surabaya) used mainly in the capital Surabaya. Indonesian is only used for inter-ethnic communication and official purposes.

East Java offers different types of tourist attractions. There are a variety of natural attractions, including mountains, beaches, caves, and waterfalls. Almost every regency or city in East Java has its own unique tourist destinations, such as the Ijen volcano in Banyuwangi, Baluran National Park in Situbondo, and Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

East Java province, Indonesia

History

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Prehistory

East Java has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. This can be proven by the discovery of remains from fossils of Pithecanthropus mojokertensis in Kepuhlagen, Mojokerto; Pithecanthropus erectus on Trinil, Ngawi; and Homo wajakensis in Wajak, Tulungagung.

Pre-Islamic era

The Dinoyo inscriptions found near the city of Malang are the oldest written sources in East Java, dating from 760 CE. They tell of many political and cultural events in the Kingdom of Kanjuruhan. The name of Malang is thought to come from the name of a sacred building called Malangkuseswara. This name is contained in at least one inscription, namely, the Mantyasih inscription written in 907 CE.

In 1222, Ken Arok founded the Kingdom of Singhasari, which he ruled until 1292. Before coming to power, Ken Arok seized power in Tumapel (Kediri) from Tungul Ametung. Ken Arok dynasty's descendants became kings of Singhasari and Majapahit from the 13th until the 15th century.

In 1227, Anusapati killed Ken Arok, and later became king of Singasari. Anusapati's power only lasted 20 years, before he was killed by Tohjaya. Three years later, Tohjaya was killed in the uprising led by Jaya Wisnuwardhana, son of Anusapati. In 1268, Wisnuwardhana died, and he was succeeded by Kertanegara (1268–1292). In 1292 Kertanegara was defeated by a rebel named Jayakatwang, ending the power of Kertanegara and the history of Singhasari.

In 1293, Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan dynasty, sent a large invasion fleet to Java with 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers, beginning the Mongol invasion of Java. This was a punitive expedition against King Kertanegara of Singhasari, who had refused to pay tribute to the Yuan and maimed one of its ministers. However, it ended with failure for the Mongols.

In 1294, the Kingdom of Majapahit was founded. Its founder was Raden Wijaya. Majapahit reached its peak during the reign of Hayam Wuruk. He was accompanied by the mahapatih Gajah Mada. Together they managed to unite the vast territory under the name Dwipantara. Majaphit later developed to become one of the strongest empire in Southeast Asia.

In 1357, the Bubat event occurred, the war between the King of Sunda and the Majapahit Patih Gajah Mada. This event stems from the desire to take the king Hayam Wuruk Sundanese princess named Dyah Pitaloka as queen. However, because of a misunderstanding about the procedure of marriage, the plan led to a battle in Bubat. Majapahit troops, under the command of Gajah Mada defeated Pajajaran. In 1389, Hayam Wuruk died, and was succeeded by Wikramawardhana. This resulted in the beginning of the decline of the Majapahit Empire. As the Majapahit Empire went into decline in the late 1300s, Islam moved to fill the vacuum.

Islamic era

The precise date when Islam enters Java remains unclear. This is due to the absence of a definite source regarding the arrival of Islam in Java. However, according to some experts, it is estimated that Islam entered Java around the 11th century, with evidence of the tomb of Fatimah Binti Maimun in the village of Leran in Gresik Regency which dates from 475 AH (1085 AD). The tomb also shows that in the 11th century, the North coast of Java had begun to be frequented by Arab traders from the Middle East. In addition, several Islamic tombs were discovered in Trowulan, located in what is now part of the Mojokerto Regency, near the site of the former Majapahit palace.

In the 15th century, a Chinese Hui voyager named Ma Huan (simplified Chinese: 马欢; traditional Chinese: 馬歡; pinyin: Mǎ Huān) visited East Java. He then wrote the book Yingya Shenglan (simplified Chinese: 瀛涯胜览; traditional Chinese: 瀛涯勝覽; pinyin: yíngyá shènglǎn), which tells the story of the countries visited by him over the course of the Ming treasure voyages. He mentioned that at that time, there were three different kind of people inhabiting Eastern Java: Arabs from the Middle-East, the ancestor of the modern Arab Indonesians; Chinese Muslims originating from modern-day Guangdong province, and the native Javanese people.

By the 16th century, the Majapahit Empire was defeated by the Islamic kingdoms in Java, resulting in the exile of many Majaphit aristocrats to the neighbouring island of Bali. Those who remained in Java are forced to convert to Islam, while a small pocket of isolated people living in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park spread around Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Malang, and Lumajang Regencies remains adhered to Hinduism to this day. They are known as the Tenggerese people. Their population of roughly 100,000 is centered in 30 villages in the isolated Tengger mountains.

When the Islamic sultanates started ruling Java, cities in the northern coast started developing to become a thriving port. One of them is the town of Tuban, which was a wealthy and important port with many Chinese settlers. Being the port of Majapahit and the point of departure for the Moluccas, it exported an abundant supply of foodstuffs and imported a rich variety of products from the Moluccas. At the end of the 16th century, the development of Islam had surpassed Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion in Java. The emergence of the Islamic kingdom on Java is also inseparable from the role of Walisongo. At first, the spread of Islam was very rapid and was accepted by ordinary people, until finally the da'wah entered and was carried out by the rulers of this island.

European colonization

The relationship between the Javanese and European colonial powers began in 1522, with the signing of a treaty between the Sunda Kingdom and the Portuguese Empire in Malacca. After the failure of the treaty, the Portuguese presence was then limited to Malacca in the Malay Peninsula and the Maluku Islands. An expedition under the leadership of the Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman consisting of four ships in 1596 became the beginning of Dutch presence in the island. At the end of the 18th century, the Dutch had succeeded in expanding their influence on the Islamic sultanates in the interior of the island of Java.

At the onset of the Napoleonic Wars, the British conquered Java in 1811. Java later briefly became part of the British Empire, with Sir Stamford Raffles as its Governor-General. In 1814, Britain returned Java to the Netherlands as stipulated in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814.

Japanese occupation and revolution

During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, there was persistent resistance against the Japanese rule. In Blitar, an uprising by PETA (Defenders of the Homeland) led by Supriyadi, Moeradi, Halir Mangkudijoyo, and Soemarto occurred in early 1945, but it was crushed by the Japanese.

Two weeks after the proclamation of independence, Surabaya established its own government in the shape of a resident, R. Sudirman. The formation of government in Surabaya caused disputes between the republican forces and Japanese troops, resulting in various skirmishes across the city. This was because when the Japanese surrendered, they were obliged to remain in power until the allied forces arrived. The arrival of Allied forces in Surabaya created tensions with the newly established government of Indonesia, reaching peak on 10 November 1945 where a major battle between the Surabayan residents led by Sutomo and Allied forces.

The battle forced the governor, Suryo, on the advice of People's Security Army (TKR), to move the seat of the government to the Mojokerto area. A week later, the government retreated again to a more secure location in Kediri. However, security situation Kediri worsen until finally, in February 1947, the East Java provincial government fled to Malang. While the administration was based in Malang, Gobvernor Suryo was replaced by R.P. Suroso, who was in turn replaced again by Dr. Moerdjani. On 21 July 1947, although still bound by the Linggadjati Agreement and a ceasefire agreement in effect since 14 October 1946, the Dutch commenced a military action, Operation Product, which led to deteriorating security conditions in Malang. The East Java provincial government finally moved again to Blitar.

This military action ended after the Renville Agreement. However, this agreement had negative consequences for East Java, namely, a reduction in the territory controlled by the East Java provincial government. The Netherlands then turned the areas under its control into new states, such as the State of Madura and the State of East Java. Amid the difficulties faced by the government of Indonesia, a left-wing opposition group, Front Demokrasi Rakyat (FDR, People's Democratic Front) launched rebellion in Madiun on 18 September 1948, which is known as the Madiun Affair. However, eventually this revolt was defeated by the Indonesian Army. On 19 December 1948, the Dutch launched Operation Kraai. Blitar, which the seat of the East Java provincial government was attacked by the Dutch. Governor Dr. Moerdjani and his staff were forced to flee and joined the guerrillas on the slopes of Mount Willis. Operation Kraai ended after the Roem–Van Roijen Agreement on 7 May 1949.

Following the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference, at which the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty to the United States of Indonesia, the Dutch withdrew its troops from East Java. East Java changed its status from a province into a state. However, on 25 February 1950, this was dissolved and became part of the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. The State of Madura also decided to join Indonesia.

Contemporary era

Along with rapid growth of urbanization in East Java, the governments could not satisfy the population's needs for affordable housing, which led to the building of shanty towns along the rivers and rail tracks. Today, the shanty towns still exist; although some have been transformed into “better” housing.

East Java has twice hosted the National Sports Week (PON), namely the 7th (1969) and 15th PONs (2000), and became the overall champions in 2000 and 2008.

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