Bantam

Bantam, once rich in its pepper plantations and the emporium of the Archipelago, had, in consequence of the restrictions of the Dutch company and the vicinity of Batavia, lost all its trade and importance, long before the arrival of the British.

The succession of the throne of Bantam was generally disposed of by the influence of the Dutch government: but the administration of the country and the collection of the port duties were till very lately entirely entrusted to him. This European influence, though strongly resisted in the first instance, had been long acquiesced in, till an attempt of the Dutch government, in the year 1808, to draw additional benefit from this province, gave occasion to an insurrection. The successive measures of introducing the cultivation of coffee into that part of the island, of opening the communication by means of new roads, and of constructing a new harbour, first at Mew Bay, and afterwards at Merak Bay, imposed new and unusual burthens on the people; and so many deserted from the public works that an order was issued to the Resident, requiring him to inform the sultan that his first minister should be held responsible for the due execution of the public task assigned to the sultan's subjects. The desertion still continuing, an order still more peremptory was issued to the Resident, requiring him to call upon the sultan to deliver up his first minister immediately. In carrying these orders into execution, the Resident having imprudently risked his person, was murdered. This fatal accident was the occasion of sending a considerable military force to Bantam, by which an immediate and thorough change in the native government was effected. The reigning sultan was removed from the throne and banished to Amboina, and a relative was raised to the sovereign power.

This prince was placed under regulations dictated by the Dutch; for so fallen had the sovereigns of this once flourishing and powerful kingdom now become, that the form and solemnity of a treaty was not deemed necessary. The sultan ceded part of his territories to the westward, adjacent to the environs of Batavia, the bad administration of which had frequently given occasion to disturbances in the Batavian districts. The new sultan was allowed to administer the rest of his dominions under the superior rule of the Dutch government.

The public works to be carried on in Bantam, and the unusual burthens they imposed on the people, continued however to excite, from time to time, disturbances and insurrections. On one occasion a detachment, consisting of a lieutenant and eighteen dragoons, were surprised and murdered by the inhabitants. Several native Pangérans and chiefs fell victims to the same spirit of discontent and revenge, and another change in the person of the sultan was thought advisable; the new sultan was in consequence allured on board a vessel, and conveyed to Batavia, and in his place another chief was installed sultan of the high lands of Bantam, the Dutch reserving to themselves the direct administration of the low lands.

The country, however, remaining still in a disturbed state, the Pangéran Akmet united under his banner the discontented people of all descriptions, in a more regular opposition to the European authority. From this time an extraordinary military force was constantly kept in Bantam: all attempts, however, to arrest the person of Akmet failed. His influence increased so much that proposals were made to him of a cession of part of the country: these, however, not being listened to, it was determined to abandon the interior to his depredations, until the inhabitants themselves, wearied of his arbitrary proceedings, might seek refuge with the European government.

The Dutch force being withdrawn from Bantam, Akmet availed himself of the presence of the British cruizers, during the blockade in 1811, to strengthen his influence by an intercourse with them, which he easily effected by furnishing them with supplies plundered by him from the inhabitants. By the cruizers he was considered as an unfortunate prince, maintaining his independence against the Dutch; and when the British troops landed, the sultan was his prisoner, and all Bantam under his controul.

At the conquest of Java by the British forces the extensive tracts of this fertile province were thus in the hands of a lawless rebel, the inhabitants were in a state of revolt, and universal anarchy and distrust had prevailed for several years. All idea of raising a revenue on account of government had been abandoned; and the general settlement of the country under European controul, was the most that could be hoped for.

In the year 1813 the sultan voluntarily resigned the administration of the country into the hands of the British government, in consideration of an annual pension of ten thousand Spanish dollars. With the detailed system of land revenue introduced into this province, an accurate survey was made of all the northern divisions; and a settlement having been made with each individual cultivator, the extent of population stated in the annexed table, as far as these districts are concerned, may be considered as in general correct. The population of the southern districts is estimated; and it may be observed, that the total population rather exceeds than falls short of what is stated.

GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE POPULATION OF BANTAM.

Num​­ber of Prin​­ci​­pal Vil​­lages. Num​­ber of Houses. Ho​­use​­hold​­ers. Mar​­ried Wom​­en. Children. To​­tal Pop​­u​­la​­tion in each Dis​­trict. Num​­ber of Buf​­fa​­loes. Ploughs. Settlement, 1815. Com​­puted To​­tal Pop​­u​­la​­tion

Males. Fe​­males. Males. Fe​­males. Sep​­a​­rate Leases grant​­ed for 1815. Quantity of Land.

Báhus. Chang​­kala

ESTIMATED POPULATION of the SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 9890

Parunkujang 1800 To​­tal Population 231604

Binwangan 2200

Parayan 1140

Somang 1305

Sajira 1745

Kosik 1700

9890

Tenára 9 1277 1221 226 983 1017 642 4089 306 364 573 1363 93 5452

Pontang 23 3620 2618 1030 2594 2766 2326 11334 980 1635 1170 2334 402 14112

Ragas 11 980 842 180 758 754 750 3235 764 610 490 848 398 3835

Tambakbaya 24 1281 869 392 791 752 669 3473 796 758 939 1593 134 4073

Panénan 25 1248 822 427 788 1089 921 4047 667 578 598 938 442 4547

Charoas 37 1639 1323 497 1150 1294 984 5248 709 648 697 1206 198 6200

Kalodran 14 1506 1129 352 1130 1123 918 4652 828 883 800 1521 278 5200

Chépété 14 1119 916 200 886 643 558 3203 519 487 826 1194 3 3400

Bántam 12 1818 1786 409 1677 614 749 5235 306 231 237 361 326 5699

Chebaning 8 1073 842 230 839 788 579 3278 598 807 353 516 451 3578

Sirang or Siram 42 5396 4399 980 4349 4826 4139 18693 2303 2787 2764 3108 484 19793

Pakam 16 1062 937 108 930 598 449 3022 457 399 741 1094 2 3321

Baros 51 2310 2888 384 2795 1825 1266 9158 1851 2033 2334 2723 146 9536

Cheomas 41 2690 2266 414 2267 902 723 6572 522 1872 2755 3640 167 6972

Sardang 26 2700 1990 731 1846 2155 1991 8713 944 804 1247 1699 168 8914

Jawána 5 1179 908 271 883 1066 952 4080 555 515 673 959 464 4390

Taraté 15 1842 1425 436 1357 1312 1102 5632 516 485 514 858 269 6400

Chelegon 34 4767 3825 1010 3685 3512 3212 15244 2531 2335 1321 2724 403 15744

Bujenagára 12 2693 2025 461 1964 2198 2096 8744 1009 1229 817 1710 30 9034

Anyer 41 4765 4710 490 4746 4346 3660 17952 2375 1695 4341 2437 180 18151

Charita 3 ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— 4143 ​— ​— 880 359 389 4143

Chéringbin 32 2667 2472 193 2403 1882 1454 8404 2105 1140 3846 1730 199 15384

Panimbang 11 443 405 38 399 306 207 1858 53 ​— ​— ​— ​— 1957

Minés 15 563 544 29 525 379 289 1756 382 386 673 284 358 1906

Kanánga 24 668 591 25 575 305 248 1744 419 373 808 291 195 1890

Chemánok 32 1558 1389 148 1409 888 802 4636 1178 1060 1406 1468 33 5237

Kadulósong 26 596 596 74 596 290 107 1663 941 772 2055 2241 67 4320

Chekek 20 993 767 230 739 492 482 2710 598 551 710 756 311 2841

Pandéglang 20 1020 794 234 780 611 489 2908 625 622 932 805 138 3329

Chadasári 39 2347 2227 321 2165 1576 1331 7620 1323 1233 2039 1247 75 8154

Pamaryan ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— 2174 ​— 508 543 449 2174

Underándi 11 656 570 88 537 423 399 2017 499 459 426 360 178 2217

Chikándi 11 517 463 70 433 360 329 1655 374 324 332 598 271 1763

Kolelet 18 624 586 128 569 359 341 1983 356 285 634 692 220 2535

Chrangasa ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— ​— 2403 ​— ​— 1025 601 382 2403

Konchang 16 1017 910 109 853 470 400 2742 626 555 980 792 48 3110

Total 738 58631 50055 10865 48401 40921 45624 193946 31289 28915 41444 42122 54 221714