Tangerang History, Indonesia

Tangerang is a beautiful city located in Banten, Indonesia. This is a city that is located about 20 km to Jakarta’s west and is considered to be the second biggest center of the Jabotabek region after Jakarta.

The population of the city of Tangerang consists of mainly Chinese Indonesians, who come from the Cina Bentang lineage. These Chinese Indonesians are actually descendants from the laborers who the Dutch colonials had brought to Tangerang, Indonesia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, most of these Chinese Indonesians are still farmers and laborers.

This is a city which does not have any recordings of an extensive history of the city. According to available records, it was on October 1945 that a Muslim militia, Laskar Hitam, was started in Tangerang.

Kidnapping of a minister

It is said that this militia was started with an ambition of starting an Islamic nation in this Indonesian country. In fact, this campaign progressed with time to later become a section of the DI/TII revolutionist party of Indonesia.

It was on October 31, 1945 that this very party, Laskar Hitam had kidnapped the then Minister of State of Indonesia, Otto Iskandardinata. Lots of efforts was put into locating the minister; but to no avail. It was on December 20, 1945 that he was finally found on Mauk beach, Tangerang, supposedly to have been murdered by someone.

Ethnic uprisings follow declaration of independence

With the proclamation of Indonesia’s independence, there was a lot of confusion and ethnic uprisings in Tangerang. This was when anti-racial Chinese bodies charged the racial Chinese housed in Tangerang.

This move was done because the anti-racial Chinese of Tangerang was under the impression that the racial Chinese were offering their support to the Dutch government, who was making attempts to re-colonize Indonesia.

The start and end of Walmart in Indonesia

The famous Soekarna Hatta International airport of Jakarta was built in Benda, Tangerange, between the years 1981 to 1984. Though the airport is found in Tangerang, it is called ‘Soekarno Hatta Airport, Cengkareng, Jakarta’. This Cengkareng is a sub-district of Jakarta, found on the sub-district of West Jakarta, in the airport’s proximity.

Walmart, the huge retail chain of USA had opened its first franchise or branch in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang on August 1996. however the May 1998 riot led to the ransacking and burning down of this Walmart branch in Tangerang. With this, Walmart was forced to abandon their Indonesian venture.

email to a friendAsk our travel experts a question about Tangerang