Cileungsi and the Indonesian War of Independence:  A Local Historical Study of West Java

Agung; Singgih Tri Sulistiyono; Yety Rochwulaningsih; Haryono Rinardi

doi:10.22437/js.v6i1.52449

Authors

Agung Arsip Nasional RI
Singgih Tri Sulistiyono Diponegoro University
Yety Rochwulaningsih Diponegoro University
Haryono Rinardi Diponegoro University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22437/js.v6i1.52449

Keywords:

tjileungsi, masa revolusi, tjileungsir, perang kemerdekaan, local history

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The Indonesian War of Independence is commonly examined through major events in urban political and military centers, resulting in the marginalization of peripheral regions within national historiography. This article aims to analyze the role of Cileungsi, a peripheral area in West Java, during the Indonesian War of Independence between 1945 and 1950, with particular attention to its geographical position, forms of local resistance, and social consequences of the conflict. This study employs the historical method, consisting of heuristic research, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography, combined with a historical-sociological approach. The sources include colonial and post-independence archives, military and administrative reports, contemporary newspapers, and local oral traditions. The findings demonstrate that Cileungsi played a strategic role as a connective corridor between Batavia, Buitenzorg, and eastern West Java, functioning as a base for guerrilla warfare, logistical support, and popular resistance. Local actors such as community leaders, religious figures, and youth militias actively participated in resistance efforts, often operating outside formal military structures. Furthermore, the revolutionary period profoundly transformed the social, economic, and cultural life of the local population. This study concludes that Cileungsi was not a passive peripheral space but an integral component of the Indonesian revolutionary struggle, highlighting the importance of local history in constructing a more inclusive and balanced national historiography.

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Interviews

Interview with M Zuhdi, aged 32, grandson of independence fighter Muhammad Zuhdi. Conducted March 25, 2024, at his residence in Rawa Hingkik, Cileungsi, West Java Province.

Interview with Lili, aged 67, daughter of Raden Hamzah. Conducted January 18, 2023, at her residence in Kranji, Bekasi City, West Java Province.

Online

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