Souw Beng Kong
| Kapitein Souw Beng Kong 蘇鳴崗甲 | |
|---|---|
| Kapitein der Chinezen of Batavia | |
|
In office 1619–1636 | |
| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | Kapitein Lim Lak Ko |
| Constituency | Batavia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tong An, Fujian, Ming Empire |
| Died |
1580 (aged -65–-64) Batavia, Dutch East Indies |
| Occupation | Kapitein der Chinezen |
Souw Beng Kong, Kapitein der Chinezen (simplified Chinese: 苏鸣岗甲; traditional Chinese: 蘇鳴崗甲; pinyin: Sū míng-gǎng Jia; 1580-1644), called Bencon in older Dutch sources, was an ally of the Dutch East India Company and the first Kapitein der Chinezen of Batavia, capital of colonial Indonesia.[1] This was the most senior Chinese position in the colonial civil bureaucracy with legal and political jurisdiction over the local Chinese community in the colony.[2][3]
Souw Beng Kong was born in Tong An, Fujian in 1580 during the Ming Dynasty.[1] By the beginning of the seventeenth century, he had established himself as a leading magnate and merchant in the port city of Banten on the north coast of Java.[1] He was appointed by Pangeran Ratu, Sultan of Banten (1596–1647) as the Kapitan Cina, or Chinese headman, of Banten.[1] In the conflict between the Sultan and the Dutch East India Company, however, Souw sided with the Company.[1]
When Jan Pieterszoon Coen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1587-1629) moved the Dutch headquarters from Banten to the newly conquered city of Jayakarta (later renamed Batavia), Coen asked Souw to relocate to the new Dutch capital.[1] Souw played an important role in consolidating Dutch rule in Batavia by encouraging the settlement of Chinese migrants, starting with 170 Chinese families from Banten.[1] The Company appointed Souw as Kapitein der Chinezen of Batavia with political and legal authority over the local Chinese community.[1][4]
This system formed part of the Dutch colonial system of ‘Indirect Rule’.[3] Similar posts were created for leaders of other ethnic groups in Batavia, such as the Bugis, the Balinese, the Makassarese, the Indians and the Papangers.[3] Interethnic relations were close. Kapitein Souw Beng Koen is recorded to have had two Balinese wives who gave birth to two sons.[1]
Beyond his role as Kapitein, Souw Beng Koen was also given the authority to mint coins and print money and the license to tax gambling in Batavia.[1] He also developed trade links between Dutch Formosa (Taiwan) and Batavia towards the end of the Ming Dynasty.[1] Souw resigned his captaincy in 1636 after 17 years in office.[5]
Kapitein Souw Beng Kong died in 1644.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Phoa, Kian Sioe (1956). Sedjarahnja Souw Beng Kong: (tangan-kanannja G.G. Jan Pieterszoon Coen), Phoa Beng Gan (achli pengairan dalam tahun 1648), Oey Tamba Sia (hartawan mati ditiang penggantungan) (in Indonesian). Djakarta: Reporter. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ↑ Suryadinata, Leo (1993). Chinese Adaptation and Diversity: Essays on Society and Literature in Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore. Singapore: NUS Press. ISBN 9789971691868. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- 1 2 3 Lohanda, Mona (1994). The Kapitan Cina of Batavia, 1837-1942. Jakarta: Djambatan. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ↑ Rush, James R. (2007). Opium to Java: Revenue Farming and Chinese Enterprise in Colonial Indonesia, 1860-1910. Equinox Publishing. ISBN 9789793780498. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ↑ Thamrin, Mahandis Yoanata (27 April 2012). "Sepetak Tanah Berkisah tentang Sang Kapitan". National Geographic Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 April 2017.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New creation |
Kapitein der Chinezen of Batavia 1619–1636 |
Succeeded by Kapitein Lim Lak Ko |