The entrance gate of a Portuguese fortress in Banyumanis village, Donorojo district, Jepara regency, Tuesday (8/8). The fortress, which is said to be built by Mataram soldiers in 1613-1645, is now an historic tourist attraction.
Amid the few Portuguese legacies on the island of Java, one can be found at the northern shore of Jepara in Central Java. Jutting out into the sea, the “Land of Kartini” — named after Indonesia’s famed champion of women’s rights who once lived there — was strategic for trade and maritime warfare. One of these historical traces manifests itself in the form of a fort with a cannon on top of a stone hill.
A Portuguese fort can be found on the beach of Banyumanis village, Donorojo district, Jepara regency, some 45 kilometers away from downtown Jepara. According to the the Central Java cultural heritage preservation office, the fort was the fruit of a military cooperation between the Islamic Mataram kingdom under Sultan Agung’s reign and Portuguese forces.
The fort was built to drive off the Dutch army that had begun to take over Jayakarta (the old name for Jakarta) at the time. In 1619, through the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC), the Dutch forces conquered Jayakarta and changed its name to Batavia.
At the time, Mataram’s Sultan Agung believed that the Dutch army was dangerous. However, efforts to drive off the army in 1628 and 1629 failed as Mataram did not have a strong maritime armada.
As a result, Sultan Agung asked the Portuguese army, who ruled over Malacca, for help. Sultan Agung believed that the Dutch forces would be defeated if they were attacked both from land and sea. Portugal was chosen as a partner due to its maritime strength. After the fort was established, cannons were put on top of the hill. Another fort would then be built below.
Portugal built the fort and placed its soldiers there in 1632.
“There were Portuguese armadas here for only a few years. All of the soldiers were then told to return to Malacca because the Dutch forces were attacking their headquarters,” said Puji Karyanto from the Jepara tourism and culture agency’s Portuguese Fort management office on Tuesday (8/8/2017).
The fort is not too big at between 1 and 2 meters high and standing on 1,300 square meters of land on a hilltop. Within the fort, there is a 4m-high lookout tower and small wooden houses with sago palm roofing that used to shelter soldiers.
Story passed down through generations
The story of how the Portuguese army came to Jepara was passed down through generations. Puji, who was born and raised in Donorojo, got the story from his parents and local community leaders. They did not just tell the story of how the Portuguese army came, but also the detailed chronology of events that took place. There is only one version of how the Portuguese Fort was established and it is relatively easy to find it.
“The elders have sort of patented their version of history to avoid confusion,” Puji said.
After falling into neglect for years, the fort was opened for public in 2011. In the fort, visitors can look at various dioramas of cannons and lookout posts. They will be able to easily imagine how strategic the cannons’ positions had been. With a clear visibility of between 3 and 4 kilometers, the fort is properly positioned to shoot at enemy ships passing through the seas.
Some 3.2 to 4.8 km to the north of the fort, there is the famed Mandalika Island. Puji said that the island has the oldest lighthouse in all of Java, built in around 1610. The tiny island is currently inhabited by a few lighthouse operators. Visitors can make a crossing to Mandalika on Saturdays and Sundays.
Khoirul Muhim, 19, a visitor from Mayong district in Jepara, visited the Portuguese fort after his parents told him the story about its past. He said that everyone in Jepara knew the tales of the fort.
After the Portuguese armada left the fort behind, Japanese forces once also stayed there. They used forced laborers to repair the fort. Locals believe that the fort has a hidden tunnel built by the forced laborers during the Japanese occupation that connects the fort to the beach on the foothill. However, they said that the tunnel is now closed as it would be dangerous for travelers to enter.
Historical area
Puji said that Donorojo means “donation from a king or queen.” Before it was established as the name of the local district, Donorojo was the name of a region managed by the Dutch forces around the Portuguese fort. Therefore, up to now, no one living around the fort has a land certificate.
“It was all left over from the Dutch occupation and was then managed by the provincial government,” he said.
Some 500m away from the fort stands the Donorojo Leprosy Hospital. Established in 1916, the hospital is among the largest medical care centers for leprosy patients in Indonesia. The hospital was established by the Dutch Indies administration and managed by a Christian missionary foundation. It is said that Queen Wilhelmina and her children often came to Jepara and visited the area.
Apart from the leprosy hospital, the Dutch colonial administration also built a church to provide care and a place of worship for leprosy patients. A Dutch architectural style is represented by the church’s colorful windows, high roof and stone ornaments on the wall.
However, the cleanliness and maintenance of the cultural heritage site is still minimal. Though the fort is protected by Law No. 11/2010 on cultural heritage, graffiti is still found in the area. Parts of the place are also full of plastic waste and dead leaves.
For the people in Donorojo, the memory of past arrivals of Portuguese and Dutch communities should be passed down through generations.
