The Socio-Economic Background
Banten, located in the extreme west of Java, covers approximately 114 square miles. According tot the official statistics, Banten’s population in 1892 numbered 568,935; the most densely populated region was the district of Tjilegon.1 Relevant to the density of population is the state of land cultivation, which in turn depends largely upon the physical environment. The region can be divided into two markedly different parts. The southern part, a mountainous region, was mostly covered with forest and was very thinly populated. It was rarely the scene of momentous events in the history of Banten.2 North Banten, on the other hand, consisted largely of cultivated land in the last decades of the 19th century and consequently had a considerably greater density of population.3 Many towns in this region, Ban ten, Tamiang, and Pontang, among others, are very old; their foundation can be traced back to the 16th century.4