route of the British Army in 1811 by E. Gullan based on sketches and field studies of major William Thorn
Batavia, as Jakarta was known during colonial times, was once styled the "Queen of the East". This label was lost in the early years of the 19th century when it was known as the "graveyard of Europeans". After the Dutch East India Company, VOC, because of mismanagement and corruption went bankrupt, and was officially dissolved in 1800, the city lost most of its raison d'etre. It had been a city of traders and the public administration, virtually no production organizations. With the end of the VOC all the inflow of respectable settlers but dried up seriously affecting the population continuity. The sickly air and abominable sanitation, had always taken a toll on a large number of its inhabitants and the replacement to stay at home in the city is slowly degraded.
The general decline accelerated because of the simultaneous devaluation of Batavia Dollar. A value of a currency, as happened here, is usually followed by the increasing poverty and widespread suffering. Merchants insistence on paid into a valuable, the economic downturn intensified as legal tender, the dollar and the officials and other employees are still paid in the old currency, in this case Spanish. The situation improved only after the British in 1811, control of the archipelago took
The unhealthy conditions of Batavia had many of those causes that can afford to move to higher ground, further in the south, that is, to Rijswijk / Weltevreden (Menteng), Meester Cornelis (Jati Negara) and Depok.
There was Governor General Daendels that the privately-induced movements in 1808, followed by the decision to leave the dilapidated and unhealthy Old Town and a new city center to the south build in Weltevreden. The old city (Kota) remained the center of trade, warehouse and shipping, with housing Menteng government offices, the military establishment and shopping. Interestingly, this situation remained virtually unchanged until recently. Only the ever increasing home to office travel time (residences of managers in general in the south to be) and the availability of modern office facilities in the southern parts of the city, led to a shift of Kota offices.
at the beginning of the base to move further to the south, was the very unhealthy conditions of old Batavia. Located at the mouth of the Ciliwung and with many swamps and almost stagnant ditches in its surroundings, the town suffered not only high rates of malaria, but also from pestilent air and toxic water. The following excerpt is from the island of Java, by John Joseph Stockdale: ... high level of mortality that is there, especially under transient visitors or newcomers; This is obvious to such a degree that the English who sailed the world, 1768-1770, and had experienced almost any instability of the climate, stated that Batavia not only unhealthy place was they had seen, but that fact was a adequate defense or preservative against all enemy attempts as to withstand the forces of any nation, would be able, nor would everyone in their favor, without absolute necessity, venture to address this pestilential atmosphere.
The health situation in Jakarta has been greatly improved, although several foreign companies or embassies still classify as Jakarta Post hardness and allow their employees every two years R & R leave from a few days in Singapore. The main problem of Jakarta is the traffic situation today. Jams are ubiquitous and unpredictable. Drivers seem to behave like a flock of starlings, without visible or audible command, they all suddenly change direction Where for days of morning rush followed a certain road, this way could the next day everything, but without traffic to be as a driver snaps en masse on an alternate route.
Both the unhealthy conditions of old Batavia and the endless gridlock modern Jakarta are strange and off-putting to say the least, and very frustrating, because it is so little it can do. Stay away, yes! But once you arrive, there is no escape. And the frustration is amplified when one considers that the traffic flow could be improved if only the system and the method have been regularized. Have you ever a KNEK observed (driver wizard that collects the tariff, sounds manager a bit too fancy) of a green-white Kopaja minibus or Orange Metro Mini, so resolve a deadlock by creating room inch by inch, that finally the plug can be removed and the traffic flowing again ... do not expect the same inventiveness and insight of the police who would rather keep his track clean to send you on the left side if the desired direction to the right or straight ,
The most recent example of the fictitious traffic regulations Jakarta is the intersection of Gatot Subroto and Rasuna Said / Mampang. In order to reduce the traffic on the intersection, drivers will now be directed away from the crossing and heading only towards its original destination after a recent U-turn.
Very frustrating it is not! When staying away is not an option, is my advice: hire a good driver and sit in the back. Do some work if you want it, or read and listen to music on the pod pad or phone, or close your eyes and dream a little. The last option is my favorite way to beat the traffic
References .:
The conquest of Java, Major William Thorn, reprinted in paperback by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd, 04
Java island, John Joseph Stockdale, reprinted in paperback by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., 03
Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch-indie, Martinus Nijhoff, 1917
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