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Fatahillah

Fatahillah, sometimes rendered Falatehan, is a 16th-century Javanese-Betawi military leader associated with the early history of Jakarta. In traditional accounts he is credited with capturing the port of Sunda Kelapa from Portuguese control and founding the settlement of Jayakarta, which later developed into Batavia and then Jakarta. He is sometimes described as a local nobleman connected with the Betawi people or the Sultanate of Banten, and as a commander who united local communities to resist European encroachment.

According to widely told legends, in 1527 Fatahillah led a successful assault on the Portuguese fortress at

Today, Fatahillah's legacy is commemorated in Jakarta's historic district. Fatahillah Square in Kota Tua and the

Sunda
Kelapa,
enabling
the
establishment
of
a
new
administrative
center
on
the
site
of
the
old
port.
From
Jayakarta,
the
city
subsequently
expanded
and
endured
subsequent
periods
of
change,
including
eventual
Dutch
rule
and
the
founding
of
Batavia
in
the
17th
century.
The
specifics
of
these
events
are
not
well
documented
in
contemporary
sources,
and
some
details
are
considered
part
of
lore
rather
than
established
fact.
Fatahillah
Museum,
housed
in
the
old
city
hall,
honor
his
association
with
the
city's
early
development
and
its
resistance
to
foreign
domination.
He
is
presented
in
Indonesian
history
as
a
symbol
of
local
resilience
and
urban
origins.