Residensi

Residensi, or residency, is a historical administrative division used in the Dutch East Indies, a territory that later became Indonesia. The term derives from Dutch residentie, referring to the office or jurisdiction of a Resident, the senior civil administrator in the district. In Indonesian usage, residensi describes the geographic area governed by a Resident and the administrative apparatus stationed there.

In the colonial system, a residensi typically encompassed several regencies and districts and acted as the primary level of centralized civil government in a region. The Resident was the highest official within the residency, responsible for tax collection, law and order, public works, and implementation of colonial policy. The administration often included subordinate officials such as under-residents and district heads, and it interacted with local rulers under indirect rule arrangements.

Residensi existed across the Dutch East Indies, including Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Lesser Sunda Islands. The structure varied by island and period, but the residency remained a key unit for organizing governance, revenue, and bureaucracy under colonial authority. With Indonesian independence and subsequent administrative reforms, the formal use of residensi declined as provinces and regencies became the standard units of government.

Today, residensi are primarily of historical and architectural interest. The term persists in archival references and in the names of historic offices and buildings, many of which were repurposed as government offices, museums, or educational institutions. The residensi period is an important lens for studying colonial administration, regional development, and urban planning in Indonesia.