History of Surabaya City, the Birthplace of Indonesia’s First President

Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia, was a silent witness to the 10 November battle and is known as the City of Heroes. Due to its strategic location on the northern coast of East Java, it once served as a trade hub. In contrast, its inland area, with its expansive lowlands, was more accommodating of agricultural traditions.

Let’s briefly look at Surabaya City, the birthplace of Indonesia’s first president, Ir. Soekarno!

History of Surabaya City

In Handinoto’s book, G.H. von Faber, cited from Tirto’s webpage, reveals that Surabaya City was founded by the last king of the Singasari Kingdom, King Kertanegara, in 1275 AD. It is believed that the city was built after defeating the Kanuruhan rebellion. At that time, the king ordered the establishment of a settlement on the Brantas River.

However, according to another version, Surabaya was founded after Raden Wijaya—the first king of the Majapahit Kingdom—defeated the Mongol troops in 1293. The Mongol troops, led by Kubilai Khan, came to attack King Kertanegara. However, Kubilai Khan did not know that the Singasari King had died before he arrived in Java.

Raden Wijaya’s victory was so significant that the date of his victory, 31 May, is considered the founding date of Surabaya. However, the name Surabaya was not widely known at that time. The name Surabaya was first identified in 1358 during the reign of Hayam Wuruk in Majapahit. At that time, Surabaya, still written as “Surabhaya,” was engraved on the Canggu Inscription or Trowulan Inscription.

Besides the above stories, Surabaya City is also tied to the local legend of a fight between a crocodile and a shark. It is said that a crocodile named Baya and a shark named Sura often fought in the ocean. Their fights were over prey. In short, they agreed that Sura would hunt in the ocean while Baya would hunt on land.

However, Sura secretly hunted for prey in the river, and this angered Baya. Another fight occurred between the two, and Sura bit Baya at the base of his right-side tail, causing it to bend to the left. Sura’s tail was also bitten and nearly severed. From this tale, people believe that the name Surabaya came from the fight between Sura and Baya.

Development of Surabaya City

There are four phases in the development of Surabaya City:

● Pre-modern city, led by Governor General Herman Willem Daendels, who transformed Surabaya into a miniature Europe. Influenced by Western culture, Surabaya was built with forts such as Fort Prins Hendrik.

● Modern city, with the establishment of a modern city structure and suburbanization in 1830-1942. The revolution’s influence accelerated the development of facilities, infrastructures, and technologies. In 1906, many agricultural industries emerged after investors arrived in Surabaya.

● Decline of colonial command, with the colonial influence fading since the Japanese arrival in 1942. Initially producing sugar, Surabaya City shifted to shipbuilding, steel, and textile industries. Additionally, new factories were built, and migration continued to occupy public infrastructures.

● Infrastructure development, with the city expanding due to large-scale infrastructure and housing developments from 1970 to the present. The Tunjungan and Jembatan Merah areas were developed into affluent and modern neighborhoods.

Surabaya City’s Role in Defending Independence

After Indonesia’s independence, Bung Tomo, with his brave fighting spirit, inspired the people of Surabaya City to defend Indonesia’s independence from from Netherland Indies Civil Administration (NICA) and the allied forces—who wanted to reclaim Indonesia after it declared independence on 17 August 1945.

At that time, Bung Tomo incited the spirit of resistance through his orations on radio broadcasts, especially to the young people of Surabaya. His most famous words were, “Kita Tetap: Merdeka atau Mati” (our motto remains: independence or death). In short, the people managed to drive out the allied forces after the battle on 28 October 1945.

However, the peak of the battle occurred on 10 November 1945, after the allied forces were enraged by the death of British leader Brigadier Mallaby. Nonetheless, the people of Surabaya successfully defended Indonesia’s independence, and President Soekarno designated 10 November as Heroes’ Day.

That is a brief overview of Surabaya City, currently the second-largest city in Indonesia. Let’s visit Surabaya and explore the city. Before going there, make sure to purchase your travel insurance from MSIG Indonesia by clicking Buy Travel Insurance Online. With this insurance, your trip will always be safe, covered by insurance.