Ahmad Jayadiningrat

Ahmad Jayadiningrat was a prominent colonial Indonesian bureaucrat who served as Regent of Serang (1901-1924), and subsequently of Batavia (1924-1929). He was also a member of the Volksraad (or colonial legislature) and the Council of the Indies (an advisory body to the Dutch Empire in Indonesia). He was born into the influential Djajadiningrat family in Kabayan village, Pandeglang on August 16, 1877, and died in Purwakarta on December 22, 1943. His father, Raden Bagus Djajawinata, was a forward-thinking Regent of Serang, while his grandfather, Raden Adipati Aria Natadiningrat, served as Regent of Pandeglang. His mother was Ratu Salehah, originally from Cipete, Serang. He received his education in Dutch schools and became fluent in Dutch, Malay, Sundanese, and Arabic. He married twice and had two children from his second wife. He was awarded several honors by the Dutch government, such as the Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau and the Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. He was also active in some early nationalist organizations, such as Jamiat Kheir and Sarekat Islam. He was a respected leader and a moderate reformist who advocated for more autonomy and representation for the native Indonesians. He was also a pioneer in urban planning and social welfare in Batavia, where he improved the living conditions of the poor and the marginalized. He was a close friend and ally of Mohammad Husni Thamrin, another prominent politician and nationalist. In 1936, he published his memoirs titled Herinneringen van Pangeran Aria Achmad Djajadiningrat, which contains over 37 years of his experience in public service and politics. He was one of the most influential and progressive figures in the colonial era of Indonesia.