Banten City, year 1724

Banten City, year 1724

Banten in the past was a prosperous port city area.^{[citation needed]} In the 5th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Tarumanagara. The Lebak relic inscriptions, found in lowland villages on the edge of Ci Danghiyang, Sub Munjul, Pandeglang, Banten, were discovered in 1947 and contains 2 lines of poetry with Pallawa script and Sanskrit language.^{[citation needed]} The inscriptions speak of the courage of king Purnawarman.^{[citation needed]} After the collapse of the kingdom Tarumanagara following attack by Srivijaya, power in the western Java fell to the Kingdom of Sunda. According to Portuguese explorer, Tome Pires, Banten became an important port of the Kingdom of Sunda in the early 16 th century.

In 1527 just as the Portuguese fleet was arriving of the coast, newly converted Javanesemuslims under Sunan Gunungjati capture the port and surrounding area from Sunda and establish the Sultanate of Banten. As the center of this sultanate, as reported by J. de Barros, Banten is a major port in Southeast Asia, parallel to the Malacca and Makassar. City of Banten is located in the mid-coast of the bay, which up to three miles wide. the city was 850 fathoms in length. In the seaside town of 400 fathoms in length; enter into it longer. Through the middle of town there is a clear river, where the ship type and gale junks could sail through. Throughout the suburbs there is a tributary, the river is not how large it was only small boats can only sail through. In a suburb that is a fortress whose walls were made of brick and seven palms wide. Defense buildings made of wood, consisting of two levels, and armed with good weapons. In the middle of town square is used for the benefit of military activities and folk art and as a market in the morning. The king's palace is located in the southern part of the square. Beside the building is elevated and flat-roofed, called Srimanganti, which is used as the king of face to face with people. To the west of the square was built a great mosque.

In the early 17th century AD, Banten is one of the important commercial center in the international trade route in Asia. Modern administration and governance port very supportive for the growth of the economic community. Its territory includes the area is now the province of Lampung in southern Sumatra.

When the Dutch arrived in Indonesia for the first time, the Portuguese have long entered the Banten. Then the English founded a factory in Banten and followed by the Dutch. In addition, the French and Danish people also came to trade in Banten. In the competition between the European traders, the Dutch emerged as the winner. Portuguese man fled from Banten (1601), after their fleet was destroyed by the Dutch fleet off the coast of Banten.