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Karangantu: The forgotten silk route lost to time
Karangantu, located in Serang, Banten, is harboring a piece of history. Formerly a large and important seaport during the era of the Banten Sultanate, it was hailed worldwide as the silk route for international trade.
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Karangantu, located in Serang, Banten, is harboring a piece of history.
Formerly a large and important seaport during the era of the Banten Sultanate, it was hailed worldwide as the silk route for international trade.
In those days, Karangantu was visited by many traders from Asia, Africa and Europe.
Dutch Governor Jan Pieterzoon Coen mentioned six Chinese boats that carried high-value goods in Karangantu, as chronicled in the book Mengenal Peninggalan Sejarah dan Purbakala Kota Banten Lama (Knowing the Historical and Archaeological Heritage of the Old City of Banten) by Uka Tjandrasasmita, Hasan M. Ambary and Hawany Michrob.
It was revealed that Tom Pires, a medicine expert from Portugal who traveled to Southeast Asia, visited Banten in 1513.
Pires said Karangantu was the second-most important port in the Sunda Kingdom, after the port of Sunda Kelapa in Batavia, the old name for Jakarta.
A turning point in its history, the decline of Old Banten occurred when a civil war broke out, with Sultan Haji leading a mutiny against his father Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa.
Since then, the influence of the Banten Sultanate began to fade. And Old Banten’s crumbling influence was destined as the center of administration was moved to nearby Serang.
The Karangantu seaport was no longer a hub because of deteriorating environmental conditions due to siltation, which made it impossible for ships to travel through.
The golden age of the port ended in the 17th century as Sunda Kelapa in Batavia began to take over as a magnet of world trade.
Sadly, few traces of this prosperous time are visible today, with the area now just a traditional fishing hub scattered with garbage. All that remains are wrecks of boats at the edge of a river estuary within the historic site.
