Etymology

"Banjarmasin" is thought to be a corrupted version of "Bandar Masih" (Port Masih), which was named for Patih Masih, who ruled the port and the surrounding villages. Patih Masih's name may have been a nickname. Masih originates from the Ngaju language. Oloh Masi refers to the coastal-dwelling Malay population in the language of the Dayaks, who lived in the interior and visited the port regularly to trade. Some of the Dayaks eventually settled in the port. They eventually contributed to the culture of the Banjar people, along with the Javanese and Malays.^[11][12]

Early history

Burial complex of Sultan Suriansyah, first sultan of Banjar

European archeologist H. Kupper discovered several prehistoric sites around the region in 1939 and found implements such as choppers and other stone tools. Most of the artifacts found around the region and the province show signs of Neolithic culture. Migration from mainland Asia to Borneo may have been common while they were connected by the Sunda Shelf. Many stone tools have been found in Awang Bangkal, 50 km (31 mi) from the city.^[11]

Until the early 15th century, there were few written records found from the region. Outside records indicate it was home to several kingdoms such as Tanjungpuri—theorized to have been founded by Malay people from Srivijaya—and Negara Daha and Dipa, which were founded by Javanese people from Majapahit. Hinduism and Buddhism entered the region between the first and 15th centuries. There are two candis (temples) left in the region, Candi Laras and Candi Agung.^[13] The Ma'anyan people may have ruled the oldest kingdom in the archipelago, Nan Sarunai. Its existence is disputed;^[14][11][15] speculated by archeologists based on several carved stone tombs and a Ma'anyan folk song called "Usak Jawa", which is thought to tell the story of the Majapahit conquest of the kingdom.^[15]

The history of Banjarmasin itself began during the founding of the Sultanate of Banjar. According to folk stories and the Hikayat Banjar, Sukarama, the fourth king of Negara Daha, wanted his grandson, Raden Samudra, to be his successor in the kingdom instead of his direct son Prince Tumenggung. Prince Tumenggung later banished Raden Samudra and tried to reclaim the throne for himself. Raden Samudra fled to the region that would later be known as Banjarmasin. There, he met Patih Masih. Under Samudra's leadership, the port grew into the town of Bandar Masih.^[16][11] Tumenggung, who disliked Samudra's growing power, wanted to invade the town. Samudra allied with the Demak Sultanate, which agreed to help him. In return he would have to convert to Islam if he won. With the help of expeditionary forces from Demak, Samudra defeated the Tumenggung forces and proclaimed the Banjar Sultanate. He changed his name to Sultan Suriansyah I. The sultanate became more reliant on the Demak to the point that it was considered their protectorate. However, between 1546 and 1550, as conquests and the spice trade enriched the sultanate, it became independent and stopped sending tributes to Java.^[11][17]

Colonial era

Engagement between Banjarese kotta mara (floating fortress) against Dutch steam ship Celebes, 6 August 1859

The first contact between Europeans and the Banjar people in the region came through trade. Starting in 1596, this mostly took place in Banten. European traders, largely Dutch, did not bother visiting the port until Banten's rulers banned them. The traders resorted to attacking ships from other countries, including ships under the Banjar Sultanate, to steal nutmeg. The Sultan took revenge against a Dutch ship visiting Banjarmasin on 17 July 1607 by hijacking it and massacring the crew. Similar incidents occurred several times between 1603 and 1636, ending when the sultanate reached a trade agreement that put the Dutch East India Company in control of the nutmeg trade from the sultanate and gave it a monopoly over trade in Banjarmasin. The company was expelled in 1638, however, after the sultan waged a war against the Dutch and burned much of the company's possessions around the port.^[18][11]

Fort Tatas, a Dutch fortress in Banjarmasin, 1924

Similarly, an English company agreed upon a treaty with the sultanate in 1698 but was expelled from the region in 1707. Following the Napoleonic Wars, Banjamasin was subject to British control, a situation complicated by the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, which was seen to have mandated its transfer to Dutch authority.^[11][17]This directive paradoxically conflicted with a prior 1812 treaty between the British East India Company and the sultanate, which prohibited the region’s transfer to any other European power.^[19] This issue was navigated by the then Governor of Java, John Fendall, who argued that the 1812 treaty’s conditions were still valid. Sovereignty was therefore effectively transferred from the British East India Company to the Sultan in late 1816, and not directly to the Dutch.^[19] The dispute over sovereignty was finally settled when the Sultan of Banjarmasin settled an agreement with the Netherlands in January 1817, effectively confirming Dutch control over the region.^[19] A succession crisis between Sultan Adam and Tamjidillah II and a dispute over resource control of coal mines resulted in a war between the sultanate and the Dutch East Indies Company which led to the end of the sultanate in 1863. The war continued until 1905 under an emergency government set up by the sultanate called Pagustian. The last resistance was put down with the capture of Queen Zaleha in 1906.^[17][20] As a result of the war, many Banjar people from Borneo migrated to Sumatra, Singapore, and Malaysia and formed communities there.^[20]

20th century–present

Route of Japanese attack on Borneo, 1942

When World War II broke out, the city was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. After the Battle of Banjarmasin, control was transferred to the Imperial Japanese Navy. Locals described Japanese rule under the navy as harsher compared to the army. This led many people to escape to Java, which remained under army rule. The city was liberated by Australian forces in September 1945. The return of Dutch rule, however, was opposed by the people and resulted in the Kalimantan Physical Revolution, four years of war between Indonesian nationalists and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. This ended with the Dutch recognition of Indonesia in 1949. The city was briefly assigned as the capital of Great Dayak federal state before being absorbed into a single Kalimantan province. It later became the capital city of the newly formed South Kalimantan province.^[11][21][22] Frequent flooding led to a plan to relocate the provincial capital city to Banjarbaru. The process continued until 2011, and the provincial parliament remains in Banjarmasin.^[23] Banjarmasin was granted city status by the Indonesian government in 1959 under Law Number 27 of 1959.^[7]

On 7 December 1996, Dirgantara Air Service Flight 5940 crashed to the gas factory after taking off near Syamsudin Noor International Airport, killing around 18 people.^[24] On 23 May 1997, the city witnessed a riot caused by friction between supporters of the United Development Party and Golkar. The riot later developed into looting, which targeted Chinese and Christian minorities and several shopping malls.^[25][26][27] At least 137 people were killed during the riots.^[28] The riot today is known by locals as Jumat Kelabu or Grey Friday.^[29]

On 15 February 2022, the capital of South Kalimantan province was legally moved to Banjarbaru.^[30][31]

Climate

Banjarmasin has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) with heavy rainfall from November to June and moderate rainfall from July to October. The monthly temperature is within range between 26 °C (79 °F) to 38 °C (100 °F) with an average maximum temperature of 33 °C (91 °F) and average minimum temperature of 22 °C (72 °F). However, there is a slight variation of seasonal temperatures because of monsoons. Precipitation can reach between 2,400 mm (94 in) and 3,500 mm (140 in) yearly, with an average level of 1,600 mm (63 in). The hottest months are between March and September when the temperature can reach an average as high as 36 °C (97 °F). The average amount of sunshine is 2.8 hours per day during the rainy season and 6.5 hours during the dry season.^[10][32]

January is the wettest month, with air humidity sitting between 75 and 90% in January; September is the driest, with humidity of 52% in September.^[32]

Administrative division

The city is divided into five districts (kecamatan). The most densely populated district is Central Banjarmasin with a density of 13,155 per square kilometre while the least densely populated district is South Banjarmasin with density of 4,281 per square kilometre. As of 2020, South, North, and East Banjarmasin district experienced population growth—South and North both by 1.10% and East by 0.58%; Central and West Banjarmasin both experienced declines of 0.46%. Their areas and populations at the 2010 Census^[5] and 2020 Census,^[6] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022,^[3] are tabulated below. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of urban villages (all rated as kelurahan) in each district, and its postal codes.

Local government

As with all Indonesian cities, Banjarmasin is a second-level administrative division run by a mayor and a vice mayor together with the city parliament, and is equivalent to a regency.^[34] Executive power is vested in the mayor and vice mayor, while legislative duties are vested in the local parliament. The mayor, vice mayor, and parliament members are directly elected by the people of the city in an election.^[35] Heads of districts are appointed by the mayor on the recommendation of the city secretary.^[36][37]

Politics

On the provincial level, Banjarmasin is part of South Kalimantan's first electoral district, which has 8 out of 55 representatives. On the city level, the city is divided into five electoral districts, which have a total of 45 parliamentary representatives. The last election was in 2019 and the next one is scheduled for 2024.^[38]

Industry

Around 62% of industry in Banjarmasin is focused on food and drink processing and related products. This includes bread, flour, and soybean sauce production. Other industries include rubber and plastic manufacturing, which account for about 15% of the city's industrial output. The rest of the industrial output is from machinery, pharmaceuticals, paper products, and electrical equipment.^[40]

There are 3,014 industrial companies registered in the city as of 2020, employing a total of 22,063 people. There are also smaller-scale industries producing wood furniture, clothing, and snacks, with 88 registered smaller-scale businesses in these sectors as of 2020.^[10]

Tourism

The city has 129 hotels registered as of 2020. The city was visited by 109,653 domestic tourists and 251 foreign tourists that year. According to Statistics Indonesia, in 2020 there were 113 identified potential tourist spots in the city. Tourism, however, remains a small sector in the city's economy.^[10]

Finance

The finance sector in general has been grew steadily from 2015 to 2019, with an annual growth of around 3%. Basic financial services account for 67% of this sector, followed by pension funds and insurance services with 14.94%. The city accounts for 67.61% of financial activities in the entire province, both in local and foreign currencies.^[39]

Banjarese culture

The city's dominant culture is that of the Banjar people, which have characteristics described as those of a "river culture" and are influenced by other ethnicities such as Dayak, Javanese, Malay, Arab, and even Persian. Despite being a Muslim majority, the Banjar people still hold on to the importance of cultural parts that have been influenced by their Hindu-Buddhist past. This includes the Malanuh ceremony, which is an offering to supernatural beings.^[45] One annual event that is celebrated widely by the people of the city is Haul Guru Sekumpul, an event commemorating the death of a charismatic ulema from the region, Zaini Abdul Ghani.^[46][47]

Another famous cultural sight in the city is a floating market located on the Kuin River and Lok Baintan. People meet on the river after Fajr prayer until around 07:00 pm and transactions with the merchants are done from small boats. Small snacks, vegetables, fruits, meat, and many other groceries are sold at the market. This market is dying, however, and the number of merchants has declined because of the shift from river culture to land culture and competition with regular land markets.^[48] The city is home to a cultural center building surrounded by a cultural park where traditional artists can often be seen performing. The building and its surrounding has been used regularly to hold cultural events to preserve Banjarese culture, as well as to facilitate local artists.^[49][50][51]

City parks

Siring Park at night

There are several city parks and public spaces in the city, one of the most notable being Siring Park, located in the center of the city. Sometimes referred to by locals as "0 Kilometer Park", the park is located on the shores of the Martapura River and also acts as a waterfront for the river with docks for small boats in the river. Facilities in the park include a watchtower, several gazebos, pedestrian roads, and skateboard parks. In front of the park, there is an urban bus stop used by both Trans Banjarmasin & BRT Banjarbakula bus companies.^[52] In addition, the park includes one of the city's landmarks, a 6.5 m (21 ft) statue of a bekantan (Proboscis monkey) which is a native primate in the region. The park is also a center for street foods in the city during dusk.^[53][54][55]

Other city parks include Kamboja Park, Bungas Banjarmasin Park, and Banua Anyar Public Space. Located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the city center, Banua Anyar Public Space is specifically designed for toddlers and kids. It is located below Banua Anyar bridge and has facilities such as a kids' park, artificial soft grass to ensure child safety, and book reading corners.^{[56][57][58][59]}

Others

Duta Mall Banjarmasin is the biggest shopping mall in the city

Several shopping malls are located in the city. The Duta Mall Banjarmasin is the largest in the province, and connected to a hotel called The Mercure Hotel. Located in Central Banjarmasin district, it occupies more than 42,000 m² (450,000 sq ft) and consists of four stories. It is also surrounded by several other buildings housing stores, forming a complex with a total area of 80,000 m² (860,000 sq ft).^[60][61] Other entertainment centers in the city include Trans Studio Mini Banjarmasin, an indoor theme park which is owned by Trans Corp and malls such as Mitra Plaza, Lotte Mart, and Giant.^[62] Mitra Plaza is one of the city's oldest modern shopping centers, and was a target of looting and destruction during the Banjarmasin riot of May 1997. It was renovated after the riot.^[63] Other than modern shopping malls, according to Statistics Indonesia, as of 2019, there are 60 traditional markets registered in the city.^[64]