Hilman Djajadiningrat

After graduating, Hilman worked as a civil servant for the clerk in the Residential Office of Jakarta . He was appointed as the Patih (district secretary) for Jatinegara in 1918. After becoming a Patih, he was appointed as mantripolitie (a title for indigenous officials) to Karawang in 1920. He was later appointed as the Asisten Wedana (deputy chief of subdistrict) for Jatinegara in 1922 and Cirebon in 1929. He later rose up and became the Wedana (chief of subdistrict) for Indramayu in 1933, and the regent for Serang from 1935 until 1945.[1]

After the Japanese occupied Java Island, the Japanese promised independence for the Indonesian people. To show the promise, the Japanese appointed several indigenous aristocrats to hold positions that were previously held by the Dutch. Hilman was appointed as the resident of the Banten Residency on 29 April 1942.[2]

After independence, a wave of social revolution occurred in Banten. The position of the Resident of Banten was replaced by KH. Syam’un, a Republican religious leader (now National Hero of Indonesia). Even though he was a Republican, he didn't replace the position of the regent which was held by pro-Dutch aristocrats, such as Hilman who was still the regent of Serang. Syam'un considered that these group of regents were more competent in governing their regencies. This caused peasants and local warrior groups in Banten outraged, and in October 1945, a group of warriors named themselves Gulkut Warriors kidnapped and imprisoned Hilman in the Serang Prison. Hilman was freed in January 1946 by the Indonesian army, and he fled to Sukabumi.[3] He then briefly served as the acting regent of Sukabumi in 1947.[4]

After the formation of the State of Pasundan, the city of Batavia (now Jakarta) was integrated into the state as the Federal Region of Batavia. Hilman was appointed as the Governor of the Federal Region of Batavia on 2 November 1948.[5]

During his term, the government of Jakarta envisaged the idea to build a satellite town at Kebayoran Baru in order to accommodate the growing population of Jakarta.[6] When the decision to build a satellite town at Kebayoran Baru was taken, the state hurried to acquire the full 600 hectares for the project. The owners of the land in Kebayoran Baru asked excessive prices for their land and were loath to enter in serious negotiations. After a month of fruitless talks, the government gave up and decided to start procedures to expropriate the land. However, on 15 November, Hilman held a preliminary talk with the wedana, Mas'oed, the core of the resistance. The talk was about his plan to persuade the people in order to give up their land.[7]

Five days later, Hilman held an open meeting with the landowners. Hilman explained the purpose of the land, and without further ado, the governor and the landowners agreed on a price. Hilman offered slightly more than had been offered before, so owners could concede without a losing face. Hilman accepted the fact that the costs were four million guilders more than the government had expected.[7]

Hilman Djajadiningrat (center) and Sastromoeljono (right)

After the State of Pasundan was dissolved, the Federal Region of Batavia (renamed to Federal Region of Jakarta) existed for a short time under the Republic of Indonesia. The Federal Region of Jakarta was dissolved on 30 March 1950 when Hilman as the governor and Sastromoeljono as the Mayor of Batavia handed over their position to Suwiryo as the Mayor of Jakarta.[8]