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96-492: Medan ( / m ɛ ˈ d ɑː n / meh- DAHN , Indonesian: [mɛˈdan] ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra . The nearby Strait of Malacca , Port of Belawan , and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multicultural metropolis, acting as a financial centre for Sumatra and a gateway to the western part of Indonesia. About 60% of
192-695: A Karonese man from the Karo Regency , converted from Pemena to Islam . While traveling to study under Datuk Kota Bangun, Guru Patimpus met and married the Princess of Pulo Brayan [ id ] . Accompanied by their two sons, Kolok and Kecik, the couple founded Medan village between the Deli and Babura Rivers. In 1632, the Aceh Sultanate under Gocah Pahlawan expanded to include Medan. Perunggit succeeded his father in 1669, and declared
288-497: A monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding, or capture of a modern capital city is a highly symbolic event. For example: The capital city is usually but not always a primary target in a war, as capturing it usually guarantees capture of much of the enemy government, victory for the attacking forces, or at the very least demoralization for the defeated forces. In ancient China , where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on
384-646: A Chinese source, compared to Malacca and Pasai, Aru was not a great center of commerce. It seems that Aru failed to compete with Malacca and Pasai to attract regional and global Muslim traders. This led Aru kings to occasionally turn to piracy and raiding, aided by the Orang Laut , sea gypsies aligned to Aru. The Chinese sources mention that the culture of Aru, areas such as customs, marriage and funeral traditions, language and trade, are quite similar to those of Malacca, Pasai and Java. The natural resources and commodities being traded there are also similar to those of
480-639: A centre of the tobacco trade, which continued to grow with the 1869 opening of the Suez Canal . Sultan Ma'mun Al Rashid Perkasa Alamyah , who ruled from 1873 to 1924, moved the kingdom's capital to Medan. He became known as the builder of early Medan, finishing the construction of the Maimun Palace in 1888 and building the Great Mosque of Medan in 1907. In 1898, a Dutch businessman named Aeint Herman de Boer built Hotel de Boer to accommodate
576-445: A compromise between two or more cities or other political divisions, historical reasons, or enough land was needed to deliberately build a new planned city for the capital. The majority of national capitals are also the largest city in their respective countries. Modern examples are Beijing , Berlin , Cairo , London , Madrid , Mexico City , Moscow , Paris , Rome , Jakarta , Metro Manila , Seoul , and Tokyo . Counties in
672-566: A country called Aru." The Portuguese record Suma Oriental , written in the early 16th century mentions Aru as a prosperous kingdom with plenty of rice, meat, fish and wine . The kingdom was also rich in camphor , benzoin , gold , lignaloes, rattan , honey and slaves . According to the Suma Oriental , Aru governed a town in the land of Arqat, where a large slave market was held in certain months. Many people went there to buy slaves, while other people went there to pay ransom to buy
768-471: A hundred statues of various deities. Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni , a Catholic church in an Indo-Mogul style, was built on Jalan Sakura III in 2005, dedicated to a Marian apparition in 17th century Tamil Nadu . At one point before and during the Japanese occupation of the city, Japanese migrants created a Shinto shrine, Hirohara Shrine , to accommodate the increasing worshipers of Japanese residents. It
864-470: A matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them. Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions. (See also § Capitals in military strategy ) The location may also be based on
960-603: A number of restaurants, and Pasar Rame, a daily outdoor market. The local cuisine in Medan comes from a variety of culinary traditions. Soto Medan is a savoury stew of mixed meats and coconut milk , usually served with rice and perkedel . Bika ambon , a popular local cake, is traditionally flavoured with pandanus , but can also be found in banana, durian, cheese, and chocolate flavours. Babi Panggang Karo , grilled pork dipped in blood curd , may be served with sambal andaliman made from local peppers. Tau Kua He Ci ( 豆干虾炸 )
1056-644: A part of Karo Regency —is the largest metropolitan area outside of Java , with 4,744,323 residents counted in the 2020 Census. The city was founded at the confluence of the Deli River and the Babura river by a Karonese man named Guru Patimpus. Then called Kampung Medan Putri , it became part of the Deli Sultanate , established in 1632. In the late 19th century, colonial Dutch seeking new plantation areas chose Medan and Deli as plantation hubs to found
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#17327660534461152-423: A population of 2,435,252 and the larger metropolitan area had a population of 4,756,863. The dominant ethnic groups in Medan are Batak and Javanese , with smaller Malays , Acehnese , Indian , Nias , and Sundanese populations. The Bataks in Medan are of three subethnicities. The native Karo mostly live in the southern parts of Medan, including Padang Bulan, Medan Johor and Tuntungan. The Toba , whom
1248-554: A territory: Plymouth in Montserrat . There are several countries where, for various reasons, the official capital and seat of government are separated: Some historical examples of similar arrangements, where the recognized capital was not the official seat of government: With the rise of the modern nation-state , the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government , and imbued with political meaning. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever
1344-744: A wooden ship. In the 15th century, the Malay Annals mentioned the Haru kingdom as one of a few influential kingdoms in the region, with its prestige rivaling those of Pasai and the Malacca Sultanate. During that period, the kingdom was a formidable maritime power controlling the northern part of the Malacca Strait. Both the Malaccan Malay and Portuguese sources mention the demographic split, and sometimes rivalry, between
1440-570: Is Bobby Nasution , with vice mayor Aulia Rachman [ id ] . Medan is divided into 21 districts ( Indonesian : kecamatan ), tabulated below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census, and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid-2023. The table also includes the number of urban villages/neighbourhoods ( Indonesian : kelurahan ) in each district, and their postal codes. The city centre consists of Medan Petisah, Medan Baru, Medan Polonia, Medan Maimun, Medan Kota, and Medan Barat (West Medan). Medan Labuhan
1536-531: Is Indonesia's first airport with a direct rail link to the city. The airport has a 224,298 m (2,414,324 sq ft) passenger terminal, and serves as a hub for Garuda Indonesia , Indonesia AirAsia , Lion Air , Susi Air and Wings Air , with direct domestic flights to many major cities in Sumatra, as well as Java-international flights to locations abroad including Malaysia , Singapore , Thailand , Saudi Arabia , and Sri Lanka . The Port of Belawan
1632-628: Is Kota Rentang in Hamparan Perak area, Deli Serdang Regency, which archaeological experts have suggested was the capital of Aru Kingdom. The earliest historical record mentioning the Haru kingdom was a Chinese chronicle dated from the Yuan dynasty (late 13th century). There is another Chinese record from a later period, the Yingya Shenglan (1416) of the Ming dynasty . The Kingdom of Haru
1728-534: Is Medan's oldest Taoist temple. Maha Vihara Maitreya , on Jalan Cemara Asri, is the largest Buddhist temple in southeast Asia. The city's oldest church, Medan Cathedral , on Jalan Pemuda, was originally built as Indische Kerk by the Dutch and Indian community. Sri Mariamman Temple , on Jalan Zainul Arifin in Kampung Madras , is the city's oldest Hindu temple, built around 1881; it is surrounded by over
1824-613: Is a semi-enclave within Deli Serdang Regency, bordered by that regency on three sides and by the Strait of Malacca to the north. The natural harbor formed where the Deli and Babura rivers feed into the straits has contributed to Medan's growth as a trading port. Medan's elevation varies between 2.5 and 37.5 m (8 ft 2 in and 123 ft 0 in) above sea level, with the Barisan Mountains to
1920-526: Is a centre for the production and trade of commodities including cinnamon , tobacco , tea , coffee , rubber , and palm oil . It also has a growing manufacturing sector, producing goods such as cars, machinery, tile , and paper and pulp . Medan's location makes it the main hub of international trade in western Indonesia, with exports going to Europe , North America , and the Middle East . Its trade and tourism businesses have also become essential to
2016-533: Is a local Chinese variant of rojak , made with fried prawn , vegetables, tofu , and chili sauce. Medanese swiss rolls ( Bolu Meranti ) and dried anchovies are popular souvenirs. Many examples of colonial Dutch architecture survive in Medan. Prominent instances include the old City Hall , the Medan Post Office , Inna Dharma Deli Hotel , Titi Gantung bridge, the Lonsum [ id ] building,
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#17327660534462112-545: Is approximately equal to the country of Moldova . As of the 2020 Census, Medan had a population of 2,435,252 within its city limits ; the official population estimate as of mid 2023 was 2,474,166 - comprising 1,231,673 males and 1,242,493 females. When the surrounding urban area is included, the population is over 3.4 million, making it the fourth largest urban area in Indonesia . The Medan metropolitan area —which includes neighbouring Binjai , Deli Serdang Regency , and
2208-640: Is called Pemena . The Chinese Ming source Yingya Shenglan (1416) mentioned that the King of Aru and his subjects had embraced Islam. The conversion to Islam most likely took place earlier, probably in the late 13th century. Islamic gravestones discovered in Kota Rentang confirmed that Islamic society had taken firm root in the kingdom. Archaeological excavation has uncovered fragments of lingam, which suggests that part of Aru's society, possibly Tamil settlers, adhered to Hinduism . Tamil traders settled in
2304-448: Is in Kota Rentang in Hamparan Perak, Deli Serdang, believed to be the location of the capital of the Aru kingdom. Numerous artifacts have been discovered at this site, including Islamic headstones, ceramics and pottery fragments from China, Thailand and Sri Lanka, and Arabic coins from the 13th and 14th century. Other discoveries include traces of timberworks, building stones and the remnants of
2400-656: Is known as "the culinary heaven of Indonesia" for its variety of ethnic cuisines and prominent street hawkers . Prominent restaurants in Medan include Nelayan ( halal -Chinese seafood and dim sum ), Garuda and Uda Sayang ( nasi padang and gulai ), Sate Afrizal Amir ( sate padang ), Cahaya Baru ( chapati and tandoori ), OnDo Batak grill and Tesalonika ( babi panggang (grilled pork) and saksang ), Jalan Selat Panjang and Jalan Semarang ( Chinese food), Jalan Pagaruyung ( Indian and Malay food), and Jalan Padan Bulan ( Batak food ). Other major culinary destinations in Medan include Merdeka Walk, an outdoor area with
2496-655: Is mentioned in two Javanese sources originating from circa the 14th century. According to Pararaton , Haru kingdom was mentioned among polities that Gajah Mada intended to unite under Majapahit suzerainty in his Palapa oath . In 1339 a Javanese Majapahit naval expedition attacked several coastal states in Sumatra; although it failed to capture Samudera Pasai , the Javanese expedition did manage to gain control of Haru and Pane ( Pannai ). The Nagarakretagama (1365) canto 13 mentioned Aru as one of Majapahit vassal states in Sumatra. According to Hikayat Raja-raja Pasai and
2592-413: Is on the northeast coast of Sumatra, 19 km (12 mi) north of Medan and accessible by a railway across the channel south of the island. Originally built in 1890 for European tobacco exports, the harbour was expanded in 1907 with a new section for Chinese and indigenous traders. The growth of northern Sumatra's rubber and palm oil plantations in the early twentieth century brought new developments to
2688-560: Is one of the largest districts by area (together with Medan Belawan and Medan Marelan) and lies in the northern part of the city. Medan Tuntungan serves as the gateway to Karo Regency , Medan Helvetia to Binjai City and Langkat, and Medan Amplas to Tebing Tinggi and Pematang Siantar . Medan is Indonesia's largest city outside Java , and its fourth largest altogether (after Jakarta , Surabaya and Bandung ). The population more than quadrupled in less than fifty years, growing from 568,000 in 1968 to 2.1 million in 2010. As of 2020, Medan had
2784-582: Is the case with Nanjing by Shanghai , Quebec City by Montreal , and several US state capitals . The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred at Babylon and Cahokia . "Political nomadism" was practiced in ancient Near East to increase ties between the ruler and the subjects. Although many capitals are defined by constitution or legislation, many long-time capitals have no such legal designation, including Bern , Edinburgh , Lisbon , London , Paris , and Wellington . They are recognized as capitals as
2880-701: Is the rainiest season, and the temperature is still coolest in winter (December and January). Temperatures in the city average approximately 27 °C (81 °F) throughout the year. Medan was governed by Abdillah from 2000 until 2008, when he and his vice mayor were caught by the Corruption Eradication Commission . Syamsul Arifin , the governor of North Sumatra Province, appointed Affifudin Lubis [ id ] as acting mayor, followed by Rahudman Harahap after Lubis's 2009 resignation. Harahap resigned in order to run for office in
2976-441: Is used for export and import services, and is one of the largest shipping industry ports in Indonesia. Capital city A capital city or just capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country , state , province , department , or other subnational division , usually as its seat of the government . A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places;
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3072-541: Is usually not a separate national capital, but rather the capital city of one constituent nation will also be the capital of the state overall, such as London , which is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. Similarly, each of the autonomous communities of Spain and regions of Italy has a capital city, such as Seville and Naples , while Madrid is the capital of the Community of Madrid and of
3168-647: The 1958 revolt in North Sumatra , and displays paintings of the rebellion against the Netherlands. The Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery , which opened in 1999, is considered the city's outstanding taxidermy collection. It is located on Jalan Letjen S. Parman No.309. The Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) opened on 25 July 2013 as a replacement for the Polonia Airport . Located 39 km (24 mi) from downtown Medan, it
3264-846: The Battle of Medan . The Allies regained control of Medan in April 1946, and in December 1947 the Dutch established the State of East Sumatra with Medan as its capital. This became part of the United States of Indonesia in 1949, and was dissolved into the Republic of Indonesia in 1950. Medan continued to grow as a centre of commerce during the reign of Amaluddin Al Sani Perkasa Alamsyah [ id ] . Developments of
3360-523: The Byzantine capital, Constantinople , Byzantine forces were able to regroup in several provinces; provincial noblemen managed to reconquer the capital after 60 years and preserve the empire for another 200 years after that. The British forces sacked various American capitals repeatedly during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 , but American forces could still carry on fighting from
3456-511: The Deli Company . Within a few years, the Dutch tobacco trade transformed Medan into an economic hub, earning it the nickname Het Land Dollar ("the land of the money"). The Deli Railway , established to ship tobacco, rubber , tea , timber , palm oil , and sugar from Medan to the Port of Belawan for worldwide export, brought further rapid development to Medan. The city became first
3552-799: The Deli Sultanate , including Medan, independent of the Aceh Sultanate. Starting in the 1860s, Dutch authorities began to release new land for tobacco plantations. Said Abdullah Bilsagih, brother-in-law of the Deli Sultan Mahmud Perkasa Alam, persuaded Dutch tobacco merchant Jacob Nienhuys to move his business from Java to Deli. Dutch merchants Van der Falk and Elliot, and Chinese brothers Tjong Yong Hian and Tjong A Fie , were also pioneers of Deli's tobacco industry. In 1867, Nienhuys, Jannsen, P.W. Clemen, and Cremer founded De Deli Maatschappij ; in 1869, they moved its head office from Labuhan Deli to Medan. This made Medan
3648-573: The Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle . Many multinational companies maintain offices in the city, such as Asian Agri , London Sumatra, Musim Mas , Philips Lighting , Toba Pulp Lestari , Marriott , Wilmar , ABB Group and DBS Bank . Rapid development in Medan has resulted in an upward trend in residential property prices. Medan is one of the major shopping centres of Indonesia, along with Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya . Shopping malls in Medan include: Medan
3744-695: The Kingdom of Spain as a whole and Rome is the capital of Italy and of the region of Lazio . In the Federal Republic of Germany , each of its constituent states (or Länder , plural of Land ) has its own capital city, such as Dresden , Wiesbaden , Mainz , Düsseldorf , Stuttgart , and Munich , as do all of the republics of the Russian Federation . The national capitals of Germany and Russia (the Stadtstaat of Berlin and
3840-480: The Malay Annals the Aru kingdom was Islamized by Nakhoda Ismail and Fakir Muhammad; they also converted Merah Silu, the first king of Samudera Pasai in the mid-13th century. According to Yingya Shenglan (1416), a Chinese Ming dynasty report composed by Ma Huan about the Zheng He expedition, the king of Haru and his subjects had embraced Islam. After the 13th century, Islam slowly began to gain followers among
3936-518: The Republic and the Empire , and later as the centre of the Catholic Church . In several English-speaking states , the terms county town and county seat are also used in lower administrative divisions . In some unitary states , subnational capitals may be known as 'administrative centres'. The capital is often the largest city of its constituent, though not always . Historically,
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4032-648: The Tjong A Fie Mansion , the A.V.R.O.S. building, the Warenhuis building, and the Tirtanadi Water Tower . The Sultan of Deli (whose position is now purely ceremonial) still lives in Maimoon Palace , built 1887-1891. The Great Mosque of Medan , built in 1906, was designed in a Moroccan style by the Dutch architect A.J. Dingemans. The North Sumatra Museum , located south of the city's centre,
4128-537: The United Kingdom have historic county towns, which are often not the largest settlement within the county and often are no longer administrative centres, as many historical counties are now only ceremonial, and administrative boundaries are different. The number of new capitals in the world increased substantially since the Renaissance period, especially with the founding of independent nation-states since
4224-523: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Naypyidaw was founded in Burma 's interior as the former capital, Rangoon , was claimed to be overcrowded. A few nation-states have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. Some have a city as the capital but with most government agencies elsewhere. There is also a ghost town which is currently the de jure capital of
4320-492: The federal city of Moscow ) are also constituent states of both countries in their own right. Each of the states of Austria and cantons of Switzerland also have their own capital cities. Vienna , the national capital of Austria , is also one of the states, while Bern is the ( de facto ) capital of both Switzerland and of the Canton of Bern . Governing entities sometimes plan, design and build new capital cities to house
4416-499: The 117 passengers and crews on board, only 17 survived, and an additional 49 civilians on the ground were killed. As a result, Kualanamu International Airport was built in Deli Serdang to replace the old airport, with construction finished in 2012. After the move to the new airport, height restriction laws in Medan were relaxed. Medan is in the northeastern part of Sumatra island, in the province of North Sumatra . The city
4512-520: The 13th century, Islam came to be practiced alongside the existing faiths. Aru's capital was located close to present-day Medan and Deli Serdang . The people of the kingdom are believed to have been descendants of the Malay and Karo people from the interior of North Sumatra . Traditionally, the location of Haru or Aru is connected to the site of its successor state, the Sultanate of Deli , which
4608-409: The 16th century, and accelerated in the 19th and early 20th centuries as immigrants sought employment as planters and coolies. Medan is home to the largest Chinese population in Sumatra, mostly concentrated around the city centre. Most Chinese people in Medan speak Medan Hokkien , a local dialect, but many also speak Mandarin , Teochew , or Cantonese . Minangkabau came to Medan since the late of
4704-411: The 16th century, caught in a regional rivalry between more powerful neighbours — Portuguese Malacca and the Sultanate of Aceh . Because of the incessant pressure from Aceh in the early 16th century the capital of Aru moved inland, from coastal Kota Rentang to Benteng Putri Hijau. The fall of the port city of Kota Rentang to Aceh probably took place in 1539. Some historians suggest that this event marked
4800-425: The 1970s, especially palm oil and rubber plantations, made Medan the busiest city outside Java, with the transmigration program bringing many Javanese and Batak migrants. In May 1998, months of student demonstrations in Medan over the 1997 Asian financial crisis turned into riots when a student was killed in a clash with security forces. The next day, the mobs became bigger, and many shops and vehicles in
4896-462: The 19th century. Minangs migration surged from the 1960s to the 1980s, becoming 10.9% of the population and founding Padang restaurants throughout the city. Most Minangkabau people in Medan speak Minangkabau . They are mostly concentrated around the city centre, near Central Market ( Pajak Sentral ), Kota Matsum and Sukaramai. Many Acehnese sought sanctuary in Medan after the insurgency in Aceh in
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#17327660534464992-400: The 2010 mayoral election, leaving Arifin himself to become acting mayor. In 2013, Harahap was also arrested for corruption, and his deputy Dzulmi Eldin became acting mayor. Dzulmi Eldin was elected mayor in 2016, and served until his arrest for corruption in 2019. He was replaced by his vice mayor, Akhyar Nasution , who served until the end of his term in 2021. The current mayor of Medan
5088-667: The Dutch employed on their oil palm plantations, live in Marindal and Amplas, or in nearby city centres such as the Medan Perjuangan district. Finally, the Mandailing , who migrated to Medan after Indonesian independence in search of job opportunities, mainly live in Medan Tembung. The primary languages spoken by Bataks in Medan are Batak and Karo . The large Javanese community in Medan is primarily composed of
5184-521: The Karo and wider Batak tribes' tradition of constructing huta or kuta , a walled compound completed with parik ( moat ) as a defensive structure to protect the village against incessant tribal warfare. Artifacts found include stone tools, Chinese ceramics, tin bullets and Aceh coins. A fragment of lingam was discovered at the nearby site of Sukanalu, suggesting that the population of Aru adhered to both native animism and Hinduism prior to Islam entering
5280-551: The Kingdom of Aru, there were three religions recognised by its people: Islam , the faith adhered to by kingdom's elites, the royal family and coastal society; Hinduism adhered to by Tamil settlers; and native pagan animism practiced by the Karonese population of the hinterland. The Kingdom of Aru was initially built upon the larger Karo society , which was a pagan animist culture. The traditional animist belief system of Karonese
5376-625: The Muslim minority of the coast and the native pagan heathen majority of the island, with their notorious practice of cannibalism . According to Afonso de Albuquerque the rulers of the small kingdoms of northern Sumatra and the Sultans of Malacca used to have cannibals as executioners, reserved as a punishment for special crimes: "There are in Malacca ... others are boiled, others are roasted and given to eat to peoples who are like savages and come from
5472-731: The authority of the South East Asia Command led by British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten . With the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August, Medan became part of the newly-independent Republic of Indonesia, news announced in Medan on 30 September. In October, Allied troops landed in Belawan and marched on Medan. The subsequent conflicts between the Allies and the Indonesian Army became known as
5568-548: The business district (mostly owned by Chinese residents) were burned and looted. As a result, a curfew was imposed for more than two weeks until peace returned. On 5 September 2005, Mandala Airlines Flight 091 stalled a minute after taking off from Medan's old Polonia International Airport for a flight to Jakarta. The aircraft crashed into a heavily populated residential area along Djamin Ginting road in Padang Bulan . Of
5664-720: The capital has been changed for geopolitical reasons; Finland 's first city, Turku , which had served as the country's capital since the Middle Ages under the Swedish rule, lost its position during the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, when Helsinki was made the current capital of Finland by the Russian Empire. The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals as
5760-425: The capital of the State of East Sumatra , and then the provincial capital of North Sumatra. The term medan might be derived from the Batak Karo word madan ( ᯔᯑᯉ᯳ ), which literally means 'healed', 'blessed', or 'recovered'. The term is associated with the historical Karo figure and founder of the city, traditional doctor Guru Patimpus [ id ] . The oldest evidence of this term used to refer to
5856-452: The capital was located near Belawan Harbour, while another opinion suggested the estuary of the Wampu River by Haru Bay, Langkat Regency . The Kota Cina site in Medan Marelan , and Benteng Putri Hijau in Deli Tua, Namorambe, Deli Serdang Regency, are archaeological sites near Medan, which are connected to the Aru Kingdom. The Benteng Putri Hijau archaeological site is under threat of residential development. Another archaeological site
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#17327660534465952-408: The city dates back to c. 13th-15th century during the reign of Aru , the Karo monarch. Another popular theory suggests that medan is of Malay origin, literally meaning 'field'. The term medan ( مدان ) in Malay might be derived from the Malayalam word maitānam ( മൈതാനം , 'field'), which is cognate with the Tamil word maitāṉ-am ( மைதானம் , 'ground'). Medan is located in what
6048-466: The countryside, where they enjoyed support from local governments and the traditionally independent civilian frontiersmen. Exceptions to these generalizations include highly centralized states such as France , whose centralized bureaucracies could effectively coordinate far-flung resources, giving the state a powerful advantage over less coherent rivals, but risking utter ruin if the capital were taken. Aru Kingdom Aru (كراجأن ارو; or Haru )
6144-433: The cruise ships of European tourists which had begun to visit Medan. During the 1942 Dutch East Indies campaign , the Japanese entered Medan on bicycles and occupied the city. The handover of power was chaotic, but through the use of the Kempetai . Locals of Medan were subjected to enforced Japanese language and worship. The Japanese were able to hold the city until their surrender in 1945. Following that, Medan came under
6240-547: The descendants of people transported from Java in the 19th century to be employed as contract workers at various plantations in North Sumatra . For the most part, they speak the local dialect of Javanese . The Malays are also natives of Medan, having lived as fishermen in the outskirts of the city since the Aru era. Starting in the 18th century, they began to spread throughout the city, with large numbers living in Medan Maimun, Kota Matsum, Labuhan and Belawan and speaking Malay . Immigration from southern China to Deli began in
6336-404: The descendants of, or related to, the Karo tribe which inhabits the Tanah Karo further inland. This suggestion is based on a plausible etymology of similar sounding names, between "Aru" or "Haru" with "Karo". The Benteng Putri Hijau archaeological site, at an ancient fortress near Medan, shows several layers of cultures estimated to date from between the 12th and 18th centuries. The fort is in
6432-441: The economy in North Sumatra is backed by trading, agriculture, and processing industries, including exports from its 4 million acres of palm oil plantations. The National Development Planning Agency listed Medan as one of the four main central cities in Indonesia , alongside Jakarta , Surabaya , and Makassar . In terms of population, it is the most populous city in Indonesia outside of the island of Java. Its population as of 2023
6528-484: The eighteenth century. In Canada , there is a federal capital , while the ten provinces and three territories each have capital cities. The states of such countries as Mexico , Brazil (including the famous cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo , capitals of their respective states), and Australia also each have capital cities. For example, the six state capitals of Australia are Adelaide , Brisbane , Hobart , Melbourne , Perth , and Sydney . In Australia,
6624-417: The end of the Aru kingdom as a maritime power. Aru's influence was reduced and its influence became regional at best, and ceased to exist in the early 17th century due to various factors; including the rivalry with Aceh and other neighboring polities in Sumatra and Malay peninsula, coupled with the loss of its coastal port that isolated the kingdom from the global maritime trading network. In 1564, Aru kingdom
6720-427: The forest, they used poisonous arrows and bows for protection. Both men and women covered their bodies by wrapping their lower limbs in cloth, however the upper parts were left uncovered. They traded their commodities for foreign goods, including Chinese ceramics, silk and colourful beads. Archaeological findings and artifacts show that the Aru kingdom had established trading relations with India and China. According to
6816-440: The freedom of their relatives who were being sold as slaves. The coastal area of Aru kingdom was infested with Celates robbers. Duarte Barbosa (1480–1521) wrote in 1516 that the kingdom of Aru was ruled by cannibal adherents of paganism. Two decades later, Mendes Pinto also recorded the presence of the people of "Aaru" on the northeast coast of Sumatra where he also visited the local Muslim king. Aru steadily grew weaker in
6912-545: The great crisis of Japanese invasion . National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, because of socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies. In 1204, after the Latin Crusaders captured
7008-402: The head'). The Latin phrase Roma Caput Mundi meaning 'Rome capital of the world' ( lit. ' head of the world ' ) was already used by the poet Ovid in 1st century BC . It originates out of a classical European understanding of the known world : Europe , North Africa , and Southwest Asia . The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of
7104-412: The kingdom, bringing Hindu influences with them, and they had integrated into Aru society. The people of Aru made their living by fishing and farming. However, since their lands were not suitable for rice farming, most of them grew coconuts and bananas instead, or forest commodities such as rattan, camphor and frankincense . They raised poultry, ducks and goats, and they consumed milk. When they went into
7200-550: The late 1970s. They now own a number of Mie Aceh restaurants around the Setia Budi and Sunggal areas. Most speak Acehnese , and Gayonese is also common. Medan also has a substantial Tamil Indonesian community. Kampung Madras , a busy area in the city centre, is well-known as a Tamil neighbourhood. The different linguistic communities in Medan communicate in a slang called Bahasa Medan or Dialek Medan ( Medanese slang ). This dialect of Indonesian includes loanwords from
7296-417: The major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through conquest or federation . Historical examples are ancient Babylon , ancient Athens , ancient Rome , Abbasid Baghdad , Constantinople , Chang'an , and ancient Cusco . The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an itinerant (wandering) government
7392-558: The name of the capital city as an alternative name for the government of the country of which it is the capital, as a form of metonymy . For example, the "relations between London and Washington " refers to the " relations between the United Kingdom and the United States ". The word capital derives from the Latin word caput (genitive capitis ), meaning ' head ', later borrowed from Medieval Latin capitālis ('of
7488-489: The other polities in the region. According to the Malay Annals, Aru kingdom adopted the etiquette and culture of the Malay court; their kings used Malay styles and titles such as "Raja Pahlawan" and "Sri Indra". However, this Malay acculturation was not complete, as traces of non-Malay culture, the native Karonese elements, survive to this day. Aru maintained close cultural and trading relations with their kin in
7584-475: The population of Aru. However, native animism or paganism is still pervasive, especially amongst the population of the interior region, and a few Hindus still survive. The discovery of Muslim headstones at burial sites in Kota Rentang suggests that the ruling elites of Aru Kingdom, the King and his family, has converted to Islam. These Islamic headstones are made from volcanic tuff with Arabic Jawi script similar to those found in Aceh and other Malay states. The site
7680-810: The port. Several major berthing facilities were built in the 1920s, and by 1938 the port handled the greatest cargo value of any in the Dutch East Indies. Trade volumes dropped substantially after Indonesian independence, but reached pre-independence levels again in the mid-1960s. A major restructuring in 1985 saw the construction of a container terminal; it almost immediately captured about one-fifth of Indonesia's containerized exports. Major products exported include rubber, palm oil, tea, and coffee. The current port has two terminals. The first, which handles passengers, offers ferry services to cities including Penang, Langkawi , Batam , Jakarta, and Surabaya. The second, Belawan International Container Terminal (BICT),
7776-466: The provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. In the Three Kingdoms period, both Shu and Wu fell when their respective capitals of Chengdu and Jianye fell. The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing , where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus . The Ming
7872-456: The region. The Haru Kingdom was mentioned in a Chinese chronicle of the Yuan dynasty. According to this source, in 1282, Kublai Khan demanded that Haru submit to China's suzerainty, and Haru responded graciously by sending tribute to Yuan's court in 1295. Marco Polo , however, did not mention Aru in his report as one of the eight kingdoms of Sumatra during his journey in 1292. The Haru Kingdom
7968-424: The seat of government of a polity or of a subdivision. Deliberately planned and designed capitals include: These cities satisfy one or both of the following criteria: Some examples of the second situation (compromise locations) are: Changes in a nation's political regime sometimes result in the designation of a new capital. Akmola (renamed Astana in 1998) became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, following
8064-429: The south, and volcanoes such as Sibayak Mountain and Sinabung Mountain 50 to 70 km (31 to 43 mi) from the city. Medan features a tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen : Af ) with no real dry season . Its driest month (January) on average sees about one-third the precipitation of its wettest month (October), with a total annual precipitation of about 2,200 mm (87 in). Autumn (September - November)
8160-419: The status as capital is often designated by its law or constitution . In some jurisdictions , including several countries, different branches of government are in different settlements, sometimes meaning multiple official capitals. In some cases, a distinction is made between the official ( constitutional ) capital and the seat of government, which is in another place . English-language news media often use
8256-677: The term "capital cities" is regularly used to refer to those six state capitals plus the federal capital Canberra , and Darwin , the capital of the Northern Territory . Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and also of the United Arab Emirates overall. In unitary states which consist of multiple constituent nations, such as the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Denmark , each will usually have its own capital city. Unlike in federations , there
8352-667: The various local languages, especially Malay. Most of Medan's inhabitants are Muslim , accounting for approximately 65 percent of the population. The substantial Christian demographic (about 25 percent of the total population) includes Catholics , Methodists , and Lutherans , such as the Batak Christian Protestant Church . Buddhists make up about 9 percent of the population, and there are smaller Hindu , Confucian , and Sikh communities. Some Bataknese follow traditional religions such as Pemena and Parmalim . Gunung Timur Temple , on Jalan Hang Tuah ,
8448-461: Was a major Sumatran kingdom from the 13th to the 16th century. It was located on the eastern coast of North Sumatra , Indonesia . In its heyday the kingdom was a formidable maritime power, and was able to control the northern part of the Malacca strait . The kingdom was initially established as a Karo polity . The indigenous population practiced native animism as well as Hinduism . During
8544-545: Was also mentioned in two Javanese records, the Nagarakretagama (1365) and Pararaton (c. 15th century). The Malay Annals mentioned Haru as one of a few influential kingdoms in the region, whose prestige rivaled that of Pasai and the Malacca Sultanate . The Portuguese record Suma Oriental written in the early 16th century mentioned Aru as a prosperous kingdom. The people of Aru are believed to be
8640-820: Was common. The capital city attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of national or imperial governments, such as lawyers , political scientists , bankers , journalists , and public policy makers . Some of these cities are or were also religious centres , e.g. Constantinople (more than one religion), Rome / Vatican City (the Roman Catholic Church ), Jerusalem (more than one religion), Babylon, Moscow (the Russian Orthodox Church ), Belgrade (the Serbian Orthodox Church ), Paris, and Beijing. In some countries,
8736-528: Was defeated by Ottomans during the Ottoman expedition to Aceh . In 1613, the ambitious and warlike Sultan Iskandar Muda of Aceh, strike a final blow to seal the fate of Aru kingdom. The discovery of tin bullets suggests that Benteng Putri Hijau was a battle site. Aru kingdom was dissolved in the early 17th century. Its successor state was the Deli which was reduced to the status of an Aceh protectorate (1632–1669) and later conquered by Siak (1669–1854). Within
8832-632: Was destroyed when Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century. After the Qing dynasty 's collapse, decentralization of authority and improved transportation and communication technologies allowed both the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists to rapidly relocate capitals and keep their leadership structures intact during
8928-414: Was formally opened in April 1982 by Daoed Joesoef [ id ] , Minister of Education and Culture . The museum's collection centres around artefacts of North Sumatran ethnic groups. The Bukit Barisan Museum is a military museum opened by Brigade General Leo Lopulisa [ id ] on 21 June 1971. Located at 8 Jalan H. Zainul Arifin, the museum houses a number of historic weapons used in
9024-587: Was in and around the city of Medan and Deli Serdang today, as suggested by British orientalist Winstedt . However, Groenveldt, a Dutch historian, has suggested that the center of the Haru Kingdom was located further southeast, near the estuary of the Barumun and Panai Rivers, in Labuhan Batu Regency , and is thus related and connected to the earlier Pannai Kingdom . Gilles suggested that
9120-491: Was later rebuilt during the Japanese occupation of the city in 1944 to accommodate the mandatory worship by locals. The former shrine still stands as the last Shinto shrine in Southeast Asia . The Medan metropolitan area was recognized as an Indonesian National Strategic Region ( Indonesian : Kawasan Strategis Nasional ) by Government Regulation No 28/2008. As a major commercial and economic hub of Indonesia, Medan
9216-582: Was once the Kingdom of Aru , founded by the Karo people and flourishing between the 13th and 16th centuries. A number of archaeological sites survive near Medan, including Kota Rentang, a port settlement in the Hamparan Perak area; Kota Cina, an ancient trading site in Medan Marelan ; and Benteng Putri Hijau, a fort ruin in Deli Tua . In the sixteenth century, Guru Patimpus Sembiring Pelawi,
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