Pengaruh Dinamika Politik dan Fenomena Geografis Terhadap Bangkit-Jatuhnya Kota Pelabuhan Jepara Pada Abad ke 16-18 M

Abstract

This study examines the historical fluctuation of the Port City of Jepara from the 16th to the 18th century AD. Unlike studies focusing solely on socio-economic aspects, this research analyzes the interplay between political dynamics and geomorphological changes as primary determinants. Utilizing the historical method, comprising heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography, this study examines primary sources such as Tome Pires' Suma Oriental and John Stockdale's records, alongside relevant secondary sources. The findings indicate that Jepara's rise as a major entrepot was driven by the hegemony of the Demak Sultanate and the silting of the Muria Strait, which shifted maritime traffic from Demak to Jepara. Meanwhile its decline was triggered by three simultaneous factors, the agrarian-inland political orientation of the Mataram Islamic Kingdom which suppressed coastal autonomy, the trade monopoly penetration by the VOC, and geographical phenomena in the form of extreme sedimentation connecting protective islands (such as Kelor Island) to the mainland. This siltation rendered the harbor inaccessible to large vessels, effectively ending Jepara's maritime supremacy.