Wiranatakusumah V

Raden Aria Adipati Wiranatakusumah V, born only as Raden Muharam, was born in Bandung, on 23 November 1888. His father R. Adipati Koesoemahdilaga, the regent of Bandung, died when he was five years old. Resulting in him being taken care of by her mother.[6] He was later taken care of by 3 guardian parents, R. Martanagara, R. Ardinagara, and Suriadiningrat. One of his guardians was an orientalist and Advisor for Indigenous Affairs for the colonial government.[7]

When he was 9 years old, he was sent away to live with the Adams family to receive a western education at the Europeesche Lagere School (ELS), an elementary school for Europeans and indigenous people of noble descent. At the suggestion of professor Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, he transferred to the Hogere Burgerschool (HBS) in Batavia.[6] He received his diploma in 1910, and continued his education to the Opleiding School Voor Inlandsche Ambtenaren (OSVIA), a school for the priyayi.[8]

Wiranatakusumah as regent, c. 1920

On 6 July 1910, he was started his civil service career by becoming a clerk at Wedana Tanjungsari, Sumedang.[8] He was then appointed to become a Police Mantri in Cibadak, Sukabumi and continued with the same position in Sukapura, Tasikmalaya. On 19 January 1912, he rose to the position of assistant to the Wedana of Cibeureum, Tasikmalaya. While serving in Tasikmalaya, he wrote a book regarding the management of villages. He was then appointed to the position of Regent of Cianjur, replacing Demang Natakusumah, with a salary of 1200 gulden.[9]

Wiranatakusumah V served as the Regent of Cianjur for eight years, from 1912 until 1920, being replaced by Suriadiningrat. During his tenure, he was successful in advancing the economy of Cianjur, making Cianjur the breadbasket of West Java. He did this by turning the areas of Cihea and Ciranjang from swamps to farmland, by buying 750 hectares of local land and using the local workforce to turn these areas into arable farmland. Following this achievement, he was given further autonomy by the colonial government in managing local affairs.[10] In 1920, he was transferred to Bandung, where became Regent in 1920, to replace the position of the deceased R. Martanagara.[11]

His inauguration as regent took place on 12 April 1920, and it received great attention. With all the Regents in Parahyangan being present at the ceremony, alongside a number of other civil servants and military officers.[12] He served as regent twice, first from 1920 until 1931, and then again from 1935 until 1945. One 18 June 1921, he, to enliven the Java Institute Congress, held a tonil (play) in the courtyard of the Bandung Regency Pendopo. The play was based on the Lutung Kasarung folk tale, a folk tale of Sundanese origin.[13] The performance was described as spectacular, with the Sri Poestaka magazine describing it as:

The sanctity of the narration is evident really in section 13, at the time of the cutting of the paddy. In that part, when some of the gods descended from heaven, carrying all the necessities to cut the rice, one by one knelt and worshiped in order and carefulness; the silence of the play was felt to seep into the bones and marrow stopping the breathing and heartbeat […] The thousands of people were silent and did not say a word, so that in the comedy the yard was lonely and very quiet

— Sri Poestaka magazine, 1921.[13][14]

In 1920, he was elected to the Volksraad, representing the Sedio Moelio, the association of the regents, and took his seat in 1921.[9] In 1929, he managed to assemble the indigenous lords in the Perhimpoenan Pegawai Bestur Boemipoetra (PPBB). When the province of West Java was created by the colonial government in 1926, Wiranatakusumah V was elected as a member of the Provinciale Raad (Provincial Council). He temporarily gave up his position as regent to move to Batavia in 1931, he regained the position in 1935. During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, he remained as regent until 24 June 1945, when he was replaced by Suriaputra.[15]

Wiranatakusumah V became a member of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK) and the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI).[16] Following the Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 1945, he was appointed by President Sukarno to the office of Minister of Home Affairs of Indonesia in the Presidential Cabinet. As minister, he toured all across Java, consolidating local governments to support the Republican government. He only served as minister until November, when the cabinet was dissolved and replaced by the First Sjahrir Cabinet.[17]

On 29 November 1945, he was appointed the Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council by president Sukarno.[17] In 1948, the third West Java conference, was held from 23 February until 5 March 1948, to elect the government of the newly created state of Pasundan. At this conference, Wiranatakusumah V was narrowly elected head of state, or Wali Negara, with Adil Poeradiredja, the head of the pro-republican faction, being elected prime minister. The delegates to the conference subsequently became the Pasundan parliament.[18] Though he was initially opposed to the creation of the state, he agreed to serve as Wali Negara at the insistence of the people of West Java and the Indonesian government based in Yogyakarta, despite being ill at the time.[17]

Wiranatakusumah as Wali Negara, c. 1948

On 19 March 1948, Wiranatakusumah finally arrived in the Andir Airfield (now Husein Sastranegara International Airport) in Bandung. He was greeted by the populace of the State of Pasundan. Unexpectedly, a rousing welcome accompanied by a cry of Merdeka (which was an Indonesian salute) prompted the Dutch to arrest several teachers and students who were thought to be responsible for these cry.[19]

Wiranatakusumah V was then inaugurated as Wali Negar on 24 April 1948. The inauguration was attended by the Lieutenant Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, Hubertus van Mook, the General Secretary of the Provisional Federal Government, Abdulkadir Widjojoatmodjo, and the Recomba (government commissioner for administrative affairs) of West Java, Hilman Djajadiningrat.[20]

After the formation of the United States of Indonesia, there war a growing demand by the Pasundan populace to dissolve the state. On 10 February 1950, located at the Pakuan building, the residence of the Wali Negara, Wiranatakusumah, represented by his deputy, Djuarsa, handed over his power as the Wali Negara of Pasundan to the Commisary of the United States of Indonesia for West Java, Sewaka. Then, on 8 March 1950, the state itself was dissolved.[21]

Following the end of the National Revolution, he remained active in politics. He became a member of the Indonesian Islamic Union Party (PSII), and lead the West Java branch of the PSII. In 1955, he was elected to the Constitutional Assembly following the 1955 Constitutional Assembly election, he served until the assembly's dissolution in 1959.[4] After two years of fighting an illness, he died on 22 January 1965.[5]