Gagasan persatuan dalam surat kabar Tjahaja Betawi masa kolonial 1923 -1924

Abstract

This research examines the idea of Betawi unity voiced by the Tjahaja Betawi newspaper during the colonial period. As the first newspaper published by the Betawi Association, Tjahaja Betawi highlights the importance of unity among the Betawi people in supporting the struggle for Indonesian independence. Using the historical method and the Tjahaja Betawi articles of 1923–1924 as the primary source, this study traces how local media and ethnic organizations played a role in the dynamics of colonial politics. The results of the study show that Tjahaja Betawi builds the idea of Betawi unity through three main aspects: (1) Islam as the foundation of unity, (2) the importance of the Betawi community’s support for the Betawi Association materially and non-materially, which is manifested through a solid and adhesive organizational structure in the form of love and affection between its members, and (3) Betawi unity as a bridge to Indonesian unity. These findings show the contribution of Tjahaja Betawi in shaping collective consciousness and strengthening the solidarity of the Betawi community, as well as enriching the understanding of the socio-political dynamics of the Betawi ethnic group during the colonial period.