BIOGRAPHY

 

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh.

Welcome back to my blog

In this blog, I want to discuss the biography of the educational figure who has inspired me, namely R.A. Kartini

Biography of R.A Kartini

 

Profile

Name: Raden Ajeng Kartini

Place and date of birth: Jepara, Central Java, 21 April 1879

Place and date of death: Rembang, Central Java, 17 September 1984

Age: 25 years

Parents’ name

Father: Raden Mas Adipati  Ario Sosroningrat

Mother: M.A Ngasirah

Family’s name

Husband: K.R.M. Adipati Ario Singgih Djojo Adhiningrat

Child: Raden Mas Soesalit

R.A Kartini’s Childhood

Raden Adjeng Kartini was born in Jepara on April 21, 1876. She comes from a noble family. Her father, Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat is a regent who governed Jepara at that time. While her mother, MA Ngasirah descended from the common people. Like the other children from noble descent in general, she lived in prosperity and strict Javanese rules. She is the 5th child of 11 brothers and sisters coming from her biological and stepmother. Among her siblings from her biological mother, she is the eldest daughter.

R.A Kartini studied in the ELS School (Europese Lagere School). She studied Dutch language there, so that she could speak Dutch language very well.

R.A Kartini’s Adolescence

When she was 12 years old, she had to quit studying because she had to do “pingit” at that time, a rule of Javanese custom that forbid woman to go outside before marriage. Finally, on 12th November 1983 she was married to Raden Adipati Joyodiningrat.

After getting married, R.A Kartini never stopped learning. She continued to study in her own house by reading a lot of European books and magazines. When she was reading them, she found a great difference between European women’s life with Indonesian women. European women live in freedom and they have the same equivalent position with men. While, Indonesia women lived under man’s power.

Based on that fact, she had an idea to change Indonesian women’s life. She along with her friends opened the first school for women in Indonesia in 1912 in Semarang. They taught Indonesian women how to read and write, so that they could come out of ignorance.

In addition to teaching, she also wrote letters to her friends in the Netherlands. One of them is Rosa Abendanon which strongly supported Kartini’s idea. She also often wrote to the Dutch women’s magazine De Hollandsche Lelie several times.

Thanks to her efforts, many women schools were built in other areas such as in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Malang, Madiun, and Cirebon. Moreover, there was also Kartini Foundation, founded by Van Deventer’s family who is a political figures, opened Kartini’s School.

R.A Kartini’s Death

On 13th September 1904, RA Kartini died after giving birth to her son named RM Soesalit. She was 25 years old at that time. Although she had passed away, her spirit and brilliant ideas remain alive and inspire Indonesian women to continue the struggle to make her dream comes true.

Even her spirit made a Dutch figure, Mr.JH Abendanon, compiled and published her letters sent to her friends in Europe entitle “Duisternis DOOR TOT Licht”, which means “Through Darkness to Light”.

For her contribution, she was awarded as Indonesian national hero because of her ideas which improve Indonesian women level, on May 2, 1964.

Enough of the blogs this time, I hope this blog can be useful for readers. if there are corrections or suggestions please comment below. See you on the next blog.

Keep dreaming, keep dreaming, dream as long as you can dream!  - R.A. Kartini