Sultanate of Cirebon

Sultanate of Cirebon is a renowned Islamic sultanate in West Java in the 15th century and 16th century AD, and is an important base in trade routes and inter-island shipping. Its location on the northern coast of Java island, which is the border between Central Java and West Java, making it a port and a "bridge" between the Javanese and Sundanese culture to create a culture that is distinctive, ie Cirebon culture that is not dominated by Javanese culture and Sundanese culture
According Sulendraningrat who based the script Babad Tanah Sunda and Atja on Carita Purwaka Caruban Nagari script, Cirebon at first is a small hamlet built by Ki Gedeng Tapa, which eventually evolved into a bustling village and named Caruban (Sundanese: mix), because there mix of immigrants from various ethnic groups, religions, languages, customs, and livelihoods different to reside or trade.

Given the initially most of the people's livelihood as fishermen, then developed the work of fishing and rebon (small shrimp) along the coast as well as making shrimp paste, paste, and salt. From the term used water shrimp paste manufacture (belendrang) from shrimp rebon-suey is developed as rebon (Bahasa Sunda:, water rebon) which later became Cirebon.

With the support of the bustling harbor and natural resources from the hinterland, Cirebon and then became a big city and become one of the important port on the north coast of Java in both the shipping and trading activities on the islands of the archipelago as well as with the rest of the world. In addition, Cirebon grow into the embryo of the center spread of Islam in West Java.