Kudus Regency

Kudus (Javanese: ꦏꦸꦢꦸꦱ꧀ Pegon: قدوس) is a regency (Indonesian: kabupaten) in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Kudus. It covers 425.15 km² and is thus the smallest regency on Java Island in area, and it had a population of 777,437 at the 2010 Census^[2] and 849,184 at the 2020 Census;^[3] the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 883,322 (comprising 440,455 males and 442,867 females).^[1] It is located northeast of Semarang, the capital of Central Java.

Kudus Regency Kabupaten Kudus
Regency
Other transcription(s)
• Javanese	ꦏꦸꦢꦸꦱ꧀
Menara Kudus Mosque
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Nagri Carta Bhakti (Land of prosperity and devotion)
Kudus Regency in Central Java
Coordinates: 6°48′S 110°50′E
Country	Indonesia
Province	Central Java
Districts	List Kota Kudus Kaliwungu Jati Undaan Jekulo Bae Gebog Mejobo Dawe
Government
• Acting Regent	Muhammad Hasan Chabibie (Pj.)
Area
• Total	425.15 km2 (164.15 sq mi)
Population  (mid 2024 estimate)[1]
• Total	883,322
• Density	2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7 (WIB)
Post Code	593xx
Area code	0291
Website	kuduskab.go.id

Geography

Regency Area Boundaries

The administrative boundaries of Kudus Regency include:

• North = Jepara Regency
• South = Grobogan Regency and Demak Regency
• West = Demak Regency
• East = Pati Regency

Most of the Kudus Regency area is lowland. In part of the northern region stands a mountain, namely Mount Muria, with the peaks Puncak Songolikur (Saptorenggo Peak) (1,602 m above sea level), Puncak Rahtawu (Rahtawu Peak) (1,522 m above sea level), and Puncak Argojembangan (Argojembangan Peak) (1,410 m above sea level). The largest river is the Kali Serang which flows to the west, bordering Kudus Regency with Demak Regency. Kudus is divided by the Gelis River in the middle, with the two sections being known by the terms Kudus West and Kudus East. Kudus Regency is the regency with the smallest area in Central Java, but is the richest regency in Central Java with per capita income reaching more than IDR 123 million.

History

Minaret of Kudus mosque. Photo from colonial period.

The town of Kudus was something of an important Islamic holy city in the sixteenth century. It is the only place in Java that has permanently acquired an Arabic name ('al-Quds', Jerusalem). Sunan Kudus, one of the nine Wali Sanga, was said to have been the fifth imam (head) of the mosque of Demak and a major leader of the 1527 campaign against 'Majapahit', before moving to Kudus.

The Mosque of Kudus (Masjid Menara) which dates from this period, remains a local landmark to this day. It is notable for both its perseverance of pre-Islamic architectural forms such as Old Javanese split doorways and Hindu-Buddhist influenced Majapahit-style brickwork,^[4] and for its name al-Manar or al-Aqsa. The date AH 956 (AD 1549) is inscribed over the mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca).^[5]

Administrative districts

The Regency comprises nine districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census^[2] and the 2020 Census,^[3] together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.^[1] The table also includes the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 123 rural desa and 9 urban kelurahan - the latter all in Kudus town District), and its post code.

Kode Wilayah	Name of District (kecamatan)	Area in km2	Pop'n Census 2010	Pop'n Census 2020	Pop'n Estimate mid 2024	Admin centre	No. of villages	Post code
33.19.01	Kaliwungu [6]	32.71	91,174	103,293	108,764	Kedungdowo	15	59332
33.19.02	Kota Kudus (Kudus town) [7]	10.47	92,776	89,480	89,775	Purwosari	25 (a)	59311 -59319
33.19.03	Jati [8]	26.30	99,466	108,819	113,043	Tanjung Karang	14	59341 -59349
33.19.04	Undaan (b) [9]	71.77	69,073	76,128	79,991	Undaan Kidul	15	59372
33.19.05	Mejobo [10]	36.77	69,754	77,434	90,895	Jepang	11	59381
33.19.06	Jekulo [11]	82.92	98,741	108,658	113,132	Klaling	12	59382
33.19.07	Bae [12]	23.32	66,333	73,903	77,315	Bae	10	59321 -59327
33.19.08	Gebog [13]	55.06	93,915	104,313	108,999	Gondosari	11	59333
33.19.09	Dawe [14]	85.84	96,205	106,685	111,408	Piji	18	59353
	Totals	425.15	777,437	849,184	883,322	Kudus (town)	132

Note: (a) comprises 9 urban kelurahan (Kajeksan, Kerjasan, Mlati Kidul, Mlati Norowito, Panjunan, Purwosari, Sunggingan, Wergu Kulon and Wergu Wetan) and 16 rural desa.
(b) Undaan District consists of a large southwards salient away from the rest of the Regency.

Kudus town

The town of Kudus, including those parts of the regency who form part of the urban area (the surrounding Kaliwungu, Jati, Gebog and Bae Districts), had a population of 358,335 at the 1990 Census.^[15] Although most residents of Kudus are Javanese, there is an Indonesian Chinese minority in the town centre, as well as an Arab neighborhood, Kudus Kulon, to the west of the town centre.

The town is considered to be the "birthplace" of the kretek clove cigarette, which is by far the most widely smoked form of tobacco in the country, and it remains a major centre for their manufacture. Haji Jamahri, a resident of the town, invented them in the 1880s. A festival named Dandangan is held for about one whole month before Ramadhan, Muslim's fasting month in Kudus Kulon.

Anti-nuclear movement

On June 12, 2007, about 5,000 people gathered peacefully to protest against Jakarta's plan to build 4 nuclear reactors in the region. The movement included local residents, activists, artists, students and public officials, parliament members, military commandants and police chiefs. This movement has been part of a series of responses emerging from all sides of the Indonesian society against the use of nuclear technology for energy production.

Notable people

• Hariyanto Arbi, badminton player
• Hermawan Susanto, badminton player
• Liem Swie King, badminton player
• Eddy Hartono, badminton player

See also

• Sunan Kudus