15th-century prince from Pajajaran, Prince Walangsungsang, converted to Islam and was appointed as the Adipati (Duke) of Cirebon with the title Cakrabumi. He established the new kingdom of Cirebon and declared independence from Sunda and Galuh. The establishment of the Cirebon Sultanate marked the first Islamic rule in western Java, transforming Muara Jati into a busy port. Cirebon was an independent sultanate under the leadership of Sunan Gunungjati in the early 16th century. After the Sunda Kingdom collapsed, the Sultanates of Banten and Mataram fought over control of Cirebon, which declared its allegiance to Sultan Agung of Mataram, whose grandson Amangkurat II ceded the city to the Dutch in 1677. In 1705, a treaty saw the Cirebon area west of Cisanggarung River become a Dutch protectorate jointly administered by three sultans whose courts rivalled those of Central Java. The Dutch authorities later established the Cirebon Residency (Residentie Tjirebon) which was composed of present-day Cirebon, Indramayu, and Kuningan. During the time of the Dutch "Culture System" a flourishing trade in colonial cash crops attracted many Chinese entrepreneurs and that influence is still evident in the batik for which Cirebon is famous. Cirebon suffered a famine in 1844, apparently triggered by a combination of drought and the shift from subsistence agriculture to cash crops, particularly indigo and sugarcane, enforced by Dutch's Cultivation system. Geography Climate Cirebon has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with moderate to little rainfall from June to October and heavy to very heavy rainfall from November to May. Administrative divisions Cirebon is divided into five administrative districts (kecamatan), listed below with their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census: The five districts are sub-divided into twenty-two urban villages (kelurahan) which are listed below with their populations at the 2010 census and according to the mid-2018 official estimates: Demographics The city's population was 298,224 at the Indonesia census of 2010. As with other coastal cities in Indonesia, a large population of ethnic Chinese has flocked into the city as a result of long-term Chinese immigration since the 17th century. Significant suburbs lie within densely populated Cirebon Regency, and the official metropolitan area encompasses this entire regency as well as the city. Although surrounded by Sundanese-speaking areas in West Java, linguists have stated that Cirebon (and the historically related region of Serang city in Banten Province) are inside its own Cirebonese language area. In addition, this is supported by