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Batik has initially been a practice among the ordinary people, having been introduced to Jakarta during the Dutch rule. It has evolved from a vernacular product to a symbol of urban culture and national identity, pursuant to independence of Indonesia. It has acquired an association with the political and cultural activities linked to Jakarta's role as the national government center and has reached a position of national significance. This study examines the significant elements and the effects of batik in the development of the urban culture of Indonesia. It employed interviews as primary data sources to gather information from batik owners and craftsmen, museums, collectors, institutions, and decision-makers regarding local culture and its contemporary significance. Secondary data was compiled from reference sources using an interdisciplinary historical approach in order to reconstruct the historical development of Batik in Indonesia. It is concluded that the roots of the batik tradition in Jakarta have arisen from the immigrant vernacular communities. Numerous political, economic and cultural events have produced the setting for its growth to form the current urban cultural identity having become a fashionable cloth of national significance even symbolizing the national identity of Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]