Raden Ayu Siti Hartinah (23 August 1923 – 28 April 1996), also known as Siti Hartinah Soeharto or Tien Soeharto, was the

First Lady of Indonesia Throughout Indonesian history, the title of First Lady ( id, Ibu Negara) or, in an instance, First Gentleman ( id, Bapak Negara) has been used to refer to the wife or husband of the president of Indonesia. While the Constitution of Indonesia does ...

from 1967 until 1996. She was the wife of second

Indonesian president The President of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Presiden Republik Indonesia) is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government and is ...

, Suharto. Known as Ibu Tien in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, she was widely acknowledged to have been politically powerful, and a close confidant and political advisor to Suharto.Budiardjo, Carmel (April 29, 1996) . hamline.edu

Biography

Alya Rohali Together With Alicia Machado Miss Universe 1996 and Indonesian First Lady Siti Hartinah

Siti Hartinah was distantly related to the

Mangkunegaran The Duchy of Mangkunegaran ( id, Kadipaten Mangkunegaran) is a small Javanese princely state located within the region of Surakarta in Indonesia. It was established in 1757 by Raden Mas Said, when he submitted his army to Pakubuwono III in F ...

Royal household.Elson, 23 Some commentators state that her honorific title of ''Raden Ayu'' was reserved only for faithful commoner courtiers or servants (''abdi dalem'') of the Mangkunegaran court. She married Suharto on 26 December 1947 in Surakarta using a traditional Javanese ceremony. The Javanese custom was for the bride's family to pay the bulk of the wedding costs. Suharto apparently drove there in a battered

De Soto De Soto commonly refers to * Hernando de Soto (c. 1495 – 1542), Spanish explorer * DeSoto (automobile), an American automobile brand from 1928 to 1961 De Soto, DeSoto, Desoto, or de Soto may also refer to: Places in the United States of Ameri ...

sedan. Suharto stated that the marriage was initially not one of romantic love, but they did eventually grow to love each other devotedly, a type of marriage that was very common for many Javanese of that era. Three days after their marriage, Siti Hartinah was taken by Suharto to live in his

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...

house at Jalan Merbabu 2. Her marriage was initiated by Suharto's foster mother at the time, Ibu (Mrs) Prawirowiharjo, who sought an audience with her mother. Ibu Prawirowiharjo cultivated a close relationship with her mother, a family in Suharto's own words as "well regarded and respected in the city of Solo"Elson, 22 Siti Hartinah became known in Indonesia as "Madame Tien". Many Javanese saw her as one of the major causes of Suharto's own power. Siti Hartinah died of heart failure on April 28 1996 in Jakarta, and is interred beside her husband in the Astana Giribangun mausoleum complex in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java.

Family

Suharto and Siti Hartinah had six children, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana (Tutut), Sigit Harjojudanto (Sigit), Bambang Trihatmodjo (Bambang), Siti Hediati (Titiek), Hutomo Mandala Putra (Tommy) and Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih (Mamiek), and 11 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Notes

References

Citations

General

*''Suharto: A Political Biography''. Robert Edward Elson. Cambridge University Press, 2001. *''Siti Hartinah Soeharto : First Lady of Indonesia''. Abdul Gafur. PT. Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, 1992. ISBN unknown *''Who's Who in Indonesia''. Mahiddin Mahmud. Gunung Agung, 1990. ISBN unknown

External links

*
Biography on TokohIndonesia.com

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hartinah, Siti 1923 births 1996 deaths Indonesian Muslims Javanese people People from Surakarta National Heroes of Indonesia Suharto family and associates Cendana family First Ladies and Gentlemen of Indonesia Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany