Kartawinata was born in Garut on 5 May 1905, being of Sundanese descent. After completing his studies at a HIS and a MULO, he became a teacher and later principal of a Sarekat Islamelementary school in Garut. During his time in Garut, he published the newspaper Balatentara Islam, which covered the activities of the SI. He was also involved in nationalist activities.
Military career
During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, Kartawinata enlisted in the Pembela Tanah Air military unit, and he became a daidancho there. Following the proclamation of Indonesian independence, Kartawinata became the People's Security Agency commander in the Priangan region, and he later was appointed as commander of the 3rd Division of the newly formed People's Security Army, covering the same area. This division was the predecessor of what is today the Siliwangi Division. On 24 November 1945, under pressure from nationalist youths following the outbreak of the Battle of Surabaya, Kartawinata organized an attack against British forces stationed in Bandung - planned to be a general attack, but in practice only limited and scattered fighting took place. He was later replaced as division commander by Abdul Haris Nasution.
Politics
As Sutan Sjahrir became Prime Minister, Kartawinata was appointed as the deputy minister of defense in his Second Sjahrir Cabinet. In the Third Sjahrir Cabinet, Harsono Tjokroaminoto took the post. Later, in 1947, he and proposed to Amir Sjarifuddin that they would reform the Indonesian Islamic Union Party in exchange for cabinet seats. This proposal was accepted and Kartawinata returned to his deputy minister of defense post. Following the Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, Kartawinata joined the People's Representative Council of the United States of Indonesia and was elected deputy speaker on 22 February 1950. He maintained his deputy speaker post for the Temporary People's Representative Council election in August 1950, and for the People's Representative Council sworn in on March 1956 following the 1955 election. The division of the Muslim parties in the country resulted in pressure for the parties - Masyumi, PSII, Nahdlatul Ulama and Perti - to sign a declaration of unity on 15 June 1955, with Kartawinata representing PSII. Kartawinata's PSII was relatively open to cooperating with the Indonesian Communist Party, with Kartawinata himself stating that the alliance was "based on reality". Journalist Rosihan Anwar wrote that in 1961, Kartawinata was awarded a Star of Mahaputera by then-president Sukarno, while the former was suffering from illness. Anwar wrote that Sukarno sent two of his ministers to present the award to Kartawinata in a ceremony, but despite Kartawinata's insistence, his doctor prohibited such ceremonies. In the Dwikora Cabinet, constituted in October 1965, Kartawinata served as Chairman of the "Gotong-Rojong" Parliament following the death of its previous chair Zainul Arifin on 2 March 1963. He held this post between 1963 and February 1966. Afterwards, he served two years as a regular member of parliament until he was appointed to the Dewan Pertimbangan Agung in February 1968, a position he held until his death.
