Dutch Colonization in Indonesia
By; Jenny Meyer, Tracy Navichoque, and Grace Riccardi, Mar 5 2009(Adapted T.S. B.)
Historical Background
Indonesia was a
prominent and
thriving trading
archipelago with
distinct social,
political, and
economic
customs.
Indonesia had a
large indigenous
(original or
native)
population that
descended from
the Malay
peoples spread around the various islands. Indonesia had a highly developed society with a wet
field rice cultivation that was the basis of agriculture.
Their advanced knowledge of navigation allowed them to trade and interact with China, India,
and Ceylon. Indonesia’s economy functioned well through international and regional trade.
There was a large trade of sugar, ivory, spices, and cotton cloth. Indonesia’s politics were run by
different empires or regional rulers before the imposing of Dutch rule. The most successful ruler
was Gadjah Mada who ruled from 1331-1645. Mada re-united the archipelago, standardized the
bureaucracy and the administration, as well as codified (organized) many laws and customs.
However, Indonesia’s culture was influenced by surrounding countries before European arrival.
During the thirteenth century (1200-1299), sufi Islam and many other Islamic values spread
throughout the archipelago. Islam arrived through trade into Indonesia, by Arab merchants. The
Islamic faith contradicted previous beliefs held by the indigenous natives. Monotheism (one god)
in Islam undermined the power of the emperors because they could no longer be considered as
god-kings. Before the Netherlands’ United East India Company and other Europeans powers
approached Indonesia, it was socially distinct, embracing varied forms of art and culture. Women
had relative freedom in Indonesia, however most of them
worked.
Indonesia has enjoyed a remarkable culture that included a
unique form of puppet theatre called Wajang, in which wooden
figures are controlled by people and presented a play
demonstrating Indonesian life or religious values. Wajang
provides conversion stories.
Indonesia faced approximately 450 years of colonization by Europeans. Several European
countries were attracted to Indonesia because of its exotic resources and its prime location for
trade. Indonesia had highly coveted resources, such as spices, cloves, nutmeg, and sugar.
Portugal was the first country to arrive in the archipelago around 1511 and Spain also entered
Indonesia a few years later, however these countries did not remain the dominant colonizing
countries, but they brought Catholicism into Indonesia. In 1602, the Netherlands’ United East
India Company (VOC) was formed. Then in 1619, after a slow and gradual industrialization of
the Netherlands, the VOC indirectly colonized the archipelago of Indonesia. The VOC’s motives
to colonize Indonesia were merely commercial (for profit). They wanted to dominate the trade in
Indonesia and form a monopoly of trade against other European countries, such as Britain. The
VOC gradually gained more control of Indonesia as it set up ports in Batavia, Banda, Tidore,
Java, and Makasa. The VOC controlled Indonesia indirectly until the eighteenth century, when
the private investment company began to decline due to a decrease in profits from trade and the
interruption of Indonesian pirates. The company’s charter expired in 1799, when the Dutch
government took direct control of Indonesia. The Napoleonic Wars had a large effect on the
Dutch’s control of Indonesia and the control was temporarily shifted to the British government in
1811. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 returned Indonesia to the Dutch and they kept control
over the archipelago.
The Dutch East Indies Flag (VOC). A colonizing object
placed on Indonesian land.
I: Highlight any unfamiliar words then select a minimum of seven words to define in your
glossary.
Task II: Create a graphic novel showing early, agriculture, trade, regional rule, religion or
Wajang.
Task III: Create picture timeline (pictures an dates) from1200 to 1945 showing the process of
contact and colonization in ‘Indonesia’. Begin with the “During the thirteenth century (12001299), sufi Islam came from Arab countries
Dutch Colonization in Indonesia
By; Jenny Meyer, Tracy Navichoque, and Grace Riccardi, Mar 5 2009(Adapted T.S. B.)
A picture of exported
Indonesian slaves to Suriname
(A Dutch colony in South
America). Dutch colonization
prompted the exportation of
Indonesian workers to other
Dutch colonies.
The Dutch exploited
(made use of or took
advantage of) the colony
especially its natural
resources, and the labor
force in Indonesia. The
Dutch were interested in
gaining high capital profits
from the labor and
resources they extracted
(took) from Indonesia.
To assure high profits, the
Dutch established the
Cultivation System, a
system in which peasants
and famers were forced to
grow commercial crops for the Dutch and for the local governments. All heavy taxes were forced
on the peasants; therefore they faced poverty conditions and famine. The Dutch brought goods,
such as coffee, to the island of Java, which became one of the largest exporters of the product.
Sugar, coffee, and other goods, accounted for seventy percent of Indonesian exports, and almost
all the profits were taken by the Dutch. Fertile land in Indonesia was used for Dutch plantations.
Peasants did not have enough land for subsistence farming and as a result, suffered through
famines. Daily life differed for different social classes in Indonesia. For example, higher classes
faced less hardships under the Dutch rule, while the lower classes encountered harsh treatment,
great exploitation, heavy tax burdens, and as a result, a lowering of their living conditions.
Moreover, the Dutch treated the people of Indonesia without much sympathy, however there
were Dutch schools developed in the society by Dutch women. Many Dutch women, who had
migrated to Indonesia, were concerned with the lack of education and decided to create schools.
The schools were beneficial to the Indonesian population but damaging to the Dutch and in the
end, helped end Dutch imperial rule.
Colonizers who lived in Indonesia were usually officials who lived lavish lives and made much
wealth from trade. The officials employed the pijaji, which were indigenous ruling groups. The
pijaji were responsible for the labor that the peasants produced and they obtained their wealth
through exploitation of labor. The pijaji and the peasants grew tired of the Dutch domination
which led to a new nationalist movement.
During the Second World War, Japan occupied (took control of) Indonesia (1942 to 1945); they
controlled the trade and government of the archipelago and removed Dutch control. After World
War II, the Dutch regained control of Indonesia, but only for a very brief period of time. The
Dutch schools that had been previously set-up produced a new educated Indonesian elite class
who eventually took control of the nationalist movement in Indonesia and expressed their
contempt (hatred) towards the Dutch rule. These new educated elites and reformers, such as
Sukarno, led the Indonesian Revolution. In 1945, Sukarno was declared President and he
established the Republic of the United States of Indonesia. The Dutch finally recognized their
loss in 1949, when Queen Juliana of Netherlands announced that Indonesia was free of Dutch
rule. The Nationalist movement that arose while the Japanese were in power led to expulsion of
the Dutch. After colonialism ended in Indonesia, Sukarno remained president and established the
guided democracy as the central governing method in Indonesia.
Depiction of an Indonesian family:
Agricultural workers who cultivate rice
and represent most Indonesian families.
President Sukarno (19451967)
President Suharto (1967-1998)
Indonesia Today: After the end of Dutch colonialism in 1949, Sukarno had become
president and created a democracy. Islam grew rapidly after the Dutch had left.
Dutch Colonization in Indonesia
By; Jenny Meyer, Tracy Navichoque, and Grace Riccardi, Mar 5 2009(Adapted T.S. B.)
The Dutch acted as an obstruction to Indonesia for more the four
centuries and altered (changed) their culture and society. Much of
the Indonesian culture, such as religion, food and language has been influenced by other
countries, including the Arabs, India, and China.
Currently, Indonesia is a thriving trading country with exports of rice, petroleum, and coffee and
a distinct culture. However, Indonesia suffers from many issues that have interrupted its
government and the interactions between people. Indonesia is an exceedingly large archipelago
that encompasses numerous islands but many of those islands are very distant from the capital
Jakarta. Many of those islands wanted to break away from Indonesia and rejected Indonesian
rule, such as the East Timor province. The country has been lately trying to strengthen its
democracy after more than forty years of authoritarian control. After Dutch control had ceased
(ended), Indonesia was ruled by Sukarno and then Suharto who took power by a coup d’etat, but
many years have followed with many corrupt governments. Additionally, Indonesia is facing
many human rights violations and is trying to reform the military and police, in order to reduce
the corruption in governmental agencies. Indonesia has been worried with poverty and has tried
to create reforms to improve the economy and the financial conditions of the poor. However,
poverty remains a great problem and the gap between the rich and poor is actually growing. The
Dutch were heavily dependent on Indonesian raw materials and hindered their potential to
industrialize and grow as a powerful capitalist country. Although Indonesia may current suffer
from its previous disadvantages, the society and culture have become liberated. After the end of
President’s Suharto’s autocratic rule in 1998, Indonesia received the freedom to express their
dissent and they were no longer censored by the government. Indonesia is a thriving culture with
a diverse population and a distinct culture, which offers various religions and customs, under a
more adequate and reasonable republic.
Related Sources (Visual Literacy)
DOCUMENT ONE: The document below is a chart that demonstrates the extent to which
colonialism and expansion grew, but more importantly how much land the Dutch gained. The
Netherlands colonized Indonesia; however they were in constant competition with other foreign
powers in order to keep the archipelago.
Extent of Colonialism
****
Great
Britain
Area in Square Miles 94,000
France
212,600
Belgium Netherlands
11,800
13,200
Germany
(1914)
210,000
Population
45,500,100
42,000,000 8,300,000 8.500,000
67,500,000
Area of Colonies
13,100,000
4,300,000 940,000
1,100,000
Population of
Colonies
470,000,000
65,000,000 13,000,000 66,000,000
790,000
13,000,000
SOURCE: Mary Evelyn Townsend, European Colonial Expansion Since 1871 (Chicago: J.P. Lippincott Company, 1941), p. 19
Percentage of Territories Belonging to the European/US Colonial Powers
(1900)
Region
Percentage Controlled
Africa
90.4%
Polynesia
98.9%
Asia
56.5%
Australia
100.0%
Americas
27.2%
SOURCE: A. Supan, Die territoriale Entwicklung der Euroaischen Kolonien (Gotha, 1906), p. 254
Primary Resources
DOCUMENT TWO
Document two is a direct quote from President Sukarno of Indonesia. President Sukarno was
declared president in 1945, after the end of the Japanese occupation. President was the leader of
the nationalist movement against Dutch colonization and he became president after Dutch
imperial rule had ended in Indonesia. President Sukarno expresses the unity he wants to create in
a recently decolonized country. He strongly believes that “colonialism must be eradicated from
the earth.” He conveys his nationalist perspectives by articulating all the different manners of
colonialism, such as economic, physical, and political control. The speech was said six years
after the end of colonialism, therefore President Sukarno was still trying to end the fear of
colonialism and unite the archipelago after the Dutch had left the islands in turmoil. Colonialism
is portrayed as nefarious in the eyes of Sukarno.
“All of us, I am certain, are united by more important things than those which superficially
divide us. We are united, for instance, by a common detestation of colonialism in whatever form
it appears. We are united by a common detestation of racialism. And we are united by a common
determination to preserve and stabilize peace in the world…
We are often told “Colonialism is dead.” Let us not be deceived or even soothed by that. I say to
you, colonialism is not yet dead. How can we say it is dead, so long as vast areas of Asia and
Africa are unfree…?
And, I beg of you do not think of colonialism only in the classic form which we of Indonesia, and
our brothers in different parts of Asia and Africa, knew. Colonialism has also its modern ways,
in the form of economic control, intellectual control… It is a skilful and determined enemy, and it
appears in many guises. Wherever, whenever and however it appears, colonialism is an evil
thing, and one which must be eradicated from the earth… ”