The concept of the “short 20th century” as an interpretative model for studying the socio-political history of Indonesia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the “short 20th century” concept as an interpretative model of modern historical science that claims to be universal. The author analyzes the concept of the “short 20th century” proposed by Eric Hobsbawm. The subject of the article is the concept of the “short 20th century”, the object is the possibility of its application and transplantation into Indonesian historical research. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of the concept of the “short 20th century” as an interpretative model that allows us to analyze the features of the historical, social and cultural development of Indonesia in the context of those transformation processes that were launched by the development of nationalism, modernization and secularization. It is assumed that the interpretive models proposed by Western historians have a claim to universality, although the effect of its transplantation into non-Western historical contexts may be limited. The article analyzes 1) the features of the social and economic components in the transformation of Indonesia during the “short 20th century”, 2) the role of the factors of nationalism and Islam in political changes within the framework of political competition and the confrontational model of relations between the Ummah and the ruling elites, 3) the consequences of “short 20th century” for the subsequent history of the region. The article shows the potential of the concept of the “short 20th century” for analyzing the history of social and political transformations in Indonesia. The results of the study suggest that the effect of using the concept of the “short 20th century” is limited. The author believes that this interpretative model can be effective relatively and useful for analyzing social and political dynamics through the prism of confrontation between secular and religious institutions as sources and drivers of change.