Dutch Imperialism Research Articles

Strategi Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin dalam Melawan Penetrasi Belanda di Kesultanan Jambi (1855-1904)

This research discusses the resistance strategy of Sultan Thaha against the Dutch in 1855-1904 through guerrilla efforts so that it became one of the people's resistances which took quite a long time before Jambi was successfully conquered by the Dutch in 1906. Since the political direction of Dutch imperialism changed in the archipelago after the signing of the Treaty of London in 1824, British intervention resulted in the Dutch having to review local authority contracts to guarantee their sovereignty. Sultan Thaha as the Sultan of the Jambi Kingdom tried to break the contractual ties with the Dutch by physically and diplomatically resisting the hegemony of the Dutch power which increasingly urged Jambi to remain submissive. This became the topic of the writer's problem about the efforts and strategies launched by Sultan Thaha in defending Jambi amid the pressure that the Dutch continued to make. The author tries to reconstruct using historical methods to reveal how the steps taken by Sultan Thaha in seeking people's support and the strategies used to defend Jambi from Dutch penetration.

Between Kingdom and Empire: the Social Power of Dutch Missionary Maps, 1850–1940

Between about 1850 and 1940 the Dutch Protestant missionary movement reached its ascendancy and set out to establish the kingdom of God in overseas territories. In doing so, mission became inextricably linked with Dutch imperialism. This article investigates this connection through the lens of cartography. Missionary maps of the world in general and the colonies in particular were produced and distributed in schools and churches to inform a Dutch audience about mission and to gather support. This article concludes that mission and imperialism were different strands that became increasing entangled towards the end of the nineteenth century.

A SINKING EMPIRE

This article pivots around the work of early modern legal scholar Hugo Grotius to consider the political stakes of ontological assessments of the sea and water in the context of Dutch imperialism. It draws on links with land reclamation projects in the Netherlands, while at the same time ties these to urgent questions within contemporary critical water and ocean studies around water, ontology, and race. Suggesting a rethinking of Grotius’s understanding of the ocean as perpetual res nullius – perpetually ownerless property – it destabilizes renditions of Grotius’s free sea as free from ownership. The ocean remains firmly within the orbit of property, the property of mankind, thereby excluding those considered non-human, including racialized, gendered, and more-than-human life forms. Grotius’s mare liberum as perpetual res nullius does not form an exception from territorial, personal, and national conceptualizations of property, but rather preconditions it – preparing the world for its thingification. I examine how this understanding of the ocean and of water has colonized our thinking of the ocean, law, being, and belonging. At the same time, the ocean’s very materiality seems to resist Grotius’s legal narrative. Although Grotius’s conquest of maritime imagination continues to justify global models of capital accumulation, the ocean always already shores up against and spills out of such reductive imaginaries.

Countering imperialism: two intersecting anthropologies of Papuan histories

Reflecting on the violence in Papua and how this is shaping Papuan lifeworlds and triggers attempts to disengage from Indonesian and Dutch imperialism, we, I Ngurah Suryawan and Jaap Timmer, position ourselves as nationals from colonising states—one current, Indonesia and one historic, Netherlands—in relation to our anthropological research in Papua. We came to the long-drawn-out conflict and growing affirmations of cultural autonomy in Papua from different backgrounds, and this has affected the way in which we try to contribute to remedy decades of violence. Yet, as we will show, we converge in the way we recognise that a key role we can play as anthropologists is to contribute to a better understanding of Papuan cultures and more appreciation of their creative expressions and to enable, for Papuans, a decolonial epistemology.

Study Perkembangan Perekonomian Jambi Masa Hindia-Belanda (1906-1942) Sebagai Bahan Ajar Pembelajaran Sejarah Berbasis Lokal

Jambi is one of the areas that can not be separated from the cultivation of Dutch colonialism in 1906-1942 (36 years), this brought changes in Jambi in the field of political system, brings in Jambi in the field of political, socio-cultural and economic systems. This research was conducted to identify how the economic development of western influences, especially Dutch Colonialism in Jambi, can be used as a source of learning, especially teaching materials based on local history in Jambi, especially during the period of colonialism and Dutch imperialism. This research method uses qualitative descriptive research. The results showed that the economic development of Jambi during Colonialism can be used as a teaching material for local history in the subjects of Indonesian History and The History of Interest. This locally based teaching material is very useful for learners because the material is close to the environment of life, thus making the goal of historical learning achieved and become more meaningful. In addition, it can also build a character of love for history and the nature of responsibility for preservation, concern for heritage and historical relics and the growth of nationalism.

Ingredients of empire: An oceanic approach to the study of Dutch imperialism and its aftermath

Abstract This article turns to the figure of the ship in the controversial Dutch Sinterklaas celebration to explore what an oceanic framework might bring to the study of Dutch imperialism, colonialism, and slavery. Drawing on what Renisa Mawani calls an ‘oceanic approach and method’ for the study of colonial history, law, and colonial–racial orders, I examine the ship as an anchor point for abstracting, enacting, and rehearsing a colonial–racial order that emerged during the highpoint of Dutch imperialism and continues to permeate the national imaginary at present. Looking at how a Dutch ‘maritime imagination’ conditions imperial fantasies and desires, this article is an exercise in developing what I call a ‘cultural oceanography’ of Dutch imperialism and its aftermath.

Racial Slurs and Whispers in Situated Testimonies of Dutch Imperial Fiction

Storytelling brings into vivid focus the emotions and affects that different classes and races of people experienced in the imperial Dutch Indies island worlds. The storyteller explored in this article is Maria Dermoût (1888–1962), a mixed-race Dutch woman (Indo) who was born and raised on Java in the Dutch East Indies and who spent more than thirty years there. This article argues that Dermoût is a key writer for understanding affective economies, because she devotes significant time and effort in her fiction to fleshing out Native characters, something that few writers of her time did. The novella Toetie, one of Dermoût’s last works, uncovers Indies and Dutch attitudes toward race and color, moving her work from the genre of Indies Letters, or Dutch colonial literature, to that of postcolonial critique, with an exploration of forms of servitude, affect, and the social relations of her time.

Geopolitical Bodies: Media Discourse on the Indonesian National Identity

The paper examines how Indonesian media contested for the Indonesian national identity, from the period of National Awakening (1908) to the period of Sukarno’s Guided Democracy (1957-1965), focusing on the issue of human body constructions. The paper is based on qualitative discourse analysis, applying Norman Fairclough’s discourse method, especially the analysis of discourse practices and social changes. The data were collected from several media, such as books, newspaper, and advertisements in the periods being studied. The study finds that the national identity contestations involved the struggle to construct and discipline human body, which were influenced by traditional Javanese culture, Dutch imperialism, Japanese occupation, and national independence spirits. In the Javanese culture, the body is perceived as a sacred site, while the Dutch colonialism has transformed this idea of sacred and collective bodies to the more secular and individualized bodies. The Japanese occupation has totally mobilized the human body into a collective single identity. After the independence, the human body discourse was closely related to the geopolitical tensions between nationalist (Javanese) and modernist (non-Javanese) discourses. The nationalist suggested that Indonesia needs to form a collective physical identity for nation-building, while the modernist suggested to accommodate cosmopolitanism and individualism to build national identity. The contestations for Indonesian national identity was not complete until 1965, which has also triggered the crisis of national unity in the middle of 1960s. The study also concludes that the discourse of human body was very important in the debate of Indonesian national identity. Keywords: Human body, geopolitical body, discourse analysis, media contestation, Indonesian national identity.

New Netherlands, Archival Deficiency, and Contesting New York History in the Antebellum U.S

ABSTRACTIn nineteenth-century New York, the collection, translation, and republication of documents related to colonial Dutch history was about more than antiquarianism or the ethno-centrism of Dutch-descended Americans. With the unprecedented support of the state of New York and U.S. ministers in Europe, the New York Historical Society (NYHS) orchestrated a much more ambitious project to reinscribe Dutch imperialism within a grander narrative of the state. This, they hoped, would situate New York at the centre of national history, and its archive as the nation’s most important historical record. In doing so, the stewards of the state’s archives and history worked to displace the burlesque rendition of New York’s past popularized by Washington Irving, in favor of a unified, progressive, celebratory narrative.

CATATAN TENTANG ACEH PASCA PERJANJIAN HELSINKI DALAM KONTEKS NEGARA BANGSA

Historicallly, Aceh was and is still part of Indonesia, accrding the proclamation of independent promulgated in 1945. At the infant stage the declared Republic of Unity was transformed into a United Republic of Indonesia. The uncertainty of political situation inspired the Dutch imperial to reoccupied Indonesia. Controntation by the people and the Indonesian government against the Dutch imperial ended on a round table negotiation in Den Haag where the Dutch serendered the sovereign back to Indonesia United Republic. Since Aceh were not part of the Dutch Imperial, and therefore not subjected to this sovereign, Aceh tried to claim an independent territory from Indonesia. Moreover, feel disappointed by unfair and enequal treatment by the Central Government Jakarta, Aceh with GAM proclaims independent. Under the MOU Helsinky, a peace settlement could be reached. An analysis of what is the future of Aceh after this MOU is presented.

A Guidance Application for Historical Routes and Location Area with Augmented Reality

Indonesia is a cultural and historical diversity country. The Indonesian national culture is an analogous multicultural, rooted in older societies and interethnic relations caused the national culture is most easily observed in cities but aspects of it now reach into the countryside as well, for example, capital of Sumatera Utara, Medan. Indonesia’s borders are those of the Netherlands East Indies, though Dutch imperialism caused nation and many of its institutions should be able to preserve and introduce their culture and history to future generations. One way that can be done by involving the development of Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that can be developed by creating 3D (Dimensions) of each created object such as a historic place. In this study, the object to be constructed is the 3D object of the historic building in Medan city which is a historic city in North Sumatra. In addition to historical sites there is a city tour service with the location of the historic building nearby with the location point of reference based on the current location. In addition, the user interaction can be done with 3D objects using Augmented Reality technology and information about historic buildings and the use of virtual reality technology in creating 3D visuals of extinct historic locations. This research is expected to attract users of heritage traveller applications and educate the community in preserving the cultural heritage with the help of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology.

Sugar, Slave-Owning, Suriname and the Dutch Imperial Entanglement of the Scottish Highlands before 1707

ABSTRACTThis article uncovers the Scottish Highlands’ earliest-known overseas slave-owning circle and the imperial entanglement with the Dutch Empire and its sugar on which this depended. It thus provides a case study of the transnational, Dutch-influenced nature of commerce in a non-metropolitan part of northern Europe in the later seventeenth century. The article highlights two interconnected contemporary developments: the engagement of Highland migrants or exiles in the sugar-based enslavement of African and indigenous populations in Suriname; the region’s heavy reliance on the importation of sugar with origins in the Dutch Atlantic plantations. In this way, the article illuminates both north Highland agency in the oppressions of the ‘triangular trade’, and its merchant community’s opting for Dutch over Lowland Scottish-refined sugar when supplying and encouraging local demand at that time. Taken together, this demonstrates the early enmeshment of the region in transnational ‘circuits’ of slave-owning and the interconnected seepage of sugar across broader sections of the northern European economy than previously considered. A Scottish Highland-led circle is shown to have grown prior to the formal creation of the British Empire, simultaneous with the commercial activity of Dutch Suriname-based sugar planter, Henry MacKintosh, who developed strong ties linking the colony with New England, Rotterdam, and his home burgh of Inverness.

Violence Begets Violence: Anticolonial Mobilisation of Ressentiment in 19th Century Borneo

The sudden and violent uprising marking the start of the “Banjarmasin War” in south-central Borneo in 1859 caught the German Rhenish Mission Society (RMS) by surprise. A well-coordinated attack by indigenous Dayaks and prominent Muslim figures led to the brutal massacre of nine people associated with the RMS. In a matter of days, the mission work of 23 years was destroyed. In all, violence was directed at Dutch colonial forces, German missionaries, and Christian Dayaks alike. The coastal city of Banjarmasin, seat of Dutch imperialism, became the last refuge for survivors. Some blamed the RMS for the uprising, arguing that the conversion zeal of the missionaries had provoked an anti-Christian jihad. The RMS retorted that Muslims, conspiring to overthrow the Dutch, had incited indigenous Dayaks to what amounted to an anti-imperialist uprising. Recently, scholars have argued that the interference of Dutch imperialism in local politics was to blame for the uprising, and that the Dayaks were unable to distinguish between Dutch and German foreigners. This paper examines the contribution of Dutch colonial policy to the uprising, particularly its restriction of Islamic religious practices, as well as forms of cooperation between the Dutch and the RMS. Primary sources provide evidence of prolonged and severe RMS brutality against Dayaks in the decade before the war. This leads to the conclusion that the initial violence of the Banjarmasin War directed at RMS persons was no coincidence. Sufficient warrant exists to argue that this was not a matter of mistaken identity, but of reasoned calculation.

Menjadi Islam Nusantara yang Unggul (Studi atas Kitab alMinhah al-Khairiyah Karya Mahfuzh at-Tarmasi)

This paper introduces the work of Mahfuzh at-Tarmasi (d. 1920 M) in the field of hadith, entitled al-Minhah al-Khairiyah fi Arba’in Haditsan min Ahaditsu Khair alBariyah, known as Arba’in at-Tarmasi. This book contains 40 hadiths written musalsal (genealogically) originating from Kutub al-Sittah and Tsulatsiyat al-Bukhari. This is based on the hadith practice on the virtue of gathering 40 hadiths of Nabawi. Interestingly, the main themes carried by this book focused on four things: aqidah (theology), ubudiyah (worship), mu’amalah (social relations) and siyasah (political strategies). These four things are important pillars in the reality of the life of Nusantara Muslim communities, considering that the period in Indonesia was experiencing colonialism by Dutch imperialism. At-Tarmasi (d. 1920 M) reminded of the importance of studying the pillars directly from the source.

Gerakan Anti-Kolonialisme Menuju Indonesia Merdeka Dalam Perspektif Smelserian

<em>This paper aims to provide an overview of Indonesia's social, political and economic conditions at the beginning of the 20th century. Changes in the movement of history are marked by the emergence of political resistance and revolutionary movements, including the establishment of the Islamic nationalist movement represented by the Sarekat Islam, the radical nationalist movement represented by Indische Partij and Insulinde, and the Marxist Communist Party of the Dutch East Indies. This study uses a library study method to explain the constellation of the movement of anti-colonialism in the Smelserian perspective. This research shows that social movements in Indonesia at the beginning of the 20th century arose due to dissatisfaction with existing social structures. Indisce Partij, for example, dared to declare itself a political party for all ethnic groups in Indonesia and collaborated with Sarikat Islam which was a large Islamic organization at that time. Likewise with the emergence of the communist movement which was initially brought in by a handful of Dutch people, it began to dare to voice its demands more radically in opposing Dutch imperialism and capitalism in Indonesia. This is the embryos of political resistance which color the constellation of the history of the Indonesian people towards their ideals of independence.</em>

Ulama, Islam, dan Gerakan Sosial-Politik: Reposisi Ulama dalam Gerakan Sosio-Politik Islam Indonesia

The ‘ulama, or Islamic Clergies are not only as an Islamic scholars who have Islamic science largely, but also an charismatic political leader for Indonesian Moslem. Historically, they have an important roles in Indonesia-war in fighting the colonialism—Dutch and Japan imperialism. Finally, they are struggle element in achieving indonesian freedom. The paper aims to highlight the relation between ‘ulama movement, especially Syekh Musthafa Hussein Nasution and islamic socio-politic movement in Indonesia. The library research is implemented as approach the study. To sum up, Syekh Musthafa Hussein Nasution is an ulama who have main figure behind Islamic Movement in North Sumatera. Generaly in Indonesia. He offer an unique movement like economic and education movement, simultaneously.

“Makanlah Nasi! (Eat Rice!)”: Colonial Cuisine and Popular Imperialism in The Netherlands During the Twentieth Century

This article analyzes the role of colonial foodways in Dutch metropolitan imperial culture. The interaction between material life, cultural values, and imperial ideologies remains a relative blind spot in our understanding of Dutch imperialism. The cuisine from the Dutch East Indies, which found its way to The Netherlands around the turn of the twentieth century, was a decidedly colonial invention and was a reflection of the racial and gendered colonial order of the time. Attempts to popularize the rijsttafel (rice table) in the metropole in the early years of the twentieth century proved unsuccessful, which presents us with one of the paradoxes of “home imperialism”: there was tacit metropolitan consent to imperialism, if not active participation in it, but simultaneously the imperial-mindedness of the metropolitan public was quite low. It is a paradox that puzzled contemporaries and latter-day historians alike, but it can be resolved if we see indifference – in this case indifference to colonial cuisine – not as an anomaly but as a consequence of the imperial mind-set that allowed for conceptualizing the metropole as immune to influences from the colonies. Thus seen, indifference is an act of imperialism.

Grotius, Informal Empire and the Conclusion of Unequal Treaties

Unequal treaties have become synonymous with the imperial practice of Western states in East Asia during the nineteenth century. They have also become a popular subject of study for historians of international law. A neglected feature of the history of unequal treaties is the way they were used and theorised upon as instruments of informal empire before the nineteenth century, in the early-modern age. Hugo Grotius in particular wrote extensively on unequal treaties and alliances through his familiarity with the Dutch East India Company’s exploits in the East Indies, where the conclusion of treaties with indigenous rulers formed the cornerstone of Dutch imperialism. This article delves into the early-modern roots of unequal alliances and discusses how the Grotian analysis of unequal alliances influenced other authors of the classic law of nations.

Debating Natural Law in the Banda Islands: A Case Study in Anglo–Dutch Imperial Competition in the East Indies, 1609–1621

SUMMARYThis article examines Anglo–Dutch rivalry in the Banda Islands in the period from 1609 to 1621, with a particular focus on the process of claiming initiated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and English East India Company (EIC). Historians have paid little attention to the precise legal justifications employed by these organisations, and how they affected the outcome of events. For both companies, treaties with Asian rulers and peoples were essential in staking out claims to trade and territory. Because so many different parties were involved, individual documents had to serve multiple purposes, both on the ground in the East Indies and at the negotiating tables back in Europe. Whenever a VOC or EIC official presented a treaty to a Bandanese leader, he had to recognise local power structures in the Spice Islands, but also needed to consider his European competitors in the area, his superiors in Batavia or Bantam, and the company directors back in Amsterdam or London. Consequently, the safest and most reliable course of action was to make as many arguments as possible, piling them on top of one another. The result was an inherently messy process of claiming, yet one that was also clearly intelligible to most parties involved, including Asian rulers and peoples. A constantly changing legal suite extended to freedom of trade and navigation, contracts and alliances with native peoples, just war, conquest, actual possession, and the (perceived) surrender of native sovereignty to European authorities.

Indonesian Identities Abroad: International Engagement of Colonial Students in the Netherlands, 1908-1931

This article describes the forging of networks and the articulation of solidarities by Indonesians in the Netherlands with various other colonial organisations and movements in European countries in the 1910s and 1920s. Living in the centre of the Dutch empire multiple factions of Indonesians, each in their own words and actions, interacted with the world beyond the confines of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Foreign news reports in Dutch-Indonesian journals and concrete journeys of Indonesians abroad will be examined to describe the variety of worldviews within the Indonesian migrant community. The article also demonstrates that the Indonesians in the Netherlands serve as a telling example in the Dutch imperial context of Alan Lester’s remark that ‘colonised subjects themselves could and did forge new, anti-colonial networks of resistance, which similarly spanned imperial space’ (Alan Lester, ‘Imperial Circuits and Networks: Geographies of the British Empire’, History Compass 4:1 (2006) 134). This article is part of the special issue 'A New Dutch Imperial History'.