Debunking Dutch colonialism<\/p>\n
By Onghokham<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It is perhaps a good idea to do some reminiscing
\non colonial history on the occasion of the Dutch Queen's visit to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
It is at least a good idea for one in his early 60s and once a
\nsubject of the late Queen Wilhelmina, queen Beatrix's
\ngrandmother, to dwell upon it. Perhaps it can help put several
\nthings right.<\/p>\n
True historians squirm in all directions to hide our
\nembarrassment when high functionaries -- especially ministers --
\ndeal with Indonesian history and especially colonialist
\nstatistics when speaking at the multitude of ceremonies
\ncommemorating 50 years of independence.<\/p>\n
We are told that Dutch colonialism lasted 350 years or that
\nthere had been a 350-year struggle against it.<\/p>\n
We also misname our resistance the \"revolution\" and not just
\nthe \"rebellion\" or even the \"struggle\" against colonialism.<\/p>\n
Among historians, national and international, it has long been
\nagreed that 350 years of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia is a
\nmyth. It started as a political slogan and is historically false.<\/p>\n
Every time we historians hear it mentioned, as my fellow
\nhistorian Dr. Taufiq Abdullah put it so elegantly, we get a
\nstomach ache and have to air our opinions.<\/p>\n
The story of 350 years of Dutch colonialism was started by the
\nDutch themselves. The most notorious statement on it was by
\nGovernor-General J.B. de Jonge in 1933.<\/p>\n
British journalist and intelligence agent Bruce Lockhardt
\ninterviewed the Dutch Viceroy about how long Dutch rule over the
\nEast Indies colonies would last (British India was in British
\ncalculations almost coming to an end).<\/p>\n
Dapperly, de Jonge answered something like \"well for another
\n350 years, if necessary by sword and stick.\" He certainly was not
\nprophetic.<\/p>\n
Another 350 years of colonialism meant of course for eternity,
\nsomething supernatural, something created by higher supreme
\nbeings.<\/p>\n
Even old Indonesian empires, those of Sriwijaya and Majapahit,
\nwere in colonial historiography (Stapel) described as
\npredecessors of the Netherlands Indies Empires. As if these old
\ntraditional empires had any concept of boundary, territorial
\ncontrol and others which of course didn't exist then.<\/p>\n
Former colonial states and even modern states arising from
\ntraditional states are just continuities. In fact the colonial
\nstate's impact is very heavy, especially on what one historian
\ncalls the \"cradle of colonialism\" -- Java. This is Java's burden
\nand causes its ambivalent attitude to colonialism and myth-
\nshrouded histories.<\/p>\n
Even in the cradle of colonialism, real colonialism did not
\nstart until 1830 when almost all Java was annexed by the Dutch
\nexcept for the principalities which were put under heavy tutelage
\nand the cultivation system making Java a colonial plantation was
\nbegun.<\/p>\n
The origins of Dutch power in Java started much earlier
\nthough. It started around 1678 when the Dutch East Indies Company
\n(VOC) intervened for the first time into the civil wars of Java's
\nMataram monarchy on the side of its legitimate king against rebel
\nvassals.<\/p>\n
The VOC then had to intervene more often and every time
\nMataram had to pay, making it practically the first Asian
\nmonarchy burdened with a huge foreign debt. Finally, in 1755, the
\nMataram monarchy was split into several kratons; Surakarta and
\nYogyakarta and into two others the Mangkunegara and Paku-Alam.<\/p>\n
VOC dominance over Javanese politics became the realpolitik of
\nthat period. From 1825 to 1830 was the last great Java rebellion
\nled by Prince Dipenogoro of the Yogyakarta court. He fought, as
\nusual, against the Yogyakarta establishment, but not so much
\nagainst the Dutch. They, however, had to intervene again.<\/p>\n
Indonesian history books will tell you of a struggle of 350
\nyears against Dutch dominance and colonialism. However, seen in
\nits real context, historians have long agreed that Dutch
\ncolonialism was much more a result of treaties with Indonesian
\nprinces rather than wars.<\/p>\n
Colonialism was accepted by Indonesians with a few exceptions,
\nlike in Aceh and Bali. It was the same as with the growth of
\ncolonialism in India. Colonial rule was accepted by the Indian
\nelite as well as the collapsing empires of the Moguls and the
\nMataram.<\/p>\n
Vietnam, Afghanistan and Indonesia in the post 1945 period
\nproved that if foreign dominance is rejected by its \"victims\",
\nliberty can be achieved however mighty the foreign adversaries
\nwere.<\/p>\n
Java formed a good tax basis for the expansion of the Dutch
\nEast Indies over what was known as the Outer Territories. Java
\nhad large fertile plains to maintain a large taxable peasant
\npopulation.<\/p>\n
The House of Orange have been the ruling dynasty in the
\nNetherlands for some four centuries. Not always as monarchs but
\nalso as Stadtholders. They obtained this position through
\ninheritance and by leading the Dutch Protestant revolt against
\nthe Spanish king.<\/p>\n
The present queen, though, descended not from the Orange
\nStadtholders of Holland whose line ended with the childless,
\nKing-Stadtholder William III. The present queen is from the
\nFriesian line of the Oranges.<\/p>\n
Princess William the IV and V were the queen's direct
\nancestors and they were also the first ones of the dynasty to get
\ndirectly involved with the colonies as directors of the VOC.<\/p>\n
When the French Revolution of 1789 expanded into the
\nNetherlands, the Stadtholder's family fled to England. Napoleon
\nthen took Holland as a kingdom. Louis Napoleon, a younger brother
\nof the emperor, became king. After Napoleon's defeat, the Oranges
\nwere restored in the Netherlands as kings of the Kingdom the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
The Netherlands' first king, William I (1815-1840), also
\ncalled the Merchant-King because of his keen business interests,
\nfounded the Netherlands Trading Company (N.H.M.).<\/p>\n
This trading company had the monopoly on colonial products and
\nJava was turned into a huge colonial plantation producing sugar,
\ncoffee and tea. The king made the colonies into a profitable
\nenterprise. The example of this Merchant-King inspired King
\nLeopold II of the Belgians in his later Congo adventures.<\/p>\n
It is rumored that the House of Orange had very good financial
\nadvisors and invested wisely, especially in oil. The House of
\nOrange is reputedly one of the richest dynasties in the world.
\nBut it is poor when compared to some nouveau riche families, like
\ncertain Indonesian tycoons.<\/p>\n
Queen Beatrix's visit will be the second state visit by a
\nruling monarch of the Netherlands to its former colony. During
\nthe long colonial history there has only been one visit by prince
\nof Orange to the Indies.<\/p>\n
Prince Frederik, one of the sons of William III visited the
\ncolonies on a naval expedition at the end of the last century.
\nNone of the reigning monarchs ever visited the Indies.<\/p>\n
Traveling in those days was more difficult, especially for
\nroyalty. The pope hardly ever ventured outside of Rome until very
\nrecently. In Germany there is even a legend that if the pope
\ntravels outside Rome then the world will come to an end.<\/p>\n
The late Queen Wilhemina, Beatrix's grandmother and longest
\nliving monarch of the Netherlands (1898-1948), could have visited
\nthe Indies or even settled here. When Holland was occupied by
\nNazi-Germany in May 1940, the queen, her family and government
\nlived in exile in London. The last Governor-General suggested
\nthat she move the seat of government to the Indies.<\/p>\n
The queen, described by Winston Churchill as the only man in
\nthe Dutch government, said that she could not stand the heat.<\/p>\n
It was of course impossible for the queen to move her seat of
\ngovernment outside the center of allied warfare. She would have
\nbeen accused of \"defeatism\" if she had fled to the colonies.<\/p>\n
The first exchange of state visits was carried out by
\nPresident Soeharto during Queen Beatrix's mother's reign. Queen
\nJuliana came here and was a bit overwhelmed by her welcome.<\/p>\n
She visited Indonesia again, but then as a princess after her
\nabdication and retirement. Her husband Prince Bernhard has been a
\nregular visitor since. Prince Claus and William Alexander
\n(consort and crown-prince) have been here on several non-official
\nvisits.<\/p>\n
The writer is a historian based in Jakarta.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/debunking-dutch-colonialism-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }