Debunking Dutch colonialism
Debunking Dutch colonialism
By Onghokham
JAKARTA (JP): It is perhaps a good idea to do some reminiscing
on colonial history on the occasion of the Dutch Queen's visit to
Indonesia.
It is at least a good idea for one in his early 60s and once a
subject of the late Queen Wilhelmina, queen Beatrix's
grandmother, to dwell upon it. Perhaps it can help put several
things right.
True historians squirm in all directions to hide our
embarrassment when high functionaries -- especially ministers --
deal with Indonesian history and especially colonialist
statistics when speaking at the multitude of ceremonies
commemorating 50 years of independence.
We are told that Dutch colonialism lasted 350 years or that
there had been a 350-year struggle against it.
We also misname our resistance the "revolution" and not just
the "rebellion" or even the "struggle" against colonialism.
Among historians, national and international, it has long been
agreed that 350 years of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia is a
myth. It started as a political slogan and is historically false.
Every time we historians hear it mentioned, as my fellow
historian Dr. Taufiq Abdullah put it so elegantly, we get a
stomach ache and have to air our opinions.
The story of 350 years of Dutch colonialism was started by the
Dutch themselves. The most notorious statement on it was by
Governor-General J.B. de Jonge in 1933.
British journalist and intelligence agent Bruce Lockhardt
interviewed the Dutch Viceroy about how long Dutch rule over the
East Indies colonies would last (British India was in British
calculations almost coming to an end).
Dapperly, de Jonge answered something like "well for another
350 years, if necessary by sword and stick." He certainly was not
prophetic.
Another 350 years of colonialism meant of course for eternity,
something supernatural, something created by higher supreme
beings.
Even old Indonesian empires, those of Sriwijaya and Majapahit,
were in colonial historiography (Stapel) described as
predecessors of the Netherlands Indies Empires. As if these old
traditional empires had any concept of boundary, territorial
control and others which of course didn't exist then.
Former colonial states and even modern states arising from
traditional states are just continuities. In fact the colonial
state's impact is very heavy, especially on what one historian
calls the "cradle of colonialism" -- Java. This is Java's burden
and causes its ambivalent attitude to colonialism and myth-
shrouded histories.
Even in the cradle of colonialism, real colonialism did not
start until 1830 when almost all Java was annexed by the Dutch
except for the principalities which were put under heavy tutelage
and the cultivation system making Java a colonial plantation was
begun.
The origins of Dutch power in Java started much earlier
though. It started around 1678 when the Dutch East Indies Company
(VOC) intervened for the first time into the civil wars of Java's
Mataram monarchy on the side of its legitimate king against rebel
vassals.
The VOC then had to intervene more often and every time
Mataram had to pay, making it practically the first Asian
monarchy burdened with a huge foreign debt. Finally, in 1755, the
Mataram monarchy was split into several kratons; Surakarta and
Yogyakarta and into two others the Mangkunegara and Paku-Alam.
VOC dominance over Javanese politics became the realpolitik of
that period. From 1825 to 1830 was the last great Java rebellion
led by Prince Dipenogoro of the Yogyakarta court. He fought, as
usual, against the Yogyakarta establishment, but not so much
against the Dutch. They, however, had to intervene again.
Indonesian history books will tell you of a struggle of 350
years against Dutch dominance and colonialism. However, seen in
its real context, historians have long agreed that Dutch
colonialism was much more a result of treaties with Indonesian
princes rather than wars.
Colonialism was accepted by Indonesians with a few exceptions,
like in Aceh and Bali. It was the same as with the growth of
colonialism in India. Colonial rule was accepted by the Indian
elite as well as the collapsing empires of the Moguls and the
Mataram.
Vietnam, Afghanistan and Indonesia in the post 1945 period
proved that if foreign dominance is rejected by its "victims",
liberty can be achieved however mighty the foreign adversaries
were.
Java formed a good tax basis for the expansion of the Dutch
East Indies over what was known as the Outer Territories. Java
had large fertile plains to maintain a large taxable peasant
population.
The House of Orange have been the ruling dynasty in the
Netherlands for some four centuries. Not always as monarchs but
also as Stadtholders. They obtained this position through
inheritance and by leading the Dutch Protestant revolt against
the Spanish king.
The present queen, though, descended not from the Orange
Stadtholders of Holland whose line ended with the childless,
King-Stadtholder William III. The present queen is from the
Friesian line of the Oranges.
Princess William the IV and V were the queen's direct
ancestors and they were also the first ones of the dynasty to get
directly involved with the colonies as directors of the VOC.
When the French Revolution of 1789 expanded into the
Netherlands, the Stadtholder's family fled to England. Napoleon
then took Holland as a kingdom. Louis Napoleon, a younger brother
of the emperor, became king. After Napoleon's defeat, the Oranges
were restored in the Netherlands as kings of the Kingdom the
Netherlands.
The Netherlands' first king, William I (1815-1840), also
called the Merchant-King because of his keen business interests,
founded the Netherlands Trading Company (N.H.M.).
This trading company had the monopoly on colonial products and
Java was turned into a huge colonial plantation producing sugar,
coffee and tea. The king made the colonies into a profitable
enterprise. The example of this Merchant-King inspired King
Leopold II of the Belgians in his later Congo adventures.
It is rumored that the House of Orange had very good financial
advisors and invested wisely, especially in oil. The House of
Orange is reputedly one of the richest dynasties in the world.
But it is poor when compared to some nouveau riche families, like
certain Indonesian tycoons.
Queen Beatrix's visit will be the second state visit by a
ruling monarch of the Netherlands to its former colony. During
the long colonial history there has only been one visit by prince
of Orange to the Indies.
Prince Frederik, one of the sons of William III visited the
colonies on a naval expedition at the end of the last century.
None of the reigning monarchs ever visited the Indies.
Traveling in those days was more difficult, especially for
royalty. The pope hardly ever ventured outside of Rome until very
recently. In Germany there is even a legend that if the pope
travels outside Rome then the world will come to an end.
The late Queen Wilhemina, Beatrix's grandmother and longest
living monarch of the Netherlands (1898-1948), could have visited
the Indies or even settled here. When Holland was occupied by
Nazi-Germany in May 1940, the queen, her family and government
lived in exile in London. The last Governor-General suggested
that she move the seat of government to the Indies.
The queen, described by Winston Churchill as the only man in
the Dutch government, said that she could not stand the heat.
It was of course impossible for the queen to move her seat of
government outside the center of allied warfare. She would have
been accused of "defeatism" if she had fled to the colonies.
The first exchange of state visits was carried out by
President Soeharto during Queen Beatrix's mother's reign. Queen
Juliana came here and was a bit overwhelmed by her welcome.
She visited Indonesia again, but then as a princess after her
abdication and retirement. Her husband Prince Bernhard has been a
regular visitor since. Prince Claus and William Alexander
(consort and crown-prince) have been here on several non-official
visits.
The writer is a historian based in Jakarta.