The Wealthiest Regent in Java Lived in Luxury While His People Suffered

The history of Indonesia records that inequality between the luxury of rulers and the lives of ordinary people has persisted since the colonial era. Amid the suffering of the populace, a number of local elites actually enjoyed abundant wealth from the economic system built by the colonial government.

One such story comes from Cianjur, West Java. In the early 19th century, the area was known as one of the most prosperous regions on the island of Java, thanks to rapidly expanding plantation commodity production, particularly coffee.

The abundance of coffee made Cianjur one of the largest production centres in the Priangan region. The profits from this commodity subsequently elevated the wealth and social standing of local elites, including the regent who governed the area.

This state of affairs further raised the social status of local elites, including the regent, who enjoyed the overflowing wealth generated by the prevailing economic system.

The Dutch historian Jan Breman, in his book Colonial Profit from Forced Labour: The Trading System of Coffee Cultivation in Java 1720–1870 (2014), noted that during the forced cultivation period (1830–1870), Cianjur was the largest coffee producer in the Priangan region. In 1806, its production even reached around 1.5 million units of coffee.

This wealth then strengthened the position of local elites, including the regent. According to the historian Nina Herlina Lubis in The Life of the Priangan Nobility, 1800–1942 (1998), the regents were the wealthiest group in their territories. They derived income from salaries, taxes, and unwritten feudal practices.

However, this prosperity was never felt by the common people. Instead, the people bore the heavy burden of the forced coffee cultivation system. The hard work of farmers formed the foundation of the region’s wealth, yet most of the proceeds flowed into the colonial treasury and were enjoyed by local elites, including the regent.

Moreover, the Regent of Cianjur was famously known for his luxurious lifestyle. Jan Breman recorded that the regent often travelled around in a gold-plated carriage, in the manner of a great nobleman.

“Like great lords of consumption, they shopped for luxury goods at high prices. Upon their return they brought opium, tobacco, and cotton—goods to be sold on to their subordinate heads,” wrote Breman.

This extravagance even had a direct impact on other regions. The Dutch colonial official Multatuli, in his novel Max Havelaar (1860), highlighted how a visit by the Regent of Cianjur to Lebak actually burdened the areas he passed through.

According to him, the regent arrived with a large entourage that had to be accommodated by the local area.

“Those hundreds of people all had to be housed and fed, and so were their horses,” wrote Multatuli.

According to Nina Herlina Lubis, this situation was inseparable from the prevailing view of power at the time. The regency was positioned as a stage, with the regent as the principal actor who had to display grandeur.

“The regency was like a theatrical stage with the regent as the lead performer who had to act magnificently,” said Nina.

In the end, history shows a recurring pattern. Power has often gone hand in hand with elite luxury, whilst the people continue to endure suffering.