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The Dutch colonisation of Indonesia
Colonization of Indonesia
The Dutch colonisation of Indonesia
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Early empires
By the time of the European Renaissance, the islands of Java and Sumatra had already enjoyed a thousand-year heritage of civilization spanning two major empires.
During the 7th to 14th centuries, the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya flourished on Sumatra. Chinese traveller I Ching visited its capital, Palembang, around 670. At its peak, the Srivijaya Empire reached as far as West Java and the Malay Peninsula. Also by the 14th century, the Hindu Kingdom of Majapahit had risen in eastern Java. Gajah Mada, the empire's chief minister from 1331 to 1364, succeeded in gaining allegiance from most of what is now modern Indonesia and much of the Malay archipelago as well. Legacies from Gajah Mada's time include a codification of law and an epic poem. Reasons for the fall of these empires remain obscure.
Islam arrived in Indonesia sometime during the 12th century and, through assimilation, supplanted Hinduism by the end of the 16th century in Java and Sumatra. Bali, however, remains overwhelmingly Hindu. In the eastern archipelago, both Christian and Islamic missionaries were active in the 16th and 17th centuries, and, currently, there are large communities of both religions on these islands.
Colonial era
Beginning in 1602 the Dutch gradually established themselves as rulers of what is now Indonesia, exploiting the fractionalization of the small kingdoms that had replaced Majapahit. The most notable exception was Portuguese Timor, which remained under Portuguese rule until 1975 when it was invaded and occupied, becoming the Indonesia province of East Timor. The Netherlands controlled Indonesia for almost 350 years, excluding a short period of British rule in part of the islands after Anglo-Dutch Java War and the Japanese occupation during World War II. During their rule the Dutch developed the Dutch East Indies into one of the world's richest colonial possessions.
During the first decade of the 20th century an Indonesian independence movement began, and it expanded rapidly between the two World Wars. Its leaders came from a small group of young professionals and students, some of whom had been educated in the Netherlands. Many, including Indonesia's first president, Sukarno (1945-67), were imprisoned for political activities.
World War II
In May 1940 the Netherlands surrendered to Germany (see World War II). The Dutch East Indies declared a state of siege and in July re-directed exports for Japan to the US and Britain. Negotiations with the Japanese aimed at securing supplies of aviation fuel collapsed in June 1941, and the Japanese started their conquest of Southeast Asia in December of that year.
The Pacific war started with striking Japanese victories. The Japanese arrived in Manila by January 1942. The American forces held out up to early May, after ...
Japan was a small nation that was in dire need of resources so it could flourish. They need iron for weapons, rubber for tires, and coal and oil for fuel. In July 1937, to capture its coal and iron reserves, Japan launched a successful and brutal attack against China. This would be the start of an assault on the Pacific region by Japan. This assault would last for three years without anyone getting involved because tensions were growing futile in the European theatre.
Initially the Netherlands attempted to stay neutral during World War II, as it had been in the First World War, however, the Nazis still attacked. The final Nazi-free moments for the Dutch were those on May 10, 1940, the day Hitler invaded the Netherlands...
Indonesia thrives on gang activity and foolish men that don’t know the true definition of gangster. Also, the Indonesian gangsters or preman seem to be in constant denial of what happened decades ago. This denial is mostly because of the fact that no one really questioned them of their wrongdoings until now. When they sit and actually think about what happened and the endless families that they separated because of alleged communism, most realize what they did was wrong. Some on the other hand will not realize this because they were raised in that way of thinking and their minds are not as malleable anymore.
The indistinct terms of ‘imperialism’ and ‘colonialism’ have led to uncertainty and ambiguity when assessing the activities carried out by the Portuguese and other Europeans in the region of the Indian Ocean. The late fifteenth century to the early sixteenth century was labeled as the “Age of Discovery” where the Portuguese started off the exploration of the world outside of Europe, through Vasco da Gama. The incidents that occurred over the next few hundred years reflected European dominance throughout the region that complete the questionable means of Imperialism or Colonialism. Imperialism may be defined as “a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force” where colonialism is defined as “a policy or practice of acquiring full or partial control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically” . This essay will give a brief history of the Europeans (specifically the Portuguese as the initial Europeans) in the Indian Ocean throughout the sixteenth to seventeenth century and will also explain the process of how European activities in the Indian Ocean region should be labeled as ‘colonialism’. Furthermore I will outline the Europeans justifications in dominating the people within this region.
The Portuguese under Vasco da Gama were the first to begin trading along the Indian Ocean rim—surprised to have found so many Muslim cities along the eastern coast of Africa da Gama was quick to develop an alliance with the city of Malindi against the Swahili city of Mombasa for access to a guide across the Indian Ocean to Calicut. The Portuguese were surprised at the lackadaisical attitude toward religion when revenues were in the offing. “…merchants in the western Indian Ocean seem to have been more interested in profits than prophets” (Gilbert, 221). With all the bluster and pride of the Portuguese their influence in Africa and trade in the Indian Ocean was nothing more than the bite of a common housefly. Without settlers to pioneer a h...
The Age of Western Imperialism. Modern East Asia From 1600. Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 295-367.
It wasn’t until 1984 that the Dutch finally took control of the island. This was following the end of the 80-year war between the Spanish and Dutch. There was a brief point in the history of the island when the English were in control (1805-1816), but this was short lived and the Dutch returned to the island in 1816(Hartog, 61).
Stewart Gordon is an expert historian who specializes in Asian history. He is a Senior Research Scholar at the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of Michigan and has authored three different books on Asia. Gordon’s When Asia Was The World uses the narratives of several different men to explore The Golden Age of medieval Asia. The fact that this book is based on the travels and experiences of the everyday lives of real people gives the reader a feeling of actually experiencing the history. Gordon’s work reveals to the reader that while the Europeans were trapped in the dark ages, Asia was prosperous, bursting with culture, and widely connected by trade.
Islamic civilization began in Arabia, but it spread to many areas in the proximity of the peninsula. It spread as far as Spain, as well as many areas between the two locations. The civilization reached the Eastern Roman Empire, Persia, Egypt, and Africa. The Muslim warriors were extremely courageous, and their religious zeal aided in the conquests of many empires surrounding Arabia. However, the weakn...
Colonization for the British first began in 1591 when the merchant Sir James Lancaster had been commissioned to set sail by Commander Sir Francis Duke towards the East Indies. Sir James would continue to sail until in September 1592, he would land in Penang remaining there for two years pillaging any rival European ships that were to harbor there. Returning to Britain in 1594 and relaying the news of this newly found area, the British would not become a major participant in Penang’s history until 1786 with the Malay Sultanate of Kedah. During this time, the Burmese and the Siamese armies had increasingly threatened the Sultan of Penang forcing him to cut a deal with then Captain of the British Navy in the Southeast Asia region Francis Light.
Turkey was for 623 years part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1918 shortly after World War one allied forces occupied Turkey. This occupation prompted the Turkish War of Independence. This led to the creation of the Turkish National Movement under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a military commander. The goal of the Turkish National Movement was to reject the terms of the Treaty of Sevres, which was a treaty between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies. Following the end of the war in 1922 the Allied forces were removed from the country. In November 1922 Turkey abolished foreign rule and became an Independent country. The initial government was a form of parliament. However it wasn't until October 1923 that the Republic of Turkey was officially named the successor to the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal officially became the first President of Turkey and introduced many reforms with the aim of a new secular republic. A new writing system was put in place based off the Latin alphabet, full right for women were established and the famous Turkish fez was abolished.
In the next century, India was visited by a large number of European travellers - Italians, Englishmen,
The Mughal dynasty reigned from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century and is one of the most famous Empires that maintained great control of the diversified northern part of India during the medieval era. Akbar, the third ruling emperor of the Mughal Empire, understood that for his dynasty to long survive him, he must legitimate his rule and establish Mughal superiority in the eyes of all of his subjects. And so, by reinventing the institution of kingship through Mughal paintings and implementing rituals such as the eating of the salt and the creation of the land revenue system, provided successors of Akbar such as Jahangir and Aurangzeb, the foundation to secure their legitimacy as a sovereign and the fealty of their conquered subjects for centuries to come.
Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia. Consists of more than 18,000 islands, Indonesia provides a beautiful views, cultures, and tourist resort. The capital of Indonesia and the largest city is Jakarta, located in Java Island. The Indonesian’s currency is rupiah. Indonesia is a republic country, and the government system is democracy Absolutely, Indonesia also have a lot of tribes with different languages and religion. Indonesia got the freedom from the Netherlands in 1942, and Japan in 1945.