Year 1985. I am sitting in third grade of elementary school, compilation eyes of Pelopor Bangsa (PSPB) was first launched by New Order Government.
Since then, I have often heard from teachers that colonialism in Indonesia lasted for 350 years. Hah 350 years old? I think. How old.
But no one protests with that number. Everyone (myself included) has tried that Indonesia was colonized for so many years. Until 1991, while sitting on the bench of class 1 high school, I read the spirit between Soe Hok Gie with a wrong title history over.
Soe did not accept Indonesia colonized by the Dutch for 350 years. Quoting the opinion of Professor Resink (Dutch historian UI), historical activists and students call that number only "Soekarno's political dramatization" to burn the Indonesians have souls.
"In the mix, the Netherlands can never control 100% of the archipelago until the end of its power," Soe said while mentioning some of the rebellion of the people of Aceh that lasted until 1942.
Rahmat Safari, one of my friends who is very fond of history, even daring to mention the Dutch colonization of Indonesia only 4 years (1945-1949). What is the cause? "Before 1945, de facto and de jure, did the Republic of Indonesia already exist?"
The logic of the history of Grace I think it does have a point. The name of Indonesia itself was just mentioned among researchers named Adolf Bastian (1826-1905) wrote a book entitled Indonesien oder die Inseln des Malayischen Archipel (Indonesia or Islands in the Malay Archipelago).
Before 1945, the territory of Indonesia was known as the Dutch East Indies. That means India has a Dutch. That is to separate it with the West Indies or Indians who have English. The two names are purely an agreement between the colonizers alone.
And long before there was the Dutch East Indies, our region was better known as Nusantara (meaning among the islands). Its contents consist of various nations and Kingdoms such as Bali, Gowa, Pajajaran, Malay, Andalas, Pagaruyung, Mataram, Banten and others.
Back to the 350 number question. No one knows where that number came from. It was calculated from the first leadership of Cornelis de Houtman's Dutch leadership on July 22, 1596 or Jacob van Neck, van Heemskerck, and van Waerwijck on May 1, 1598, I think it was not right either. When I first came to the Port of Banten only exclusive business, not doing colonization? Instead of colonizing, they even deal with the Kingdom of Banten and indeed offer tribute to the Sultan of Banten.
It should be remembered that after the establishment of the East Indies Trade Vessel (VOC) in 1602 the Dutch economy and politics "control" over the archipelago was not smooth. Various togetherness that happened to make the region annexed the Netherlands into the kingdoms that exist at the time.
There are various wars that occurred in various regions of the archipelago. In West Sumatra erupted Padri War (1821-1837), in Central Java and Yogyakarta there was War Diponegoro (1825-1830), Aceh War I (1873-1907), War in Jambi (1833-1907), War in Lampung (1834 - 1856), War in Lombok (1843-1894), Puputan War in Bali (1846-1908), War in South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan (1852-1908), Resistance in North Sumatra (1872-1904), War in Tanah Batak 1878-1907), and the Second Aceh War (1912-1942).
Practically until 1942, the Dutch could not fully complete the archipelago. In some areas such as Banten, Aceh and other parts of Sumatra, even the Dutch literally controlled municipalities only. While the remote and inland areas, still led by the rebels.
Even according to the historian of Padjajaran University, Nina Lubis, until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, some kingdoms in Bali, and some kingdoms in East Nusa Tenggara, still entered into treaties as free countries (legally international) with the Dutch. So we still call with "amazement" that we have been colonized by the Dutch for 350 years?
Hopefully were coming to an end of colonialism.