1

THE COLONIAL PAST OF THE

DUTCH EAST INDIES AND
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS
PERIOD AS RELATED BY THE
EURASIAN DUTCH (INDO)

The following short stories have not been put

into a chronological order, but by reading them
it gives a good impression of life in the former
Dutch East Indies.

Compiling author and editor:

Rob Dias

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Prologue. ..................................................................... 12
The discovery of the Dutch East Indies. ...................... 14
The invention of the steam engine and the rise of steam
vessels. ....................................................................... 15
The cultural system. .................................................... 16
A change in policy. ...................................................... 17
The Royal Dutch Navy in the Dutch East Indies in the
19th century. ................................................................ 18
The Sultanate of Bandjermasin. .................................. 20
ZMS Onrust. ................................................................ 21
Local rebellions and guerrilla actions. .......................... 21
The early Muslim nation of Atjeh. ................................ 23
The mighty power of the Atjeh nation before the Dutch
conquest. .................................................................... 24
The reason for the war against the Atjeh nation. ......... 25
The Atjeh nation, the great unknown. .......................... 26
The first military expedition against the Atjeh nation. ... 27
The retreat of the Dutch army. ..................................... 28
The preparations for the second military operation
against Atjeh. .............................................................. 30
The transportation and landing of the second military
operation against Atjeh. ............................................... 31
The military victory over the Atjeh nation. .................... 32
The V.O.C. and the Banda Island group. ..................... 33
The bloodstained victory over the inhabitants of the
Banda islands. ............................................................. 34
The Dutch plantation tenants (in Dutch: perkeniers) of
Banda.......................................................................... 36
The Portuguese intentions. .......................................... 37
The Portuguese quest for spices. ................................ 38
The conquest of the Portuguese colonies by the Dutch.
.................................................................................... 39
The early history of Bali. .............................................. 40
Marco Polo, the informative guide for Asia. ................. 41

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The Dutch East Indies under British rule...................... 42
The first inhabitants of the archipelago. ....................... 43
Native resistance against the Dutch. ........................... 44
Yes, and then…mixed races........................................ 45
Missing an important maritime turn off. ........................ 46
Independence for The Netherlands. ............................ 47
Ambonese in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army
(K.N.I.L.) ...................................................................... 48
The Royal Dutch East Indies Army after 1830. ............ 49
The discovery of New Guinea...................................... 50
The Dutch arrived last. ................................................ 51
Early nationalistic movements. .................................... 52
The founding of the city of Batavia............................... 53
West Timor. ................................................................. 54
The Banda Islands before the arrival of the Europeans.
.................................................................................... 55
The founding of Hollandia on Dutch New Guinea. ....... 56
The Javanese kingdoms of Shailendra and Mataram. . 57
The first aeronautical flight to the Dutch East Indies. ... 58
The empire of Sriwijaja. ............................................... 60
The colonization of Dutch New Guinea. ....................... 61
The growth of the city of Batavia. ................................ 62
Radio and telegraph communication in the Dutch East
Indies. ......................................................................... 63
Hongi trips. .................................................................. 64
The origin of the court of Paku Alaman. ....................... 65
The Mardykers. ........................................................... 66
Batavia, a European city.............................................. 67
The origin of the sovereignties of Djokjakarta, Surakarta
and Mankunegara. ...................................................... 67
The Kubu..................................................................... 69
The Chinese emancipation movement. ....................... 70
The Chinese gold Kongsi´s (associations) on Borneo.. 71
The Padang highland. ................................................. 72
Bandung and the Grote Postweg (Great Postal road). . 73
The V.O.C. and the Asiatic trading methods. ............... 74

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Telephone service. ...................................................... 75
The Navy Aeronautical Service (MLD) around 1940. ... 76
Goods and messages arrived after two years. ............. 77
The Badui tribe (Orang Kanekes). ............................... 78
Love and misery. ......................................................... 79
The European population of Batavia............................ 80
The Tangsi (army barracks). ....................................... 81
The Cocos Islands....................................................... 82
Eurasian girls. ............................................................. 83
The Chinese of Batavia. .............................................. 83
The daily routine of passengers travelling to the Orient
around 1840. ............................................................... 84
Sugar cane production in the regions surrounding
Batavia. ....................................................................... 86
The departure of European women to the Orient. ........ 87
The massacre of the Chinese. ..................................... 88
An incident on the quay of Batavia. ............................. 89
With the KLM to the Dutch East Indies. ....................... 90
Mixed races. ................................................................ 91
The origin of the court of Surakarta. ............................ 92
Harderwijk, the cesspool of Europe. ............................ 93
The sovereign state of Sriwijaja on Sumatra. ............... 93
The soldier and his native housekeeper. ..................... 94
Travelling on V.O.C. ships. .......................................... 95
The opium proceeds of Bali. ........................................ 96
The hierarchy of the federal Muslim sultanate of Atjeh. 97
The first newspaper in the Dutch East Indies. .............. 98
The ´Puputan´. The ritual suicide on Bali. .................... 99
The daily life in Batavia in the seventeenth century. .. 100
Serious communist revolts. ....................................... 101
Pomp and pompadour. .............................................. 102
Tawan karang justice on Bali. .................................... 103
Fort Rotterdam on Makassar. .................................... 104
The Dutch East Indies Railway Company (NIS)......... 105
Cinnamon and the V.O.C. ......................................... 106

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The police force in the Dutch East Indies until the
beginning of 1900. ..................................................... 107
The governmental pawn shop service. ...................... 108
The women of Batavia. .............................................. 109
The Dutch East Indies Radio Broadcasting Service
(NIROM). ................................................................... 110
The V.O.C. and the sugar farmers. ............................ 111
The Hindu kingdom of Majapahit. .............................. 112
Life in the outer regional offices of the V.O.C. ........... 113
The V.O.C. and deforestation. ................................... 115
The execution of Pattimura. ....................................... 115
A soldier’s life. ........................................................... 116
Pepper. ..................................................................... 117
Sisal. ......................................................................... 118
Kapok. ....................................................................... 119
The use of nutmeg. ................................................... 120
Tin. ............................................................................ 121
Quinine. ..................................................................... 122
Preparation and use of a Ladang. ............................. 123
Cassava (ketela pohong)........................................... 124
Clove (Tjengkeh). ...................................................... 125
Cinnamon. ................................................................. 126
The Deli tobacco industry. ......................................... 127
Java teak. .................................................................. 128
Citronella oil (Sereh oil). ............................................ 129
Cacao........................................................................ 130
Rice cultivation rituals. ............................................... 131
Coffee. ...................................................................... 132
The development of the rubber industry. ................... 133
Arachide (peanut). ..................................................... 134
Palm tree oil. ............................................................. 135
Opium (Tjandu). ........................................................ 136
Javanese cattle. ........................................................ 137
The Ubi (a sweet turnip sort). .................................... 138
The Soya bean. ......................................................... 139
Medicinal herbs. ........................................................ 141

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The exploitation of Minjak Tanah (crude oil). ............ 142
The salvation of Royal Oil. ......................................... 143
The struggle for crude oil in the Dutch East Indies. .... 144
The Japanese demands for oil deliveries................... 145
The importance of the shipment of spices for the V.O.C
.................................................................................. 146
The Dutch as freight carriers. .................................... 147
The successful expedition of Jacob van Neck. .......... 148
The co-operative agricultural credit bank. ................. 149
The middle class. ...................................................... 150
The inter-Asiatic trading network of the V.O.C. .......... 151
Growing prosperity and extreme poverty. .................. 152
The Cultural system. ................................................. 153
Opposition against the Cultural system. .................... 154
The taxation system. ................................................. 155
The Lebak case. ........................................................ 156
The Hindu and Buddhist period. ................................ 157
The mission in practise as of 1850. ........................... 158
The rise of Islam. ....................................................... 159
Bali under the influence of Hinduism. ........................ 160
Religious education during the V.O.C. period. ........... 161
The first catholic converts. ......................................... 162
Serakat Islam (S.I.). ................................................... 162
Dutch elementary education in the Dutch East Indies.163
The Balinese religion. ................................................ 164
Islamic education in the Dutch East Indies. ............... 165
The rise of the Islam in Indonesia. ............................. 166
The Islamic Muhamadiyah. ........................................ 167
The road network. ..................................................... 167
New impetus for the educational system. .................. 169
Christianity in the Indonesian archipelago. ................ 170
The railway system. ................................................... 171
The breakdown of the Sarakat Islam. ........................ 172
The Sutardjo Petition. ................................................ 173
Churches during the V.O.C. era. ............................... 174

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The rise of the Partai Komunis Indonesia (P.K.I.) in the
Dutch East Indies. ..................................................... 175
The first regular steamship service. ........................... 176
The State Railway. .................................................... 177
Java, at the time of the Japanese invasion. ............... 178
The surrender of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army
(KNIL)........................................................................ 179
The sea battle of the Java Sea. ................................. 180
The occupation of Java and the other island of the
archipelago................................................................ 181
Tarakan. .................................................................... 184
The Japanese invasion of Bali. .................................. 185
The radio broadcast of Queen Wilhelmina. ................ 185
Why was Pladju not destroyed? ................................ 186
After the Japanese capitulation. ................................ 187
Merdeka (freedom). ................................................... 188
The republic does not exist. ....................................... 190
Violence against the Dutch. ....................................... 191
Pemudas (extremist Indonesian youths) gained the
upper hand. ............................................................... 192
The British landing at Surabaya. ................................ 193
War volunteers (OVW- ers). ...................................... 194
The liberation of Ambarawa. ...................................... 195
Troops are sent to the Dutch East Indies. .................. 196
Conscripts. ................................................................ 197
The second British landing at Surabaya. ................... 198
Dutch troops are not allowed to land. ........................ 199
Decolonization. .......................................................... 199
The Werfstraat prison in Surabaya. ........................... 200
East Timor. ................................................................ 202
The sinking of the Junyo Maru. .................................. 203
The Barong dance of Bali. ......................................... 208
Gamelan instruments. ............................................... 210
The first newspapers in the Dutch East Indies. .......... 211
An essay over Pramudya Ananta Tur. ....................... 212
The Wajang. .............................................................. 213

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The Tjongklak game of western Java. ....................... 214
The preparations of a rooster for a fight. .................... 215
Krontjong music......................................................... 217
The Pasar Malam (evening market)........................... 218
Budi Utomo. .............................................................. 219
The Asmat tribe. ........................................................ 220
The Stambul Comedy Theatre Group. ....................... 221
Adat........................................................................... 222
Rampok Matjan. ........................................................ 223
Petjoh. ....................................................................... 224
Musicians and musical associations in the Dutch East
Indies. ....................................................................... 226
Fighting kites. ............................................................ 227
Bull fights................................................................... 228
De Assistent-resident. ............................................... 230
Herendienst. .............................................................. 231
De voorspelling.......................................................... 232
De tranen van Mona. ................................................. 233
Aziatisch ontwaken. ................................................... 234
Minangkabau............................................................. 235
Pantja Sila (nationalisme). ......................................... 236
Kampong economie. ................................................. 237
De kracht van het getal.............................................. 239
Volksraad. ................................................................. 240
“Wil je nokken (vechten)?”. ........................................ 241
Wie snel geeft, geeft dubbel. ..................................... 242
Tjangkok.................................................................... 244
Duiven. ...................................................................... 245
Zijn ini (dit) en haar anoe (dat)................................... 246
Bioscoop. .................................................................. 247
Si Babon. .................................................................. 248
Sambalgorenghati (pittig lever gerecht). .................... 249
Ikan (vis).................................................................... 250
NEFIS. ...................................................................... 251
Bouwmaker(flink doener). .......................................... 252
Latàh. ........................................................................ 253

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Super Kak (lijmcombinatie). ....................................... 254
Afstamming. .............................................................. 255
Octrooirecht............................................................... 257
E.F.E. Douwes Dekker. ............................................. 258
Landstormer. ............................................................. 259
De nacht expres Batavia - Soerabaja. ....................... 260
Nederlands Indië, hoe lang pas? ............................... 261
Links verkeer. ............................................................ 262
VOC en rijst. .............................................................. 263
Per trein van Batavia naar Bandoeng. ....................... 265
De Indische NSB. ...................................................... 266
Indo´s altijd in de vuurlinie. ........................................ 267
Tijd voor democratie? ................................................ 268
Auto prietpraat. .......................................................... 269
Indo´s, een kwetsbare groep. .................................... 270
Kosmisch gesteente. ................................................. 271
Eindejaar conversatie. ............................................... 272
Rice, the food that never bores.................................. 274
Religion or superstition. ............................................. 275
The Keris (Kris). ........................................................ 276
The legend of Njai Loro Kidul. ................................... 277
The story of the clever kantjil (a small dear). ............. 277
The myth of the Garuda............................................. 279
The law of mathematics............................................. 284
Monsoon and trade winds. ........................................ 288
Bizarre hospitality. ..................................................... 289
Tong-tong-klek. ......................................................... 290
The tjitjak (a small lizard). .......................................... 291
Domestic weaving. .................................................... 292
Muskets and rear loading rifles. ................................. 293
The Paradise bird. ..................................................... 294
Boleh Tawar (bargaining). ......................................... 295
The tokke (named after the sound the lizard produces).
.................................................................................. 297
Kretek cigarettes (cigarettes mixed with clove and
menjan). .................................................................... 298

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According to the journalist P.A. Daum. ...................... 299
The salaries of civil servants in Dutch New Guinea. .. 300
Sate ajam, sate kambing and…sate babi. ................. 303
The fishing industry in the archipelago. ..................... 304
According to me, more delicious in The Netherlands. 305
Always eating. ........................................................... 306
A dish from Palembang. ............................................ 307
Pramudya Ananta Tur. .............................................. 309
Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman. ....................... 310
Raden Adjeng Kartini. ............................................... 311
K.A.R. Bosscha, thee planter on west Java. .............. 312
Vice Admiral Conrad E. L. Helfrich. ........................... 313
Willem Walraven (writer and journalist). .................... 314
Sir Stamford Raffles. ................................................. 315
P. A. Daum, writer and journalist. .............................. 316
Sir James Brooke. ..................................................... 317
Nico J. Gerharz, brass band drum major and conductor
in Batavia. ................................................................. 318
Maria Dermout (writer)............................................... 319
Habib, the loved one. ................................................ 320
Johan Fabricius. ........................................................ 321
Lieutenant General Gerardus J. Berenschot. ............. 322
Bep Vuyk (writer). ...................................................... 323
Paul Seeling (1876-1945). ......................................... 324
Cornelis Matelief de Jonge. ....................................... 325
Pa van der Steur. ...................................................... 326
Maria van Zeggelen (writer). ...................................... 328
Louis Couperus (writer). ............................................ 329
Raymond Westerling. ................................................ 330
Charles Edgar du Perron. .......................................... 331
Rhumpius. ................................................................. 332
General H. S. Spoor. ................................................. 333
M. H. Szekely – Lulofs (writer). .................................. 334
Epilogue. ................ Fout! Bladwijzer niet gedefinieerd.

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 Prologue.
The aim of the short stories in this book is to provide
the present Dutch youth an insight and create an
interest in the history of the former colony of the
Dutch East Indies. In this historical oversight, which
comprises about 300 years, there were many sea
battles and wars fought. The ultimate victor of these
battles and wars was the Dutch United East Indies
Company (VOC). As in every theatre of war, those
who suffered the most with great loss of life were
the indigenous people of the archipelago.
The Netherlands became a very rich country
through the colonization of the Dutch East Indies in
the 17th century, which in Dutch history is more
commonly known as the Golden Age. The influx of
Dutch and other Europeans was responsible for
many descendants of mixed blood, the Eurasians,
or as known in The Netherlands, the Indos.
Although the Eurasians were by law Dutch citizens,
they were considered to be second rank citizens by
the authorities. This becomes apparent by the
positions and jobs they were offered in the Dutch
East Indies and in The Netherlands 300 years later.
When the Dutch East Indies became the
independent country of Indonesia, the Eurasian
Dutch were forced to go to The Netherlands. The
diplomas and certificates obtained in the former
Dutch East Indies were not accepted and
recognized.

12
It is therefore of great importance that the history
lessons in the Dutch schools give a more realistic
picture of the colonial period. Our present
descendants will also be able to profit from this.
I wish you pleasant reading.

Rob Dias

13
 The discovery of the Dutch East Indies.

About 1500 A.D. the Portuguese attempted to

discover new trading possibilities via the existing
sea sailing routes. In 1487 Bartholomeus Dias
rounded the Cape of Good Hope (now Cape Town)
followed by Vasco de Gama, who reached India in
1498.
Under the leadership of the Portuguese prince
´Henry the Navigator´ Portuguese ships reached
Asia and conquered in 1505 A.D. Goa on the west
coast of India. Later on, the Portuguese established
on Goa a trading centre. The archipelago was now
within reach of their ships.
A small expedition left Goa in 1513 A.D. under the
command of Francesco Serrao to search for the
Spice Islands in the archipelago. Having moored
first on Java, they became the first Europeans to
reach the spice islands of Ambon and Banda. The
Portuguese and the sultan of Ternate signed a
treaty which gave the Portuguese a monopoly for
the clove trade.
The archipelago consists of about 13.500 islands
and has a length of about 4.000 kilometres. The
archipelago begins at the southern tip of Thailand
(until 1939 known as Siam) and ends at the border
with Papua New Guinea, just north of Australia. The
archipelago has three time zones and a modern jet

14
liner needs about 3 to 4 hours to cover the
archipelago.

The invention of the steam engine and

the rise of steam vessels.

About 1712 A.D. Thomas Newcomer invented the

steam driven engine. It would take another century
before the technology was available to install and
drive ships by the use of steam. The advantage of a
steamship was that it could cover large distances
without being dependent on the trade winds. The
steamships had greater manoeuvrability which
decreased the danger of being hit by enemy fire.
The steamships could be build longer and wider
while their draught was much less than the draught
of sailing vessels. Because of these features the
steamships and steam boots could navigate on
inland rivers. The biggest problem, of course, was
the supply of fuel. Coal was in short supply on the
way to the Dutch East Indies. It was necessary to
adapt the logistical system to provide fuel for the
steamships. Between The Netherlands and the
Dutch East Indies and the Dutch West Indies
various supply bases for the storage of coal had to
be set up. In order to supply these storage bases
the Dutch had to find coal mines in their colonies,
exploit these coal mines and transfer the coal to the
storage and supply bases.
As mentioned before, sailing vessels depended
upon the trade winds, were less manoeuvrable and

15
therefore more vulnerable for enemy fire during sea
battles. Because of the supplies these sailing
vessels had to take along their draught could not be
minimized. A journey from The Netherlands to the
Dutch East Indies lasted on the average six months.
As soon as steam engines became available for
ships, the Royal Dutch Navy ordered the building of
the type of ships that could be powered by steam
engines. Because of the aim for which these
vessels would be used, they were build under the
supervision of navy specialists. The aim of the
steamships of the Royal Dutch Navy was to guard
the waters around the Netherlands and to protect
the colonial areas, which included the Dutch East-
and West Indies. The assignment of the navy in the
colonies was to combat sea piracy, showing the
Dutch banner throughout the whole of the colony
and supporting police and military operations.

The cultural system.

Because of the need for safety and security various

new governmental administrative systems were
developed in the Dutch East Indies. The
government of the Dutch East Indies chose for what
they named the cultural system.
Not only trading interests, but also the stability of
the government of the colony and the social security
of the indigenous population were to play a more
prominent role under this system. The system was
devised for a ´united social and stable security´.

16
Approximately around 1807. the administrative
system was implemented by civil servants who
brought over from The Netherlands
Further development of the cultural system took
place when Great Britain had control of the Dutch
East Indies between 1807 and 1811. The British
found the cultural system as developed by the
Dutch too expensive.
When the Netherlands regained control of the Dutch
East Indies, the implementation of the cultural
system was made definite by Governor General J.
van den Bosch. The implementation of the system
took mainly place on the island of Java, as this was
the most profitable island during this time.
The trading posts in the outlaying areas were non-
profitable and only cost the Dutch treasury money.
The only reason for keeping these trading posts
was to enable the Dutch to maintain their claim on
the remainder of the archipelago.
Because of the increase in poor labour conditions
and the exploitation of the indigenous population by
their own sovereign leaders, the Dutch abolished
the cultural system around 1850.

A change in policy.

In 1845 the new Governor General J.J. Rochussen

brought about a change in policy. His idea was to
make an autonomous region from the Dutch East
Indies, which could operate independently from The

17
Netherlands. He also propagated the development
of the islands outside of Java and tried to give a
new impetus to the stalled economy on Java itself.
By installing a special autonomous government on
the island of Borneo, the Dutch government tried in
1848 to prevent further encroachment by the British
under leadership of their Governor J. Cookes. In the
same year Governor General Rochussen sent a
large military force to the island of Bali to subdue
the indigenous population. The Governor of Borneo,
A.J. Duymaer, notified the Dutch government in
1851 that military action was necessary because of
the unreliable attitude of the indigenous sovereigns.
At the same time there was an immediate need for
the exploitation of natural resources such as coal
and minerals.
The Dutch minister for overseas colonies stated in
1861 that the expansion of military and civilian
activities in the Dutch East Indies would be too
costly and the Dutch treasury could not afford this.
Nevertheless, it was the same minister who
authorized in 1875 to attack the Atjeh nation. The
two bloody and costly wars that were fought to
subdue the Atjeh nation meant the end of the
economic profitability of the Dutch East Indies.

The Royal Dutch Navy in the Dutch East

Indies in the 19th century.

After 1816 A.D., the Government of the Dutch East

Indies needed more maritime equipment to be able

18
to maintain their authority over the archipelago. In
order to be able to perform these tasks the Dutch
government decided a year before to establish a
Colonial Navy beside the already existing Royal
Dutch Navy. It was decided to outfit the Colonial
Navy with smaller ships, which would be more
capable in the performance of the tasks of the
Colonial Navy. The Colonial Navy was outfitted with
schooners, sloops and out-of-date warships of the
Royal Dutch Navy, which were initially intended for
the scrap yard. With these resources
communication had to be maintained within the
archipelago and most important, the combating of
sea piracy.
In 1821 A.D. the Dutch government also formed a
Merchant Marine in the Dutch East Indies.
In the same year problems arose with the command
structure of both navies, as the commander for both
navies was one and the same. Because of the
inefficiency of the command structure the Colonial
Navy was abolished in 1838 A.D., and all the ships,
material and personnel became part of the Royal
Dutch Navy.
As mentioned previously the tasks of the Royal
Dutch Navy were the combating of sea and river
piracy, the showing of the Dutch banner throughout
the archipelago, keeping the lines of communication
open and support for the police and the army during
their operations.
In 1844 A.D. a large naval operation was started
against the sea pirates of Kutei on the island of

19
Borneo. During this risky operation two schooners
penetrated deeply inland via the waterways. After
the evaluation of this operation, the Royal Dutch
Navy came to the conclusion that two more modern
steam driven war ships were necessary in order to
be able to combat the sea pirates and local
rebellions. It took, however, until 1848 A.D. before
the first steam driven war ship, ZMS Onrust, was
available for service. This ship had an operational
radius of 1500 kilometres.

The Sultanate of Bandjermasin.

In order to guarantee the supply of coal for the

ships, an evaluation study was undertaken on the
islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo. The important
aspects of the study were the easy possibility of
coal winning and transportation of the coal. The
findings of the study were that the Sultanate of
Bandjermasin on Borneo was the most suitable
place. Transportation of coal from the coal mines
could take place via the many existing rivers. This
made the logistical costs relatively low.
The population of the sultanate of Bandjermasin
consisted mainly of Javanese, Madurese and
Malaysians. The original indigenous population, the
Dayaks, had been driven inland into the jungle.
The contacts with the coastal mixed population
were not always on a friendly basis. As early as
1606 A.D. the Dutch captain of a VOC ship was

20
murdered. Nevertheless, trading contacts remained
intact because of the importance of the coal mines.

ZMS Onrust.

During the period 1848/1849 A.D., the Dutch

minister responsible for overseas colonies made an
inspection tour throughout Borneo on board of the
ship ZMS Onrust (ZMS is the Dutch abbreviation for
His Majesty’s Ship). His aim was to inspect and
obtain an impression of the administrative policies
of the responsible persons of the island.
In 1849 A.D. the ZMS Onrust was used during the
third Bali operation. ZMS Onrust was used as a tug,
but also as a gunboat against Balinese fortresses.
In the same year ZMS Onrust was used for a trial
run on coal won in the coal mines of Borneo. During
this trial run ZMS Onrust got stuck on a reef near
the harbour of Surabaya and nearly sank.
After extensive repairs ZMS Onrust was put into use
in 1853 mainly for troop-and weapons
transportation. ZMS Onrust was also used for
punitive operations to quell the rebellion at Djember
on east Java and later against rebellion forces at
Boni near Bandjermasin on Borneo.

Local rebellions and guerrilla actions.

During this period there were different local

rebellions and guerrilla attacks. At Kalangan the

21
coal mine Delft was attacked. Thirty- three staff
members and personnel, all Europeans, were
murdered. At the nearby town of Pulupetak the
European missionaries were murdered. Various
coal mines were also attacked which resulted in the
murder of the Europeans who were there employed.
The installations of the mines were destroyed by the
rebel forces.
Royal Dutch East Indies Army forces recaptured the
town of Pulupetak, occupied Martapura and relieved
the town of Pengaron. After that the military forces
were deployed to safeguard the transportation of
coal over the roads and waterways leading to the
harbours and depots.
During various operations against rebel forces, the
coastal fort of Tabanio was recaptured with the help
of steam driven naval ships. Months later, the rebel
forces tried by the use surprise attacks to capture
the towns of Bandjermasin and Martapura. Military
re-enforcements from Java were deployed to
protect the town of Beraskuning and some smaller
towns against attacks from rebel forces. At the
same time Tanah Laut, situated south of the
important coal depot and transportation town of
Bandjermasin, were cleared of rebel forces.
The rebellion was finally squashed through the
superior firepower levelled against them the by
military re-enforcements and steam driven naval
ships. After more than four years of rebellion and
guerrilla warfare the resistance of the local
population was finally broken by the 2000 to 3000
military re-enforcements supported by seven steam

22
driven naval ships. During the end of the operation
ZMS Onrust steamed 400 kilometres inland in order
to arrest the leader of the rebellion. It was attacked
by the local population and sunk, with the loss of life
of the whole crew.
Hereafter, a secret decision was made by the
government of the Dutch East Indies to place the
Sultanate of Bandjermasin under the authority of the
government. The reason being the incapability to
rule the Sultanate, by Sultan Tamdjit Illah, who had
abdicated, and there was no suitable successor. At
the same time the possession of the coal mines
near Bandjermasin were for the government of
great and eminent importance for the country.

The early Muslim nation of Atjeh.

As early as the 13th century the Islamic religion was

spreading throughout the archipelago, now known
as Indonesia. It is possible that the traveller Marco
Polo stayed a number of months at an Islamic
independent nation on his return from China in 1293
A.D.
Shortly after 1500 A.D., the Portuguese conquered
Malaya which was geographically situated across
the narrow strait from Atjeh. Because of the
difference in religions and the harsh regulations
imposed by the Portuguese many inhabitants of
Malaya were forced to cross the Strait of Malaya
and settle in the Atjeh nation. Under these
immigrants were experienced traders from Egypt

23
and Arabia, craftsmen from India, goldsmiths from
China and Islamic Imans. They were instrumental
for the increased prosperity of the Atjeh nation.
Later on, when the first Dutch military invasion force
encountered the fanatic resistance of the Atjeh
population, they were labelled with a number of un-
truths.
They were called animal like fighters who inspired
by the jihad (holy war) would throw themselves
without remorse on the bayonets of the Dutch
soldiers. They were also called notorious opium
snuffers and were accused of decapitating and
quartering bodies of their enemies. Because they
did not correspond with the normal indigenous
population, they would receive no quarter from the
Colonial government.

The mighty power of the Atjeh nation

before the Dutch conquest.

The Sultan of Atjeh wrote a letter to the English

monarch, Queen Elizabeth the first. One sentence
of this letter was written as follows:
´I am the mighty ruler of the region below the wind,
who holds sway over the land of Atjeh and over the
land of Sumatra and all the lands tributary to Atjeh,
which stretch from the sunrise to the sunset.´
The letter from the Sultan initiated the beginning of
a trade agreement between England and Atjeh,
which would last almost 280 years. It also indicates

24
how large the sphere of influence was of the Atjeh
nation, both as an independent and trading nation.
Although the might of the Atjeh nation decreased
towards the end of the 17th century, the Atjeh nation
remained an independent nation which lasted for a
long time. Through the treaty with England,
Singapore and Atjeh were active trade partners. All
this ended when the British and Dutch governments
negotiated about and signed a new treaty. The
British government would not interfere if The
Netherlands intended to attack and conquer the
Atjeh nation. In 1873 The Netherlands declared war
on the Atjeh nation.

The reason for the war against the Atjeh

nation.

When Ferdinand de Lesseps finished constructing

the Suez Canal in 1869, the sea route to the Dutch
East Indies was shortened by four months. Now the
northern part of Sumatra and especially the Atjeh
nation became of strategic importance for the
government of The Netherlands. It was of imminent
importance that the movement of merchant and
naval vessels which moved through the Strait of
Malakka could be monitored. The coastal sultanates
of northern Sumatra were notorious for their violent
sea piracy. The profitable sea piracy was carried out
with military precision and was a serious threat to
the merchant ships. The Dutch had conquered the
whole of Sumatra as far as the borders of the Atjeh

25
nation. According to the Dutch government it was
imperative to conquer the northern part of Sumatra.
In the treaty of London in 1824 between Great
Britain and The Netherlands it was agreed that the
Sultanate of Atjeh would remain an independent
nation. But because of continuing disputes about
the definition of the borders, The Netherlands and
the Atjeh nation signed a friendship treaty which
defined the borders. The leaders of the Atjeh nation
recognized all too well the threatening expansion
movement of The Netherlands and sought support
from other nations. These were the Caliphate of
Islam, now known as Turkey, Great Britain, France
and the United States. This worried the Dutch
government greatly. The Dutch government could
not allow letting a foreign nation gain a foothold on
Sumatra.

The Atjeh nation, the great unknown.

The territorial commander of west Sumatra, Major

General J.H.R. Kohler, had devised a simple
operational plan for the conquest of the Atjeh
nation. His forces were to land at the sea entrance
of the Atjeh River and establish a base camp. From
this base camp the military forces were to advance
inland to conquer the palace of the sultan at what
was then known as Kota Radja.
After the conquest of the palace, the whole of the
Atjeh nation would be in disarray and would
capitulate to the Dutch authorities. This had

26
happened in the past in other parts of the
archipelago and Atjeh would be no exception.
Only, the Atjeh nation was prepared and well
organised. From the moment the infantry landed,
they were confronted by a large force of furious
screaming Atjeh warriors which while waving their
curved swords (Klewangs) attacked the infantry.
The infantry armed with unwieldy rifles and
bayonets were barely able to repel the attacking
Atjeh forces. Another surprise for the Dutch forces
was the effective artillery used by the Atjeh forces.
The transport ship ´The Citadel of Antwerp´ was hit
by no less than twelve cannon balls on the first day.
The violent sword attacks by the Atjeh warriors and
the effective cannon fire caused nine soldiers to be
killed and forty-six wounded. According to the
military leaders, this was exceptionally high and
abnormal.

The first military expedition against the

Atjeh nation.

The Dutch military expedition consisted of three

thousand troops whom were immediately furiously
attacked by fanatic well organised Atjeh warriors. In
spite of the attacks by the froth mouthing Atjeh
warriors, the Dutch forces were able to gain a
foothold at the entrance of the Atjeh River. The
Dutch established a base camp as quickly as
possible. According to the plan of attack, the Dutch
forces were to move inland and capture the palace

27
of the sultan of Atjeh. The problem was that nobody
knew the exact location of the palace. The
information which was supplied to the officers was
wrong, and the maps of the area were also wrong.
The river entrance, the river itself, the palace and
the coastal roads were depicted totally differently
than they were in reality. It also was impossible to
set up observation posts from the base camp to
reconnoitre the areas behind the tall trees which
rose up from the swampy coastal areas.
In their quest for the palace, the Dutch erroneously
attacked a missigit (mosque) which happened to be
surrounded by a protective wall, thinking that this
was the palace. The mosque was captured with
heavy casualties on the side of the Dutch forces,
due to the fierce resistance of the defending Atjeh
Muslim warriors.
The commanding officer, major general Kohler,
decided to abandon the mosque at dusk, because
his soldiers were too exhausted to be able to defend
the mosque in the event of night attacks. The
mosque was attacked again three days later, and
again conquered with heavy losses on the side of
the Dutch army. Major general Kohler was killed in
action during this encounter.

The retreat of the Dutch army.

After the death of Major general Kohler, Colonel

E.E. van Daalen took over the command of the
Dutch army. Even though the resistance of the Atjeh

28
warriors was furious and unexpected, the
destruction of the palace of the sultan of Atjeh
remained the ultimate objective. Colonel van Daalen
led his forces in the direction of where the palace
was situated.
The Dutch soldiers were constantly harassed day
and night by Atjeh warriors, who dressed in white
and believing in the jihad threw themselves
fanatically upon the bayonets of the Dutch soldiers.
The expeditionary force reached the palace
fourteen days after disembarking at the entrance of
the Atjeh River. Colonel van Daalen decided to
employ two battalions for the capture of the palace.
The well organised Atjeh defenders beat off the
attack of the Dutch battalions and the Dutch army
had no other possibility but to retreat. The attack on
the palace had caused one hundred casualties
among the Dutch forces. After this setback, Colonel
van Daalen realised that other military means were
necessary to defeat the Atjeh Nation.
Seventeen days later the military expeditionary
force embarked in their ships and returned to
Batavia. Of the 3000 officers and men involved in
the operation, 56 were killed in action and 438 were
wounded in action.
The return of the Dutch forces was not welcomed by
the Dutch authorities, and especially by Governor
General Loudon. He would have to explain the
failure of the military expedition to the government
in The Hague.

29
The preparations for the second military
operation against Atjeh.

The first military operation against the Atjeh nation

had ended in a failure. The Dutch government in
The Hague was adamant to defeat the Atjeh nation
and gain the authority over the territory. Therefore,
a second military expeditionary force was equipped
on a short notice. The preparations, however, were
insufficient, because the Dutch government felt that
the conquest of the Atjeh nation was imperative in
recovering and boosting the national and colonial
prestige. European foreign mercenaries were
conjured into joining the Dutch army in the Dutch
East Indies by offering them a handsome joining-up
fee, and their equipment was improved. The
outdated canons of the Dutch navy were replaced
by state-of –the art weapons. A bottomless budget
was made available for the supporting units.
Included were a steam bakery, modern water
pumps, rails and railroad wagons for the six
kilometre long railroad system, iron bridging
material, a rifle production unit and an iron forge.
The army consisted of about 13.000 officers and
men. Included were about 3.000 slave labourers for
the overland transportation of the artillery and other
equipment. There were also approximately 1.000
batmen for the more than 400 officers. 240 women
accompanied the indigenous forces.
Two companies consisted of Africans, whom were
hired in the Gold Coast. The indigenous members

30
of the army gave them the nickname of ´Belanda
hitam´ which means black Dutchmen, because of
their biblical and Dutch names such as Mozes,
Jodocus, and Johannes etc.

The transportation and landing of the

second military operation against Atjeh.

Nineteen ships loaded with troops and supplies left

the harbour of Batavia and sailed for Atjeh. The
overall command was entrusted to General van
Swieten. General van Swieten had experience in
commanding military expeditions as commanding
officer of the Dutch Indies Army (NIL) and had led
the military operations that conquered the islands of
Celebes and Bali.
Just when the military expedition had embarked, a
cholera epidemic which was ravishing the island of
Java reached Batavia. The troops and sailors on
board the ships were also infected. The thousands
of soldiers and sailors packed together in the filthy
small holds of the ships were an easy prey for the
disease. Sixty persons succumbed to the disease
during the fourteen day sailing trip to the coast of
Atjeh. Upon arrival at the marshy coast of Atjeh, the
troops were hastily disembarked as a longer stay in
the cramped holds of the ships would lead to a
disaster. It took the expedition two weeks to set up
their base camp because of the persistent torrential
rains. The tents were set up on marshy areas. The
hospital, which by now had more than 500 cholera

31
patients, had to be moved repeatedly to higher
ground. Because of the cholera epidemic the
strength of the army was decimated.

The military victory over the Atjeh nation.

Due to the cholera epidemic which decimated the

strength of the Dutch army during the voyage on the
ships and the landing on the marshy coast of Atjeh,
the army’s advance inland was delayed. After re-
organizing the army, the troops were finally able to
advance inland towards the palace of the sultan.
Eventually, the Dutch army was again confronted by
the heavily defended mosque where they had
incurred heavy losses on the previous two attacks
and where the commanding officer of the first
operation was killed.
After ten months of advancing inland towards the
mosque, the Dutch forces were in a position to
attack and conquer the mosque. This, however, did
not prove to be easy. The brigade, consisting of
1400 officers and men, lost 214 officers and men
wounded in action.
The attack on the palace was carefully prepared.
First reconnaissance units were send out, followed
by heavy artillery fire. After constructing trenches
and emplacing artillery designed to destroy
fortifications, the Dutch forces attacked the palace.
It seemed that the defenders of the palace had
slipped away during the night and the palace and
the surrounding area was taken without a struggle.

32
The capture of the palace of the sultan of Atjeh was
seen in Batavia and The Netherlands as an
enormous military victory. The disgraceful defeat of
April 1873 was avenged in April 1874. A patriotic
Dutch song, ´Wien Neerlands Bloed´, which freely
translated
means: ´Who has Dutch blood flowing through his
veins´, was sung by the soldiers in the palace and
champagne was served in abundant quantities. In a
speech to the officers and men, General van
Swieten said, ´the palace is ours´.

The V.O.C. and the Banda Island group.

Shortly after the founding of the V.O.C., their forces

conquered a number of Portuguese fortifications
and strongholds. The dilapidated fortifications were
renovated, manned with garrisons and given Dutch
names. Around some of the fortifications there
arose Dutch settlements.
The importance of the Banda Islands for the V.O.C.
is found in an instructional letter written by the
V.O.C. council to their highest representative in
Asia, Admiral Pieterszoon Verhoeven.
´…De eylanden van Banda en Moluques is het
principaele wit, waernaer wij schieten.. . Wij kunnen
U.E. niets gewisser ordoneeren, dan alleenlijck op
het hoogste deselve soeckende met tractaet of te
geweld aan de Compagnie te verbinden voor den
eersten september ofte eerder, oock op elck landt

33
cleen fortes opwerpe, met eenich crijghsvolk
bezettende…´.
Translated into modern English the instruction
means:
The principal goal of the Company is the Banda and
Molukken island groups. We cannot stress to You
the importance of gaining control of these islands
before the 1st of September or sooner, either by
treaty or by force and establishing a fortress on
each island manned with a garrison.
The V.O.C. desperately wanted control of the
Banda Islands, because in another written
instruction of the 11th of April 1608 Admiral
Verhoeven was once again reminded of the
importance of conquering the Banda islands.
´ De Moluques en de eylanden… Banda boven alle´
Again translated it says:
´Conquer the Molukken islands, but above all the
Banda islands´.
The aim of the V.O.C. was to gain the monopoly
over the spice islands and the spice trade.

The bloodstained victory over the

inhabitants of the Banda islands.

Jan Pieterszoon Coen conquered the island of

Lonthor, the largest of the Banda islands, after
fierce fighting. However, the resistance of the

34
indigenous population had not ended, and the air on
the islands was frightening. When a conspiracy was
discovered and there seemed to be a threat that the
islanders were about to revolt, Jan Pieterszoon
Coen decided to act. This resulted in a bloodbath.
He sends punitive military expeditions to all the
islands. They exterminated almost the total
population. It is estimated that about ten thousand
Bandanese were brutally murdered. Tens of village
chiefs (Orang Kayas) were later convicted as
conspirators. Japanese mercenaries used Samurai
swords to behead the convicted conspirators, and
quartered the bodies. The heads and other parts of
the body of the murdered persons were spiked on
bambu sticks and displayed for everyone to see.
About 1.000 Bandanese survived the slaughter of
the 8th of May, 1621. They were shipped to Batavia
and sold as slaves.
The first phase of Jan Pieterszoon Coen´s plan had
been accomplished. The Banda islands were
depopulated and the nutmeg plantations were now
under control of the V.O.C.. It was now time to
initiate the next phase. The exploitation of the
nutmeg plantations and finding new labour forces.
After the slaughter there were no Bandanese left to
work on the plantations, so slaves were imported
from different parts of the Dutch East Indies.
The productive nutmeg area consisted of about half
a million nutmeg trees. These were divided in 68
parcels of land. Each parcel was 1.2 hectare in size
for which Dutch plantation tenants could obtain a
license to exploit it. These plantation tenants were

35
mostly free citizens, soldiers and commercial
persons whose contract with the V.O.C. was
finished, and who decided to stay in the Dutch East
Indies. It was their compulsory task to take care of
the nutmeg trees and to harvest the nutmegs. The
nutmegs had to be delivered to the V.O.C. against a
previously fixed price. In order to be certain of a
profit margin of 300 percent, the V.O.C. paid the
plantation tenants a 1/222 part of the nutmeg
market price in the Netherlands. Even so, the
plantation tenants fared well. The merchants who
had financed the war began to earn immense
profits. According to a report, the Banda Islands
group was the shiniest star on the V.O.C. heaven.

The Dutch plantation tenants (in Dutch:

perkeniers) of Banda.

The Dutch plantation tenants were mainly

freebooters who did not care much for Christian
values and standards. Many local women, mostly
slaves, had illegitimate children from these
plantation owners. This resulted in a melting pot of
different types of the population.
The plantation tenants soon considered their
employer, the V.O.C., as their enemy who paid too
little for their nutmeg and who denied them the right
to become the owners of the plantation. Because of
this there originated a lively smuggle of nutmeg.

36
 The Portuguese intentions.

Portugal was situated exactly on the maritime

crossroads between the two most important trading
nations of that time, Flanders and Italy. After the
crusades against the Islamic enemy had ended, the
nobility and clergy searched for other possibilities
for their mission, but also for commercial and
economic expansion for profit.
The young Portuguese prince Henry, better known
in history as Henry the Navigator, decided to
establish himself in Sagres, a place in southern
Portugal. He founded a maritime centre for maritime
studies. Scientists, shipbuilders, cartographers and
mariners gathered around the prince.
He send ships into unknown waters in order to
gather as much information as possible. Through
these reconnaissance voyages along the unknown
coasts of Africa, the Portuguese mariners became
familiar with the sea currents, wind directions and
the measurement of latitudes and longitudes. They
adopted the diagonal crossbeams and the square
sails from the Arabians and fitted their ships out with
these. At the same time they equipped their ships
with cannons in order to be able to fight sea battles
and land fortresses more effectively.
The Portuguese were now ready to make the leap
to Asia and apply their newly acquired maritime
technology.

37
 The Portuguese quest for spices.

Spices such as pepper, clove, mace and nutmeg

were in high demand in Europe and sold against
exorbitant prices. The traditional route for the
transportation and trading of these products was
from Asia to the Red Sea, then overland across
Egypt and from there to the countries around the
Mediterranean. The Portuguese were searching for
another maritime route which they could control in
order to be able to compete with the traditional
trading routes. Through careful preparations and the
use of the latest military technology they were able
to be the first Europeans to bridge the sailing
distance between Western Europe and Asia. Upon
reaching south East Asia, they discovered the
existence of numerous sovereignties. These
sovereignties were continually in conflict with each
other for different reasons. This schism between
them was cleverly used by the Portuguese to
enable them to play an active role in the Asiatic
trading network. Small trading posts were set up
along the traditional trading routes, which later on
became flourishing trading centres.
Goa, situated on the west coast of India was
conquered in 1505. In 1511, the Portuguese
conquered Malakka, which was strategically
important. In 1522 they established a strongpoint on
the island of Ambon. They furthermore established
a network of trading posts situated on crucial
locations, which were fortified according to the state

38
of the art fortification technology as known in
Europe.

The conquest of the Portuguese colonies

by the Dutch.

The Netherlands were excluded from trading on the

Iberian peninsula by the Spanish embargo. The
Iberian peninsula was the depot and transit port for
the spices from the east, where there trade was
flourishing. Because of this embargo, the Dutch
necessarily had to explore other, until now unknown
sailing routes. The Dutch searched for a northern
passage. Various Dutch and English expeditions
failed to find the northern passage due the inability
to break through the polar ice. The well known
Dutch mariner Willem Barentsz died together with
his crew on the island of Nova Zembla.
There remained only one possibility to achieve the
Dutch aims. It was decided to remove the
Portuguese from their fortresses. In order to
accomplish this, the Dutch founded the United East
Indies Company (the V.O.C.). Within a few years
they were able to conquer the Portuguese
fortresses and occupy the important spice islands.
Portugal did not count anymore. The new rulers
were the Dutch.

39
 The early history of Bali.

There is a legend which says that a Javanese high

priest placed his finger on a spot on the area that
connected Bali with Java. This became the
demarcation line between Bali and Java and this is
where Bali separated from Java. The Straight of Bali
(Selat Bali) is approximately three kilometres wide
and sixty meters deep. This indicates that Java and
Bali were connected with each other in the past.
Little is known about the history of Bali.
Archaeological discoveries on the island show
evidence that the island had a reasonable
population around 300 B.C. and that an orderly
village life had developed. The first documented
information dates from the 9th century A.D. The
inscriptions were chiselled in stones.
Around this time, the Balinese community had made
such a development that it formed the basis for the
present society.
Rice was cultivated by using a complex irrigation
system. These methods are probably used today.
Metal objects, sculptures and wood carvings were
also developing. The island was divided into small
sovereignties which later were amalgamated under
the developing royal dynasty.

40
 Marco Polo, the informative guide for
Asia.

In the course of the centuries many powerful

nations had developed in Asia, with diversified
cultures and millions of inhabitants. These nations
were more powerful and more prosperous than the
European countries of that time. Marco Polo
described his experiences while travelling through
these nations in his eye-witness account of his
journey to China.
When the first Europeans arrived in Asia, they
discovered a continent of powerful nations with
connected but different cultures and a flourishing
high level of science. In the north the mighty Mogul
empire had developed itself, consisting if many
prosperous individual kingdoms. The Indonesian
archipelago had also known alternating smaller and
larger empires with flourishing cultures. On the
island of Java developed the Buddhist Borobudor
and the Hindu Prambanan. The Islamic sultanate of
Matamaran was developing itself into a powerful
nation and would eventually dominate a large part
of the island of Java.
Over the centuries a closed loop trading network
developed between the nations of Asia, with regular
maritime sailing routes and caravan roads. On their
first attempts to link up with this existing trading
network, the Portuguese and Spaniards relied on
the experiences of Marco Polo.

41
The Dutch East Indies under British rule.

The British forces met little resistance from the

combined Dutch and French army. On the 17th of
September 1811, the Dutch Governor General, J.W.
Janssens, surrendered.
One of the officers commented on this in a letter:
´On the 26th of August, the only fortress of any
importance on the island of Java, the Meester
Cornelius, fell to British forces in a time span of only
four and a half hours. The British forces advanced
that day very early in the morning to do battle. The
Dutch forces in the bivouac area were not prepared
for this attack. A part of the Dutch army consisting
of indigenous Javanese soldiers who were
supposed to guard one of the flanks were still
asleep and were immediately overpowered.
The commanding general, Jumel, was awakened
when the British attack was already in progress. He
ordered the cavalry to attack the enemy infantry and
simultaneously ordered his infantry units to open fire
on the same enemy infantry. The advancing cavalry
forces were caught in a cross fire. The chaos
among the Dutch forces was complete. The retreat
by all forces turned into a rout. The horse artillery
galloped through the retreating infantry. Many of
them were crushed by the artillery carriages or were
finished off by the British cavalry. An attempt to
reorganize the dispersed troops failed as the

42
surviving indigenous soldiers had returned to their
villages.´

The first inhabitants of the archipelago.

Two gigantic migration waves left a long time ago

from what is now south China. The people
established themselves over a period of time on the
coastal areas of different islands. Their livelihood
consisted of hunting and fishing. At the same time
they practised agriculture and started to keep
livestock.
It is known that in the 7th century A.D. highly
developed and well organised communities existed
in the Indonesian archipelago. Some villages
existed from the cultivation of rice. The inhabitants
developed a refined irrigation system which is still
used today. Later on they developed shipbuilding
methods. Just like their neighbours, the
Polynesians, they were able to row over the seas
over large distances with their prows. This indicates
that they had excellent knowledge of navigational
skills.
An extensive trading network developed with
countries on the mainland of the Asian continent,
especially with India. India was the most important
stopover for the trade with the Mediterranean area.
Trading with India became very important. There
was an ever increasing demand for expensive
articles such as pearls, precious stones, spices and
expensive types of wood. Because of this, the

43
Indian influence became noticeable at the beginning
of our calculation of time.

Native resistance against the Dutch.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Dutch

named native opponents rebels, ruffians,
bushwhackers, venom blenders, bandits and
scoundrels. The native enemy was a many headed
monster which differed from region to region and
resisted against the ´lawful authority´ of The
Netherlands. For instance, the leader of the
resistance on the island of Java, Diponegoro, was
named the chief mutineer. In other regions where
the Dutch army and authorities first entered, and in
fact no Dutch lawful authority had ever existed,
native resistance was named rebellion against the
authorities.
One characteristic feature was common to all the
native enemies. They used a form of uncivilised
warfare against the Dutch civilised troops. They
wore no uniforms and did not have a military
organization and did not use the rules of
engagement for normal warfare as known by
European armies. Because of this, the European
troops considered that everything was allowed
against the native enemy.

44
 Yes, and then…mixed races.

Population statistics have shown that there were

56.903 European inhabitants in the Dutch East
Indies in the year 1880. The lived mostly on the
island of Java and consisted mainly of males. For
every 1000 men there were 471 women. It is
reasonable to assume that the remaining 529
bachelors lived a celibate life. The situation outside
of Java and especially on the island of deli, the
situation around 1900 was even worse. There were
about 500 women for every 1500 men. Because of
the rough pioneer character during their stay on
Deli, men were discouraged of bringing their wives
along. Living together with a concubine (njai) was a
common and accepted phenomenon. In some
cases the children were acknowledged by
´marriage´. In other cases the children were only
half acknowledged by giving them surnames
derived from the father’s surname by turning the
father’s surname around. Such as Nesnaj (Jansen)
or Rhemrev (Vermehr). But the greater part of the
children remained nameless.
If the man who sired the children, or if it was a
soldier who was killed in action, the unwed mother
disappeared with her Eurasian children to her
village in the countryside without any means of
financial support.

45
 Missing an important maritime turn off.

The sailing voyage of the V.O.C. ships to Asia

lasted on the average eight or nine months. The
return voyage took, thanks to favourable south
easterly winds and a shorter route, on the average
seven months.
The ships, on their voyage to Asia, sailed first
through the English Channel to the Atlantic Ocean.
In order to circumvent the strong head winds of the
African coast near Senegal, the ships sailed via the
Cape Verdi islands in the direction of South
America. Then the ships sailed in a big curve in the
direction of Cape the Good Hope, now Capetown,
and then to make use of the favourable westerly
passat winds. These were discovered in 1610 by
Henrick Brouwer.
Once the ships were on course for Asia, they sailed
directly over the Indian Ocean in the direction of the
island of Java. South of Java the ships had to turn
north and sail through the Sunda Strait (Selat
Sunda) in order to be able to reach Batavia. If the
ships failed to turn off into the Sunda Strait, they
would then be forced to sail straight along the south
coast of Java and then end up on the inhospitable
west coast of what now is Australia with its
dangerous Great Barrier Reef. Most of the ships
were shipwrecked.
One of the ships that were shipwrecked was the
well known Batavia. The Batavia was one of the

46
largest V.O.C. ships that combined enormous fire
power and a large cargo capacity. A reconstruction
of this ship can be seen in the city of Lelystad in the
Netherlands.

Independence for The Netherlands.

The Spanish viceroy Fernando Alvarez de Toledo,

the duke of Alva, came in 1568 to the Low
Countries to ban out heresy and guarantee the
Roman Catholic institutions. What is known in Dutch
history as the eighty year war had begun.
During the cruel government of the duke of Alva the
Dutch pirates in the south west of Holland,
operating from their safe havens in Dover in
England and La Rochelle in France attacked the
high, slow Spanish galleons with their small
manoeuvrable ships and expelled the Spanish from
the Scheldt and Rhine estuary.
The capture of the Spanish stronghold of Brielle
(Den Briel) was the signal for a general rebellion in
the northern provinces of the Low Countries. Under
the leadership of William of Orange, the northern
Seven United Provinces declared themselves in
1584 independent from Spain.
This had grave consequences for the Dutch being
able to trade in spices. The Dutch controlled the
greater part of the transit of spices. They loaded
their cargo in Lissabon and transported the spices
to countries in northern Europe. Due to the
declaration of independence, the Spanish

47
authorities decided to close all ports on the Iberian
peninsula to the Dutch. Now the Dutch had to find
their own way to ´the Orient´.

Ambonese in the Royal Dutch East Indies

Army (K.N.I.L.)

After conquering the Moluccan islands from the

Portuguese, the V.O.C. signed treaties with the
tribal chiefs giving the V.O.C. the monopoly of the
purchase of spices. This policy was maintained, if
necessary by force, for almost two centuries.
During the British reign under Sir Stafford Raffles,
the Moluccan inhabitants experienced a different
variant of colonialism. Servitude was lessened and
the British paid more for different products and the
monopoly on clove was less enforced. At the same
time an Ambonese army unit was established with
higher pay.
The return of the Dutch in 1817 led to a bloody
rebellion at Saparua. The rebellion escalated and
jumped over to the other Moluccan islands. The
leader of the rebellion was a former sergeant who
had served in the British army. His name was
Thomas Matulesssy and his nickname was
Pattimura. The rebellion was quelled with great
difficulty by the use of force and Pattimura was
hanged.
This resulted in a strong aversion against the Dutch
by the Moluccan people. The recruiting of
Ambonese men for the Royal Dutch East Indies

48
Army met great opposition. At that time most of the
soldiers in the in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army
were criminals. Only around 1920 was there an
increase of Ambonese men for service in the Royal
Dutch East Indies Army due to a higher entrance
fee. After that the Ambonese were always present
in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army. They fought
side by side with the Dutch expeditionary forces
against various rebellions in the Dutch East Indies.

The Royal Dutch East Indies Army after

1830.

The organization of the army in the Dutch East

Indies was determined after the return of the
colonies by Great Britain in 1815. A part of the
regular Dutch army was detached to the Dutch East
Indies under the name of ´Corps d´armee´. This
´Indies brigade´ arrived in Batavia in 1816. The
governmental resolution of the 4th of December
1830 to reorganize the Dutch East Indies army held
in that the armies of The Netherlands and the Dutch
East Indies became separate armies. This meant
that the Governor General became the officer
commanding of all the forces in the Dutch East
Indies, and that a commanding officer was
appointed for the ground forces.
The army of the Dutch East Indies was again
reorganised after the Java war (1925-1930). This
was necessary because replacements from the
Royal Dutch army were very sparse. A large

49
percentage of the soldiers remained permanently in
the Dutch East Indies.
It wasn’t until 1933 that the title ´Royal´ was added
to the name of the Dutch East Indies Army. The at
that time Minister for the Colonies, dr. H. Colijn,
emphasized that the title ´Royal´ had already been
added on the banners of the Dutch East Army in
1836 by king William the First.

The discovery of New Guinea.

The south coast of New Guinea was seen for the

first time through the looking glass of Willem
Janszoon. In 1606 the V.O.C. equipped the ship
´Duyfken, meaning little dove, for an expedition to
explore uncharted areas. The assignment for the
expedition was to leave Bantam on the west coast
of Java and sail eastward to investigate if there
were uncharted areas with gold deposits.
The maritime captains Schouten and Le Maire
sailed along the complete north coast. They charted
the islands that were later named after Schouten.
Jan Carstensz. Left the harbour of Ambon in 1623
and sailed in an easterly direction. By the way of the
Kei- and Aru islands he encountered the south west
coast of Ned Guinea. An attempt to land on the
coast failed due to an attack of the indigenous
Papuans. A part of the crew was killed during this
attempt. After this he sailed onwards along the
south coast. In his ship’s log he described the snow
covered mountain peaks of a high mountain ridge.

50
Upon his return to the Netherlands, he was mocked
and ridiculed. It was impossible that there could be
snow that close to the equator.
Abel Tasman sailed in 1642 along the north coast of
New Guinea on his way to New Zealand. On his
return voyage he explored the same coast and
charted many parts of it. The V.O.C. showed little
interest in New Guinea. It did not have natural
products for profitable trading.

The Dutch arrived last.

On the 2nd of April 1595 four ships left the harbour

of Amsterdam under command of Cornelius de
Houtman and Piet Dirksz. De Keyzer. The ships
were the Mauritius, the Hollandia, the Duyfken and
the Amsterdam.
Extensive preparations preceded the voyage.
Information was obtained from two Dutch mariners
who had served under the Portuguese flag. These
were Jan Huygen van Linschoten and Dirk Jansz.
Pomp, whose nickname was ´China´. Both men had
extensive knowledge about Asia.
On the 15th of June 1596, a little more than one year
later, the ships dropped anchor in the Bay of
Bantam. The voyage to the east was marked by
internal quarrels, all kinds of illnesses, inefficient
leadership and disorganization. After the ships
arrived in the Bay of Bantam, the problems
increased due to the blunt attitude of Houtman with
regard to the Bantamese indigenous population.

51
Moreover, the European barter products were
rejected by the native people. At the same time, the
Dutch were frustrated by the Portuguese merchants
who did not wish to co-operate.

Early nationalistic movements.

More and more young persons from important

Indonesian circles followed western style education.
As a consequence, young men who were well
educated would be able to fill positions within the
European community. The European community
was not prepared for the influx of these well
educated young Indonesian persons. Admission to
the higher social and commercial positions was
limited. The positions available for these highly
educated young persons were, due to
protectionism, reserved for Europeans.
The Indonesian egalitarians understood that forcible
integration into the European society was the only
way. In order to force admission into the elite
European society they would have to search for
other possibilities. At the same time western
education for Indonesians had to be expanded in
order to slowly gain admittance in the European
community.
Emancipated movements developed. These
consisted of Interest groups of certain parts of the
Indonesian population, such as the lower Javanese
nobility, Chinese, Eurasians, Islamic merchants and
others. Some of these movements would in the

52
future become nationalistic movements whose aim
was the independence of the Dutch East Indies.

The founding of the city of Batavia.

Batavia became the executive and administrative

centre of the Asian branch of the V.O.C. The city
was centrally located between the connecting
sailing routes from Europe, the Sunda Strait, the
Strait of Malakka and the South Chinese Sea.
Moreover, it was not far removed from the Moluccan
islands.
Initially, Jacatra (the present Jakarta) was nothing
more than a fortified warehouse for the storage and
protection of V.O.C. goods. The threat of the mighty
sovereignty of Bantam, which had always played an
important role in the Asiatic pepper trade, and the
hostile mood of the British who tried to take over
and safeguard their Asiatic trade, made it necessary
for the V.O.C. to strengthen their fortification in
Jacatra.
A conflict broke out in 1618 and the V.O.C.
fortification was besieged by a large force consisting
of British, Bantamese and Jacantranese. The
underling division between the besiegers gave Jan
Pietersz. Coen the possibility to defeat the
besieging forces. Jacatra was destroyed.
The new city of Batavia was founded in1619. The
Castle of Batavia was constructed on the site of the
old warehouse and was intended to be used as a

53
warehouse for V.O.C. goods and for quartering the
government and the garrison.
The Castle of Batavia was constructed on the left
bank of the entrance to the Tjiliwoeng River. The
castle was constructed according to the so –called
multi angled fortification system. The ramparts were
build along the sides of a square. Five angled
bastions were constructed on the corners of the
ramparts. From these bastions one had a perfect
view over the ramparts. It provided the artillery with
the largest possible line of fire.
The design of the castle was carried out according
to the latest guidelines of Simon Stevin, a
mathematician and a fortification engineer. He
copied the ideas of Italian architects, who during the
Italian renaissance were busy designing the ´Cite
ideale´.
Large warehouses of the V.O.C., the offices of civil
servants and the houses of the higher echelon of
the civil service personnel were located within the
ramparts. The garrison was also quartered within
the ramparts.

West Timor.

The Portuguese were driven out of a part of Timor

by the V.O.C. because of the lucrative trade the
sandalwood provided. Sandalwood was in vogue
because of its yellow brown aromatic oil which was
used in the production of perfumes and the
fabrication of soap.

54
The best harbour of Timor, Kupang, was conquered
from the Portuguese around 1650. Around 1750 the
Portuguese retreated to approximately halfway the
island. This became the border between Dutch
Timor and Portuguese Timor, and both parties were
satisfied with this.
Both the Dutch and the Portuguese left the
management and control of the inaccessible interior
over to the many existing native kingdoms. The
Dutch also allowed the existence of a Portuguese
enclave on the north coast of the island within their
territory. The enclave was called Uikusi, and here
lived the descendants of the Portuguese who had
resisted the V.O.C.
The existing border led to differences of
interpretation of the definition of where the border
should be. Attempts to define the border in treaties
of 1854, 1859, 1893 and 1903 were unsuccessful.
Finally on the 1st of November, the longest border
issue in Dutch colonial history was settled, and it
included the border definition of Uilusi which
remained Portuguese.

The Banda Islands before the arrival of

the Europeans.

Little is known about the original inhabitants of the

Banda Islands before the arrival of the Europeans. It
is known that they lived in small villages along the
coast and that they were Islamic. The villages were
governed by a ´Orang Kaya´, the traditional village

55
chiefs. The villagers lived from the yield of nutmeg
and mace, the skin of the nut. The spices were sold
to Chinese and Arabic merchants who in their turn
sold them in Asia and Europe. The value of the
spices increased by one hundred percent by every
sale.
The Banda islands were the only supplier of these
spices in the whole world with the consequence that
they were targeted by trading nations such as
Portugal, England and The Netherlands.
The Portuguese were the first to arrive. They signed
a treaty with the sultans of Ternate and Tidore.
Tidore was the supplier of clove. The Portuguese
gained a foothold in the spice trade because of
these treaties.
For almost ninety years the Portuguese were able
to trade quietly in the Moluccan islands until vice
admiral Jacob van Heemskerk dropped anchor at
the Banda Island’s largest island, Lonthor, in 1599
with his ships the Gelria and the Zeelandia and
founded a trading post.

The founding of Hollandia on Dutch New

Guinea.

A detachment of Dutch soldiers bivouacked on the

coast of Dutch New Guinea in September of 1909.
They had to perform the initial operations for the
Dutch/German border settlement commission,
because the north eastern part was claimed by

56
Germany. The German soldiers named their
bivouac Germania. Not to be outdone, the Dutch
captain Sachse christened the bivouac on the
Humboldt Bay in the queen’s name ´Hollandia´.
On the 7th of March 1910 the Dutch and Germans
agreed that the border between the two countries
would be the 141st eastern meridian. During the
course of the following years, the military settlement
grew into a small village. The resident civil servant
made it is domicile. The mission established a
school and a church. Later on a post office
equipped with a transmitter and receiver installation
was constructed. Next, a police station including a
jail was constructed. Then followed a hospital, a
pasangharan and a mosque, Chinese shops and
houses constructed of stone with sirap roofs. The
years went by in a sense of tranquillity.
It was only in 1938 that the tranquil situation was
pleasantly disturbed by the arrival of the third
Archbold expedition who intended to explore the
northern flank of the Snow Mountain Range. This
was still a white spot on the charts of Dutch New
Guinea.

The Javanese kingdoms of Shailendra

and Mataram.

Between the 8th and 10th century, two large

dynasties developed in the middle of the island of
Java. These were the Buddhist kingdom of
Shailendra and the Hindu kingdom of Mataram.

57
The famous Buddhist monument of Borobudur was
constructed north of Djokjakarta under the
Shailendra dynasty. We find the remains of the
Hindu empire back in the temple ruins on the Dieng
plateau and the temple complex of Prambahnan
which was dedicated to the gods Siwa, Brahma and
Wisnu.
At the end of the 8th century the Shailendra dynasty
became submissive to the Sumatrans empire of
Sriwijaja. Hereby controlled the empire of Sriwijaja
just about the whole of the archipelago.
The kingdom of Mataram moved, for unknown
reasons, its powerbase in an easterly direction,
without loss of its influence. Under its last king
Airlangga it became a powerful nation, which would
eventually encompass Bali. Under his government,
irrigation waterworks were constructed for
agricultural purposes.

The first aeronautical flight to the Dutch

East Indies.

In the early twenties of the previous century you

would have to be an idealist to dream of flying from
the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies. A captain
in service by the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM),
Thomassen a Theusink van der Hoop, was such an
idealist. For years he had been walking around with
this incredible and almost impossible idea.

58
He finally obtained permission from KLM to make
his dream come true. A large crowd had gathered
on the 1st of October 1924 to watch him and his
crew departs from Schiphol, Amsterdam in a one
engine Fokker F8. The crew consisted of van der
Hoop, flight Lieutenant van Weerden Poelman and
flight engineer van den Broeke. After two days,
above Bulgaria, the radiator gave the ghost and van
der Hoop had to make an emergency landing. Due
to the impact of the landing, the landing gear
collapsed and the engine was wrecked. Could this
be the end of the flight? No. A new Rolls Royce
Eagle motor was supplied from The Netherlands
and installed by accompanying technicians. On the
2nd of November the flight resumed. In spite of many
technical problems the plane landed at Batavia on
the 24th of November, without any significant delays.
The crew became the new national heroes.
On the 18th of December 1933 a Fokker F XIII
airplane, named ´ The Pelican´ departed from
Schiphol for a return flight Amsterdam-Batavia-
Amsterdam. It was a special mail delivery flight from
KLM to show the competition of what they were
capable of. The captain was Ivan Smirnoff, an
experienced pilot who had earned his credentials as
a fighter pilot in the service of the Russian Tsar. He
had escaped after the Russian revolution and the
communist takeover. He was in service with KLM
since 1922. The plane had a crew of six persons.
Besides Smirnoff, there was co-pilot Piet Soer and
flight engineer Chef.

59
 The empire of Sriwijaja.

The emerging nation of Malayu on the island of

Sumatra was quickly devoured by its neighboring
state Sriwijaja, which also conquered the southern
part of the Malayan peninsula. Near the end of the
7th century the empire of Sriwijaja was in control of
all the sea routes than any other nation in the
archipelago.
From the capital Palembang, the nation controlled
the greater part of the trading in south East Asia.
The important Strait of Malacca situated between
Sumatra and the Malayan peninsula was under
control of Sriwijaja.
International trade was mainly in the hands of the
Tamils from India and the Chinese. Merchants from
Arabia, Persia and India brought goods to exchange
for local product, Chinese ware and spices from the
spice islands. From China came silk, porcelain, and
Chinese rhubarb, famous for its medicinal
properties. These products were exchanged for
ivory, turtle shields, rhinoceros horns, clove,
cardamom, pepper, coral, camphor, barnstone and
perfume. There was also trading in expensive wood
such as ebony and camphor. Sandal wood, sipo,
ivory, tin and spices were exported to Arabia.
The Sriwijaja nation expanded its territory as far as
the greater part of Java and remained a powerful
empire until the end of the 13th century.

60
 The colonization of Dutch New Guinea.

The first pioneers arrived in Dutch New Guinea in

November of 1930. They resided in self constructed
villages with names such as Abelsdorp, Bijslag,
Julianadorp, and Weversdorp. They lived mostly in
miserable circumstances. Although many returned
disappointed to Java, the colonization was not a
failure. The will power and idealism of the remaining
pioneers remained intact.
Many of the pioneers were well willing non-
professionals, but the next generation had grown up
in agricultural surroundings, making them one with
the soil. They were able to practise agriculture with
more love and insight.
Even so, the colonization of before the Second
World War, despite the setbacks, bore its fruit.
Without expert pre-knowledge of the soil and a
better selection of human resources it would have
failed. Because of this, the Ditch government
decided to send exploration and soil investigation
expeditions to the area surrounding Hollandia.
These expeditions took place in the years 1931,
1932, 1938 and 1941. Because of this scientific
research in the north eastern corner of Dutch New
Guinea more and better cartographical information
became available than from other parts of the
colony.

61
 The growth of the city of Batavia.

In the 17th and 18th century Batavia became one of

the most beautiful cities in Asia and was named
´The Queen of the Orient´.
Batavia was founded by Jan Pietersz. Coen. The
castle was constructed first on the ruins of Jacatra.
The dominant building was built according to the
instructions of Simon Stevin. Later on, the
expansion of the city also took place according to
the instructions of Simon Stevin.
The city was built according to a chessboard pattern
with rectangular housing blocks situated along the
straight streets and canals. Keeping in mind the fire
safety regulations a regulation was issued that the
houses could only be built with bricks. The building
materials such as bricks, roofing tiles, harder stone,
marble floor tiles and window glass were imported
partially from the Moluccan islands. The remainder
of the building materials were shipped from The
Netherlands and served as ballast for the ships
whose holds were mostly empty when they left for
Asia.
Along the wide streets and canals stately mansions
were built according to Dutch style. They were
mostly exact copies of the houses in the
Netherlands, but totally unsuitable for inhabitation in
the tropics. The construction of the canals was also
typical Dutch. The soil of the canals was used to
heighten the ramparts of the city. The canals were

62
used as a drainage system during the monsoon
season.

Radio and telegraph communication in

the Dutch East Indies.

The archipelago was before the emergence of radio

communication dependent upon trustworthy
telegraph connections. In order to install a telegraph
service for the archipelago, telegraph lines and sea
cables were necessary. Around 1922 the sea cable
network in the Dutch East Indies consisted of a
length of 12.500 kilometres. The purchase of sea
cables and the maintenance thereof was very
expensive and the cables had a short lifespan.
This was the reason to change as quickly as
possible to the fast developed radio technique.
Better results were obtained, taking into account the
long distances, by using short wave transmitters
and receivers and it was less expensive.
Transmitter and receiver stations were constructed
in many places of the outer regions. They were now
able to communicate back and forth. Batavia
became the main station for radio communications.
The transmitter and receiver station was installed on
the Bandung high plateau and communicated with
larger places such as Medan, Makassar and
Menado. In turn, these places served as relay
stations for the smaller places. Around 1940 all the
landlines and the sea cable network was replaced.

63
 Hongi trips.

On the orders of the V.O.C. governors, so called

hongi trips were undertaken on the Moluccan
islands which at that time were held in an iron grip
by the V.O.C. These trips were undertaken in order
to hold supervision on the planting of nutmeg and
clove trees. At the same time the transportation of
the products could be controlled.
The hongi trips were named after the flat bottomed
war prows which at that time were in the Moluccan
a great danger for the higher and slower sailing
ships of the V.O.C. fleet.
The native population planted the fruit bearing trees
clandestine in hidden places. This allowed for
serious forms of smuggling. If the cultivation of the
trees was found to take place outside of the
registered plantations, they were thoroughly
destroyed. Excessive planting of young trees could
be financially prejudicial for the V.O.C., and the
destruction of the clandestine plants and trees was
necessary to maintain the market price on the
European markets.
Hongi trips also took place to solve differences
between the native population groups and to punish
the Alfuran and Makassaran inhabitants. The hongi
trips were abolished in 1824.

64
 The origin of the court of Paku Alaman.

During the period that the British governed the

Dutch East Indies, sultan Hamengku Buwana the
second got involved in a conflict with the British.
Lieutenant governor Sir Stamford Raffles send
armed forces and issued an ultimatum to the sultan
and demanded his abdication in favour of his son.
The British were assisted in the conflict by an uncle
of the sultan, prince Natakusuma.
The sultan refused the British ultimatum, after which
the British captured the palace. The sultan was
deposed and together with two of his sons banned
to Penang on Malaysia.
According to a resolution from Raffles, the sultanate
of Paku Alaman was founded on the 1st of March
1813 as an independent sovereignty with a
separate land area to counter poise the sultanate of
Djokjakarta. The brother of the deposed sultan was
installed as sovereign Paku Alam the First. The
earlier kingdom of Mataram was now definitely
divided into two large and two small sovereignties.
The sovereigns of Paku Alaman who followed
thereafter became famous as the most enlightened
sovereigns of all the Javanese sovereignties. This
was not only true for the financial and agricultural
policy, but also in the area of education and mental
care for their youth. Almost all of the children
received a western style education. Paku Alam the
eight was installed in 1937.He later became

65
governor of Yogyakarta. Much has changed since
the founding of the Republic. The sovereigns now
only reign over their palace and their family.

The Mardykers.

The first group of Mardykers came from India. They

were mostly soldiers who had been taken prisoner
in the war with the Portuguese and the Spaniards
and formed into separate companies or sold as
slaves. After being released from slavery, they were
referred to as Mardykers, meaning ´in freedom
restored´. All of them had become Christians. First
to Roman Catholicism and in the 17th century to
Protestantism. They dressed themselves in
European clothing and their language was Creole
Portuguese. They were supplemented later by freed
slaves from the Indonesian archipelago. Among
them were Bandanese, Ambonese, Makassaran,
Buginese, Balinese and natives from other tribes.
The Indonesian culture became evermore influential
because of this. The Creole Portuguese language
remained the main language for a long time.
In 1670 the Portuguese church was built in Batavia
for the Mardykers. Because of their Christian
religion, they received certain privileges in the city,
such as care for the poor and education. The
majority was in the service of the V.O.C. as soldier,
worker or clerk.

66
 Batavia, a European city.

It was never the intention of the V.O.C. to conquer

the whole of the island of Java using Batavia as a
jumping off base. Until late into the 17th century, the
employees of the Company did not have any notion
of the surrounding hinterland. There was nothing for
them outside the ramparts of the city. All eyes were
turned towards the sea. Food was supplied from
overseas from Europe with their own ships and with
junks and prows from Mataram on Java and from
India and Thailand.
According to the ideas of its infamous founder, Jan
Pieterszoon Coen, Batavia had to become a
European city. The population would consist mainly
out of men and women from The Netherlands.
Batavia had to become a European colony. In this
way, so he thought, an elite class of citizens would
be created who under strict supervision of the
V.O.C. would be able to control the inter Asiatic
trade. The concept did not work. Entering into
service by the V.O.C. was not very popular in The
Netherlands. An attempt to bring over single women
and orphan girls failed. The moral character of the
woman and girls was such that it could never lead
to a stable family build up.

The origin of the sovereignties of

Djokjakarta, Surakarta and Mankunegara.

67
Paku Buwana the Second ruled since 1742 as
Susuhunan of Surakarta over the kingdom of
Mataram. The support of the Dutch authority was
hereby necessary, because discontented family
members of the king were still able to conduct
warfare against the V.O.C. and thereby also against
Paku Buwana the Second. After the death of Paku
Buwana the Second in 1749 the war fanned up
again when the V.O.C. recognised his son as the
lawful successor.
Direct family members of the new sovereign, Paku
Buwana the Third, sided with their supporters with
an uncle of the new sovereign. The uncle
proclaimed himself in Djokjakarta as Susuhunan of
Mataram.
This came in handy for the divide and conquer
policy of the V.O.C. to be able to divide the nation of
Paku Buwana the Second among the arguing
interested parties. The V.O.C. was able to advocate
the partition of the nation between the son, his uncle
and a nephew, named Mas Said. The definite
partition of the kingdom of Mataram took place in
1755. The Kesusuhunan of Surakarta under Paku
Buwana the Third, the Kasultanan of Djokjakarta
under Hamengku Buwana the first and the smaller
sovereignty of Mangkunegaraan under Mas Said.
This last sovereignty became definite in 1757.

68
 The Kubu.

The Kubu came apparently from India or Sri Lanka.

They are seen as the oldest inhabitants of Sumatra.
They moved into the jungles of central and south
Sumatra ages ago. They avoided as much as
possible contact with the inhabitants of the
surrounding Islamic sultanates in order not to be
subdued.
They lived as bush nomads in small groups of
fifteen to thirty persons. Their dwellings were a roof
made of leaves built on poles in the neighbourhood
of a small river. The men hunted wild boars,
monkeys, bush tortoise and other small animals.
For the hunt they used simple wooden spears with
an iron point or traps.
Musical instruments, dancing and songs were
unknown to the Kubu. The Kubu never washed
himself; instead he scraped the dirt off his body with
leaves. The skin of the Kubu is often scurfy, hard
and full with skin disorders. The use of natural
medicines is also unknown to the Kubu.
Even now, tens of families still live as nomads in the
jungle. Most of the Kubu are now located in the area
surrounding Jambi. The men work in rubber tapping
or wood chopping for a payment of second hand
clothes, flashlights, sarongs and tobacco.

69
 The Chinese emancipation movement.

The government of the Dutch East Indies issued

around 1900 a number of measures in order to
curtail the Chinese trading activities. The traditional
functions in the opium trade (preparation and sales)
and the running of pawn shops were taken over by
the government. They were not allowed to travel
without a passport. This impeded the freedom of
movement. They were discriminated for the use of
the newly instituted form of education and training
courses.
The from previous formed mixed Chinese
population, Peranakan (descendants) Chinese,
which originated during the V.O.C. period, and who
fulfilled an important function in the trading between
The Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies now
had a dilemma. Chinese trade associations were
originated who handled all types of grievances and
complaints. The associations had success. The
government repealed their repressive measures for
entry into native and European schools.
A Dutch Chinese school was established in 1908.
The success of the Chinese emancipation
movement was very influential in Indonesia,
because it showed that an ethnic population group
with assistance of the colonial authorities seemed to
be an effective instrument.

70
 The Chinese gold Kongsi´s
(associations) on Borneo.

On the west coast of Borneo, about two hundred

kilometres above Pontianak, lies an area where
Chinese had established themselves long before
the arrival of the Dutch to search for gold and
diamonds. After a period of time, the Chinese
aligned themselves into five large Kongsi´s. The
Kongsi´s slowly evolved into little republics with their
own government, laws and army.
Montrado was the unofficial capital. It was located
about forty kilometres from the coast. The gold
mines with names such as Ha-bok, Sing-bok and
Sjong-bok were dispersed. Every Kongsi hall, a sort
of city hall, was a fortification armed with light
cannons. The Kongsi´s were constantly at war with
each other or with the sultan of west Borneo. In
1850 the colonial government decided to intervene.
The expeditionary armies met heavy resistance
from the approximately 7000 Chinese armed with
double edged swords. There were heavy and
bloody battles.
Montrado was captured in 1854 by a combined
Dutch and Indonesian force. The Chinese burned
down the whole city. The war moved to the jungle.
Long pursuits with the help of Dayaks were the
result. Both sides committed war atrocities.

71
It was only in 1884 that the last Kongsi was
defeated. All the Chinese living in West Borneo
were now under colonial rule.

The Padang highland.

The Padang highland stretches out around the city

of Padang and is one of the most fascinating
landscapes of Indonesia. The Bukit Barisan, the
dominating mountain ridge and backbone of
Sumatra runs from north to south. High volcanoes,
fertile plains and valleys, deep ravines and canyons,
a dense jungle and blue crater lakes vary the
highland. The landscape is unique. This is the area
where the Minangkabau live. Their houses are
constructed with a saddle roof, and the top joints
depict the horns of the local oxen. The houses are
built on poles and decorated with multi-coloured
carved wood and animal heads. The many coloured
flower designs and the red background makes
these houses the most decorative of Indonesia.
Another version of the saddle roofs was that the
points of the roof depicted the front and back of the
prows, which were the boats used with whom the
first Minangkabauers came over from south China
and the Indian hinterland to East Indië.
The Minangkabau people despise tahu and tempeh.
They eat beef. Rendang, dry cooked beef in coco
milk and lombok is the characteristic and not to be
missed dish in the kitchen of west Sumatra. Anyone
who intends to eat good and fast must go to a
Padangese dining house. One does not have to

72
make a choice of the available food, because many
different dishes are served immediately. One pays
only for the food consumed.
The west Sumatran cuisine is savoury, knows
heavy long cooked dishes and is by the application
of lombok, rawit and pepper very spicy.

Bandung and the Grote Postweg (Great

Postal road).

In the past there must have been a small village

named Bandung situated where the Tjikapundung
River joined the Tjitarum River. The inhabitants
were farmers. The soil in this area was very fertile.
The area was the property of the sovereignty
Bupati´s Wiranatakusumah.
The first Europeans arrived about halfway the 17 th
century from Batavia and settled on the fertile
ground in the hinterland. The road from Batavia to
Bandung was completed around 1786.
King Louis Napoleon ordered the Governor
General, Hein Willem Daendels, to improve the
defences of Java, in order to be able to defeat an
eventual attack by the British. Defensive positions
were to be build along the coast and a supply road
was to be constructed from Batavia to Cheribon.
Unfortunately, the coastal areas were too swampy
for the construction of a road, and it was decided to
construct a road through the Preanger highlands.
Construction of the road which cut through Java

73
from east to west began in 1809 not far from the
village of Bandung. By the resolution of the 25th of
May 1810 the village of Bandung was relocated to a
place where the Grote Postweg met the
Tjikapundung River. This was the origin of the city
of Bandung.

The V.O.C. and the Asiatic trading

methods.

The V.O.C. was a trading company in Asia, and had

no intention of conquering large areas. The V.O.C.
tried with political and military methods to take over
the existing Portuguese and Spanish trade routes
and to occupy their trading posts. In order to meet
their commercial interests as good as possible, the
V.O.C. made deals with Asiatic sovereigns who
were rulers in their own sovereignty. This system
was not compatible with the European political
systems.
The agreements made by Asiatic sovereigns with
foreign traders were:
 The economic variant. In exchange for financial
compensation the sovereign offered protection
to the foreign traders and gave them permission
to conduct commercial activities.
 The political and military variant. Local
sovereigns entered into an alliance with foreign
traders against a common enemy. Military
assistance and protection were provided against
contracts for the delivery of products.

74
 The sovereigns considered the contracts as
temporary contracts only for the promised
deliveries. The so called monopolies were
nothing more than the agreed upon deliveries
against fixed prices.
Two companies of Africans, recruited in the Gold
Coast, formed part of the military forces. The native
troops, the Javanese and Ambonese named these
negroes ´belanda item´ or black Dutchmen because
of their biblical and Dutch names such as Moses,
Jodocus, Johan and more.

Telephone service.

After the introduction of the radio, the wireless

telephone service developed itself at a fast pace. A
voice was from The Netherlands was heard for the
first in the Dutch East Indies in March of 1927. The
spoken word from the Dutch East Indies was clearly
recognizable in The Netherlands. Telephone
communication between The Netherlands and the
Dutch East Indies was opened for the public. At the
same time, the official connection with the Dutch
East Indies was officially opened in The
Netherlands. Telephone transmitters, named Indië
cells, were installed in the larger cities. The Dutch
Telecom Company (PTT) recognized the
importance of this event and has registered the
personal experiences of the first speakers in a
booklet ´Hallo Bandung, here is The Hague´. A
telephone station was put into operation in Medan in
1931 by which telephone traffic became possible

75
between Java and north Sumatra. Subscribers in
north Sumatra could also be connected with
subscribers in The Netherlands and all the countries
connected with Java. By constructing new
telephone stations, the telephone network was
expanded over the complete archipelago.

The Navy Aeronautical Service (MLD)

around 1940.

Just like in The Netherlands, young men in the

Dutch East Indies were conscripted when they
reached the age of eighteen. If the conscripted
person chose for the navy and the MLD, he first had
to follow a general training course of three months
at the navy barracks at Gubeng, Surabaya.
Thereafter he would be transferred to the naval
aeronautical camp which was also located at
Surabaya. The training courses consisted of metal
revision, wood revision, engines and spare parts.
After completion of the training followed a transfer to
the aircraft of the MLD.
Around 1940, the MLD had a fleet of flying boats
and aircraft capable of landing on water. The fleet
consisted of 42 Dorniers which served as a
reconnaissance plane and bomber, 21 Fokker
aircraft which also server as reconnaissance planes
and bombers and 47 Ryan training aircraft.
The archipelago had a length of 5000 kilometres
from east to west and 2500 kilometres from north to
south. 145 support places had been constructed in

76
order to control these extensive waterways. They
were situated, taking into account the flying radius
of the different MLD aircraft, dispersed over
strategic places within the archipelago. In the
beginning of 1940 aircraft groups (GVT´s) were
formed. These were formations of three aircraft
which had to protect each other. Divided over differ
locations, these aircraft flew reconnaissance
missions above the different parts of the
archipelago.

Goods and messages arrived after two

years.

The V.O.C. shipping connections using the existing

sailing routes between The Netherlands and the
Orient was only able, depending upon the prevailing
winds, to sail at certain times of the year. Three
fleets left annually from The Netherlands for Asia.
 The Christmas fleet sailed in September and
arrived around March or April of the next year
in Batavia.
 The Christmas fleet sailed in December or
January and arrived in June of the same
year.
 The Easter fleet sailed in April and arrived in
October of the same year in Batavia.

Depending upon the demand within The

Netherlands and the results of the auctions for
Asiatic products, the Seventeen Gentlemen of the

77
V.O.C. gave their orders to the fleets. Between the
issue of the orders and the delivery of the products
there was a time span of about two years.
An order given to the Christmas fleet of December
1700 arrived at Batavia around the summer of 1701.
If everything went according to plan, the products
were hoisted on board one of the two return sailing
fleets. The fleet of December 1701 who arrived in
The Netherlands in the summer of 1702 or the fleet
from April which arrived approximately at the end of
1702.

The Badui tribe (Orang Kanekes).

The Badui is a tribe that lives on the slopes of

Paglaran in the south east of Bantam (Lebak) on
west Java. They apparently fled to the impregnable
interior of Bantam during the rise of the Islam on
west Java. Their religion shows Hindu influences,
but especially ancient Javanese influences previous
to the Hindu period. The main desa is named
Kanekes.
They do not differ much from other Indonesians by
their appearance. Their ethnics and customs also
show little difference from the other Indonesians.
The name Badui probably descents from the word
denoting Arabic desert dwellers, the Beduwa. They
led a sober and simple life and worshipped their
ancestors. They practised circumcision even though
they were not Muslims.

78
The village chiefs apparently also served as spiritual
leaders. They were called Pu-un. The leader of the
Pu-uns is the Pu-un girang. He lives with the
ancestors and is the go between for the ancestral
worshipping. The Kanekes desa consists of three
small villages. Only forty families are allowed to live
in these villages. They are called the Inner Badui.
Extra families have to move and are called the
Outer Badui. The Outer Badui have more contact
with the surrounding Muslim population.

Love and misery.

Marrying or living together with an Indonesian

woman created the problem for a European man in
which culture the children would be raised. By
fathering children, some European fathers felt a
moral duty to live with his native woman. The
fathers intended that the children would be
absorbed in the European community, while most
mothers wanted to take the children to the
countryside. Besides this, the possibility existed that
the mother had no sense of moral obligation like the
father. She just disappeared with the children. The
father had the possibility because of a governmental
resolution to ´recognize´ the children and later on
´legalize´ them. This allowed for the father to obtain
legal power over a child, while the mother lost it.
There was a clause on the application form where
the mother recognized the man as the father and
left him with legal power over the child. If the
parents married, the child could be ´legalized´ by a

79
European civil servant. In order to do this, an
Indonesian spiritual leader had to issue a
declaration that the woman was unmarried. It was
the custom that, according to the adat rules,
Indonesian girls were married off at very early ages.

The European population of Batavia.

Attempts to make of Batavia a European city failed

due to the little interest in The Netherlands and the
bad experiences with the single women and orphan
girls that had been transported to Batavia. The
policy of the V.O.C. was for employees to marry or
live together with Asiatic of Mestizo women. Mestizo
women were daughters of a European father and an
Asiatic mother. These women were later called
Eurasian or women from Indië. It was the intention
of the V.O.C. to create a continuous top layer who
would loyally execute the V.O.C. trading. The
Portuguese had solved this problem in their port
cities in the same manner.
The Europeans who arrived in the 17th and 18th
century were mostly men. They could try to find a
woman who was fit for marriage among the small
group of European woman, the Indonesian women
or the Asiatic women. The condition was that the
marriage partner had to be a Christian. The rules of
the V.O.C. insisted that non Christian women were
first taught the cathegism and were baptized
thereafter. Because this could take a long period of
time, most men decided to live with an Asiatic

80
concubine. This became a widely known
appearance.

The Tangsi (army barracks).

There were military camps all over the archipelago.

In the outer areas these were small barracks or
tangsi´s surrounded by barbed wire (kawatduri). On
Java it were large building complexes which were
also surrounded by barbed wire. The soldiers
beneath the rank of senior N.C.O. lived in the
tangsi´s in barrack buildings. The daily quarters,
sometimes with a canteen, were located in the
middle. In the wings of the building were large
sleeping quarters which were separated for married
and unmarried soldiers Most of the time the
buildings were classified according to the origin of
the soldiers. For example, Ambonese,
Menadonese, Timorese, Sundanese or Javanese. A
large number of families lived together in the
married soldier’s sleeping quarters. Each family had
a small portioned private space. The parents slept
on a sleeping table or bunk bed. The children slept
under the sleeping table or bunk bed (under the
kolong). They slept on a tikar, which is a thin
bamboo mat. To separate the families, sailing cloth
or a green cotton curtain was used. This offered
visible but not audible privacy.
Personal belongings, clothing and shoes were kept
in barrack boxes with the serial number and the
name of the father noted on it. The barrack boxes
were stored in the remaining empty spaces.

81
 The Cocos Islands.

British freebooters settled themselves in 1820 on

the small Cocos Islands located just south of Java.
The Dutch government turned a blind eye, but the
navy kept a suspicious watch of the settlers.
During the five year British government of the
archipelago, the British civil servant Alexander Hare
had obtained the area of Maluko on Borneo from
the sultan of Bandjermasin. However, he had to
return Maluko to The Netherlands when they
returned in power in 1816.
Hare sailed on the schooner ´Maluko´ with some
British followers and a number of slaves to the
Cocos Islands and proclaimed possession of the
islands. Hare established himself on Rice Island,
the smallest and highest island. Ross, one of his
followers, went to live with his family and six British
sailors on Scott Island.
Hare turned out to be a real tyrant. He thought of
himself that he was lord and master over his
followers.
He terrorised the other British and the slave women
from his shabby dwelling on Rice Island. He
distributed the rice supply according to his whims,
took children away by their parents and locked them
up in cages on Rice Island. It was a bizarre and
hostile community on the Cocos Islands.

82
 Eurasian girls.

In the Dutch East Indies from after 1900, a Eurasian

girl was understood by the European community as
a girl of mixed races. The impression of the average
Dutchman in the Netherlands was that a Eurasian
girl was a wild savage that had just emerged from
the jungle. The general opinion in The Netherlands
that Eurasian meant the same as ´ from the
countryside´ or native resulted in the conclusion in
The Netherlands that a Eurasian girl was nothing
more than a ´black savage´.
If a Dutchman wrote a letter to his family in The
Netherlands in which he proudly wrote that he was
going marry a Eurasian girl, the family concluded
that he was either mentally disturbed or suffered
from a maniacal depression. Even though his bride
to be was recently hired as a teacher at the judicial
faculty of Batavia.
Conversely, Indonesian people who only knew The
Netherlands fro geography lessons could not
believe that white men would carry their own
suitcases upon arrival in The Netherlands, or of the
existence of white road workers, garbage men, etc.

The Chinese of Batavia.

From the beginning of the founding of Batavia in

1619 there were Chinese present in the city.

83
Trading with China was important for the V.O.C.
The Chinese junk traders brought products like tea,
porcelain and silk. There was also a great demand
for Chinese workers. They were diligent and
peaceful. In a short period of time, the Chinese
became the largest ethnic population group in
Batavia. Jan Pieterszoon Coen appointed a
trustworthy Chinese as Captain Chinese. This
person formed together with a number of
lieutenants the administration of the Chinese
population. The administration took care of the
interests of the Chinese by the V.O.C. authorities.
Every Chinese inhabitant paid ´head money´, a
monthly tax. This was collected by the Chinese
administration.
The Chinese population of Batavia remained aloof
of the local population. They preserved their own
language and customs. They had regular contact
with their families in China through the direct
shipping connections. Most of the Chinese
considered their stay in Batavia as temporary.

The daily routine of passengers travelling

to the Orient around 1840.

Only employees of the V.O.C. were allowed to

travel on their ships to the Dutch East Indies. After
1816, anyone who wanted to undertake the journey
was allowed to do so.
The Dutch Trading Company which succeeded the
V.O.C. built many ships for the sailing journeys to

84
the Dutch East Indies. The journey around the Cape
of Good Hope lasted more than one hundred days.
The cabins were little more than pens, where if the
passenger so desired some improvements could be
made by the ship’s carpenter, like a book shelf or a
small folding table. A bath was only possible if rain
water from a tropical downpour was collected in a
container made of tarred sailing cloth. The ladies
tried to keep their hands clean by rubbing them with
slices of lemons. Lemon would last for a long time,
but the provisions for other fruits, fresh meat, fresh
vegetables and white bread were depleted within
two weeks.
All that was then left for the cabin passengers was
the ship’s food from the cook. Monday and
Thursday beans with salted meat. Tuesday white
beans with bacon. Wednesday sauerkraut with
potatoes and bacon. On Friday, French pea soup.
Saturday dried fish with potatoes. On Sunday soup
with fresh meat was served because a pig was
butchered. The passengers arose early and drank a
cup of coffee and thin porridge mixed with water
and at noon a cup of chocolate. The meal was
served from three to four- thirty. After the meal, the
passengers lingered on deck. At nine o’clock, after
tea, the passengers returned to their cabins to play
a game of solitaire.

85
 Sugar cane production in the regions
surrounding Batavia.

During the course of the 17th century the danger of

attacks from the surrounding nations Bantam and
Mataram diminished. The city gates of Batavia were
cautiously opened. The first citizens who ventured
outside the city were the Chinese and some V.O.C.
employees. Parts of the surrounding forest was
chopped down and the cleared areas were used for
the cultivation of vegetables, rice and sugar cane.
The cultivation of sugar cane increased at a fast
pace. The planting of sugar cane expanded even
further. Mills (factories) were built in order to
process the sugar cane locally. Twenty mills were in
use around the middle of the 17th century.
The V.O.C. realised that the sugar cane trade would
be profitable. The owners of the mills, mainly
Chinese, were obliged to sell their products to the
V.O.C. against a fixed price and sales to third
parties were excluded.
It wasn’t long before the V.O.C. again became
involved in conflicts with Bantam and Mataram. The
sugar cane production stagnated due to a shortage
of labour. Only after the V.O.C. had defeated the
Bantam nation and improved her position in the
region did the number of koelies (workers) increase.
In 1696 there were116 mills registered by the
governor of Batavia in the surrounding region.

86
The departure of European women to the
Orient.

The young and unmarried tobacco plantation

owners lived a rough and unrestricted life in the
begin period of the exploitation of Deli on the east
coast of Sumatra. They lived together with their
njai´s (concubines) In The Netherlands this manner
of the lawless life of the young planters, who
because of the scarcity of European women shared
their lives with native housekeepers, was met with
strong disapproval. But is was also unfavourable to
let young, well brought up European women to
depart for the Dutch East Indies because of the
uninhibited moral practices.
The demographic composition changed due to the
explosive expansion of the tobacco enterprises and
the increase in Europeans. In the first instance it
was better to be unmarried, but with the change to
the advantage of the planter community, it would be
more beneficial for the society of Deli if one married
with one of the European personnel. It would
contribute to the increase of civilization in the
region.
It became more and more usual to depart for the
Orient as the wife of an administrator or assistant.
Many European married by proxy and followed their
husbands later to the Dutch East Indies. With the
influx of European wives, the role of the njai´s
largely disappeared out of the lives of the planters in
Deli.

87
 The massacre of the Chinese.

There were 84 sugar cane mills in operation in the

surroundings of Batavia at the beginning of the 18th
century. Most of the mills were owned by Chinese.
The sugar cane export had become an important
part of the inter Asiatic trade for the V.O.C. In 1722
the largest buyer of sugar cane, the dynasty of
Persia, was overthrown. At the same time the
competition of Bengalese sugar increased. The
V.O.C. lost a large part of the world market and
many mills had to close. This had far reaching
consequences for the Chinese population. They
ended up in poverty and misery. The tension
became greater through the shortage of food. The
Chinese revolted in October of 1740 and thousands
of Chinese attacked Batavia. Although the attack
was repulsed, there was panic in the city about the
´Chinese danger´.
Out of fear for the extensive Chinese population and
the rumours in the city, the civilians and garrison
soldiers hunted down Chinese men, woman and
children who were unable to defend themselves.
Ten thousand Chinese were massacred. It seemed
afterwards that they were not involved in the revolt
and were innocent. This massacre has entered the
history books as the ´Chinese massacre´.

88
 An incident on the quay of Batavia.

General van Swieten returned to Batavia

triumphantly on the 1st of May 1874 after the
´successful´ second Atjeh expedition for an
honourable and spectacular reception.
Governor General Loudon awaited him and his
troops at the quay. Also present was the wounded
captain van Daalen who also returned from Atjeh.
He was the brother of the editor-in-chief of the ´Java
bode´ who was fired by Loudon and a nephew of
the colonel who led the first Atjeh expedition and
was denigrated by Loudon.
Loudon approached the captain to honour him for
his part in the second Atjeh expedition. But the
family van Daalen was united in their disdain for the
Governor General. Captain van Daalen bowed
respectfully, but refused to shake the hand of the
Governor General.
The publicly humiliated Governor General wanted to
dismiss the captain from the army on the spot. The
army commander, Whitton, prevented this by
pointing out that the action of the captain first had to
be judged by an honorary board of officers.
The board came to the following conclusion:
´ The captain had bowed respectfully and then had
done nothing, namely to accept the hand of Loudon,
and doing nothing could, according to the board, not

89
be seen as being disrespectful towards the person
representing the king´.

With the KLM to the Dutch East Indies.

In the years after the successful flight from

Amsterdam to Batavia and back in 1924, the KLM
carried out different trial runs. The KLM stared
regular flights every fourteen days from Amsterdam
to Batavia and back in 1930. The Fokker F-7B
aircraft needed twelve days for a one way flight. The
KLM started using DC-3´s in 1937 for their regular
flights. The DC-3 had a load capacity of 9600
kilograms, could carry eleven passengers and the
flying time was reduced to five and a half days.
There were now three regular flights each week.
The timetable was so exact that not only the days of
arrival and departure were listed at the airports, but
also the hours and minutes. The transportation of
mail and passengers increased greatly. Three times
as many foreign passengers flew with KLM than
Dutch passengers.
During the flight thee were stopovers in Athens,
Basra, Jodhpur, and Singapore. Prior to the start of
the Second World War in 1939, KLM transported
4.888 passengers, 121.274 kilograms of mail and
74.570 kilograms of freight.

90
 Mixed races.

In 1911 the ´First Universal Races Congress´ took

place in London. In the ´Papers on inter Racial
Problems´ the politicians and scientists expressed
their concern over the problem of persons of mixed
races.
Jean Baptiste de Lacerda stated in his introduction
about ´Metis or half breeds of Brazil´ the following:
´Although it is impossible to indicate Metis as
examples of beauty, such as their figures as well as
contours, it is even so true that we encounter,
especially under the female gender, types with
gracious and well proportioned figures. The
voluptuous instincts are strongly developed within
them, and this can be seen on their yearning eyes,
sensual lips, indolent posture and the comparative
slow method of speech´
Differences between races were accepted, but
persons of mixed races were for a long period of
time seen as degenerate persons whose sex
instinct was well developed. They were the
descendants of the crossing between races.
More than thirty years earlier, the Dutch journalist
P.A. Daum could not have described it better in his
articles in the ´Bataaviasch Nieuwsblad

91
 The origin of the court of Surakarta.

The consequences of the massacre of the Chinese

were that the remaining Chinese rebels expressed
their outrage by conquering a number of cities along
the northern coast of Java. The sovereign of
Kartasura, Paku Buwana the Second, thought that
the Chinese conquests could be advantageous to
him and he joined the Chinese. He hereby tried to
escape from the V.O.C. stranglehold.
The combined Javanese and Chinese rebel armies
conquered another number of cities, but the siege of
Semarang ended in a failure. Paku Buwana the
Second was severely criticised by his people and he
decided to become again a subject of the V.O.C. by
expressing his regrets for his deeds. The answer of
the rebels was very quick. In 1742 they destroyed
the palace at Kartasura.
The rebels were defeated by the V.O.C. after heavy
fighting and Paku Buwana the Second became king
of the Mataram nation. In the treaty between the
new king and the V.O.C. it was stipulated that
almost the whole of the Mataram nation would
resort under the authority of the V.O.C.
Because of the destruction of the palace at
Kartasura by the rebels, the king decided to move
his court to Surakarta at the palace Surakarta
Handininggrat.

92
 Harderwijk, the cesspool of Europe.

Colonel Johannes van den Bosch, a later Governor

General, who was in charge of recruiting for the
colonial army, chose the town of Harderwijk as
recruiting depot. From 1815 onwards, after the
defeat of Napoleon, volunteers from different parts
of Europe flooded the depot. They existed of military
criminals, fortune finders, and French deserters.
Dismissed German soldiers, poverty stricken
persons and adventurers. Later on Dutch volunteers
came to the depot to sign on or re-sign because of
the existing poverty. The colonial recruiting depot
remained in Harderwijk until 1909. The shopkeepers
profited almost a century from the despicable
conduct of the colonial recruits who spend their
signing on pay on immoral practices. The Christian
population of the town were horrified by the immoral
conduct of the recruits in the bars and brothels.
They were supported by fanatic preachers of the
Midnight mission who demanded the closure of the
brothels. Their demands were adhered to and on
the 1st of January 1892 and the brothels were
closed. In 1909, the recruiting depot of Harderwijk
moved to the Colonial Reserve at Nijmegen.

The sovereign state of Sriwijaja on

Sumatra.

The sovereignty of Malayu originated on Sumatra in

the 7th century. It was the Buddhist empire. Malayu

93
acted as if it were an absolute empire, but was
quickly devoured by its neighbouring nation
Sriwijaja which also ruled the Malaysian peninsula
and the southern part of Thailand. Sriwijaja was the
most powerful nation in the archipelago.
The empire ruled over the Strait of Malacca and
was thus able to control all trading in south east
Asia from their capital, Palembang. The trade was
in the hands of Tamils from India and Chinese.
Merchants from India, Arabia and Persia brought
goods to barter for local products, such as Chinese
goods and spices.
The Chinese brought silk, porcelain and Chinese
rhubarb (known for its medicinal properties) in
exchange for ivory, tortoise shields, rhinoceros
horns and spices. They also exchanged their goods
against expensive wood such as ebony and
camphor wood. Other products wanted by the
Chinese were pearls, coral, mace, barnstone and
perfume. The Arabian merchants exchanged their
goods against sandal wood, ebony, ivory, tin and
spices.
Sriwijaja conquered a large part of Java and
continued to maintain its power until the end of the
13th century.

The soldier and his native housekeeper.

The Indonesian housekeeper was, in the years after

1900, an accepted phenomena within the military
community in the Dutch East Indies. A long period

94
of peaceful calm came to pass after the Bali
expedition of 1908. Many of the young soldiers were
in search of a woman to come and live with him in
the barracks. The soldiers without a wife did not live
a chastised life, with all the expected dangers.
The pay of a European soldier was around 1915
between 85 cents and one guilder and fifteen cents
every five days. A corporal received two guilders
and eighty cents and a sergeant a little less than
five guilders.
With such an income was, for the soldiers who
wanted it, impossible to raise a family with a
European woman. The only remedy for them was to
take an Indonesian woman as a concubine. The
barracks were divided by heavy sailing cloth into
small rooms. There was enough room for a two
person bed, a small table and a small wardrobe.
This was the room where they lived during the
evening and night. The children slept underneath
the bed. During the day, they resided in the central
common room. Sometimes, the soldiers moved to
the countryside and lived with their wife in a
bamboo hut.

Travelling on V.O.C. ships.

The V.O.C. maintained the rule from the founding of

the company in 1602 until the dissolution of the
company in 1799 that only V.O.C. employees were
allowed to travel on the ships sailing for the Dutch
East Indies. These were important civil servants

95
with their families and servants, merchants,
surgeons, preachers, craftsmen, soldiers and of
course the sailors. The three master ships of the
V.O.C. in the 17th and 18th century were a
combination of trading-, war- and troop transport
ships which completed the journey in about eight
months. Very precise sailing orders were issued by
the council of the Seventeen Gentlemen, from
which no deviation was allowed. The ´Wagon spur´
provided precisely the sailing route that had to be
followed because of the different wind directions. If
one deviated from this, one could end up in
windless or strong head winds. Both meant long
delays, through which the supplies depleted and
malnutrition and diseases took place, especially
under the crew.

The opium proceeds of Bali.

The opium trade was the reason why The

Netherlands wanted to have direct authority over
the islands of Bali and Lombok. The use of opium
was common under the population and was sold on
the open market. The sovereigns had a large
interest in the opium trade because the Buginese
and Chinese merchants had to hand over part of
their profit as a form of taxation. The V.O.C. and the
Dutch government also profited from the opium
trade. The Dutch government made a new law in
1904 named the opium directive which made it
compulsory that merchants were only allowed to sell
to opium houses at fixed amounts and prices.

96
The Balinese population rioted because they had
always been able to purchase opium on the open
market. In the sultanate of Klungkung at a place
named Gelgel, the population attacked the opium
houses and murdered the civil servants who were
appointed by the Dutch government. The army
intervened and killed more than a hundred Balinese.
The sovereign of Gelgel who had supported the
uprising fled to the palace of Klungkung. General
van Heutz ordered a battalion from Surabaya to
attack Klungkung. The attack on the palace started
on the 28th of April 1908. The sovereigns and their
supporters committed suicide according to the
puputan ritual.

The hierarchy of the federal Muslim

sultanate of Atjeh.

The population of Atjeh lived in religious villages.

They were mosque municipalities or Mukims. A
number of Mukims were located within the
boundaries of sovereignty. Each sovereignty was
named after the number of Mukims that were
located within its boundaries. A sovereignty with five
Mukims within its boundaries was known as ´Five
Mukims´. The sovereign was a ´ Uleebalang´, a
traditional chieftain and of nobility. He was
addressed as ´Teuku´. His advisor was the religious
leader, the ´Ulema´. He was addressed as
´Teunku´.

97
Atjeh was a federal state sub divided in Sagies.
Each Sagi consisted of a number of sovereignties
within its boundaries. A Sagi was named after the
number of sovereignties within its boundaries. Sagi
26 consisted of 26 sovereignties. Each Sagi was led
by the ´Panglima´, which was the title of the most
important commander. The Panglimas were also
advised by Ulamas. The total of the Sagies formed
the Atjeh federation under the sultan of Dalam, but
they kept their own authority and military structure.

The first newspaper in the Dutch East

Indies.

In 1615 Jan Pietersz. Coen ordered that a

newspaper had to be published In the Dutch East
Indies, based on the ´Courante nouvelles´ of The
Netherlands. This was a hand written newspaper
with news bulletins. The name was changed to
´Memorie der Nouvelles´ in 1644.The prototype and
also the oldest print was issued, on the orders of the
government in Batavia, in 1688.
It took more than a half century before a real
newspaper appeared. The ´Batavische Nouvelles´
appeared on the 7th of August 1744. It was the first
newspaper that had received a license. The main
source of income was from advertising sales. The
board of the V.O.C. prohibited the newspaper from
appearing, because they saw it as a threat to the
monopoly position of the V.O.C.

98
It was only in 1776 that a successor appeared. It
was called the ´Vendunieuws´, which also had been
issued with a license. The government purchased
the City printing press in 1809 and could hereby
control the reports. The articles of the Regulations
were printed in detail on the governmental printing
press. The newspaper immediately went bankrupt
because of the high costs involved.
In the same year Daendels founded the
´Bataviasche Koloniale Courant´, which was re-
named as the ´Java Government Gazette´ during
the British occupation. The newspaper disappeared
with the return of the Dutch government in 1814.

The ´Puputan´. The ritual suicide on Bali.

The fifth expeditionary force was in position before

the gates of Denpasar. Warships bombarded the
capital of the sovereignty of Badung. The princes,
who were present, realized that surrender would
mean imprisonment and banishment. They chose
for the Puputan, the honorary suicide in combat with
the enemy.
The sovereign, the princes, the priests and their
followers dressed themselves in gold embroidered
clothes and wore brilliant jewels. They waved with a
golden Keris of which the with precious stones
adorned belts hung around their bodies. A pure
white cloak was worn over the ritual clothing. With
the sovereign up front they stormed with their
lances pointed forwards and their Keris raised high

99
at the soldiers. The rifle fire of the soldiers mowed
down most of them. The wounded stabbed the other
wounded in their heart before killing themselves.
More than two thousand Balinese were killed this
day. The sovereign of Tambanan was taken
prisoner a few days later and banished to Lombok.
He also committed suicide. Hereafter Klungkung
and Bangli recognized the Dutch government.

The daily life in Batavia in the

seventeenth century.

The Europeans lived within the ramparts of the

Castle of Batavia during the early occupation of the
V.O.C. On the whole, life was monotonous. The
men left the suffocating bedroom at dawn to take a
cold bath. There were some persons who found that
taking a bath two or three times a week was
sufficient to wash away the perspiration from their
bodies. Thereafter, thee was taken to clean the
kidneys and then followed breakfast. After
breakfast, one chewed on a sirih plum to freshen
the mouth.
The men went quietly to work, while the ladies gave
instructions to the slaves for the work to be done in
the household. Then they visited neighbours or
friends. The children were left in the care of the
baboes (native nannies). The noon gong rang
around noon for the midday meal, after which one
took a nap.

100
Around four o’clock one promenaded on the streets
in what was called the ´slipper parade´ to see or be
seen. A preacher read out the prayer aloud at
exactly seven o’clock, followed by the singing of
psalms accompanied by an organ. Hereafter the
evening meal was eaten, and one drank a ´zoopie´
(a nightcap) before going to sleep. There were no
beds. One slept on mattresses.
Around ten o’clock it became quiet again in the city,
except for the ´boozers´ who continued to drink.

Serious communist revolts.

Tan Malakka, Semaun, Darsono and Alimin

Prawirodirdjo belonged to the banished leaders of
the Partai Komunis Indonesia (P.K.I.) who were
banished for their leading role in the strike actions of
1922, 1923 and 1925. In 1926, the P.K.I. leaders
thought the time had come for a general revolt
against the Dutch authorities. Moscow had send
instructions to start the general revolt, but rescinded
these orders shortly thereafter. The P.K.I. leader
Muso kept the last instruction from Moscow for
himself. On the 12th of November 1926 open revolts
broke out on west Java in Banten, Batavia and
Bandung. Open revolts broke out in west Sumatra
in Padang in the beginning of 1927. The revolts
were suppressed with great difficulty, and the
Indonesian society was in turmoil. Around 13000
rebels were arrested, of which 4500 were convicted
to house arrest and 1300 were convicted and
banished to internment camps in Upper Digul on

101
Dutch New Guinea. None of them were allowed to
leave the country.
The communist organisation crumbled after the
arrest of the P.K.I. leaders. All communist
organisations were prohibited in 1927. The
remainder went underground. It was only in 1945
that the P.K.I. was founded again.

Pomp and pompadour.

The decent married women of the V.O.C.
employees dressed themselves in splendid clothing,
jewellery and had beautiful household furniture and
household items and carriages. The household
items had to be, if possible, of silver. The women
dressed themselves in silk and satin clothing, and in
spite of the heat even velvet. All of this was beset
with expensive lace. They wore golden hair bands
and arm bands and rings beset with diamonds
glistered on their fingers.
The men were also unable to resist the desire of
richness. Men in high positions wore black velvet
costumes beset with lace and adorned with golden
buttons. An expensive sword with a golden handle
was worn around their hips or they carried a Rotan
stick adorned with a golden knob in their hands.
The consequences of the abundance of richness
were that everyone had to show more pomp than
the next person. The V.O.C. management took
stern measures in order to curtail this excess. Strict
regulations were issued on what type of jewellery,
pearls and golden adornment one was allowed to

102
wear. This depended upon the position of the
husband. The rules also stated, depending again
upon the position of the husband, how many slaves
were allowed to walk behind the family, what type of
carriage of carrying chair was allowed, and the
greeting procedure of the carriage driver.

Tawan karang justice on Bali.

The V.O.C. showed little interest for Bali. There

were no profitable products for trading on the island
and it was inaccessible for large ships because of
the many coral reefs that surrounded the island.
Ships stranded regularly on the dangerous coast of
the island. The coastal inhabitants immediately
plundered the stranded ships. The Tawan karang
justice gave the coastal inhabitants the right to
plunder stranded ships and the sovereigns turned a
blind eye.
The government of the Dutch East Indies did not
accept this and attempted to come to an agreement
with all the sovereigns to, against compensation of
incurred costs, protect the stranded ships, the crew
and the load against the plundering of the coastal
inhabitants. Some sovereigns agreed reluctantly. In
their opinion, they had no say about the plundering
coastal inhabitants.
Two ships were plundered on the north coast of Bali
in 1844. The government reminded the sovereigns
of the northern sovereignties a year later of the
signed agreement. The sovereigns answered that it

103
was not in their jurisdiction and that they did not
recognize the Dutch authority. Both sovereignties
now prepared for a war.

Fort Rotterdam on Makassar.

The fortification Rotterdam on Makassar was

originally a Portuguese fortress and was called the
five arms after the five bastions which strengthened
the fortress. The fortress is the best preserved
fortress of the V.O.C. period.
Governor general Cornelis Speelman (1681-1684)
conquered the fortress and named after his
birthplace, Rotterdam. For a long time Fort
Rotterdam was the strongest fortress in the
archipelago, including the castle of Batavia and the
Castle of Victoria on the island of Ambon. This was
not accidental. In the early days, Makassar was the
key to the Orient, and the inhabitants were known
as the ´fighting men of the Orient, because they
were brave and bold.
The buildings fro the 17th and 18th century which
were built in the Old Dutch style were located
around a large central square. They had typical top
facades with sloping roofs, small windows and large
wide doors. These were the church, the surgeon’s
house, the buildings of the civil servants and the
town hall. The town hall had a balcony from which
the harsh judges of the judicial court were able to
observe the carrying out of the sentence of the
condemned persons. The condemned were lashed

104
with a whip or they were struck twenty-five times
with a Rotan stick and they were branded with red
hot tongs which were also used for other forms of
punishment. All the punishments were meant to be
preventive or repressive. The obedient citizens had
to observe of what was in store for them if they
committed an offensive act. The death penalty was
carried out outside the fort, watched by the
assembled townspeople who gathered around the
gallows.

The Dutch East Indies Railway Company

(NIS).

The first railroad in the Dutch East Indies was

opened in 1867 by the NIS. The railway ran from
Djokjakarta to Surakarta in central Java. The tracks
were constructed with the European standard width
of 1.435 metres. This was named wide track,
because during the construction of the railroad a
proposal was accepted to limit the standard track
width for the Dutch East Indies at 1.067 metres.
This would reduce construction costs when going
through mountainous regions.
The NIS had great financial difficulties during its first
ten years of existence. A threatening bankruptcy
was staved off twice by advance payments of the
government and private investors. The NIS was
able to recover slowly and became a profitable
company.

105
In the mean time, the wide track railroad
Djokjakarta-Solo was extended to the port city of
Semarang. The railroad was completed in 1873. At
the same time the railroad Buitenzorg to Batavia
was completed with the standard track width. More
new tracks were constructed or existing lines
extended. The NIS railway network consisted of a
total length of nine hundred kilometres.

Cinnamon and the V.O.C.

The V.O.C. traded, besides their spices, also in

cinnamon. But cinnamon grew only on the island of
Ceylon (the present Sri Lanka). And Ceylon was a
Portuguese possession. Cinnamon also grew in
different regions of the frontal side of The Dutch
East Indies, but this was of inferior quality. The
Portuguese called it ´canella de mata´, which
means wild or forest cinnamon. The fine high quality
pipe cinnamon grew exclusively on Ceylon.
The coastal regions of the island, where the
cinnamon grew, were conquered about the middle
of 16th century from the emperor of Kandi. From that
moment onwards, the Portuguese had and
maintained their cinnamon trade monopoly. The
V.O.C. had viewed the cinnamon trade on Ceylon
with eager eyes. It took nevertheless a long time
before the V.O.C. used force (the motto of the
V.O.C.) to get a hold of the cinnamon trade. The
capital Colombo fell in 1656 in the hands of the
V.O.C. after having fought a heavy battle. The
V.O.C. was able to maintain their monopoly of the

106
cinnamon trade for 140 years. The British
conquered Ceylon in 1795 and 1796.

The police force in the Dutch East Indies

until the beginning of 1900.

Around the beginning of 1900 the Dutch East Indies

had at their disposal the village (desa) police who
not trained for police tasks, the governmental police,
who consisted of police caretakers and the mantri
police who were added to the interior government.
There was no general feeling of security amongst
the population due to the poorly organized police
organization. The population depended on the
village police, which in de facto meant the village
chief. The village chiefs were not to be trusted and
underdeveloped. Crime was most of the time not
reported because one was afraid of repercussions.
If a crime was reported by the higher authorities,
this resulted in an unreliable and poor investigation
so that it left the presiding judge with no other
choice than to let the suspect go. The governmental
police consisted of some police caretakers and
some chief agents (mantri) who were attached
locally to European and native governors.
There were 5000 policemen on the force on Java in
1907. They were underpaid and not trained for their
tasks and served exclusively in the place they were
stationed. Their superiors employed them mostly for
household chores. It is an understatement to say

107
that the police force in that time was poorly
organized.

The governmental pawn shop service.

The governmental pawn shop service was founded

in 1904, and had by law the monopoly for the
issuing of loans up to one hundred guilders for
collateral of household items. Pawnshop loans
suited the Indonesian very well in the case of the
urgent need of a small amount of money; it also
suited the mental attitude of the Indonesian to invest
a temporary surplus of money in gold coins,
jewellery and other goods which could be used as
collateral. Pawn shop loans were used for
consumption and production. The financing of
seasonal needs for example.
A loan was issued without a credibility investigation
against part of the value of the collateral item and
had, thanks to the possibility of re-loaning against
the payment of a small interest sum, no fixed
repayment schedule. Because of this, one did not
end up in financial difficulties as by non-compliance
of the repayment of the loan only the collateral item
was lost.
Up until the beginning of the Second World War
loans were issued by about 480 pawn shops. The
loans were usually far lower than the legal
maximum of one hundred guilders. Contrary to the
original intention the governmental pawn shop

108
service had become a commercial governmental
institution. The profits ended up in the treasury.

The women of Batavia.

Most colonists came from the lower layers of the

Dutch society. It should be to no one’s surprise that
conversation and entertainment existed only on a
low level. High level cultural entertainment did not
exist. The quotation of J.P. Coen, ´our nation must
drink or die´ was the guideline. This found an
audience by most of the colonists and the alcohol
consumption of the boozers, who after their evening
meal drank exotic forms of alcoholic beverages,
was such that they could be called alcoholics. The
colonists drank so much that many died in the prime
of their lives. It was the same with love. Chastity
was a property that was practically non-existent by
women in the Dutch East Indies in the 17th century.
The European women who immigrated to the Dutch
East Indies in the 17th and 18th century came also
from the lower layers of society. Most of them had
worked as a servant girl, a cleaning woman or had
walked the streets with a fruit cart. Most of them
came to the Dutch East Indies to find their luck in a
marriage, preferably with a company civil servant
whose job was land bound. If they succeeded, they
´had it made´. If not there was only the scandalous,
vulgar and uninhibited life, to end up in the end in
gaol.

109
 The Dutch East Indies Radio
Broadcasting Service (NIROM).

The government of the Dutch East Indies issued a

concession to the NIROM on the 31st of March 1933
to provide radio programs for the European as well
as the native population. Radio broadcasting was
almost non-existent before April 1934. The almost
5000 owners of wireless radios had poor reception
because of atmospheric interference. Transmitters
above the wavelengths of 100 meter were mostly
inaudible. Only short wave transmitters between 16
and 60 meters could be used, and these were
scarce or non-existent.
The NIROM began transmission of programs of the
1st of April 1934 with four transmitters that were
located in Batavia, Bandung, Semarang and
Surabaya. Seventeen other transmitters were
positioned in the same year, increasing the number
of transmitters to 17.
At the beginning of 1935 the whole of Java had
good reception of the broadcasts. Eleven
transmitters broadcasted programs of general
interest and western orientated, and four
transmitters broadcasted programs for the native
population. By the end of 1939 there were 28
transmitters in the air. Some were clearly audible in
Europe. The NIROM had around 100.000 listeners
around 1940. The programs consisted of cultural
and religious programs, stage plays, concerts and
speeches by politicians. There was a great deal of

110
interest for international football games. The most
listened to program was the daily ´Anetapers´ news.

The V.O.C. and the sugar farmers.

A prosperous sugar cane industry had developed in

the wide surroundings of Batavia around 1700.
There were 116 registered sugar cane mills in the
surrounding regions of Batavia, according to the
governor of Batavia. In reality, the number of sugar
cane mills was much higher. The V.O.C.
strangulation contracts which demanded the sole
right of the sugar cane purchase caused many of
the mill owners not to register the existence of their
mills.
If the V.O.C. obtained concrete evidence of the
existence of an illegal sugar cane mill, the company
proclaimed that those that had not registered their
mills would be fined an amount which could be as
high as five hundred guilders, and that the company
reserved the right to destroy everything fixed or
loose inside the mill. Since the company found that
the sugar cane farmers were very prosperous, they
were obliged to contribute a financial contribution for
the renovation of V.O.C. houses. The V.O.C. had no
ear for the opposition this created, and the
contribution was inned at the exact time. In those
days private owners had to pay and not to moan
about it.

111
 The Hindu kingdom of Majapahit.

The political and cultural history of Indonesia has

since the 13th century been described in the ´Book
of Kings´, the ´ Paraton (1481)´.
Majapahit was founded in 1293 by price Wijaja. The
might and respect of the nation increased
considerably after the defeat of the Mongol army of
Kublai Khan. Under King Hajam Wuruk (1331-
1380), the nation developed itself into the most
powerful kingdom in the history of Indonesia. The
powerful position of the kingdom is attributed to the
role of the energetic administrator, the patih, Gadjah
Mada. Majapahit controlled the area that comprised
of what is now Malaysia and Indonesia. The power
of the kingdom was exercised indirectly. The many
tribes preserved their own political and social
structure. Most of the representatives of the king
were Hindu spiritual leaders. The king himself was
seen as a divine incarnation. At the national level of
government, the judicial jurisdiction, road
construction and the preservation of peace were
important. Through an intensive program of
shipbuilding and agriculture became Majapahit one
of the most important naval powers.
Indonesian historians consider this period as the
Golden Age of Indonesia.

112
 Life in the outer regional offices of the
V.O.C.

Company employees did not work on Sunday, but

the lower classes in Batavia most certainly had to
work. If one did not know a ´high uncle´, it usually
meant hard work in order to obtain promotion.
Respect shown for superiors was more a sort of
bootlicking and suck holing. To be favoured and
remain favoured was the end of all wisdom.
If this was the case in Batavia, it was even more so
in the outer regional offices. Here, the company was
represented by the chairman of all directors, the
Resident. The Resident had only one goal in his
mind. It was to show off the well being and fame of
the V.O.C. against other nations. Because of this,
the Resident was in fact a little dictator towards his
employees. If you questioned decisions from the
Resident, you could leave immediately. The
Resident was assisted by the bookkeeper, usually
named the ´Second´. The employees had to walk a
tightrope between the two if they had a conflict. Life
at the outer regional offices was very boring. One
had so much time to spare that one did not know
how to fill this in. The only busy time was when a
ship arrived or departed. The other working days
one was occupied for a half an hour with writing
documents for the company. The rest of the day
was filled in with doing nothing, gossiping and
eating, after which followed a long afternoon nap
(siesta).Many men left, with or without their families,

113
for the land of boundless opportunity after the
change in Dutch political policies towards the Dutch
East Indies.
A change in the living conditions became apparent
in the larger cities of the Dutch East Indies with the
large influx of Dutch persons from The Netherlands.
Suburbs with spacious park like areas were built,
including schools and hospitals, near the cities with
a high European population. The construction style
and living surroundings were adapted to the local
climatologic conditions. The houses consisted of
one or two storeys. Almost all of the houses were
provided with high, far protruding roofs, white
plastered facades, deep lying windows, ventilation
grills and often an open front and rear veranda. The
additional houses were located behind the main
house with a large rear garden on both sides.
A far stretching building was connected to the main
house on one side of it, with the kitchen, a number
of storage rooms for goods and supplies (gudang)
with resting and sleeping quarters for the servants
and a large open veranda. On the other side there
was a pavilion of minimal two rooms for guests and
a large garage. Most of the time, the large front
garden was connected with the rear garden along
the side of the main house. The houses were built
far back from the streets which were protected by
shadow providing trees.

114
 The V.O.C. and deforestation.

130 sugar cane mills were in operation in the

surroundings of Batavia in 1710. Thousands of
persons were employed in this business branch.
A primitive method was used to squeeze the juice
from the sugar cane by using water buffalos to keep
the mill stones moving. Then the juice was steamed
in large open pans. The steaming process needed
large amounts of wood. The deforestation of the
direct surroundings of the sugar cane mills was the
consequence of this. In the 18th century more and
more mud settled on the bottom of the canals of
Batavia. The mud came from areas stream
upwards, where the deforestation had caused
bottom erosion. Successive issued, for ecological
reasons, against too much cutting down of trees,
and orders for replanting. The export of lumber from
the area surrounding Batavia was prohibited. The
fine for non compliance was 1250 guilders.
Directives were issued repeatedly during the
existence of the V.O.C. to cut down trees ´with good
judgement´ so the sugar cane cultivation would not
be endangered.

The execution of Pattimura.

The sultans of Ternate and Tidore aided the colonial

army during the uprising on Saparua in 1817. The

115
first attempt to suppress the uprising by using force
failed. The much too small military force under
command of major Beetjes was annihilated. A new
expeditionary army was formed under command of
Rear Admiral A.A. Buyskes. As usual, when
composing the army, native auxiliary troops were
used from the native sovereigns. In exchange for
assistance from the colonial authorities they
provided auxiliary forces, guides, ships and rowers.
The campaigns of the colonial army could not have
been carried out without the aid of the native
sovereigns. The expeditionary force of Buyskes
consisted of five warships, 300 European soldiers
and 1500 auxiliary troops form the sultanate of
Ternate. The battles against the rebels lasted for
three weeks. The fighting was ruthless. No quarter
was given from both sides and villages were burned
down to the ground. Looting and arson were the
most important rewards for the auxiliary troops from
the sultanate of Ternate. Eventually, the leaders of
the bloody uprising were executed. Matulessy, later
better known as Pattimura was hanged. His last
words were: ´Slamat tinggal, tuan-tuan´ (Have nice
stay gentlemen).

A soldier’s life.

The Dutch authority was established all over the

archipelago after the last military expedition on Bali
in 1908. The longing for adventure for the eighteen
year old boys who had signed on in Harderwijk
disappeared rapidly because of the quiet and boring

116
garrison life in the barracks. Much spare time was
left after carrying out their assigned military tasks.
As is usual with all young soldiers in the western
hemisphere, this abundance of spare time was used
to gather in the canteens outside the barracks. The
riflemen drank a nip (paitje), or in the terminology of
that time a ´fathead´ on congenial tables. The
consumption of too much alcohol very often caused
fighting amongst the soldiers. They were
immediately arrested by the military provost.
The most notorious form of punishment was ´the
class´, the second highest form of military
punishment that lasted four months. A white 2 was
stitched on their wedgy to indicate shame. The
punished soldiers had heavy fatigue duties and
were confined to prison for the first month. They
were confined to barracks for the next two months
and were allowed to move freely again in the fourth
month.
If a soldier was arrested again for the same
infringement of discipline, the previous conviction
was revoked and another four months was added
onto his contract, which he had to serve irrevocably.

Pepper.

Pepper was available in a much larger area than the

clove and nutmeg trees. The pepper climbing shrub
grows only in areas of more than 500 metres above
sea level and between twenty degrees latitude north
and twenty degrees latitude south. Steady rainfall,

117
good humidity and good porous soil were available
in this region.
The pepper stalks begin, after planting, to bear fruit
after 2 to 6 years. The pant can, if trimmed
regularly, bear fruits over a period of twenty years,
and can be harvested twice a year. After picking,
the berries are dried, and the result is black pepper.
To produce white pepper, the ripened berries are
washed after which they are soaked in water for a
long period of time until the outer layer of the berries
rot away.
A compelling pepper culture existed in the hilly
areas of Bantam. This slowly transferred itself to
south Sumatra (the Lampongs), and by the end of
the 18th the cultivation of pepper on Java was all but
finished. The Chinese produced white pepper on
the island of Banka.
More than 55.000 tons of pepper was exported in
1940 with a market value of seven million guilders.

Sisal.

Sisal and cantala, two Agava plants, are very

similar. Both were cultivated in the Dutch East
Indies. The plant consists of a short stem with fleshy
leaves which grow on all sides of the stem with a
sharp point at the end of the leaves. The nerves and
fibres run parallel throughout the leaves which
reach a length of one and a half metres. The fibres
increase with age.

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After the crops have grown for two years, the
bottom leaves are cut off every six to twelve
months. The fibre bundles were mechanically
separated from the remainder of the leaves in well
equipped factories.
The fibre of the Sisal was longer and stronger than
the fibre of the cantala, whose fibres were thinner
and more flexible. The larger companies planted
mainly sisal because of the higher proceeds. The
cantala was planted on less favourable soil because
the plant could grow in this type of soil. The fibres of
both plants were used for the production of ropes,
cables, mats and as a replacement for hessian.
The percentage which was exported consisted of 17
% of the total world production.

Kapok.

Kapok can be seen as a culture of the native

population. The high kapok trees grew in the
farmyards of the villages and along the roads.
Especially on the north coast of central and east
Java. The fruits matured during the dry season,
known as the east monsoon. Before the fruits burst
open, they were harvested by using long bamboo
sticks and transported to the factory.
The elongated fruits were opened manually and the
fluffy contents were removed within the fruit, which
is able to reach a length of about thirty centimetres,
an abundance of pea like seeds were embedded in
knobs of fruit fluff. The fluff consists of in the side of

119
the fruit formed long and hollow fibres. The raw
kapok consisting of the fluff with the seeds are dried
in the sun and turned over and mixed frequently
with forks so the seed pits are separated from the
fluff. The pits are then removed by an unpitting mill
in the factory.
The fibres are light, flexible and heat insulating. The
properties of kapok make it suitable as a filling for
mattresses and cushions. It was also used as a
sound muffling material in for instance airplanes.
Fibres from the kapok products with the brand
´Javakapok´, the kapok pits, kapok pit oil and kapok
pit pressed cookies were exported to The
Netherlands, Australia and North America.

The use of nutmeg.

Nutmeg and mace are ingredients for a great

number of products. Both ingredients are used in
the western hemisphere in products such as
cookies, pastry, sauces and meat to obtain the
correct flavour.
Nutmeg is used in alcoholic beverages such as
advocate and hot toddies. In Chaucer’s ´Canterbury
Tales´, nutmeg is recommended to be added to
beer.
Nutmeg oil extract is essential for the aroma in food,
soft drinks, liquors and perfumes. It possibly also
forms part of the secret recipe of Coca Cola. The
unpleasant active component in spraying cans is

120
hidden by the addition of nutmeg. Nutmeg is used in
medicines such as Vicks Vaporub.
Nutmeg butter is processed in soap and shampoo.
A smear of nutmeg butter is used as an anti allergy
remedy and relieve rheumatic pain.
Mace is used to bring ketchup up to the correct
flavour. Mace oil forms part of the complex
chemistry of the perfume industry. Crushed nutmeg
is recommended in the Asiatic native medicinal art
as to be consumed by over indulgence of food,
farting, acid indigestion and to administer to women
after childbirth. It is also used as a remedy against
blood diarrhoea, hip jaundice, malaria, leprosy and
rheumatism in an early stadium.

Tin.

Tin is mostly found in certain rocks. After heating

the rocks in a refinery process, the tin is extracted
as white shiny metal. Tin is very pliable and can by
normal temperatures be press rolled to very thin
sheets such as tinfoil or silver paper.
Tin became an important merchandise article in the
18th century because of these properties, because
of the enormous export possibilities to China. The
V.O.C. ordered tea from the Chinese and paid with
tin, which needed much tinfoil. The Chinese used
tinfoil at their religious ceremonies as a symbolic
replacement for the offers of silver gold.

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Most of the tin came from the islands of Bangka,
Billiton and Singkep, located on the east coast of
Sumatra. The in 1924 founded joint venture mining
company of Billiton absorbed the three separate
companies. In fact, it was a new corporation
consisting of the three previous companies and the
government. Not only on land, but also at sea large
dredging machines were used to win tin rock.

Quinine.

South American Indian tribes used the bark of the

quinine tree as a medicine. The Spaniards
introduced it in Europe, but it was unknown from
which tree the bark came from. It was only in 1846
that the botanist Weddell discovered a quinine bark
type that was considered the best that existed. In
later years many researchers collected quinine plant
material in South America.
The government’s quinine company selected from
all the existing plants the Ledgeriana and the
Succiruba sort. Both sorts were cultivated by large
business ventures in the mountain region. The
quinine tree had to be cut down in order to remove
the bark. There was no other method. A number of
trees were cut down every year. Plant reforestation
took place at one meter twenty from each other.
The bark was sliced from the trunk and dried in the
sun or in ovens. Seventy percent of the quinine bark
was exported.

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In 1936, the Dutch East Indies controlled ninety
percent of the world trade in quinine bark. The
remainder of the bark was processed in the quinine
factory in Bandung.

Preparation and use of a Ladang.

Searching for a suitable terrain to lay out a Ladang

was done very carefully. The parcel of trees is first
investigated for the absence of harmful insects for
the rice cultivation. Then offers to the gods are laid
down at the foot of a large tree. The doekoen
(wonder doctor) of the farmer speaks out his
prayers or murmurs his blessings. The real work
begins when the tree is cut down. Small wood
remains and weeds are chopped off. Thereafter, the
heavy trees are cut down at a height of three to four
metres.
After a drying period of a month of longer, the felled
trees and the remaining wood is set on fire. After
the fire has extinguished itself, the half burned tree
trunks and branches are again set on fire. Only the
half burned heavy tree trunks remain lying on the
ground. A fence is finally erected to protect the area
from wild boars. No more preparations are made of
the humus rich soil after the parcel of wood has
been cut down. Now the planting of the rice seeds
in the padi at short distances from each other (to
prevent wild grow of weeds) can begin. About
twenty or thirty centimetres from each other holes
are made in the soil using a pointed stick. Rice
seeds are deposited in every hole. The ladang rice

123
needs almost no maintenance. The rice can be
harvested after five or six months. The addition of
abundant water is in the beginning very important to
prevent the seed from breaking open.

Cassava (ketela pohong).

Cassava was unknown in the Dutch East Indies

around 1900. The turnip crop was cultivated in a
fast growing speed during the First World War,
when there was a scarcity of rice. The root of the
cassava is now an important foodstuff in the diet of
the Indonesian population. Cassava stalks are
planted with the sprout facing upwards. This
prevents the collection of prussic acid in the edible
turnip roots during the growing period. The cassava
is very easy to cultivate on all sorts of soil, except
for clay. The growing period of the turnips vary. The
early mature variety of the cassava turnips is
harvested by the population after bout six to nine
months and the late mature variety after ten to
twelve months. The cassava turnip is piqued,
cooked, steamed or fried in oil consumption.
Different types of cassava turnip snacks are
available in the warongs (little shops). A dry slice of
flattened cake named Opak. With ´ragi´ yeasted
pieces, cut and boiled Sundanese peujum which is
called tape on Java and Javanese getuk sliced
cake.
The turnips are peeled, cut in pieces and dried, to
gaplek for livestock fodder or grinded to unfiltered
gaplek flour for export purposes.

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Tapioca flour is produced in factories where the
cassava flour is filtered and purified to remove
harmful substances, including the existing minimum
of prussic acid from the turnip root.

Clove (Tjengkeh).

Initially, clove trees could only be found on the

Moluccan islands. It was only during the last
decennia that the French were able to transport the
seeds and plants to Mauritius. Form there they were
dispersed to Madagascar, Zanzibar and the
Caribbean. The clove tree has special demands for
the soil and the climate. This limited the dispersal of
the clove trees.
The cultivation and care of the clove trees calls for
little energy and time, but they need long lasting
attention. There is a long period between the
planting of the tree and the tree becoming in bloom.
A clove tree will bloom for the first time only after
ten to twelve years, and can reached an age of
between fifty and sixty years.
The trees blossom between October and January.
The blossom clusters are then picked by climbing in
the tree or by bringing down the branches with a
long bamboo stick with a hook attached on the end.
The picking of the blossoms requires intensive
labour. There are only a few days available to pick
the knobs after they begin to blossom or the aroma
will decrease fast. Because of the vulnerability of

125
the knobs, the picking of the blossom has to be
done carefully.

Cinnamon.

The best location for a cinnamon tree to grow is in a

mountainous region at a height of about 1000
metres. The tree grows without problems and is
used now and then for reforestation and planted
along side roads. The populations of the
mountainous regions plant the trees on farmyards
or in small gardens. The tree can also grow in lower
lying regions, but the bark will be thinner.
The trees are planted at a distance of about two
metres from each other in the cinnamon gardens,
so there is dense planting. The bark can be
harvested seven or eight years after the trees are
planted.
The layer of cork is scraped off the tree first. Then
grooves are cut in rings from the top to the bottom
of the trunk. The distance between the circular
grooves is about ten centimetres, depending upon
the thickness of the trunk.
The bark can be peeled off without any problems in
between the grooves. The tree is then cut down at
about five centimetres of the root neck. Bark is also
peeled off from the larger branches, although the
bark is thinner and contains fewer aromas. During
the drying process and after removal of the outer
layer the small strips of cinnamon roll themselves

126
up into what is called pipe cinnamon. Cinnamon oil
is distilled from the waste of the bark.

The Deli tobacco industry.

The small sultanate of Deli, located on the east

coast of Sumatra, subjugated itself to the Dutch
authorities. As a reward, the sultan obtained a direct
business relationship with Batavia.
Some time later, J. Nienhuys, and entrepreneurial
tobacco planter from Java reported to sultan
Mahmud and obtained a concession with very
favourable conditions. For a pikol (a measurement)
of sixty kilos of exported tobacco, Nienhuys paid
fifty cents. The proceeds of Java tobacco at the
Dutch auction houses was one guilder per kilo.
The first fifty bales of Deli tobacco arrived on the
Dutch market in 1864. The quality was splendid and
especially the Deli cover leaf which was used by the
cigar manufacturers was brilliant. At that time the
Deli tobacco industry consisted of an area seventy
kilometres long and sixty kilometres wide. Deli
tobacco was auctioned off in 1865 at one guilder
and forty nine cents per pound. This was the
highest auction price in the 19th century. Deli
tobacco was a sensation for the manufacturer and
the user alike. The Deli Company was founded in
the Dutch East Indies in 1870. This was the first
limited liability company of which the board of
directors resided in Amsterdam instead of in the
Dutch East Indies. A dividend of 200% was paid out

127
in the first year. In the third year this had increased
to 1300%.

Java teak.

Teak is a wood species from the Tectona Grandis

tree which grows in Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam
and Indonesia. The Tectona Grandis was later
planted on other continents. The species is known
for that it has better properties in itself than all other
wood species. The colour of the wood is light to
dark brown and is beautifully decorated. The grain
is somewhat rough, not too hard and not too heavy.
The wood is strong and almost shrinks free. It is
exceptional durable and reasonably resistant
against termites and chemicals.
Although easily to work with, it has the tendency to
dull tools rapidly. Teak was used in the past in
shipbuilding for the decks and in housing
construction. Teak has become an expensive wood
species due to the decrease in supply and is used
only in selective applications, such as deck veneer.
There is a difference between Burma teak, Siam
teak and Java teak. The difference in quality
between these three sorts is minimal. Teak is
known in Indonesia as kaju djati.
The name teak is very often used for other wood
species to suggest the good properties of the wood.
Names such as African teak, Rhodesian teak and
Yang teak are incorrect. All teak is wood, but not all
wood is teak!

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 Citronella oil (Sereh oil).

The sereh leave is used in the kitchen to provide

many dishes with a pleasant aroma. The sereh
leaves and similar grass sorts provide etherical oils
which are applied as spices, medicine and as a
rubbing remedy for muscular pains.
Sereh grass, citronella grass and lemon grass are
closely related to each other. The leaves of these
grass sorts provide delicious aromatic oil. The roots
of a fourth related grass sort, vertiver grass or akar
wangi (aromatic root) also provides oil.
The method of growing these grass sorts is
identical. The leaves from the closely pressed
pollen stick about one meter above the ground. The
grass is cultivated by businesses and in the private
gardens of the population.
Cultivation takes place by tearing off root bearing
stems from old plants and to bury them in a hole in
the ground. The closely knit growing lots form pollen
from which the leaves slowly shoot above the
ground. In the past small factories and in private
homes etherical oil was extracted. Later on, large
companies bought out these small enterprises and
produced the sereh-, citronella- and lemon oil. The
citronella oil was especially a much sought after
export product.
The roots of the akar wangi (aromatic) grass
provided the well known akar wangi oil. This oil was
very popular with the European ladies in the Dutch

129
East Indies. The roots were also placed in the linen
wardrobe because of its pleasant aroma.

Cacao.

The cacao tree has a strange way of growing. A

tree of around 2 to 5 metres grows from a seed
planted in the ground. A deceptive garland forms at
the top consisting mostly of five leaning main
branches. Secondary branches sprout from the
main branches. No further branches grow on the
tree trunk, but vertical water lots who repeat the
process. This creates different levels of main
branches above each other.
The trees provide their first cacao fruits in the third
or fourth year. The trees provide their maximum
proceeds after seven to fifteen years. The cacao
fruit has an oval form and is fifteen to twenty
centimetres long. The contents of the seeds
consisted of twenty five to fifty small seeds in five
overlapping rows. The ripened seeds a chopped off
with a machete cut open and deposited in covered
heaps. It is now that the fermentation process
begins by which the beans through yeasting and the
forming of bacteria obtain their characteristic taste
and aroma substance of cacao.
The beans are dried here after in the sun. The next
process supplies cacao paste, cacao butter and
cacao butter. These are necessary ingredients for
the processing in the chocolate-, cosmetic-, and

130
pharmaceutical industry. Java cacao was of
excellent quality.

Rice cultivation rituals.

The farmer tills his land (sawah) by hand or a

plough pulled by a set of oxen. The soil is inundated
and tilled further until the desired consistency of
mud has been reached. The seeds are laid out in
nursery beds and when the plants are four to six
weeks old, they are replanted in the inundated soil.
The soil is laid dry when the harvest time has
arrived. The rice is harvested most of the time
according to the traditional method with a hand held
knife, the ani-ani. Each helm top is cut individually,
dried and drosted.
Offers are made to the gods, the spirits and the
demons during the rice cultivation cycle in order to
favour the farmer positively. The ancestral spirits
receive special attention.
On Java and Bali, the rice is embodied by the
goddess Dewi Sri. If the rice blooms, then Dewi Sri
is pregnant. Sour tasting fruits, sugar, bananas and
eggs are laid out on an altar in the field. This is the
food most pregnant woman desire.
Rice in the archipelago has just like humans,
animals and other plants a soul. Many rituals are
used to contain the soul in the grains. If for any
reason the soul leaves the rice, then the rice will
wither and die.

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 Coffee.

Coffee came originally from the region south of the

Red Sea, mainly from Yemen. The port of Yemen,
Mocca, developed itself into the largest port at that
time. The coffee taste and aroma depended upon
the height where the cultivation took place and the
coffee product was either called Arabica or Robusta
on the coffee markets of the world. Around 1660,
the V.O.C. had a trading office in Mocca and was
involved in a fierce competitive battle with the East
Indies Companies of England and France.
The demand for coffee in Europe kept growing.
Dutch merchants managed to take some coffee
plants from Yemen at the end of the 17th century.
Successful experiments were carried out with the
coffee plants in the Preanger, the mountainous
region on west Java. The coffee industry started up
a few years later. Many farmers received a high
price for their coffee produce.
The farmers were, according to the usual V.O.C.
concept, ordered to supply the coffee to the V.O.C.
via their native chiefs.
Java coffee was well liked in The Netherlands and
even outstripped the demand of Mocca coffee. The
V.O.C. trading office in Mocca was closed around
1740 because of the growing production of Java
coffee.

132
The development of the rubber industry.

Brazil was the only country that exported rubber in

the entire world until the Brit Wickham brought
precisely selected seeds of the Brazilian rubber tree
(Hevea brasiliensis) back the U.K. The British
recognized that rubber could become a new
profitable industry. They laid out Hevea plantations
in Malacca and Ceylon.
In the Dutch East Indies, the first rubber plantations
were set up in 1903 on Sumatra and in 1906 on
Java.
The automotive industry developed itself in the
beginning of 1900. This caused an increase in the
demand for the manufacturing of rubber tires. After
1910, the rubber industry became of great
importance to the Dutch East Indies, not only for the
rubber industry itself but also for the local
population. The demand for rubber exceeded the
production. New rubber plantations were
established in the Dutch East Indies at fast pace.
75.000 hectare soil was planted with Hevea in 1910.
The area of the plantations in 1940 was 600.000
hectares. There were 600 rubber businesses on
Java and 600 businesses in the outer regions,
mainly on Sumatra. The local population also laid
out small plantations.
Many Indonesians from Borneo and north Sumatra
had been employed as koelies (farm hand) on the
rubber plantations in Malacca. They brought the
seeds with them and laid out small rubber

133
plantations. The Indonesians started to cultivate
rubber trees after 1910, because of the rise of the
price of rubber. The plantations were on the
average one hectare in size.
The rubber plants were planted mostly on discarded
ladangs (soil for dry rice cultivation). The trees did
not have to be taken care of and were left alone for
a few years. The tapping of the sap and the
preparation of rubber happened in various primitive
ways.
Usually slanting grooves were cut into the tree
trunk. A tap beaker or can was hung at the end of a
groove, which was emptied daily. The collected
latex was usually kept in petroleum or gasoline cans
which were cut in half. The latex was mixed with
alune. By using flat bottomed sticks or by stamping
the substance it was made into cakes which were
laid out to dry in the sun. The cakes, which still
contained a large amount of water, went via a buyer
to a processing factory. There were about 800.000
small rubber plantations on Sumatra and Borneo.
The production of these small plantations was good
enough for 45% of the total export. With 38% of the
total world production was rubber the most
important export product of the Dutch East Indies.

Arachide (peanut).

The Katjang Tanah or peanut is a plant whose fruit

bearing beans grow underneath the soil. The beans
are processed into the well known arachide oil. The

134
peanut has a particular and remarkable manner of
fruit forming. The flowers grow on one or two small
stalks in the armpit of the bottom leaves. The plant
grows after the fruit emerges and the stem reaches
a new stalk appears with a length of about twenty
centimetres with the new fruit on the end of the
stalk. The new stem drills itself into the wielded soil.
At a depth of about five centimetres, the fruit
develops into the well known ´Katjang´ or peanut
pea with two or three seeds inside of it, the peanuts.
The native population planted the Katjang Tanah
(peanut) after the rice harvest mostly as a second
crop on the ladang or the sawah. In order to
cultivate the plant, the soil has to be wielded so the
plant and the roots can penetrate easily. Much
water is needed during the growing period of the
plant, but dry soil is essential during the maturing
process. It is definitely a crop for low lying areas.
After harvesting, the remains of the plants are used
as manure.
The nuts are processed to oil. This happens in the
modern factories and in the small oil producing
farms of the tani (farmer). Arachide oil is a tasteful
salad oil that is used in the manufacturing of
margarine and soap. The peanut itself is used as an
ingredient for dishes or for filling for sandwiches.

Palm tree oil.

The palm tree oil industry had extensively

developed on the east coast of Sumatra and Atjeh.

135
A number of smaller businesses existed on south
Sumatra, Celebes (Sulawesi) and Java.
The Cocos- and Sawit palm tree needs a tropical
temperature for the production of good and suitable
palm nuts as a raw material for the palm tree oil.
Therefore, the palm tree businesses were never
located at an altitude above 500 meters above sea
level. Not too much rainfall and a short dry period
were necessary. The Cocos- and Sawit palm trees
did not demand much of the soil in which they grew.
However, the processing of the palm tree oil fruit
preferably needed to take place locally. The quality
of the basis for processing the palm tree nuts to oil,
a low fat acidity content, deteriorated very rapidly.
Lengthy transportation of the palm tree oil was not
feasible.
Therefore, under western management, the palm
tree oil industry existed of a minimum area of fifteen
hectares with the processing factory on location.
Because of the limited domestic consumption
(Cocos or sawpit palm tree oil was used mainly for
the frying and baking of food) almost all of the palm
tree oil was exported. Around 1940 the export of
palm tree oil was 50% of the total world export.

Opium (Tjandu).

A sap which rapidly coagulates seeps out of the

poppy of the papaver plant by cutting grooves in the
poppies. The sticky substance is dried and is called
raw opium.

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The dried raw opium is cut into pieces of about half
a kilo and rolled into a ball or flattened into a
pancake form and sold.
Before the opium ball or pancake can be consumed
it has to be dissolved in water, purified from fibres
and other contaminating substances, and then dried
again into a paste. Opium is better known as a
medicinal remedy or a pleasant narcotic under the
name morphine.
Opium, however obtained a reputation as a popular
pleasurable narcotic. Inhaling of opium brings the
user into an intoxicated pleasurable or depressive
state. The V.O.C. purchased opium mainly in
Bengal in India. The opium was intended for the
Javanese and Chinese who found it a pleasurable
narcotic.
Around 1760 Bengal was conquered by the British
and it became more difficult for the V.O.C. to
purchase opium. Large scale smuggling of opium
took place because of the high price for small
amounts. At present, the production of opium takes
place in south western Asia.

Javanese cattle.

The Zebu or hump neck oxen were imported from

Bengal in India to Java as tame cattle a long time
ago. The Zebu belongs to the ruminating hollow
horned cattle species. The animals distinguish
themselves through the fat containing hump on their
neck and their loosely pleated hide on their breast

137
and throat. They exist in tropical and sub tropical
regions because of their resistance to the high
temperatures. They also exist in some areas of
India, Australia and central and South America. In
the past some of them lived in the wild, but
presently they are all tame.
Javanese and Sumatra cattle are the result of the
cross breeding of the Zebu with a tame descendant
of the Sapi Banteng. The Sapi Banteng, who was
related to the Zebu, lived in the wild on east Java in
the nature reservation´ Alas Purwo´. The Sapi
Banteng also lived in Borneo, Malaya and India.
The Sapi Banteng is the ancestor of Madurese and
Balinese cattle. The animal has a total height of one
metre and fifty centimetres, is coloured reddish
brown with some white spots. Both the cows and
the bulls have horns. The Sapi (Japanese for beef)
was mainly used as a draught animal. Two Sapies
pull the plough of the farmer in the sawah. They are
used in teams of two or four on the roads to pull
covered wagons (grobaks) loaded with farm
products such as cane sugar, turnip crops, etc.

The Ubi (a sweet turnip sort).

The Ubi is a creeping plant from the tropical part of

the Americas. The root carrying turnips are rich with
starch and have a sweet after taste. The plant is
better known in North America as ´the sweet
potato´. The Ubi becomes important in Indonesia
when the supply of rice is depleted. This usually
happens during the last four months before planting

138
time. During the same time the turnips ripen from
the planted Ubi stalks.
The farmer cultivates the Ubi during the dry
monsoon, which begins between July and August,
on the dry sawah´s after the harvest of the rice. The
loose rice plant remains are gathered, after the
harvest, in wide rows of approximately fifty
centimetres. The soil between the rows is loosened
with a patjoel and distributed over the hay. This
results in heightened plant soil levels. The stalks are
stuck at least twenty centimetres deep in the
loosened soil. The plant is mature after three to five
months and the turnips are full grown. The leaves
then start to fade to a reddish colour and die off. By
bruising the stalks and the leaves some days before
harvesting, the turnip receives an extra stimulus to
grow. This is the distinguishing mark for the harvest
time.
There are many Ubi variations. Round turnips with a
white jacket (boled lampeneng), elongated turnips
with a wine red jacket (boled lampekung) and some
other varieties. One can keep the edible turnips only
one to two weeks. After that the turnips start to
sprout and rot.

The Soya bean.

The Katjang kedelai was imported from Manchuria a

long time ago to serve as an important food
component for the population. The Soya industry
really started to develop after 1920, so that the

139
harvests could satisfy the needs of the population of
the archipelago.
The cultivation of the Katjang kedelai (kedelai
beans) takes mostly place as replacement crop on
the sawah´s after the rice harvest and sometimes
on fallow soil (tegalans). The soil has to remain wet
during the sowing of the kedelai peas. The kedelai
plant takes on the average three months to grow
before the peas are ripe.
The kedekai plant is usually cultivated in
combination with other crops, such as the Cassava,
the Katjang Idjo (a green pea that is also used for
the manufacturing of Tauge), corn or aubergines
(terong). The plants are extracted by hand from the
soil and tied up in bundles. After that they are dried
in the sun and the beans are separated from the
stalks by beating the stalks with a stick. Black
kedelai are beans with a dark brown fleece and fruit
flesh, while the white kedelai beans have an ivory
colour and fruit flesh. The white beans are cooked
and after certain additives pressed into elongated
types of pan cakes. After the pan cakes are cooled,
they are stored in a dark storage room and kept at a
constant temperature. The final product is called
Tempeh. Using other additives, the residue of the
with water mixed grinded white kedelai beans is
Tahoe/Taufu manufactured.
Initially ketjap was produced in the countryside
villages (desas). Later the production of Soya sauce
(ketjap) took place in factories. The Soya sauce
production was generally in the hands of the
Chinese. The product was a mixture of cooked and

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grinded white kedelai beans with a red milk
(klapper) or arens sugar and salt added.
By using additives, Taotjo is made from the black
kedelai pea. It is used a lot as an ingredient in food
or as a flavour additive in the Indonesian and the
Chinese kitchen.
The kedelai pea contains many vitamins, minerals,
starch and proteins and is used by vegetarians are
replacement for meat. The properties of the kedelai
pea also contribute to the lowering of cholesterol
level.

Medicinal herbs.

Many medicinal herbs are in existence in Indonesia

which are used for many illnesses and complaints. It
is normal that a tukang Jamu´s (a female herbalist)
calls on houses to sell her self-made herbal
concoction. There is a great demand for herbal
medicines under the population. Some herbal
medicines are used to combat existing illnesses,
while others are used to prevent illnesses.
Some of these herbs are:
Temoek Lawak, a turnip that is boiled with additives
such as tamarind (asem) and brown sugar. This
medicine cleanses the blood.
Kumis Kutjing is boiled, strained and drank as thee.
It cleanses the kidneys.

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Dauun Minjana is mashed into fine particles after
being washed. The juice cleanses the eyes and
cures eye infections.
Kentjur turnips are first washed and mixed with salt,
chewed and slowly swallowed. The juices cure
throat disorders.
The same turnip when mixed fine grinded grains of
rice and made into a porridge is used to smear over
the painful areas of bruises. The pain disappears
and the swelling retracts.
A mixture of young Djambu Klutuk leaves stops
diahrrea when consumed.
Drinking a small glass of petroleum on an empty
stomach relieves and cures throat problems,
coughing and asthma attacks.
There are hundreds of other applicable herbal
medicines who play a role in curing illnesses.

The exploitation of Minjak Tanah

(crude oil).
The native population of Java and Sumatra
extracted crude oil a long time ago. The Minjak
Tanah became famous as a medicine against
different illnesses and complaints.
The first modern oil well was discovered near
Wonocolo on east Java. The Dortse Petroleum
Company (DPM) extracted the crude oil in a
“primitive manner´.

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A tobacco inspector discovered on Sumatra in the
sultanate of Langkat, which borders on Atjeh, a
second oil well. The sultan granted him a
concession. The Minjak Tanah bubbled out of the
ground in some places. The financial arrangements
were completed in 1885 and in the same year
production began at the second oil well in the Dutch
East Indies.
King William the third arranged for financial
assistance for the founding of the ´Royal Dutch
Company for the Exploitation of Petroleum wells in
the Dutch East Indies´. The ´Royal´ first aim was
north Sumatra. A primitive refinery and the company
head quarters were constructed in Pangkalan
Brandan.
It was a risky business. There was little or no
knowledge of the soil contents and there were daily
attacks from gangs from Atjeh. The value of the
shares of the ´Royal´ increased and the dividend
was reasonable in spite of the set backs. Some
seven years later a disaster occurred for the
company. The wells of Langkat suddenly dried up,
and there were no other oil wells nearby. A hasty
search began for alternatives!

The salvation of Royal Oil.

It was a case of life or death for Royal Oil to

discover new oil wells after the oil wells in Telaga
Said in the sultanate of Langkat dried up. They were
finally discovered in the small coastal states of north

143
Atjeh and especially in the sultanate of Perlak. It just
so happened that violence and terror were the order
of the day in these small coastal states. The
authority of the government of the Dutch East Indies
was not recognized in this region and the situation
was very chaotic. It was only after Colonel van
Heutz had ended the uprisings and had occupied
Perlak with a military force that ´Royal Oil´ was able
to start drilling at the new oil wells. The company
was saved from its perilous situation.
Colonel van Heutz resisted the plans of the oil
company to transport the oil with pipelines from
Perlak to Langkat vehemently. He wanted a refinery
at Perlak in order to develop Atjeh. He was unable
to fight the oil lobbies of Royal Oil in The Hague and
Batavia. The oil company won.
Royal Oil became a fierce competitor for the oil
companies in the Far East. The appearance of
Royal Oil on the European market caused a
competitive struggle that lasted for years, especially
with the U.S.A.

The struggle for crude oil in the Dutch

East Indies.

Royal Oil tried to obtain a monopoly for the winning

of crude oil in the Dutch East Indies after merging
with the British oil company Shell in 1907. The
name of the new company was Royal Shell. Royal
Shell took over the Muara Enim at Palembang and
later the Dortse petroleum company, who exploited

144
the oil wells at Wonocolo on Java. Royal Shell had
the monopoly of crude oil winning for a while,
because the Dutch government refused to issue
concessions to other oil companies. Competition
came later from the American oil company
´Standard Oil of New Jersey´, owned by the
Rockefeller family. Standard Oil gained a foothold in
the Dutch East Indies by buying up old concessions.
Standard Oil founded the ´Dutch Colonial Petroleum
Company´ (NKPM).
They built a large refinery at Sungai Gerong on the
Kommering River, a tributary of the Musi River,
opposite the BPM refinery at Pladju, on the basis of
one of these old concessions. This refinery became
the largest refinery in the Far East in 1939.
Meanwhile, the company name of NKPM had been
changed to ´Standard Vacuum Petroleum
Company´ (Stanvac). At the same time Caltex also
became active in the Dutch East Indies. In the
beginning of 1940, the winning of oil was divided
amongst the ´Big Three´, royals Shell, Stanvac and
Caltex. Later on, decisions by world political leaders
broke up the monopoly.

The Japanese demands for oil deliveries.

Schizo Kobayashi was the Japanese minister of

trade. He came to the Dutch East Indies in
September of 1940, on orders of his government,
with a specific trade mission. He made it clear to the
Dutch that since the capitulation of the Dutch
government, it would be better for them if they

145
remained friends with the mighty Japanese empire,
and to show understanding for the Japanese need
for the primary necessities of life. On top of his list
of demands was the delivery of enormous quantities
of oil.
Oil was the key by which Japan would become the
ruler and ´protector´ of the whole of East Asia. The
first issue on the Japanese agenda for the
negotiations was the oil fields on Sumatra, Borneo,
Java and New Guinea. Besides oil, the Japanese
also had rubber, tin, nickel, manganese ore, quinine
and the abolishment of fishery restrictions for
Japan. The Japanese also demanded direct air
connections with Japan. Batavia held the boat off
during the long lingering negotiations and finally
discarded the Japanese demands.
The Japanese delegation left, without achieving any
results, on the 27th of June 1941 from the port of
Tandjung Priok near Batavia back to Japan.

The importance of the shipment of spices

for the V.O.C

Many wars were to be fought and much blood would

flow over clove and nutmeg. The profits gained for
the finer spices were unbelievably large with respect
to the quantities shipped and the production region
was very limited. The temptation to obtain the
exclusive rights to these spices and to cut out other
competitors was enormous.

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The finer spices and cinnamon that was shipped by
the V.O.C. to Europe amounted to 15% of the
purchase value of all the goods shipped. The
proceeds of these spices in the Dutch auction
houses amounted in the 17th until halfway in the 18th
century 26% of the total sales value of all the goods.
The trading in pepper was actually the most
important. Half of the shipped goods by the V.O.C.
until the middle of the 17th century consisted of
pepper. After 1670, this decreased to 30%. Pepper
was also the primary trading product with Asia.

The Dutch as freight carriers.

The Dutch were originally the freight carriers of

Europe. They shipped goods which the Portuguese
had brought from the Orient to other European
ports. All this ended when Philip the Second of
Spain united Spain and Portugal in 1580. He closed
all the ports for Dutch ships.
Thereupon, the Dutch decided to find a shipping
lane to the Orient themselves. The same shipping
lane the Portuguese had discovered a hundred
years earlier. Two Dutchmen had gained
experience in service of the Portuguese. Jan
Huijgen van Linschoten from Haarlem and Dirck
Gerritse Pomp from Enkhuizen. They had obtained
experience in service of the Portuguese and knew
the sailing route to the Orient. The Dutch reached
the Orient via the Cape of Good Hope.

147
Once they arrived, the met hostile native tribes, the
Spaniards, the Portuguese and especially the
British, who had always been jealous of the
flourishing trading of the Dutch. The Dutch fleets
were initially in fierce competition with each other.
This ended in 1602 when the V.O.C. gained the
monopoly for all trading by the Dutch in East Indies

The successful expedition of Jacob van

Neck.

The interest of the Dutch for a shipping route to Asia

was great despite the first expedition commanded
by Cornelius de Houtman which was a financial
disaster. Eight different companies send fourteen
fleets of ships to Asia between 1589 and 1601.
Some of the fleets tried to find alternative routes to
Asia. Some were successful and some not. Other
fleets followed the sailing route of Cornelius de
Houtman.
The expedition commanded by Admiral Jacob van
Neck was a gigantic success. He reached Bantam
in 1598. Bantam had developed itself around 1600
into becoming the international cross roads of the
Asiatic trading system. It was also the most
important supplier of pepper.
A part of the fleet under command of Wijbrand van
Warwijck and Jacob van Heemskerk reached
Ambon, Banda and Ternate. These were the sought
after spice islands. It was only on these islands that
the longed for clove, nutmeg and mace were

148
cultivated which were desperately wanted in the
kitchens of the European elite and were sold
against very high prices.
The return of the fleet commanded by van Neck
was, because of its wealthy cargo, celebrated
exuberantly.

The co-operative agricultural credit

bank.

The assistant resident De Wolff van Westerrode

was, during a leave of absence around 1900,
introduced to the Raffeisen co-operative agricultural
credit bank system. Upon his return to the Dutch
East Indies, it was proposed to set up a similar
banking system on Java. After the proposal was
accepted, the assistant resident Carpentier Alting
was appointed as inspector of the Dutch East Indies
agricultural credit bank. An office of controlling civil
servants was created which later was renamed the
Office for the Agricultural Credit Bank. The
government depended upon the village elders to
manage the agricultural credit system, as only they
were held in great respect by the local population.
The idea of developing a co-operative system as in
The Netherlands was attempted into practice for
years. Unfortunately, the local population was not
interested. The network of subsidiary banks was
unable to into the aimed for co-operative agricultural
credit bank. The Communal Agricultural Credit bank

149
was founded in 1934, which combined the central
bank and the subsidiary offices.
The agricultural loan system existed mainly in loans
of rice (padi) plants for the cultivation in the rice
paddies. The farmers paid this back with a part of
their harvest including an additional payment for
wastage and costs incurred.
Harvest loans were issued for agricultural
equipment, fertilizer, potting earth and staple food
during times of a deficiency thereof.

The middle class.

Most of the shopkeepers in the Dutch East Indies

were Chinese, Arabians and persons from India.
One could buy just about anything in their shops
such as clothing, household items, foodstuffs,
medicine and much more items. Purchases in
instalments without interest were always possible.
The Chinese and Arabians issued loans against
exorbitant interest rates which could be as high as
fifty percent. As the small farmer was unable to
obtain a loan from the banks, he was forced to
obtain such a loan for a funeral, a wedding or an
agricultural investment.
Repayments had to be made punctually. If the
repayment of the loan was not made on the agreed
date in the contract, the interest due was increased.
Many persons ended up in a desperate situation
and out of necessity committed punishable acts and
ended up in prison. A new law in 1932 made it

150
impossible to contract exorbitant interest rates,
which ensured that the issuing of loans went
according to the governmental regulations.
The Chinese street vendors were known as
´Klontong Chinese´. They sold textiles, thread and
tape. The ´Bami Chinese´ (bami tok-tok) prepared
on the directions of the buyer portions of bami on
the spot. ´ Bombayers´ was the collective name for
cloth vendors and tailors from India. The Japanese
ran little shops with cheap watches, toys and
photographic articles.

The inter-Asiatic trading network of the

V.O.C.

The trading network of the V.O.C. in Asia consisted

of many trading posts. They varied from small to
large trading posts and forts and fortified cities that
were connected with each other via a logistic
system. The logistic system was centralized in
Batavia. More than eighty trading ships, which
remained permanently in Asia, sailed from Batavia
to different destinations and returned with
purchased products which were stored in Batavia
awaiting transportation to The Netherlands.
V.O.C. trading ships sailed with spices to Formosa
(Taiwan) and traded these for Chinese silk after
which the ships sailed on the Japan to trade the silk
for silver.
Spices were bought in the archipelago with the
Japanese silver and exchanged in Arabia and

151
Persia for flexible rubber, bark sap, silk threads and
carpets. There was a great demand for these
products in Asia and Europe. Some products such
as rice, arak (wine), Soja beans, Rotan, sandal
wood and edible birds nests from the see swallow (
These were considered as a healthy diet and were
used as a medicine against tuberculoses) were
exclusively traded in Asia. But the aim of trading
activities was acquisition and transportation of
products for The Netherlands.

Growing prosperity and extreme poverty.

The petroleum industry grew explosively as of 1900.

The oil companies extracted the oil from the ground
in the Dutch East Indies and transported it to The
Netherlands. This meant that the local population
could not benefit of the increasing prosperity. The
management and the technical staff consisted of
Europeans. The middle management consisted
mainly of Eurasian Dutch and the remainder
consisted of native Indonesians.
The salaries were according to their positions. By
the distribution of housing the companies also
distinguished between the Europeans, Eurasian
Dutch and the native Indonesians. There were
separate societies for European, Eurasian Dutch
and Indonesian employees. The whole business
community was organized in this manner. An
educational program for Indonesians was
vehemently resisted by the Europeans who
considered the costs of the project ridiculously high.

152
Critical articles written by Eurasian Dutch and
Indonesian journalists appeared in different
newspapers where attention was brought to bear of
the extreme contrast between the exuberant
prosperity of the Europeans and the extreme social
and economic poverty of the native population.

The Cultural system.

A new taxation system, named the Cultural system,

was introduced on Java in 1830. The Javanese
population was forced to cultivate one fifth of their
farm land with crops that were demanded at a
certain moment in The Netherlands. These were
products such as coffee, tea, sugar cane, indigo,
cacao and more. Javanese who were not farmers
were forced to work one fifth of the year, about
sixty-six days, for the colonial government. The
taxation system consisted of a forced payment
either in products or labour by the different native
population groups. The first requirement to be able
to keep the native population in tome was the
cooperation of the local sovereigns in order to let
the taxation system become a success. The native
sovereigns were bound to the colonial government
with money and promises.
European and native civil servants, who were
ordered to locally supervise the fulfilment of the
taxation system, later on misused the system to
enrich themselves by demanding more than the
agreed quota and sometimes the whole of the
harvest from the poverty stricken farmers.

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The corruption of the system by especially civil
servants was the reason why Eduard Douwes
Dekker (Multatuli) and the liberal Member of
Parliament W.R. van Hoevell resisted the Cultural
system. The cultural system was abolished in 1870.

Opposition against the Cultural system.

There were only adverse consequences

experienced by the native population, and even
more so for the farmers as a result of the Cultural
system. The Javanese farmers were put under
heavy pressure. The Javanese farmers did not have
a free choice in the cultivation of crops, and had to
plant crops that were unknown to them due to the
orders of the colonial government. Due to the
unfamiliarity with these crops the farmers wasted a
lot more time and effort. At the same time they were
obliged to perform servitude duties with almost no
compensation.
The Dutch parliament obtained participation in the
decision making over the management of the
colonies due to the constitutional reforms in 1848.
Before this the king made the decisions on a sole
basis. The former preacher in the Dutch East Indies,
baron W.R. van Hoevell, and his followers came up
for the interests of the population of the Dutch East
Indies.
The Dutch parliament passed a law in 1854 which
curtailed the Governor General from laying arbitrary
obligations on the population. The budget of the

154
Dutch East Indies came under management of the
Dutch parliament when the comptability law was
passed in 1867.
Multatuli´s book ´Max Havelaar´ was instrumental in
the change of governmental policy in the Dutch East
Indies. The end of the hated cultural system was in
sight. The obligatory planting of sugar cane was
abolished in 1870. The obligation to grow coffee
was, with removal of all the misuse, maintained until
1915.

The taxation system.

The government was able to design a correct

property taxation system due to an excellent
organised surveyor’s office. The correct property
taxation and the just distribution of the tax burden
meant that the rights of the taxpayers were
guaranteed
The for the property taxation necessary charts were
provided by units of surveyors of the topographical
office on a scale of 1: 5000.
On these charts the different rice paddies and the
so called dry areas were registered. The exactly
calculated sub divided areas were gathered
according to the location of the villages (desas).
As the farmers also calculated the surface area of
their land, the classification matri (an assistant land
registration civil servant) had two different results at
his disposal. If the results were different, the

155
difference was traced and the definite taxation value
was determined in consultation with the owner.
Moreover, the rice paddies were taxed according to
their expected proceeds.
In this manner they obtained the information on
which the taxation for the land could be determined.
The rice paddies were taxed on the basis of the
expected rice production. The dry land was taxed
according to the value of the land. The taxation was
usually determined for a period of ten years.
Sudden price differences of the price of rice and
crop failure were taken into account. There would
then be a partial or total exemption of the land tax.

The Lebak case.

Eduard Douwes Dekker was assigned as

administrator of the Lebak department of the
Bantam residence on the twenty second of January
1856. More than a month later, on the 24th of
February 1856 he presented a complaint by the
resident C.P. Brest van Kempen against the regent
of Lebak, Raden Adipati Karta Nata Negara. This
was a Javanese aristocrat of high nobility. Douwes
Dekker accused the regent of misusing his authority
and servitude and of shaking down the local
population. These practices were tolerated by the
authorities in order to keep the peace and especially
for the large profits that came from the products
from the Dutch East Indies.

156
There were many conflicts between governmental
civil servants and the heads of the local population.
They were named perkaras (differences of
interpretation) which played especially during the
time of the Cultural system. Douwes Dekker was re-
assigned because of his forceful action. His vanity
hurt and slowed in his aspirations he resigned.

The Hindu and Buddhist period.

Buddhist monks arrived in Indonesia in the trail of

the merchants from India. They preached the
doctrine of Buddha with the aim of converting the
native population. Buddhism flourished especially in
the nation of Sriwijaja on south Sumatra. Schools
and monasteries were established in the capital
Palembang. Their reputation went as far as India
and China.
Hinduism arrived at the same time in the
archipelago, but it was not there to convert the
native population. Initially only small trading posts
were established. Later larger complexes and cities
were built modelled on those in India. Brahman
priests were invited by Indonesian sovereigns. Thus
played the Indonesian aristocracy an important role
by the introduction of Indian religions and Indian
culture in Indonesia.
Hinduism and Buddhism influence each other. This
caused the development of a typical Indonesian
synthesis with traditional spirits and ancestral

157
worshipping. Much later the same happened with
the arrival of the Islam and Christianity.
According to an old Javanese legend, Prince Adji
Kaka from India donated in the year 78 A.D. his
religion, writing, social and state order as well as the
time calculation. Kawa is derived from his Sanskrit
religious passages. The prehistoric Javanese
language.

The mission in practise as of 1850.

The once so enthusiastic Dutch Missionary

Organization (NZG) frittered away into many
different protestant sub religions. There were
Baptists, Reformed, Lutheran and other protestant
sub religions. All had their own missionaries. About
this time the ban on missionaries had become more
lenient, but with all the different missionary
activities, the government had to divide the land
between the different religions and each mission
was given a region for their activities. In this way the
competition between the servants of God was
prevented.
The missionary work itself was a very slow and
tedious work. The missionaries achieved almost
nowhere feasible results. They were forced to work
in desolate areas. Missionary work demanded much
patience and perseverance. The results were
minimal in most areas. An exception was the
Minahassa on north Celebes. In this region it went
smoothly and by using native assistants for the

158
catechism and education the mission posts
increased. On east Java the missionaries also had
success. A training school for native assistants was
founded.

The rise of Islam.

The successful spread of the Islam is increased

through the dominance of Sufism. The highest
priority of the Sufis was the mystical unification with
God. Religious regulations were only an additive for
the Sufis. This was against the doctrine of the
orthodox Islam, and was disapproved of
vehemently.
The orthodox Islamic religious leaders began to
recognize a moderate form of mysticism around
1000 A.D. Popular Sufism was now able to develop
itself. This expressed itself through the rise of many
mystical orders (tarikas).The tarikas have certain
methods to induce a mystical ecstasy within them,
such as reciting certain formulas through dancing
and playing music.
Sufism has spread out over all the Islamic countries.
Sufism took on its own form everywhere by
adapting to prehistoric customs and religions.
Sufism was also important for the Islamic mission.
Especially the Indonesian population came in
contact with the Islam through Sufism. The
mysticism of Sufism has left visible signs in the
Indonesian Islam.

159
 Bali under the influence of Hinduism.

There was already a family relationship between the

courts of Bali and Java when one of the major kings
of the Hindu nation Mataram, king Airlangga,
ascended the throne. The mother of Airlangga was
remarried with a Balinese prince. The Javanese
court language, Kawi, also came into use at the
Balinese court during the reign of Airlangga. The
Javanese influence in the area of construction also
became significant on Bali.
After the death of Airlangga, Bali was reigned for
two centuries by the descendants of his mother. Bali
was more or less independent of the east Javanese
court and the role of Mataram was taken over by the
Singasari dynasty. Bali became again under
Javanese during the reign of this dynasty.
Bali regained its independence eight years later
under the Pejeng dynasty, which grew into a
powerful nation. The last king of the Pejeng
dynasty, the legendary Dalem Bedulu, refused to
give up the independence of the island to the rule of
the powerful Majapahit nation, which ruled over a
large part of the archipelago after Mataram.

160
 Religious education during the V.O.C.
period.

From the beginning the V.O.C. maintained a policy

that was aimed at selective distribution of the
mission activities in the archipelago. This meant in
fact that the mission was unable to gain a foothold
anywhere in the archipelago during the domination
of the V.O.C.
An exception was made for the regions where the
V.O.C. challenged the competition of the
Portuguese. The Roman Catholic priests and
missionaries were driven out and the Protestant
missionaries were given allowed to establish
themselves as they wished. This happened for
instance on the Moluccan Islands.
Around 1605 the V.O.C. reached agreements with
the Islamic tribal heads of Ambon and the
surrounding islands by which the V.O.C. obtained
the sole rights for the purchase of Moluccan spices.
This lasted for two centuries. At the same time the
Portuguese church leadership was driven out. The
more than 16.000 Moluccans had to accept the
protestant God of the Dutch. The Moluccans
demanded that the V.O.C. would provide religious
education for this new religion. The V.O.C. was
obliged to provide, different from the rest of the
archipelago, protestant religious education to the
Roman Catholic minority on Ambon.

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 The first catholic converts.

Buddhism, Hinduism, the Islam and Christianity

came to Indonesia on board the sailing vessels. The
trading in spices also brought the cross to the
archipelago. Christianity landed with the Portuguese
in the Moluccan Islands where the priests who
came along preached the Roman Catholic religion.
The first person to be baptized in 1534 was the
village elder of Mamoia on Halmahera. The village
elder had asked the Portuguese for protection
against attacks from neighbouring kampongs. This
was the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church in
the archipelago. Not much later, the first
missionaries landed on the different islands of the
Moluccans. They used a shortened catechism
which was translated in Malayan. They founded
many mission schools.
There were around 16.000 catholics on the
Moluccans until the arrival of the Dutch in 1605.
Other catholic regions originated in the archipelago
with the Portuguese merchants. A large Dominican
mission post was founded on the island of Solor,
east of Flores. It consisted of a fortified monastery
with 10.000 converts.

Serakat Islam (S.I.).

The Javanese batik merchants in Surakarta were

dissatisfied over the manner in which the Chinese
go between merchants treated them for the sale of

162
western unbleached cotton. The Chinese merchants
formed a solid block.
Under the leadership of the Javanese batik
merchant Hadji Samunhudi, the Javanese batik
merchants founded a business association named
Sarekat Dagang Islam. The aim of the association
was to stimulate the interests of the Javanese
merchants. Unfortunately, conflicts within the
association were mainly settled by fighting in the
streets. The local Dutch authorities took action and
banned the association.
The association was re-established in 1912 in
Surabaya under the inspirational leadership of
Tjokroaminoto with a mandate from Samunhudi and
some other important Surakartans now named
Sarekat Islam. The association spread out fast and
massively over Java and outside Java within a few
months. This was for Indonesia an unbelievable
unknown phenomenon. Model statutes were drawn
up by the authorities for the local Serakat Islam
organizations as well as the centrally organized
Sarekat Islam.

Dutch elementary education in the Dutch

East Indies.

Around 1900 there were signs of new perspectives

for the admittance of Indonesian pupils to Dutch
elementary education. A dualistic system existed
before 1900. European children and children who
were considered to be equal obtained a western

163
education. A separate educational system existed
for Indonesian children. Western children followed a
seven year course at the European Elementary
School (ELS). Indonesian children followed a five
year course at the Native Standard School with
Javanese as the main language. This was the end
of their education.
The admittance policy for the separated educational
systems was not always adhered to. Children from
the Prijaji, the top layer of the aristocracy, were
upon request of the parents admitted to the ELS
schools. In Prijaji circles western education was
preferred so the children could move on to primary
educational schools. Around the beginning of the
twentieth century about 1900 non European pupils
attended the ELS schools.

The Balinese religion.

The advance of the Islamic religion caused the

Hindu sovereigns of the Madjapahit Empire to flee
with their court to Bali. The arrival of these highly
developed and spiritual persons together with the
already existing culture and religion made it
possible for Bali to obtain a highly developed
cultural and religious community. Buddhism and
Hinduism had come closer together on Java. This
intertwinement continued on Bali. Even now, the
Buddhist and Shivaitists priests appear together
during many ceremonies.

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Buddhism, Hinduism and Animistic elements
provided that a complex religion existed on Bali
which is theologically not definable. Important
priests met in 1952 to make a complete definition of
their religion. The name Agama Tyrta, the religion of
the holy water, was chosen because water played
an important role in their religious ritual.

Islamic education in the Dutch East

Indies.

Thousands of Islamic schools, the Pesantrens,

existed on Java before the colonial authorities
became aware of their educational obligation for
native children. Sons of the Prijaji, the nobility which
formed the administrative elite in Indonesia,
received a dual education.
The son lived in the home of an important family
where he had to obtain experience on a lower level
than he was used at home. At the same time they
were formed in associating with their peers and
etiquette of the nobility He became most of the time
a resident student in the Pesantren. He learned to
read and write and was educated in the Islamic
religion. He learned horse riding, the use of
weapons and regularly practised artistic skills. After
finishing his education he was considered to be
capable of taking his place in the administrative
apparatus.
The Prijaji continued this dual upbringing after 1900
by letting their sons follow a western education. The

165
sons lived in the home of important European
families where they became accustomed with the
European customs and habits. At the same time
they were educated at a European school. First at
the elementary level and then at the primary level.

The rise of the Islam in Indonesia.

The mighty Hindu empire of Majapahit fell apart

quickly after the death of King Hayam Wuruk.
Internal quarrels between the different sovereignties
and rebellions against the king accelerated this
process. The Rajah set himself on fire in an attempt
to retain his power. His successor fled, together with
the aristocracy, the academics, the artists and the
priests to Bali. This was the beginning of Hinduism
on Bali.
The hereby created vacuum was filled by many
small Islamic sovereignties. The Islam was able to
move from the coastal areas inland and start the
conversion to the Islam. The mighty Islamic empire
of Mataram was founded during this process. The
introduction of the Islam was a slow moving
process. The Islam melted together with the
traditional religions, Buddhism and Hinduism. At this
time there was no break with the past. Sultan Agung
(1613-1645) and his advisor Gunan Giri were very
zealous in their attempt to introduce the Islamic
religion in the whole of the archipelago Only during
the 15th and 16th century became the Islam the state
religion for all the different sovereignties. The
Islamic religion was not the orthodox form like in the

166
Middle East, but Sufism which is a mystical Islamic
variant.

The Islamic Muhamadiyah.

Changes took place around 1900 within the Islam in

the Dutch East Indies. The aim of the changes was
to initiate reforms based on the original Islamic
teachings. Pilgrimages to Mecca had become
popular by merchants and businessmen. In Mecca
they came in contact with reform movements who,
while using western knowledge, wanted to return to
the original aims of the Islam.
One of these pilgrims, Haji Achmed Dahlan, was a
convinced supporter of these reforms. He founded
the Islamic Muhamadiyah, an organization whose
interest was, amongst others, the introduction of
religious education in the governmental schools.
Around 1938 the organization had about a quarter
of a million members and 1770 schools. The
organization limited itself not only on Java, but was
also active on other islands of the archipelago.
Especially on west Sumatra was the organization
very active as the reforms had began here earlier.
Many students came from west Sumatra to Java
with a western orientated elementary and primary
education for higher education as a sequel.

The road network.

167
Governor General Daendels announced shortly
after his arrival in 1808 that a road would be
constructed from Buitenzorg, through the Puntjak
pass to Bandung and then along the north coast to
Surabaya. He wanted to start construction as
quickly as possible. He pointed out that quick
transportation of army units was imperative in order
to repel enemy attacks. An efficient road network
would be beneficial for the development of
agriculture and trade. The road was named ´De
Grote Postweg´ (The Great Postal Road).
Further construction took place to expand the road
network, but it was only after the development of
agricultural businesses after 1850 that the road
network was expanded. The improvement of the
road network proved to be a stimulant for the
founding of new businesses. It became necessary
to widen the roads and replace the hardened
chipped stone layer by asphalt with the arrival of the
automobile around 1900. A good functioning
government also demanded a good road system.
The improvement and expansion of the road
network on Sumatra led to the discovery of
previously unknown parts of the island. Around
1940, 84000 vehicles were in circulation on Java
and the outer regions of which 10000 were busses.
The road traffic law was important for regulating the
right of way between the different types of vehicles
and the flow of traffic. There existed ox drawn carts,
bicycles, horse drawn wagons etc. besides
motorized traffic.

168
New impetus for the educational system.

The demand for education increased dramatically

around 1900. Three educational systems were
introduced in 1907 in order to set up an integrated
educational system.
 The Dutch Native School (H.I.S.), with Dutch
as the main language and a seven year
curriculum based on European standards
and Malay or Javanese as a secondary
subject. Previously this school was the
Native School also with a seven year
curriculum. This school was meant for the
children of the Javanese nobility, the Prijaji.
 The Dutch Chinese School (H.C.S.) for
children of Chinese descent.
 Extended Elementary Education (M.U.L.O.).
This was set up according to the Dutch
model for sequential education. A sort of
Junior High School.
 The General Secondary School (A.M.S.),
with a curriculum based on European
standards as a sequential education for the
M.U.L.O. This is a sort of High School.

The old schools, the E.L.S., the H.B.S., the M.M.S.,

the Gymnasium, Lyceum and the Queen Wilhelmina
School (a Technical High School) also remained
unchanged. The H.I.S. and the M.U.L.O. were a big
success and there was a large increase of
Indonesian pupils. Later on, the study possibilities

169
were extended to university studies with subjects
that were compatible to those in The Netherlands.
The study books were in the Dutch language.
It was unfortunate that due to the absence of an
educational equality law, the diplomas and
certificates obtained in the Dutch East Indies were
useless in The Netherlands.

Christianity in the Indonesian

archipelago.

The Panca Sila is applicable in Indonesia. This

means that the five religions recognized by the
government (the Islam, Roman Catholicism,
Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism) are not
allowed to recruit persons from the other religions.
Atheism was not allowed. Protestants and catholic
missionaries obtained good results in regions which
did not resort under the Islamic religion. The
missionaries realized that the Dutch religions had to
make adjustments in order to be able to mix it with
the native cultural values. Only then would the local
population accept Christianity. The use of native
assistants, priests, preachers and teachers was
very important for the integration of Christianity.
After the Indonesian independence in 1949,
Christianity increased at a fast pace due to the
Panca Sila. Because the Panca Sila does not allow
atheism, many animistic tribes, fearing retribution
from the government in Jakarta, accepted
Christianity. The total Protestant religions had 13

170
million members, or 6% of the total population. The
Umat Katolik had 6.6 million members, or about 3%
of the total population. There are more than 20
million Christians in Indonesia.

The railway system.

Railroads were constructed at a fast pace all over

the world after the improvement of the steam
locomotive in 1847. It was only in the Dutch East
Indies that the politicians were not prepared to
construct railroads. For more than thirty years they
squabbled, talked, dreamed and discussed about
the ´iron road´.
During this period, the transportation from the
interior to the ports of agricultural products
stagnated. The government coffee moulded in the
warehouses (gudangs) of the central Javanese
sovereignties. Ships waited for months at the quay
of Semarang for a cargo.
There was a great shortage of draw animals for the
wagons. Livestock production had never been a
priority in the Dutch East Indies. A proposal for the
establishment of a governmental enterprise with
4000 water buffaloes and an extensive wagon park
was, after calculating the costs and proceeds, not
accepted. An imported herd of forty camels could
not assimilate. The same happened to lamas and
from The Netherlands imported donkeys. The
slaughter of water buffaloes was banned in 1841,
and a stimulation policy for the Javanese population

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to eat goat meat came to nothing due to a lack of
co-operation.
Applications for concessions to construct a railway
system came continuously. The applications were
refused. Minister Fransen van der Putte and
Governor general Baron Sloet van de Beele finally
decided to grant a concession for the construction
of the by now very necessary railroad in central
Java. The concession was granted to the Dutch
East Indies Railway Company.

The breakdown of the Sarakat Islam.

The Partai Komunis was founded in Semarang in
1920, coming forth from the communist orientated
Indies Socialist Democratic Association. The P.K.I.
was the death knell of the Sarakat Islam.
Semaun, who was a council member of the central
Sarakat Islam since 1918, was the driving force of
the communist propaganda within the Sarakat
Islam. Giving way to the heavily exerted pressure
communism was to form a part of Sarakat Islam and
together with socialism and democracy would have
its place within the Islamic system. After this heavy
propaganda for communism was made from within
the Sarakat Islam. Many members of the Sarakat
Islam change over to the for them more progressive
communist party. The red Sarakat Islam
organization went on under the name ´Sarakat
Rajat´, which means united people. The religious
national unity was repaired with the loss of so many
members. There was little interest in the Sarakat

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Islam, even after the communist uprisings were
suppressed and the party was banned.
The Sarakat Islam and her daughter organizations
decided in 1929, against the constitutional statutes,
to re-organize itself in an association named the
´Partai Sarakat Islam Indonesia (P.S.I.I.) ´. The
organization had then 153 daughter organizations
and 30000 members. After the departure of Mr.
Tjokroaminoto and Mr. H.A. Salim from the National
council, the party did not form part anymore of the
council. Sarakat is an abbreviation of masjakarat
which means united.

The Sutardjo Petition.

An important event took place in 1936 in the

National council. A proposal was submitted for a
resolution to hold an empirical conference with the
Dutch government and the Dutch parliament.
Representatives of The Netherlands and the Dutch
East Indies would take part in the conference. The
conference was to develop a program for slow
moving reforms for the Dutch East Indies over a
period of ten years. The final aim was
independence according to article one of the
Constitution. Article one denotes the relationship
with the four regions that were ruled over by the
Netherlands.
This initiative was taken by the chairman of the
moderate Nationalistic Union of governmental Civil
servants, Sutardjo Kartohadikusumo. The proposal

173
has entered the history books as ´The Sutardjo
Petition´. The proposal was accepted with a majority
of six votes with the aid of two European parties.
The Dutch government rejected the proposal on the
grounds of the wish of the present Dutch policy to
continue its reform policy. The Dutch government
did not wish a ´dominion status´ for the Dutch East
Indies.

Churches during the V.O.C. era.

The two remaining churches of the V.O.C. era are

the Reformed church in the capital of Ambon and
the Portuguese church in Batavia. The Reformed
church is still standing. It is constructed from wood
with a stone foundation and has two towers. A
remembrance plaque beside the front door
mentions the construction of the church by
Governor Bernard van Pleuren (1775-1785) in
1780.
“ …The believers came from far and wide on
Sunday. Ambonese men in dignified black suits and
Ambonese women with the long black or white
kabaja, with a bible in their hands or a white
handkerchief stitched all around with lace…”.
The Outer church was constructed in 1695 for the
Portuguese community of Batavia. The inhabitants
of the Mardyk districts behind the church were very
grateful.
“…The initiation ceremony by his Grace Theodorus
Zas took place in the presence of His Noble

174
Representative, the Governor General Willem van
Outhoorn and his ladyship. The church was filled
with civil servants with high functions and their
ladies dressed in their Sunday best. A sweet aroma
floated through the church with the scents of melatti,
tjempaka and kenanga which adorned the braids of
the Batavianese ladies and mixed itself with the
scent of akar wangi (a smelling root) from
handkerchiefs and wavers…”

The rise of the Partai Komunis Indonesia

(P.K.I.) in the Dutch East Indies.

Henk J.F.M. Sneevliet, the pioneer of socialism in

the Dutch East Indies, founded in Semarang in
1914 the Indies Socialist Democratic Association
(I.S.V.D.) The Perserikatan Komunis di India
originated in 1920 from the left wing of the
association. This organization became later better
known under the name Partai Komunis Indonesia
(P.K.I.) The party made open propaganda with
slogans over the communist principles. By their
aggressive propaganda the party leadership was
able to reach the many groups of the Sarakat Islam.
These groups formed later, under the name Sarakat
Rajat, the lower layer of the communist
organization. The upper layer consisted of P.K.I.
members. The P.K.I. made, as part of the Moscow
Communist International, fierce propaganda against
capitalism and especially against the Dutch
authorities.

175
The Javanese Semaun and R. Darsono played a
leading role in the political organization and the
unions. Tan Malakka, an Indonesian who was
educated in The Netherlands, was active in the
youth movement. The P.K.I. manifested itself
initially as a people’s movement, mostly within the
unions. These formed later the heart of the
revolutionary actions.
During the government of the late president
Sukarno of Indonesia, the party was banned. Many
leaders were exiled or died. Many supporters of the
party were murdered.

The first regular steamship service.

The government noticed the advantages of

steamships around 1850. Steamships were able to
provide a regular service for goods, mail and
passengers. They did not depend upon the
monsoon and the trade winds, and were thus able
to reach the many trading posts in the outer regions.
A regular transportation network was important to
shorten the communication lines from Batavia to
outlying posts such as Menado. It was decided to
grant governmental subsidies to a private
consortium ran by a former naval officer W. Cores
de Vries, supported by ship owner Willem Ruys and
the ship builder Fop Smits. This would enable the
consortium to set up a number of steamship
transportation lines for freight, mail and passengers.
This was the coastal trade shipping line
(pakketvaart). The service of the consortium was

176
not satisfactory because of too few ships, not
enough cargo space and too high tariffs. A contract
was signed in 1865 with a British company. New
ships ensured that a good functioning network
existed for parcel service by the Dutch Indies
Steamship company (N.I.S.M.). The large ports and
the outer trading posts now had a better
connection.

The State Railway.

The financial difficulties during the initial years of the

Dutch Indies Railway Company scared off investors.
Because of this, construction of railway lines came
to a halt. The minister of the colonies presented a
bill to the House of Commons in 1875 regarding an
experimental railroad line from Surabaya to
Pasuruan with a branch off railroad line to Malang.
The bill was passed. The more than 112 kilometre
long railroad line was finished in 1879 and became
a great success. Shortly thereafter the government
off the Dutch East Indies started to exploit the
railroad line. More bills were presented for profitable
railroad lines and for railways to be constructed in
stirred up areas to speed up pacification and open
up distant regions for traffic. The State Railway
constructed more railroad lines by which businesses
were not isolated any more. An agreement was
made with the NISM that where narrow gauge
crossed over into broad gauge, one third of the line
would be broad gauge. The railway system spread

177
out with the main attraction the connection Batavia
to Surabaya with a travelling time of one day.
To make the railway system efficient, railroad routes
were shortened by constructing tunnels through
mountains. Bridges and overpasses were also
constructed over rivers and valleys to shorten the
routes.

Java, at the time of the Japanese

invasion.
The first Japanese troops landed on the oil rich
island of Tarakan near Borneo and on Celebes
(Sulawesi) at Menado. The Japanese forces had
the advantage of mobility and advanced rapidly.
The landings took mainly place outside the
defended areas and the range of the KNIL artillery.
The Japanese attacked the defenders on their
flanks and in the rear. The strategy of the KNIL
consisted of the concept static defence lines.
Because of this, the KNIL was unable to mount
offensive actions. If an offensive action was
mounted, the deficiency in communications,
organization, logistics and training were painfully
displayed.
The Japanese had completed their pincer
movement around Java by the end of February
1942. South Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, Bali and
Timor were by then captured by the Japanese. Java
was completely isolated.
General Wavell realized the hopelessness of the
situation and dissolved on the 25th of February 1942

178
on Java ABDACOM (American British Dutch
Australian Command). It was impossible to reinforce
the troops on Java.
Australian divisions, American aircraft and British
armoured units could not be transferred from
Australia as the Japanese had captured the Sunda
Islands.

The surrender of the Royal Dutch East

Indies Army (KNIL).

The Japanese had occupied all the islands

surrounding Java. But there was an allied fleet
sailing between the occupied islands and Java
which could stop a Japanese invasion fleet. The
chances of this happening were considered small
due to the absence of adequate air support.
The Commanding Officer of the allied fleet, Rear
Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman realized that he
would have to fight the battle without air support and
reconnaissance aircraft which would deprive him of
information over the whereabouts of the Japanese
fleet and its intentions. The allied ABDA fleet fought
the Japanese fleet uncoordinated and with poor
internal communications.
The battle of the Java Sea was lost on the 27th of
February 1942. The way was now clear for the
Japanese to capture Java. During the night of the
first of March, the Japanese 16th army consisting of
two divisions landed in four places on Java. The
KNIL didn’t have a chance. The airfield of Kalijati,

179
defended by British troops, was lost on the first day
of the Japanese landings. A counter attack by KNIL
forces failed. As it was clear that the Japanese were
now in a position to capture Bandung, it was
decided to surrender.
General Ter Poorten discussed the surrender
conditions with Japanese Commanding Officer
Imamura, who was only willing to accept
unconditional surrender. The capitulation took place
on the 9th of March 1942. The Dutch East Indies
were occupied by Japan.

The sea battle of the Java Sea.

The allied fleet consisted on the 26th of February

1942 of fourteen ships. The Dutch heavy cruiser
HMS De Ruyter, the Dutch light cruiser HMS Java,
the British light cruiser HMS Exeter, the American
light cruiser Houston and the Australian light cruiser
HMS Houston. The remaining nine ships were
destroyers. These were the two Dutch destroyers
HMS Kortenaer and HMS Witte de With. Three
British destroyers, HMS encounter, HMS Electra
and HMS Jupiter. Also included were four antique
destroyers from the United States which were build
around 1918, These destroyers had proved their
worth in previous hit and run attacks on Japanese
troop transport convoys.
Around this time, a large Japanese invasion fleet
was sailing for Java. It consisted of forty troop
transport ships with accompanying materials,

180
escorted by two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers
and fourteen destroyers.
Japanese pilots discovered the allied fleet and
passed this information on to the Japanese fleet.
The Japanese command decided to moor the troop
transport ships in a safe place and then advance
towards the allied fleet. The encounter between the
two fleets took place near the north coast of Java on
the 27th of February 1942. The British cruiser HMS
Exeter was heavily damaged during the beginning
of the sea battle. Shortly thereafter HMS Kortenaer
was struck amidships by a torpedo and sank. A part
of the remaining allied destroyers sailed at dusk for
Surabaya to refuel and take on ammunition. Around
midnight, the four remaining allied cruisers were on
their own. The cruiser HMS Java received a direct
hit from a Japanese torpedo in the rear of the ship.
HMS Java went down with the bow up high. The
crew was able to abandon ship. A Japanese
torpedo stuck the flagship HMS De Ruyter in the
rear machine room shortly thereafter. The crew
abandoned ship as she was slipping sideways.
Rear Admiral Karel Doorman decided to go down
with his ship.

The occupation of Java and the other

island of the archipelago.

After short bombardments and a number of

skirmishes, Java was captured by the Japanese
army in a few days time. All military and police

181
personnel and Civil servants were interned in hastily
commandeered internment camps for interrogation.
Mainly schools, army barracks and sugar factory
complexes were used. The men were separated
from their wives and children. Personnel of vital
companies such as hospitals, electrical power
stations, the police, firemen, prison guards, the
railways etc. were forced, under the threat that their
families would be killed, to keep these facilities
running. Military personnel and higher civil servants
were interned immediately, followed later by the
ordinary civilians. Many of them were transported to
Japan and forced to work in the mines. Others were
transported to Thailand (Siam) to work on the
infamous Burma railroad. Many internees lost, for
different reasons, their lives during the construction
of the railroad. The transport ships were torpedoed
by both Japanese and allied warships.
The Dutch and European civilians were, after
interrogation and selection, either interned or send
home. Already in the first occupation year, there
arose a great shortage of food and medicine. The
population tried, first by selling their belongings and
later by stealing, to prevent their families of starving.
After a year the food supply and medicine had
almost disappeared from the markets and stores
because the Japanese army claimed these for
themselves. The result was an enormous famine
under especially the not interned Dutch, Eurasian
Dutch and European population. Many different
illnesses arose and finally the signs of starvation,

182
red spots and open sores appeared on the arms
and legs due to a deficiency of proteins.
In the meantime, Japanese authorities tried to
persuade the Dutch and Eurasian Dutch community
to co-operate with them. Both refused without any
exceptions. Because of this refusal many were
interned in internment camps or prisons. Part of the
Dutch and Eurasian Dutch were sent back to live
outside the camps due to the fact that the Japanese
had insufficient internment capacity. They were
destined to come upon hard times. Searches in their
houses were the order of the day, and the Japanese
soldiers had no qualms about mistreatment of these
persons and sometimes killed them.
These persons were forced to witness the Japanese
public executions and punishments. Dutch,
Eurasian Dutch and Europeans were on the whim of
the Japanese hung on their arms and legs, kicked,
beaten and sometimes murdered. From those who
were caught stealing a hand was chopped off. This
was all done in order to prevent uprisings against
the Japanese authorities and to keep them in line.
There existed a form of total anarchy and the Dutch,
Eurasian Dutch and other Europeans were in fact
outlawed.
The Japanese army was aided by Indonesian
auxiliary units (hai-ho’s), also known as sukarila’s
(volunteers). They received a military basic training
and were used by the Japanese for all types of
assignments. Their behaviour was later just as
harsh and indiscriminate as that of the Japanese
soldiers. They were also guilty of mistreatment and

183
murder. During the Japanese occupation many
persons died not only in the internment camps, but
even more so amongst the persons that were not
interned.

Tarakan.

The Batavian Petroleum Company (B.P.M.) had

made preparations to destroy the oil fields
thoroughly long before the Japanese bombarded
the oil rich island of Tarakan. The unit which had to
destruct the oil fields consisted of army engineers
and militarised technical personnel of the B.P.M.
Tarakan was for the Japanese of immense value as
the oil in a usable state only had to be pumped out
of the ground. There were 700 oil wells. All of these
were destroyed with dynamite at the moment a
large Japanese invasion fleet steamed in the
direction of Tarakan.
The Japanese were furious about the almost
unrepairable damage done to the rich oil field. The
Dutch Indies Broadcasting Company (NIROM) in
Batavia broadcasted the fall of Tarakan after heavy
and bloody fighting on the 12th of January 1942. The
news embittered the population of the more
southerly located extensive oil city of Balikpapan.
They also decided to destroy the existing oil fields
as quickly as possible.
Tarakan became news again near the end of the
war, when Australian troops established a
bridgehead and an air base.

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 The Japanese invasion of Bali.

Accurately following their line of attack in the

eastern part of the archipelago, the Japanese had
been able to capture the airfield of Kendari on east
Celebes. Japanese convoys sailed from this place
with men and materials in a southerly direction. The
destination of one of the convoys was Bali. Bali had
not been included originally in the Japanese plan of
attack, as they had the airfield at Kendari at their
disposal. Despite the favourable location of the
airfield and the usable take off and landing strips,
the Japanese soon realized that flying hours were
very limited due to the ever changing weather
conditions above Kendari. This made it impossible
to bombard Surabaya on a regular basis. Thus Bali
had to be captured. The allied defences on Java
depended upon the supply of fighter aircraft from
Australia. The capture of the airfield of Denpassar
on Bali would cut off this supply route. The ABDA
fleet under command of Rear Admiral Doorman
was, due to the dispersal of the ships, unable to
stop the Japanese convoy. Bali was captured
almost without firing a shot.

The radio broadcast of Queen

Wilhelmina.

Realizing that the liberation of the Dutch East Indies

would depend upon the support of the United
States, Queen Wilhelmina made her famous radio

185
broadcast from London on the 7th of December
1942:
“I am convinced, and the history and information
from the occupied regions, confirm this that the
Kingdom can, after the war, be rebuilt on a solid
foundation of complete partnership, which will mean
the completion of the development which have
already began in the past.
I realize that no political entity and union will be able
to stand up against the passage of time if it is not
supported voluntarily by a large majority of the
people.
(…) I propose that, without speaking in advance of
the state conference, they will aim for a relationship
in which The Netherlands, Indonesia, Surinam and
Curacao all will form a part of, while they will be
autonomous in their internal affairs and leaning on
their own strength but with the will to aid each other,
will be kindred to.
The first Dutch cabinet after the war took over this
´guideline´ and made it their main policy for the
Dutch East Indies.

Why was Pladju not destroyed?

Pladju (BPM/Shell), which was considered the

largest refinery in south east Asia, and Sungai
Gerong (Standard Oil of New Jersey/NKPM) were
located about ten kilometres from Palembang on
the other side of the Musi river.

186
The defence of south Sumatra, an area of 50000
square kilometres was led by the Territorial
Command South Sumatra. The command had 1250
soldiers at their disposal complemented with
mobilised civilians for local guard duty. The
Japanese wanted to capture both refineries
undamaged at all costs. Japanese paratroopers
were dropped in a surprise action above Pladju and
the airport of Palembang. There was panic and
confusion amongst the defenders. Fight back or
flee, evacuate or stay, destroy the refinery or not. In
the middle of the contradictory orders was the
Territorial Commander. He chose to flee and let his
troops fare for themselves. He had already crossed
over to Java while his troops were still involved in
heavy fighting with the Japanese.
Eventually, he was found guilty by a court martial.
Pladju was captured almost undamaged by the
Japanese while Sungai Gerong was largely
destroyed.

After the Japanese capitulation.

The Netherlands had only been liberated for a few

months and had already begun with the
reconstruction of the country. It did not yet have an
organized military apparatus at its disposal.
Thousands of young men enrolled as war
volunteers (OVW-ers). Their motives were based on
idealism and adventure. They wanted to contribute
to the liberation of the Dutch East Indies. There

187
were unfortunately no ships available for the
transportation of troops.
In the meantime, the liberation of Java and Sumatra
had been transferred by the United States to the
British on the 15th of August 1945. The British
warship the Cumberland arrived at the quay of
Batavia on the 15th of September 1945 with about
1000 British soldiers on board. This was exactly a
month after the Japanese capitulation and the
independence proclamation by Sukarno and Hatta.
The British military force quickly grew to about
80000 men. More than three quarter of the soldiers
came from the Indian sub-continent. They were
Nepalese Ghurkhas and Indian Sikhs. The latter
came from a region where the indigenous
population themselves wanted independence. Their
sympathy lay more with the Indonesians than with
the Dutch.
The same applied to the Japanese forces on Java,
who had been ordered by the British High
Command to maintain peace and order and
especially to protect the Dutch and European
population. The Japanese also had more sympathy
for the Indonesians, who in general had been
trained by them during the period 1942-1945 as
auxiliary forces.

Merdeka (freedom).

Japanese camps were spread out over the whole of

Java and other areas of the Dutch East Indies

188
where Dutch, Eurasian Dutch and family members
of the KNIL soldiers were interned. Men, but
especially women and children waited in suspense
for their liberation and the moment they could return
to their homes. In those days the British army
command could unfortunately do nothing more than
supply food and medicine. There were not enough
trucks and other means of transportation available
to transport the liberated persons and supply them
with sufficient food.
The camps were guarded (how ironically) by
Japanese soldiers. They were ordered to protect the
persons in the camps against the nationalistic
Indonesians who were filled with revengeful feelings
against the Dutch. Here and there were incidents
where the Dutch were molested or even murdered.
Shots were fired on a regular basis on the by the
British installed so called protection camps through
which people were wounded. The security situation
was in some cases so bad that the British
authorities decided to transfer Dutch citizens and
other Europeans to Singapore and Thailand. Some
of them even repatriated to The Netherlands.
The Governor General’s palace in Batavia had been
put back in order. Parades were held for the highest
Dutch authority. It seemed that peace and order had
been restored in the city. Nothing was further from
the truth. Batavia was filled with Pemudas, fanatical
nationalistic Indonesian young men who had been
trained as soldiers and partly armed by the
Japanese.

189
Slogans such as ´Merdeka´, ´Freedom for
Indonesia´, ´Independence and Justice´ and
´Hantjurkkanlah musuhkita itula Belanda dan
Amerika´ (destroy our enemy the Dutch and the
Americans) were painted on every building, all the
trams, busses and cars.

The republic does not exist.

The British troops stationed in Batavia were under

strict orders not to interfere in the internal conflicts.
They had no intention of getting involved in the
open hostilities of the Pemudas against the Dutch
community and the surrounding area.
Pemuda units were formed locally after the
declaration of independence. These were
Indonesian youths who had been trained to become
soldiers by the Japanese. They had learned to hate
the Dutch. They received with the assistance of the
Japanese soldiers weapons on a large scale. The
number of incidents increased. The horrible attacks
on Dutch persons led to the unorganised operating
groups of Indonesian extremists Pemudas to be
called ´rampokkers´ (bandits) and ´pelopors´ which
is derived from the Dutch word voorloper (point
man). After attacks on British troops by which they
suffered fatal casualties, the British demanded that
the Dutch government enter into negotiations with
the so- called ´Republic Indonesia´. The Dutch
government in The Hague pertinently refused to
negotiate with the ´Republic´, as it, according to the

190
Dutch authorities, consisted only of Sukarno and
Hatta and nothing more!

Violence against the Dutch.

The Dutch government refused to enter into

negotiations with the ´Republic´ despite the urgent
request of the British high command in Batavia.
Governor General van Mook received instructions to
avoid any contact with Sukarno and Hatta. The
government in The Hague had decided to send a
marine brigade and war volunteer units to
Indonesia.
The situation worsened with the arrival the first KNIL
battalions which consisted mainly of soldiers from
Surinam and KNIL soldiers who had been interned
in Japanese camps in Thailand. The KNIL soldiers
received a hostile reception from the population.
Violence obtained the upper hand when KNIL
soldiers discovered that after they had visited their
in Indonesia living relatives and acquaintances,
those persons were murdered. The KNIL soldiers
took brutal action against the possible perpetrators
and imprisoned them. Two KNIL soldiers were
involved in attacks on the Prime Minister of the so-
called Republik Indonesia, Shahrir. The tension
between the Dutch and the educated and somewhat
pro Dutch Indonesians also increased.
The slogans in the streets became more
incriminating and the population was called upon
not to supply food to the Dutch. The first mutilated

191
bodies of persons suspected of sympathizing with
the Dutch were discovered in the canals of Batavia.

Pemudas (extremist Indonesian youths)

gained the upper hand.

The violence against the Dutch increased

explosively with the arrival of the first KNIL
battalions (Andjing Nica and Gajah Merah) in
Batavia at the end of 1945.The increase in violence
was aimed at civilians who were suspected of
sympathizing with the Dutch or out of revenge.
The dismal consequences were clearly visible in the
canals and rivers of Batavia, where quartered
bodies of mainly Dutch and other Europeans
floated.
Difficult times also broke on for the Eurasian Dutch.
Initially they were reasonably well left alone, but
very quickly they were considered to be the same
as the totoks (Dutch persons born and raised in The
Netherlands) and therefore supporters of the Dutch.
In the regions that had not yet been liberated they
were confined to their homes and later on locked up
in camps and prisons and interned.
The situation in the former Japanese internment
camps deteriorated day by the day. Dutch aid
workers who brought food to the camps were
regarded as advance parties for the Dutch army.
Supplying the camps became very difficult. On
some places on Java, the Pemudas but also the
police and army units took persons in the camps

192
hostages. The hostages were moved inland and
interned into camps that would be difficult to
localize. This caused tens of thousand of persons to
fear for their lives. Sukarno and Hatta tried to calm
them down, but they had no control over their police
and army units and certainly not over the Pemudas.
It was only in March 1947 that the remaining
thousands of Eurasian Dutch were liberated from
camps such as Klampok and Bodjong on south
Java.

The British landing at Surabaya.

The aim of the British troops that landed at

Surabaya and Semarang was to evacuate the
women and children whose lives were threatened in
the camps by the Indonesians. Brigadier Mallaby
commanded the British Indian brigade. From the
beginning the British Indian brigade met heavy
resistance from the much more numerous Pemuda
units and the so-called regular Indonesian army.
The British made a fatal decision by dispersing their
units throughout the whole city. The dispersed units
were under continual attack from well armed
Pemudas who had obtained many Japanese
weapons and material.
The British convoys with the women and children
from the camps that were on their way to the port of
Surabaya were ferociously attacked with rifle fire
and hand grenades thrown from the windows and
the roofs of the houses along the route. One convoy
was completely destroyed. Only thirty of the two

193
hundred women and children survived the
slaughter. The British troops who escorted the
convoy were finished off with Japanese samurai
swords.
Brigadier Mallaby was murdered during his attempt
to negotiate with the Indonesians. The British Indian
brigade was completely destroyed.

War volunteers (OVW- ers).

An article in the Dutch constitution prohibits the

government from conscripts being sent out outside
the borders of the Netherlands. It was not feasible
to put together a conscripted army for the liberation
of the Dutch East Indies.
The solution was the proclamation of the War
volunteer’s resolution on the 1st of October 1944.
Results could be achieved faster by recruiting war
volunteers.
Immediately after the liberation of The Netherlands
recruiting offices were opened all over the country.
By using advertising posters and slogans aimed at
the liberation of the Dutch East Indies the youth of
the country was called upon to enter military
service. The enthusiasm was so great that the
government deemed it necessary to restrict the
recruitment in order to have enough labour forces
available for the reconstruction of the country.
The motives for joining up were much diversified. It
was mostly adventurism, to prove oneself after the

194
lost years under the German occupation, to avoid
an uncertain and unemployed future, to contribute
to the liberation of the Dutch East Indies, or just to
escape from the poverty stricken country and see
the world.
Very soon after the capitulation of Japan, a number
of War volunteers left for the Dutch East Indies to
maintain peace and order.

The liberation of Ambarawa.

The former larger Japanese internment camps

became targets for the Pemudas and the
Indonesian army during the fighting between Dutch
and Republican army units. Tens of thousands of
Europeans and Eurasians waited in these camps to
be liberated and to be able to return to their homes.
The British army tried to evacuate as many persons
as possible from the camps to safer areas, but was
unable to prevent the murder of thousands of
persons. A dramatic example of this was the British
army convoy which was transporting about one
hundred and fifty women and children near
Surabaya to a safe area near the port of Surabaya.
This convoy was attacked and everyone was
murdered.
Very precarious was the situation in one of the
largest internment camps, located in central Java, at
Ambarawa. Heavy fighting erupted at the camp
between the Japanese camp guards and
Indonesian forces. The so called general Sudirman

195
had bivouacked his troops in this area. The
Japanese camp guards refused to surrender the
weapons arsenal to the Indonesians. Ambarawa
was liberated after severe fighting by a combined
action of British and Japanese forces.

Troops are sent to the Dutch East Indies.

The Dutch government decided in November of

1945 to send a military force of 75000 men,
including conscripts, to the Dutch East Indies. The
government felt itself strengthened by the events on
Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccans and the Sunda
islands. KNIL units had without much difficulty
relieved the British and Australian occupation
forces. Former KNIL prisoners of war were quickly
formed in battalions while awaiting the arrival of the
War volunteers and the Marine brigade from The
Netherlands. After their formation they were sent to
the necessary places in the outer regions.
The Gadjah Merah battalions were formed in
Thailand at the end of 1945. Their emblem was a
red elephant. The Prince Bernhard battalion was
formed in Singapore and the Andjing Nica battalion
was founded at Bandung.
Recruiting depots were installed on the Moluccans,
north Celebes and later at Tjimahi on west Java.
Just like before the Second World War, it was
possible to sign up for a fixed period of time with the
KNIL. Many ex KNIL soldiers of Indonesian descent
made use of this possibility.

196
 Conscripts.

The Royal Decree of the twenty second of June

1944 provided the Dutch government with the
opportunity to send conscripts to the Dutch East
Indies by using the argument that the circumstances
were exceptionally extraordinary. The Constitution
and the Conscription law were later on adjusted
accordingly. The first conscripts were called up in
April1946. The first trains with conscripted soldiers
of the 7 December division left in September 1946
for boarding on ships bound for the Dutch East
Indies. The division was not sent to liberate the
Dutch East Indies, but to ensure peace and order.
The departure of the soldiers did not go without
difficulties.
Protest actions and strikes were held previous to
the departure. The conscripts had little ambition to
be sent to the Dutch East Indies. Although the
majority of the soldiers boarded the ships without
causing any problems, a substantial part remained
AWOL.
Radio broadcasts and threats of severe punishment
caused that a number of conscripts reported,
although some 2600 conscripts went into hiding.
These ´Indies´ deserters were later court martialled
and sentenced to prison terms of four to five years.
The train transports to the boarding quays were
accompanied by the Military Police
(Marechchaussee Corps). Strict preventive
measures were taken to prevent riots, and parting

197
family members and public were kept at a safe
distance.

The second British landing at Surabaya.

The first landing of a British Indian brigade at

Surabaya ended in a disaster. Outnumbered by a
large force of fanatical Pemudas and Indonesian
army units, the brigade was completely destroyed.
The commanding officer, Brigadier Mallaby, was
murdered during negotiations with the Indonesians.
The British decided to intervene again with a
complete division after this set back. The British
High Command sends an ultimatum to the
republican leaders to surrender all their weapons.
The British attacked on the 10th of November after
no reaction came from the republican leaders. The
exceptional heavy battle for the city lasted more
than three weeks. There were many casualties
under the civilian population and many fled the city.
There were tens of thousands dead and wounded.
Embittered by their heavy casualties, the British
gave no quarter to captured adversaries. The
agreement that they would not interfere in internal
conflicts was laid aside. The interned persons of the
former Japanese camps were liberated and
removed. The battle had been fought for them.
Every year, 10 November is remembered as the
Day of the Heroes.

198
 Dutch troops are not allowed to land.

The British officer commanding south east Asia,

Lord Louis Mountbatten, refused to let Dutch troops
land on the Dutch East Indies as long as the Dutch
government refused to negotiate with the
Indonesian leaders, Sukarno and Hatta.
The Dutch government still considered both men as
collaborators with the Japanese and that only they
had proclaimed the Indonesian Republic. The Dutch
government under the leadership of Prime Minister
Schermerhorn had no notion of the forceful political
movements and the strongly developed nationalistic
feelings among the population of the Dutch East
Indies.
The first War volunteers to arrive at the quay of
Batavia were not allowed to go ashore. They were
transferred to Malacca. They were quartered in
tents that recently been abandoned by British
troops. Although initially very disappointed, the
soldiers were happy to receive jungle training and
would therefore be better prepared to fight in the
tropical jungles. They received instruction from
experienced British Indian soldiers during their
forced stay on Malacca. The conscript units that
arrived later were thrown into battle without any
tropical fighting experience.

Decolonization.

199
Lieutenant Governor General Dr. H.J. van Mook
realized that he, due to international political
pressure, would have to negotiate with the
republican leaders, including Sukarno, despite the
Dutch cabinet’s point of view.
The government in The Hague was furious and
wanted to remove him from his post. Afraid of
negative reactions from the United States and Great
Britain they refrained from doing so. Van Mook flew
in December 1945 to The Netherlands to persuade
the Dutch government to change their policies
toward the Dutch East Indies. He had the plans to
break the deadlock in his attaché case. During
informal consultations with the ´new premier of the
republic, Sutan Sjahrir´, plans had been worked out
aimed at decolonization. The consultations in The
Hague resulted in the preparedness of the
government to make Indonesia an autonomous
region within the Realm under leadership of an
Imperial cabinet.
A conference took place on the beginning of March
1946 on the country estate ´De Hoge Veluwe´
between Dutch and Republican delegations. The
conference was a complete failure. The Dutch
proposals were totally contrary to the nationalistic
feelings of the Republic.

The Werfstraat prison in Surabaya.

Sutomo, using loudspeakers, declared war on any

person who had a drop of Dutch blood flowing

200
through his or her veins. On the 15th of October
1945 a hysterical crowd led by ´Bong Tomo´ began
a headhunt for any Dutch or Eurasian Dutch person.
They were dragged from their homes or picked up
on the streets. About 2400 persons were
transported in open trucks to the Werfstraat prison.
They were mistreated by the hysterical Indonesian
crowd and pelopors up to the prison gate. It was
even worse within the prison gate. Tens of persons
together were physically struck in a horrible manner
into the cells.
One of the prison guards warned the British that all
the prisoners would be poisoned and the prison set
on fire. Jack Boer, a Dutchman in British military
service, devised a plan to liberate the prisoners. A
Stuart tank shot a hole in the outer and inner wall of
the prison, after which Jack Boer and ten Ghurkhas
forced their way into the prison. A heavy fire fight
ensued with the approximately one hundred prison
guards who resisted fiercely. One Ghurkha was
killed, but 2384 filthy, emancipated and wounded
prisoners were freed. This incident is described in
the book of Richard Klaessen, ´Macabre Surabaya’.
Many internment camps were captured and the
interned persons liberated after 1945. This did not
apply for the whole of the Dutch East Indies. The
Bersiap period followed after the capitulation of
Japan. Indonesian extremists who were fighting for
their independence took command. Almost all of the
Dutch, Eurasian Dutch and Europeans who lived in
areas not yet liberated were interned by armed
Indonesians in the former Japanese internment

201
camps. The prison conditions were the same as
when the camps were under Japanese control.
There was a deficiency of food, medicines and
beds. Many of the interned persons had to sleep on
the cold floor without any protection against
mosquitoes. Just like in during the Japanese
occupation the internees led enormous hunger.
Diseases such as malaria, dysentery, skin
discoloration and signs of starvation became
rampant.
Thousands of civilians also died in the Indonesian
internment camps. Although the Second World War
had ended in august of 1945, for thousands of
civilians it only ended at the end of 1946 and even
as late as March 1947.

East Timor.

The Portuguese government let its only colony in

the archipelago to fend for themselves. The
economic management was left in the hands of the
Liurai, the native rulers of the Timorese
sovereignties. After the fall of the Portuguese
dictator Salazar on the 25th of April 1974, the new
Portuguese government intended to make East
Timor independent as quickly as possible. Due to
this decision by the Portuguese government, three
political movements were founded. The Democratic
Union (UDT), the United Social Democratic Front
(ASDT) and the Apodeti. The first two movements
were for total independence. The Apodeti, a
people’s democratic movement favoured complete

202
integration with Indonesia. The UDT undertook a
successful coup d´etat in the capital Dili, but in
August 1975 the ADST, better known as the
revolutionary front Fretilin took over power in east
Timor. An Indonesian invasion force landed on East
Timor on the 7th of December 1975. On the 16th of
July 1976 East Timor was declared the 27th
province of Indonesia despite heavy resistance from
Fretilin guerrillas. The independence of East Timor
was arranged in a peaceful manner through the
intervention of one of the most respected
Indonesian consuls, Mesker Tomodock.

The sinking of the Junyo Maru.

“The Japanese rulers began to transfer more

prisoners of war from Java to Sumatra in the fall of
1944 when the forces of General MacArthur were
re-conquering the Philippines. A railway had to be
constructed for the transportation of coal from west
to east Sumatra and then on to Singapore. The
voyage began on the 15th of September 1944. It
was a day where all of us looked upon very
reluctantly. On this day 2400 prisoners of war had to
travel with the troop transport ship. Two rows of
emancipated chosen men climbed on board an old
rusty freighter, the Junyo Maru.
A row of European prisoners of war disappeared in
the stern of the ship. 2200 persons disappeared in
the holds and 200, including myself found a narrow
space on the rear deck of the ship. A second row of
about 4000 forced labourers disappeared in the

203
holds in the stem of the ship. On the 18th of
September we steamed with a speed of 15 to 18
knots along the west coast of Sumatra. We had
been lying on the deck under the fierce tropical
heat, while at night we were doused by cold tropical
rains. Unbelievable misery existed above- and
below deck. There was almost no food and drinking
water. Moreover, there were no medicines for the
sick persons on board. Many lost the courage to
keep on living.
Hundreds of us had malaria and dysentery. Some of
us became insane in the stinking holds. The living
were standing or lying beside the dying and the
dead. When I looked through the open hatch, I saw
a dark stinking space where persons were standing
through one another and lay dripping in their sweat
and praying for fresh air. At the instance that I was
looking down the hold I felt a tremendous shock
going through the ship. A voice screamed through a
loudspeaker, ´ stay calm, and the engines has
broken down´. Then followed a second shock and
an enormous blow somewhere deep below my feet.
Some seconds of complete silence. Chaos, followed
by yelling and screaming. The next message was
´Torpedoes, abandon ship´. Panic broke out.
Men jumped over the railing. Others threw rafts in
the water. I helped some of the poor devils from
below deck to climb up the last steps of the ladder.
A mass of bodies kicked, scratched and fought
themselves up the only available ladder. Some of
them reached the deck covered in blood. I removed
my boots, puttees and upper clothing and jumped

204
overboard into the salt water. I was fortunate to get
away quickly from the sinking ship. I turned myself
around while threading water. What a sight. O, my
God, it was a terrible sight I saw. Our transport ship
disappeared slowly, very slowly into the depth of the
sea. The stern disappeared first, while the bow was
sticking high into the air. Hundreds of bodies
clamped themselves onto the steep side of the ship,
while others just dropped off the side of the ship.
Screams, yells, cries and shouts filled the air. A
moment later the ship disappeared completely into
the depths of the sea. Foam and water bubbles
filled the surroundings of where the ship had gone
down. A whirlpool formed at the place of death and
destruction. I looked at the death and saw a friend. I
decided to try and help him with all my remaining
strength.
After having to live two and a half years in a camp, I
was a living skeleton. In the eyes of the Japanese
enemy, we prisoners were nothing more than a
piece of living dirt and not worth to be saved.
Would the remaining two ships save me and the
other shipwrecked prisoners? Swimming and
floating in the ocean, dying of hunger and thirst
determined if we would be saved or not. Sometimes
it seemed that drowning our only quick way out of
this misery was.
A prisoner nearby began to laugh, followed by high
sounds, after which he disappeared forever into the
depths of the sea. Others followed his example,
after coming up to the surface various times.

205
I had the luck to be able to clamp onto a piece of
wood to keep myself floating. Two other men
clamped onto the piece of wood. The night we
experienced passed slowly. Very slowly. After for
me a feeling of endless time, the sun appeared on
the horizon. We discerned land far away with a
gigantic pool of water all around us. ´Ship, a ship´ I
heared someone call out. ´Where, what is it doing? ´
But the ship didn’t move.
Floating and thrashing and hanging onto a piece of
wood, I felt my heart rhythm increase. The
temperature of the sea was tropical, and here we
thrashed around without any form of protection. My
tong was dry, I was screaming for water and my
body was in pain. I saw many a fellow prisoner go
down screaming and with a distorted face into the
deep six. I myself had also reached the point of
where I had to choose between life and death.
Suddenly, a voice inside of me said´ choose your
goal and go for it. Your belief in nature is the only
thing that can save you! ´
As of that moment I took the initiative. I swam in the
direction of the probable Japanese ship with all my
remaining strength. I dragged the piece of wood
with the other persons who clamped on it with me.
My thoughts and my inner self forced me with my
last remaining strength to swim…swim…swim. My
body and muscles ached from the pain, but a voice
inside me kept on commanding me to swim, swim,
and keep on going hour after hour.
The ship became larger and larger by the hour. I
asked myself and hoped that the ship wouldn’t sail

206
away at any moment. A voice inside of me called
out faster, swim faster and I crawled with all my
strength through the water. As soon as I felt that I
was safe I let go of the piece of wood on which I
had floated and was able to come around and
swam with my last remaining strength the last
meters to the ship. I was able to clamp on a chain or
a piece of rope at the last moment, just before the
ship began to move. People, probably fellow
prisoners of war, hoisted me finally on board.
Silently I prayed to god. Somebody gave me
drinking water. I forced myself to stay on my feet. I
knew that the Japs disliked weaklings and certainly
those who were almost dead. After going through
this hell of sea water, I had no intention of letting the
Japs throw me overboard again.
A few days later we arrived in Padang, and I saw
some men walking who had clamped with men on
the piece of wood in trying to get to the ship. They
too were after a few days hoisted aboard a ship and
saved. I have never seen these men again for the
rest of my life.
The day after I was put to work by the Japs on the
Sumatra railroad. We were obliged to sometimes
work 12 hours a day. Our only clothing was a
´tjawet´ (loin cloth); we walked bare feet and had to
be satisfied with the bare minimum of food and
water.
If you didn’t work hard enough in the opinion of the
Japs we, the prisoners, were beaten and kicked.

207
This situation lasted almost a year. Many fellow
prisoners died in this hell.
Only a few persons seemed to have survived the
ship’s disaster after we were liberated. The event is
qua seriousness, feelings and mental experience
unable to be described on paper. There remains for
me only the thankfulness to the greatness of Mother
Nature.
Excerpt from the story of Mr. W. Wanrooy/ out
OWTS.
This story was related to the author by Mr. F. Aarts
who was himself also on board a ship with prisoners
that was torpedoed. He jumped overboard and
survived.

The Barong dance of Bali.

The friendly looking dragon type animal Barong

appears against a background scenery of a temple
court. It is played by two actors, one in the head and
the other in the tail of the animal. Barong represents
the good and protects the village against the evil
witch Rangda. At the same time Barong is a
naughty creature that loves childish play and fun.
He dances around in the temple court, clicks his
teeth against the gamelan orchestra and enjoys the
cries of happiness of a group of men armed with
kerisses.
Then Rangha the witch appears with her long
hanging tong, human intestines around her neck,

208
and poisonous teeth in her mouth and claw nails on
the tip of her fingers. Barong stops playing the
clown and becomes the protector of the village.
The two creatures duel with their magical powers.
Barong seems to lose the battle, but at that moment
the men with the kerisses in their hands come to the
aid of Barong.
Rangda makes a move with her hand and brings
the Keris dancers into a trance forcing them to use
the Keris against themselves. The Barong stops the
men from using the Keris against themselves, The
Keris dances are made delirious with froth on their
mouths by the gamelan music. Rangda finally
leaves, defeated by the good powers of Barong.

Burung kakatua
Burung kakatua
Hinggap di jendela
Nenek sudah tua
Giginya tinggal dua

Chorus:
Letdum letdum letdum oh la la
Letdum letdum letdum oh la la
Letdum letdum letdum oh la la

Adang botol kosong

Isi aer gula
Ada oma ompong
Gigainya tinggal dua

209
Chorus.
Topi saya bundar
Bundar topi saya
Kalau tidak bundar
Bukan topi saya

Chorus.
Burung saya besar
Besar Burung saya
Kalau tidak besar
Bukan Burung saya

Gamelan instruments.

A Gamelan instrument is never the same. The

Gamelan is adjusted to the preferred tone sort and
the scale differences. The following instruments can
be part of a Gamelan ensemble.
 The Rebab. This is an instrument with two
copper strings and an almost heart shaped
sound encasing which is played as a violin.
 The Kendhang. This is a drum that is played
with the hands on both sides. It is the leading
instrument which also establishes the
rhythm.
 The Suling. This is a bamboo flute.
 The Bonang. The Bonang consists of a
double row of kettle drums in a horizontal

210
 frame and is played with two wooden sticks
lie a xylophone.
 The Saron. This instrument plays the core
melody with two small wooden hammers and
is similar to the xylophone with bronze bars.
 The Slenthem. Just like the Sarong this
instrument plays a core melody and has the
bass function because of its low octaves.
 The Gender. This is similar to the Slenthem,
but has more bronze bars.
 The Gambang. This also looks like a
xylophone, but is the only instrument with
hard wooden keys.
 The Gong. The Gong is made of bronze,
hangs in a wooden frame and is about 90
centimetres in diameter.

The first newspapers in the Dutch East

Indies.

The first weekly newspaper ´De Batavische

Courant´ appeared in 1816 succeeded by the
´Javasche Courant´ newspaper. The newspaper
was filled mainly with official bulletins,
advertisements and censured news. At that time the
news was scrutinized by the government and
heavily censured.
The weekly paper ´De Java bode´ was founded in
1852. The masterly articles of Busken Huet ensured
that the newspaper’s sales increased. Zentgraaff
was the editor-in-chief until 1940.

211
The newspaper ´De Locomotief´ also appeared in
1852 in Semarang. This newspaper was aimed at
the ethnical population and had additions in
Javanese, Chinese and Arabic. This newspaper is
the front runner of the later independent Indonesian
newspapers.
The ´Oostpost´ was founded in 1853 in Surabaya.
This was succeeded in 1866 by the largest cultural
and economic newspaper ´Het Soerabajasch
Handelsblad´. In 1885 appeared ´Het Bataaviasch
Nieuwsblad, first under Daum and later under
Zaalberg. Zaalberg was a fervent advocate for the
rights of the Eurasian population, and was involved
the founding of Eurasian parties under which the
Indo European Union.

An essay over Pramudya Ananta Tur.

Tur was as a child influenced by the nationalistic

ideas of his father. His father had, after teaching at
a Eurasian school, changed over to the Budi Utomo
movement. This movement was founded in 1908 for
the advancement of the social and cultural
development of the Javanese population.
During his youth Tur had learned to hate the Dutch,
but at a later age he realized that it was not the
people but the system that was bad. Long before
the proclamation of independence of the Republic
Indonesian 1945, Tur showed implicitly that
something had been brewing for a long time in the
Dutch East Indies. At the same time he showed that

212
Indonesian nationalism was not imported from
Japan, but that its roots grew long before the First
World War.
Den Boef writes about the writer that the combined
works from Tur indicates that he was an
individualist, devoted to democratic and humanistic
values and had more appreciation for the spiritual
and personal side of religion than for dogmatic
religious organizations.
Especially the last remains even in the present
Indonesia a difficult question.

The Wajang.

The Wajang and especially the Wajang game has

according to Pramudya Ananta Tur, one of the
greatest writers of Indonesia, become obsolete.
The Javanese people have grown up with the
Mahabharata, the Indian hero saga, and according
to the writer is the cultural education on Java based
on outdated images from a long lost past.
Most performances are based on vague stories,
where the knight caste plays the most important
role. The ordinary people are almost never involved
in the stories of the Wajang performances.
The knights fight each other yearning for power and
live for power. Bloodbaths are the result. Even
under the brothers of the main character. The
images of the characters are not persons or
characters, but characters recognizable by their

213
resemblance of the same facial appearance, the
same clothing and stereotype behaviour.
The story is mainly also determined by tradition,
with the characteristics of grotesque and unrealism.
The inspiration which comes forth from this is
translated to military power, while the New Order
uses the images to symbolise the excellence of
military power. The writer envisions the contrary, the
defeat. It is therefore that Indonesia has never been
free.
Important characters in the Wajang performances
are amongst others Tjokro and Garèng.

The Tjongklak game of western Java.

The Tjongklak game or dakon is played on

Tjongklak board. A flat long wooden plank, which
has two rows of seven undeep round
hollows(pots).On both ends of the board are two
larger hollows (the main hollows). The game is
played with small shells, small round beach stones
or the pits of fruits, etc. It is a strategic game for two
persons. Every player has a row of seven hollows
and main hollow.
The game is played counter clockwise. The game
starts by filling the two rows of seven hollows with
seven shells. The main hollows remain empty. The
idea is to fill the main hollow with as much shells as
possible (bringing them home).

214
The first player takes all the shells out of one of his
hollow and begins to ´walk´ by depositing a shell in
each following hollow. The main hollow of the
opponent is skipped. If the player finishes in his own
main hollow, then the player can continue ´walking´
from any hollow. If the player finishes in an empty
hollow of the opponent or in an empty hollow of his
own, he looses his turn. In the last case all the
shells are deposited in the opposite hollow as a
bonus for his own main hollow. The game ends
when one of the players is unable to make a move.
The shells in the main hollows are counted and the
player with the most shells wins the game.

The preparations of a rooster for a fight.

Every participant has his own particular manner of

preparing his rooster for a fight, and every area in
Indonesia uses their own methods. The
owner/trainer will feed his rooster in a special way.
The rooster is clamped between the knees and
small balls consisting of cooked rice mixed with raw
meat and seeds are propped down his throat. The
rooster has to swallow the small balls in one piece
so his larynx is stretched and he can breathe more
while fighting. After that a raw egg with rasped
kemiri (a nut that is also an ingredient by cooking) is
slid down his throat.
The paws and thighs are firmly massaged and the
wings, breast and neck are rubbed in with wet
fingers dipped in thee. This form of massage is

215
called ´Uwet´. The rooster becomes very shiny and
strong. Some owners strengthen the muscles of the
rooster by making him swim upstream in a river.
One of the best known breeds of fighting roosters is
the ´Jago ajam Bankok´. This is a breed of roosters
with a small head, high paws and normally a small
comb and flanges.
A comb or throat flanges (gombel) that are too large
are cut off with a sharp piece of bamboo skin (a
primitive bamboo knife), otherwise the rooster could
be hit too easily. Thereafter the rooster is placed in
a bamboo cage beside the cage of a smaller
rooster. This weaker rooster greets his neighbour
with upstanding neck feathers out of fear. The
intention is that the smaller rooster continuously
makes escape movements in his fear psychosis,
through which the larger rooster increases his guts.
The Indonesians love rooster fights. In some areas
sharpened curved razor blades are tied to their
spurs. The fighting arena is about four by four
meters and around the arena stand or squat
attentive on looking, mainly male, spectators. The
roosters are compared with each other before the
fight on their sight, their capability to fight each other
and their equality. The chosen roosters are then
brought into the arena by their owners. The
owners/trainers take place in a squat position
behind their roosters. At a short distance of each
other to intimidate their roosters against each other.
The roosters for their part try to tear themselves
away from the hands of the owners/trainers to fight
each other. For a while the roosters are set up

216
against each other so they will become intimidated
and ready to fight each other. The roosters run
towards each other after they had been led loose
after the starting signal, after which the fight begins
while the spectators cheer loudly. The roosters try
to nick each other and try with their spurs, with or
without razorblades, to cut down each other. The
fight continues until one of the roosters bloodied
and wounded flees from the arena or dies on the
spot.
It is obvious that during the fight intensive gambling
takes place between the owners and the spectators.
The stakes are, just like with any gambling game,
very high. The Indonesian authorities have strongly
forbidden the rooster fights. This doesn’t stop the
gamblers and the spectators to hold the rooster
fights on secret locations and to continue their
clandestine activities. A good fighting rooster is,
beside the gambling profits, when sold worth a lot of
money.
Rooster fights are held all over Asia.

Krontjong music.

The fado was introduced in Indonesia by the

Portuguese. The fado is a form of music which
originated in Brazil and became well-known in
Portugal and later was considered to be typical
Portuguese.
The Eurasian population developed from this a form
of music that later became popular as Krontjong

217
music. The five snare beat instrument was replaced
by the guitar. The name of the music is derived from
the sound that the finger beat makes over the
snares, kron…tjong.
The most well-known Krontjong song ´Nina Bobo´
contains the Portuguese origin. Nina is derived from
´Menina´ meaning girl and ´Bobo´ from the old
Portuguese for sleeping. One of the best known
Krontjong songs at the present is ´Terang Bulan´.
The melody of this song became later the melody of
the Malaysian national anthem.
Terang bulan - the moon shines
Terang bulan di kali - the moon shines in the river
Buaja timbul - the crocodile comes up
Disangkahla mati. - you believe he is dead.
Djangan pertjaja - never trust
Mulut lelaki - the word of a man
Berani sumpah - who swears he is brave
Tapi takut mati. - but is afraid to die.

The Pasar Malam (evening market).

The Pasar Malam in the Dutch East Indies was not

just an evening market. It was an organised evening
market which was a combination of a festival, a
trade fair, a fair and a folk’s party. This yearly event
grew out in the cities of the Dutch East Indies to
become the meeting place from east and west.
Europeans, Indonesians and persons from the

218
surrounding Asiatic countries came as visitors
and/or participants.
The writer and publicist Jan Boon had this mixture
of many cultures in his mind when he organized the
first Pasar Malam in The Hague more than 47 years
ago. He was able to finance the newly founded art
group ´Tong-Tong´ from the proceeds. But Boon
wanted especially to preserve the Eurasian culture
which identified the hundreds of thousands
repatriated Eurasians from the former Dutch East
Indies. His goal was to carry this out via the Pasar
Malam and his magazine ´Tong Tong´. After 45
years the name was changed to the Pasar Malam
Besar. Every year around 125000 visitors come to
the Pasar Malam Besar, and one can truly speak of
a great Eurasian festival. Cabaret, dances,
expositions and lectures form an important integral
part of the whole of the activities.

Budi Utomo.

Especially in circles of the lower Javanese nobility

(prijaji), there was a notable interest for direct
causal interest. The Budi Utomo (the graceful aim)
organization was founded in 1908 as a result if this.
The initiator was Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo.
Wahidin tabled a proposal at the School for
Education of Native Physicians. (STOVIA) in
Batavia to set up an educational fund to promote
western style education. His proposal was backed
by the royal house of Paku Alam in Djokjakarta. The

219
aim was to re-instate the Javanese kingdom.
Education and emancipation were also two of the
main ideals. The aim to re-live the past caused a
split in the organization. Tjipto Mngukussumo
intended to turn the organization into a political
party to stimulate education for the people based on
western style education. He proposed this in order
to break through the stagnating Javanese culture
and the traditional hierarchy. The majority of the
older prijaji led by Wahidin were against this
proposal and Tjipto left the organization. There was
no way that within the Budi Utomo a change to a
political party would be allowed.

The Asmat tribe.

The Asmat tribe lives in the swamp area between

the Digul River and Mimika in southern New
Guinea. The name ´Asmat´ means ´those who are
carved out of wood´. One of the creation myths
relates the story about an ancestor, Fumerjipitsj,
who drowned at the entrance of a large river during
one of his wanderings.
The mighty sea eagle War brought Fumerjipitsj back
to life by pressing soldering pieces of wood against
his body. After that Fumerjipitsj began carving male
and female wooden figures out of trees. He placed
the figures in the communal dwelling (jeu) of the
Asmat tribe. He filled the whole dwelling with
wooden figures. Then he carved a magnificent
sounding drum out of wood and began to play on
the drum. The figures began to move to the rhythm

220
of the drum. If he played faster and louder on the
drum, the figures came to life. The Asmat people
regard these first living figures as their ancestors.
The Asmat wood carvings are considered to be the
best traditional wood carvings in the world. All the
wooden custom made objects are carved
artistically. Sharp grinded pieces of stone or shells
are used for the artistically carvings. The Asmat
people (Asmat jepits) themselves do not place a
high esthetical value on their wood carvings. The
figures serve as a medium to contact the sprit world.
In honour and remembrance of this spirit world, they
carve a ´bisj-pole´. This pole can be compared with
the totem pole of the North American Indians.

The Stambul Comedy Theatre Group.

The Stambul Comedy was a travelling theatre

group. The performers of the theatre group
consisted of Eurasians and Indonesians and were
very popular under the ordinary Eurasians. The
Europeans and ´sophisticated´ Eurasians avoided
the theatre group because of the coarse contents of
the performances. The spoken word and songs
during the performance were a mixture of Malayan,
Chinese, Dutch and Javanese. The performances
were messy and very amateuristic. But nobody
worried about this.
The purpose of the performance was, with the use
of much screaming spoken satirical plays, to catch
the attention and to provoke noisy comments from

221
the audience. The audience was during the
performance busy gossiping, smoking and eating.
The audience screamed at the performers who
without taking notice of this finished their
performance. It meant a successful evening for the
performers if it was a noisy mess in the hall.
During the thirties of the previous century a certain ´
Miss Ribut´ became the main performer. This lady’s
performances justify her name. Her performances
distinguished themselves by much spectacle,
noisiness, much racket and excitement. She
became famous throughout the whole of the Dutch
East Indies. Records were cut for many of her
songs. She even performed on the Dutch East
Indies Broadcasting Company (NIROM).

Adat.

Literally (originally) Adat means custom. It is the

total of all local values and customs in every way of
life. The Adat specifies the association between
persons, the agricultural cycle, the care for the sick,
the ancestral worshipping, the right to marry,
property rights and which clothing to wear. The
harmony is guaranteed if one lives according to the
rules of the Adat. The Adat dictates the association
forms between people. It dictates the hunt,
jurisdiction, agriculture, etc.
The ancestors guard over the continuance of the
harmony and the observance of the Adat rules.
They are the medium between humans and the

222
gods, between the earthly world and the heavenly
world.
The ancestors can punish an offender who has
breached the Adat rules. If the ancestral spirits are
dissatisfied with the non-compliance of the Adat
rules, they can express their angriness in a variety
of ways. The descendants can experience set
backs or small inconveniences. The ancestral spirits
can also cause illnesses, natural disasters,
epidemics and even the death of the offender.

Rampok Matjan.

The Javanese believed that a human soul lived

within a tiger and that the tiger had the capability to
change into a human form. The ´king of the jungle´
was feared by the population and they were very
afraid to hunt the animal.
The ritual killing of a tiger was, on orders of the
sovereign, done by the complete community and
not by a sole person. He ran the risk to be cursed
by the soul of the tiger.
A number of cages in which tigers, leopards and
panthers are locked up are placed in a row on a
large field. A square of men formed in rows of
three, armed with lances is formed at a safe
distance. The first row of men hold their lances in a
horizontal position. The second row hold their
lances slanted and the third row vertical.

223
The cage of the animal is opened and by the use of
fire or other means the animal is forced to vacate
the cage. In his attempts to flee he encountered the
horizontal lance bearers and fell back onto the
ground. The animal attempted other escape routes,
but was forced to retreat every time. Infuriated and
wounded, the animal made a last attempt to break
through the cordon and impaled itself on the vertical
lances and fell mortally wounded on the ground.
The lance bearers now approached the animal and
finished it off with strokes of their lances. After this,
the ritual was repeated by opening the second
cage.
Rampok actually means to violently take away or
obtain illegal ownership.

Petjoh.

During the British colonial period, Eurasian children

developed their own street language which
consisted of English and the local native language.
This is known as Pidgin English. The same
occurred in the Dutch East Indies. The children of
Dutch fathers and native mothers also developed
their own street language known as Petjoh.
The Petjoh language probably originated in the
second half of the nineteenth century on Java. The
children who grew up in families of which the father
was Dutch and the mother Indonesian or Eurasian
grew up with Malaysian or Javanese as their street
language.

224
They learned Dutch words from their father and
during their education at school, and adapted their
daily street language accordingly.
Petjoh contained many words which during the
colonial period emphasized the European blood that
flowed through their veins. It was a verbal form of
differentiating between a Eurasian and an
Indonesian. Below follow some expressions that
were used in the Petjoh language.
Indo:
A definition of Eurasians by white persons.

Indo kesasar:
A lost Eurasian who felt more at home in white
surroundings.

Indo tempeh:
A poor Eurasian who lived in the countryside.

Hidung pesek:
A person with a flat nose, the sign of a native. The
more pointed the nose was, the more ´beautiful ´.

Sekolah djongkok:
A nickname for a native village school or squat
school.

Londo Bangsat:
Dutch bastard.

Londo godong:
A Eurasian who tries to imitate the Dutch.

225
Njai:
Housemaid or concubine of a white bachelor. If he
married her he lost his chance for promotion.

Musicians and musical associations in

the Dutch East Indies.

The newly arrived troops from The Netherlands

marched into the Castle of Batavia to the tunes of
music during the V.O.C. period. Music was also
played if the victors were greeted in the Council
Room and by officially organized parties. The
servants of the company and the civilians each had
their own method of making music.
These were lovers of music who without having
studied music, without musical notes, without
instrument makers tried to give their life meaning by
playing music as a hobby. The instruments were
faulty or they suffered from the climate. They were
not always repairable. Under the slaves were
violinists, cellists and harp players. They were
encouraged to form house orchestras. The
Governor General had around 1740 a house
orchestra consisting of fifteen slaves.
It was only in 1848 that the music association
´Aurora´ was founded in Batavia. Musicians and
lovers of music found each other in a common
interest association. A second music association
was also founded in Batavia, but they merged very
quickly to become the musical association

226
´Toonkunst Aurora´ (Tone art Aurora). The
volunteer orchestra Toonkunst Aurora has provided
musical entertainment for almost sixty years for the
Dutch public of Batavia.

Fighting kites.

Glass twine was used in the Dutch East Indies in

order to be able to fight other kites in the sky (adu
lalangan). The idea is to manoeuvre by a vigorous
manual movement your kite after taking a dive or a
sharp climb is in such a position so the kite of your
opponent is encircled and that the twines of both
kites cross each other. At that instant you slacken
your twine and so cut the twine of your opponent
with your twine. Your rival is then ´pedot´ which
means cut loose and the defeated kite whirls to the
ground like a falling leave in the wind. To win a kite
fight depends upon the manoeuvrability of the kite,
the tactics used by the kite owner and the
sharpness of the glass twine. By slackening or
hauling in very quickly after the glass twines have
touched each other, friction occurs. The best glass
twine will then cut the glass twine of the opponent’s
kite.
The recipe of a glass twine:
 Mash the glass fine in a mortar bowl (any
glass for that matter),
 Put a piece of wood glue (kak) in a tin of
water on a low fire until it has turned into a
syrup,

227
  Stir the mashed glass through the syrup,
 Take needle thread nr. 30 or 40 with a
minimum length of 500 metres,
 Place the needle thread loosely rolled upon a
stone,
 Place the rolled up needle thread in the
´kak´,
 Carefully take one end and tie it to a tree and
then stretch the glass twine between two
trees. Let it dry between the trees.

The glass twine is rolled around a reel (golongan)

as soon as it is completely dry. The reel is made
from an empty tin of which the top and the bottom
are removed. A piece of wood is placed inside the
empty space of the tin and serves as a handle. This
type of reel prevents that the hand is in the way by
slackening or hauling in the glass twine.

Bull fights.

The phenomena bull fighting is also known in

Indonesia. They are held regularly near the village
of Tapen on east Java. The bulls belong to the Zebu
breed. To prepare a bull for the bull fight they are
placed into solitary confinement and trained for
months. This causes the bulls to be loaded with
energy and are able to attack any other bull as soon
as they are released. The arena is approximately 40
by 40 metres and is only surrounded by a wooden
fence. The spectators stand or sit around the fence.
The bull fight begins as soon as two bulls are

228
released into the arena. Heavy betting takes place
about the result. The fight ends if one bull runs
away, is wounded or dies on the spot. It is apparent
that the fight takes place between two bulls. In the
hinterland of Celebes (Toradja) similar fights are
held on an open field between two oxen. It stands to
reason that the owners and spectators gable heavily
on the eventual winner.
On the Moluccans and Madura races between oxen
are held every six months. Two oxen hare hitched in
front of a primitive chariot without wheels. The
chariot consists of two rough poles with a length of
five metres running parallel to each other and
attached to each other by cross beams and a yoke
attached up front to which the oxen are hitched. The
racer stands 1,5 metres from the rear on a sort of
rack. The race begins as soon as all participants,
four or five, are in position beside each other on a
sandy terrain especially reserved for the race. All
hell breaks loose after the starting signal. The oxen
drag the chariot to the finish which lies 100 to 200
further.
The racer spurs his oxen on to the finish with shouts
and the crack of a whip. As stands to reason heavy
gambling takes place over the eventual winner.

229
The following short stories concern discussions
between two young men in Petjoh. This is the
street language spoken by Eurasian Dutch
children. In the British colonies they had a
similar language called Pidgin English. It is not
feasible to translate Petjoh into English as it
would change the meaning of the contents of
the short stories.

De Assistent-resident.

“Een assistent-resident, wat doet hij toch eigenlijk?”

“Hij is een binnenlandse bestuursambtenaar”.
“Ja maar, wat doet hij bij de BB?”
“Bijna altijd praten over een totok. Een pure
Hollander die in Leiden of Utrecht in de
rechtswetenschappen is afgestudeerd en dus
Meester in de Rechten is”.
“Goh, een geleerde, ja”.
“Hij is hoofd van een van de afdelingen van een
residentie. Soms zijn er wel vijf afdelingen en zijn er
dan ook vijf AR´s werkzaam binnen zo´n residentie.
Voor hem werken controleurs, opzieners en
beambten. Zij innen de belastingen, houden
toezicht op de landbouw, beheren gebouwen en
waterstaatswerken, voeren politie taken uit, etc.”
“Nooit geweten dat ze zo veel werk hebben zeg”.
“Het moeilijkste voor de AR is dat hij moet
samenwerken met de Regent van de streek. De
Adipati of Pangeran (prins). Want die is de vorst van

230
de bevolking en hij is van adel. Volgens instructies
van hogerhand moet de AR de Regent beschouwen
als zijn ´jongere broer´. En als de AR werkkrachten
nodig heeft voor de bouw van bruggen, wegen en
gebouwen zegt hij tegen de Regent dat hij mensen
nodig heeft.”
“En als hij niet wil, die Regent?”
“Dan wordt de AR overgeplaatst. Hij heeft dan zijn
´jongere broer´ niet goed aangepakt”.

Herendienst.
“Weet jij wat ze bedoelen met Herendienst?”
“Is dat niet iets met godsdienst. Je dient de Heer?”
“Nee man. Dat heeft er niks mee te maken. Het zit
zo. Herendiensten waren verplichte hand en span
diensten die de Indonesische bevolking moest
leveren aan het gouvernement”.
“En hoe dan, die lui?”
“Zelfs begin 1900 werd op Java en Madoera nog
mankracht gevorderd voor tamelijk zware diensten.
De mannen werden ingezet bij de bouw van
spoorbruggen en de aanleg van wegen en
waterwerken. Dat betekende dus hakken van
rotsblokken uit de bergwanden, werken in
zandafgravingen en het vervoer van al dit materiaal
naar de werkplek. En verder het onderhoud van de
wegen en waterwerken, etc”.
“En wat kregen ze daarvoor?”

231
“Nul komma nul. Niks. Het gouvernement zag een
herendienst als een belasting in natura. Er stond
geschreven dat er bij primitieve volkeren belasting
in natura (arbeid) dikwijls de voorkeur heeft boven
belasting in geld”.
“Ja, die kerels waren gek”.
“Nou, die kerels gehoorzaamden hun vorst, de
Adipati of Pangeran blindelings. Dat is hun adat. De
vorst zorgde voor de mankracht en kreeg daarvoor
een vergoeding”.
“Kassian, die lui. Door maar door te werken voor
meneer de Tokok en meneer de Regent. En dan
voor niks”.

De voorspelling.

“Wist jij dat er al eerder is voorspeld dat op een dag

wij uit dit land geflikkerd worden?”
“Ja, dat had ik jou ook wel kunnen voorspellen toen
de Jappen hier net nog waren”.
“Nee, al veel en veel eerder heeft de Javaanse
koning Djojobojo die voorspelling gedaan. Hij was
koning van het rijk van Kediri en regeerde van 1135
tot ongeveer 1157. Dus dat is zo ongeveer 800 jaar
geleden”.
“En wat zei hij, die orang”.
“Toen al voorspelde hij letterlijk dat Java
onafhankelijk zou worden nadat de blanken

232
verslagen waren en een geel volk honderd dagen
had geheerst”.
“Ach, kan toch niet. Er waren nog niet eens blanken
aan de horizon te bekennen. Die vent wist toen nog
niet eens hoe blanken eruit zagen”.
“Luister nou. Hij voorspelde dat er eerst blanken,
dat zijn dus totoks op Java zouden zijn en die
werden verslagen door Japanners, dat weet je.
Daarna zou een geel volk, Japanners dus, een tijdje
over Java gaan heersen. Pas daarna zou Java
onafhankelijk zijn”.
“Ja, als je het zo zegt”.
“Djojobojo´s naam is bij de Javanen van vandaag
nog steeds bekend. Zelfs Soekarno heeft in zijn
speeches die naam verschillende malen
aangehaald”.
“Djojobojo zeg je…nooit van gehoord”.

De tranen van Mona.

“Oogvocht, dat zijn toch eigenlijk alleen tranen?”

“Ja. Je zegt, haar ogen zijn vochtig van het huilen”.
“Oh, dan snap ik toch goed”.
“Wat snap je?”
“Nou, jij kent Paatje Si-Blaga toch? Met zijn mooie
dochter Mona. Daar ben ik verliefd op. En ik wil
eigenlijk met haar trouwen. En toen had ik zo
gedacht, ja, ik vraag haar hand aan Paatje. Dus ben
ik naar hem toegegaan en ik zei tegen hem, Paatje,

233
ik heb 10.000 roepiah in mijn spaarpot, mag ik met
uw lieve dochter Mona trouwen?”
“En toen?”
“Toen zei hij, voor 100.000 roepiah kan jij nog niet
eens het oogvocht van Mona kopen. Weer na
eventjes handelen ben ik nar Paatje toegegaan en
ik zei toen dat ik 1 miljoen roepiah had. Koerang zei
hij weer”.
“En toen?”.
“Toen ben ik naar Mona gegaan en ik heb gezegd,
lieve Mona, ik kan niet met je trouwen. Jouw vader
zegt, dat je van binnen helemaal vol zit met
oogvocht”.

Aziatisch ontwaken.

“Tjoba, jij bent toch van de HBS?”.

“Ja, waarom?”
“Ik zag vanmorgen in een tijdschrift een plaatje van
een tijger met zijn grote bek wijd open en daar
stond bij ´Reveil!!Ontsnapt!!´ Verder niks over waar
en wanneer die Reveiltijger is ontsnapt”.
“Laat zien! Ach, dat is een politieke plaat. Er is
nergens een tijger ontsnapt. Dit is geen echte tijger.
Kijk maar…in de strepen op zijn rug…daar staan de
namen van landen gedrukt…Turkije, Japan, Brits
Indië, de Filippijnen!, China en een paar keer
Indonesia”.
“Lo, ik dacht dat deze tijger in die landen voorkomt”.

234
“Luister, daar gaat het juist om. In die landen is de
geest van de tijger ontwaakt. Reveil betekent
ontwaakt, ´bangoenlah´!...Japan is ontwaakt en
heeft Rusland verslagen. Jong Turkije bracht zijn
sultan ten val. China bracht het keizerrijk ten val en
er kwam een republiek onder Sun Jat Sen. De
Filippijnen krijgen zelfbestuur van de Amerikanen
en in Brits Indië werd Mahatma Gandhi de
nationalistische leider. Overal zijn Aziatische landen
bezig overheersing en dictatuur van zich af te
schudden. Met of zonder geweld. En dat is precies
wat Soekarno ook wil. Los van Holland. Eigen
bestuur”.
“Lah-illah, volgens mij moet jij in de Volksraad gaan
zitten. Dan komen de indo´s eindelijk aan de
macht”.

Minangkabau.

“Ben jij wel eens in Bukittingi geweest?”.

“Nee, waar ligt dat precies?”.
“In Sumatra, midden Sumatra. In dat berggebied
woont het Minangkabau volk. Maar ga daar maar
niet naar toe want dan val je onder het regiem van
vrouwen. Je hebt als kerel geen moer te vertellen”.
“Saaie boel zeg. En hoe komt dat nou?”.
“Nou, dat stamt nog uit de tijd dat Atjeh een groot
Mohammedaans rijk was. De sultan regeerde over
bijna heel Sumatra en een deel van Maleisië”.
“OK, maar nu die Minangkabause vrouwen?”.

235
“Op een dag ging de vorst van Minangkabau met
zijn familie naar de Sultan van Atjeh om daar
hormat te betonen. Ze voeren met hun boot dicht
langs de kust. Plotseling liep de boot op een klif en
kon niet verder. Alle jongelui sprongen in het water
om de boot los te trekken, maar de twee zonen van
de vorst voelden zich te hoog voor dat werk. Dat
maakte de vorst en zijn vrouw erg boos.
Zij onterfden hun twee zonen. Alle bezittingen
gaven ze aan de neven en nichten, dus aan de
kinderen van de zuster van de vorst. En zo komt het
dat altijd de zuster van de overleden man alles erft”.
“Dus als ik Minangkabauer zou zijn, dan zou mijn
zuster Fietje alles krijgen en mijn kinderen niets?”.
“Precies. Ze noemen dat matriarchaal erfrecht”.

Pantja Sila (nationalisme).

“Die Soekarno, wat wil hij toch?”.

“Nou, hij droomt dat hij president wordt van het land
Ind00onesië. Hij wil alle eilanden, wateren en zeeën
daartussen van Sumatra tot Papua tot een staat
Indonesië maken. Een nationale staat voor alle
mensen”.
“Ya-illah, hij wel, die vent”.
“Nationalisme wil hij erin beuken. Natie zit in dat
woord en nationaal zit in dat woord. Alle inwoners
van alle eilanden moeten een natie vormen. Niet het
eiland of de streek waar zij wonen is belangrijk, nee,

236
binnen de grenzen van de gehele archipel ligt
voortaan hun woongebied. Iedereen moet
Indonesiër worden”.
“Ja maar, een Dajak is toch geen Javaan en een
Papua is toch geen Minangkabauer en…hun
uiterlijk is anders, hun adat is anders…ze eten
varkens of karbouwen of sapi of hond en dan nog
vereren ze slangen of panters of tijgers”.
“Precies, neem nou die tijgers. Er zijn Sumatraanse
tijgers, Javaanse tijgers, Balinese tijgers, en…”.
“Ja maar, dat zijn toch allemaal tijgers”.
“Precies. Dus wil Soekarno dat je alle tijgers niet
hun eilanden naam geeft maar voortaan
Indonesische tijgers noemt”.
“Allah, gelukkig maar dat de meeste tijgers een kort
leven hebben, ja. Niet langer dan twintig jaar toch”.

Kampong economie.

“Weet je dat Soekarno met zijn Pantja Sila eigenlijk

bedoelde dat de Indonesiërs hun identiteit alleen
kunnen terugvinden als ze gaan leven zoals vroeger
in de kampongs van voor de Nederlandse tijd?”.
“Dat is betul long ago. Maar waarvoor?”.
“ Nou, daar heerste nog het Javaanse principe
´gotong rojong´, dat ´betekent wederzijdse hulp voor
elkaar´. Want in de kampong helpt de een de ander
b.v. bij de bouw van zijn huis en dan helpt de ander

237
de een bij het oogsten van de padi op zijn sawah.
Begrijp je?”
“Met zonder betaling, deze?”
“Gotong rojong heeft niks met geld verdienen te
maken. Dat is de adat in de kampong. Wat jij denkt
dat is kapitalisme. Nee, gotong rojong is precies het
tegenovergestelde, het is socialisme. Een voor allen
en allen voor een”.
“Ja, maar wie betaalt die vent zijn huis dan?”
“Ajo nou, zijn huis is toch van bamboe en bamboe
groeit toch in het wild, Zijn dak is van atapbladeren
en hij gebruikt geen spijkers maar bamboe vezels.
Kost niks”.
“Ja, maar waarom gaat hij dan die ander op zijn
sawah helpen? Zeker om zijn oogst te helpen
opeten? Lekker gratis zeg. En wie betaalt de pedah
(vis) bij de rijst?”.
“Ach, weet je, dat is denk ik wat Soekarno bedoelt
met kampong economie. Zoek het zelf maar uit”.
“Die oom van jou in de desa Tjikalong heeft ook
een grote vruchtentuin, zeg”.
“Ja, ongeveer driekwart bouw, maar hoeveel
vierkante meter dat eigenlijk is, weet ik niet”.
“Nou, een bouw is 7.096.50 vierkante meter, dus
driekwart bouw is ongeveer 5.322 vierkante meter,
dat is ongeveer 53 are of iets meer dan een halve
hectare”.
“Goh, je lijkt wel een landmeter zeg”.

238
“Ik zag allerlei soorten vruchtbomen staan. Als ik
even terugdenk heeft hij vruchtbomen zoals
nangka, rode djamboe bol, witte djamboe air,
malindjo, doekoe, ramboetan, doerian, mangga,
mangistan, een paar klapper- en palmoliebomen en
bamboe.
En dan zag ik in zijn groetentuin ook nog ketela,
oebi, boontjes, katjang pandjang, kool, tomaat en
lemoen. Hij kan met zijn gezinnetje gemakkelijk van
al die vruchten en groenten leven, maar dan heeft
hij toch veel te veel. Geeft veel weg?”.
“Nou ja, zijn vrouw verkoopt de vruchten en
groenten natuurlijk op de pasar. En soms ruilen ze
vruchten voor andere zaken die ze nodig hebben,
zoals huishoudartikelen, keukengerei, textiel of
garen, dat soort dingen. Daarnaast geeft hij af en
toe gewoon iets weg”.
“Hij is zeker veel in zijn tuin bezig?”.
“Eerst het werk op de sawah. En dan pas in de tuin.
Dat is wat je noemt de echte kontri laif”.

De kracht van het getal.

“Geloof jij in de macht van het getal?”.

“Ja, als je veel geld hebt dan ben je machtig, toch?”
“Dat bedoel ik niet. Ik bedoel, geloof je dat een
bepaald getal jou geluk brengt. Neem nou
bijvoorbeeld zo´n Soekarno, hij wilde per se vijf
principes in zijn Pantja Sila stoppen. Waarom?
Omdat hij van symboliek houdt, zegt hij. Het moeten

239
er vijf zijn omdat de Islam vijf riten kent. Omdat er
aan elke hand vijf vingers zitten. Omdat wij allemaal
vijf zintuigen bezitten. Omdat er in de Mahabharata
vijf pendawas figureren. Dus daarom moest naar
zijn mening het onafhankelijke vaderland Indonesië
op vijf principes berusten”.
“Nou ja, als hij dat gelooft. De onafhankelijkheid van
Indonesië is geproclameerd op 17 augustus 1945,
ja?”.
“Ja, dat is hun bevrijdingsdag”.
“Nou, dan zou ik zeggen dat zijn Indonesia plan
moet bestaan uit zeventien hoofdstukken, acht
boeken, en negentien honderd en vijf en veertig
bladzijden. Want 17.8.1945 is hun bevrijdingsdag
en hun geluksdag”.
“Weet je wat het met jou is, jij maakt altijd een
grapje van serieuze zaken”.
“Sorry! Maar wat denk je van het volgende. Neem
nou die datum 17.8.1945, en tel de getallen bij
elkaar op. Dat geeft 1970. Nou in dat jaar is immers
Soekarno overleden”.

Volksraad.

“Op een dag heb ik mijn oom geholpen in de

vestibule van de Volksraad met hoeden, petten en
wandelstokken op te bergen op de juiste plekken.
En toen ik niks meer te doen had ben ik stilletjes
binnen gaan kijken. Mocht wel van de bewakers”.

240
“Zo, nou dan heb je mee gezien dan ik. Ik ken dat
Staatscollege allen van mijn lessen staatsinrichting
op de HBS. Waar hadden ze het over?”.
“Weet ik veel. Je denkt toch niet dat ik onthou wat
die lui daar zeggen. Van mijn djongkokplaats kon ik
ook niet alles zien. Ze zitten in een soort lage kuil
met trapjes naar beneden, precies als in een grote
zwempoel of zoals jij zou zeggen zwembassin”.
“Ja, dat is bekend. In de lange openbare
vergaderingen wordt er heel wat afgezwamd.
Daardoor is de vergadering verbasterd tot
´´zwambassin.
“Oh, dat zij mijn oom ook al. Er was een totok aan
het praten. Trouwens, er waren veel totoks in de
zaal, in groottenue en met heel veel goud”.
“Ja, daarover las ik laatst een opmerking van een
Indonesisch lid van de Raad die ook vond dat er
teveel blanda´s in de zaal zaten. Dat stoorde hem.
Het heette ´De Volksraad´ te zijn, dus een Raad
voor alle volkeren van Indonesië, maar met 26
blanda leden en 30 Indonesische leden noemde hij
de vergadering een ´Dewan rajap´ of vergadering
van witte mieren”.

“Wil je nokken (vechten)?”.

“Wat is er met jou gebeurd? Ben je uitgegleden?”.

“Ach, die stomme Indo van hierachter heeft mij
geleld. Maar ik hem ook en zijn fiets kapot”.

241
“Maar waarom dan?”.
“Nou ik zat op de stoep voor mijn huis en ik was aan
het wachten op Fietje. Wij zouden samen naar tante
Ottie gaan. En toen kwam die stomme Indo langs
op een nieuwe fiets. Ik zag direct, nieuwe fiets. Ja,
maar welke, dacht ik. Is dat een Gazelle of Rudge
of een Fongers, boleh, die vent”.
“En toen?”.
“Toen kwam die vent naar mij toe. Waarvoor kijk jij
mij aan, zegt hij.. ik kijk naar jou fiets, niet naar jou,
zeg ik. Je kijkt wel naar mij, zegt hij. Ik kijk naar jou
fiets, zeg ik. Maar..ja..nu ik naar jou kijk ja, zie ik dat
jouw kop precies lijkt op mijn baboe”.
“Ja, waarom zeg je dat nou. Dat is toch een
belediging”.
“Ja, maar volgens mij wilde hij nokken, dus tegelijk
maar toch?”.
“En toen?”.
“Ja, je weet, mijn pentja kwam d´r uit. Kassian die
vent eigenlijk. Zijn achterwiel zonder spaken. Hij is
daar zelf met zijn dikke donder opgevallen. Ik heb
alleen terug geleld”.
“Ja, beroert die lui tegenwoordig. Als je maar even
naar iemand kijkt wil hij al nokken”.

Wie snel geeft, geeft dubbel.

“Vervelende boel zeg. Ik heb die lui van de collecte

geld gegeven en nou kan ik geen rokok meer
kopen”.

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“Logisch, je moet ook niet te snel je geld uitgeven.
Je weet toch, in Indonesië zeggen ze niet voor niets
´wie snel geeft, geeft dubbel´ “.
“Emotie, jong. Die vent was een ouwe sobat van
mij, uit mijn diensttijd nog”.
“Voor welk doel haalde die sobat van jou geld op?”.
“”
Ik weet niet. Misschien voor de kerk. Meestal is het
voor de kerk. Soedah, aan een sobat geef je toch”.
“Doe je dat vaak, geld geen aan iemand zonder te
vragen voor welke instantie het geld wordt
opgehaald? Je lijkt wel niet wijs. Trouwens, die
sobat van jou vind ik ook maar een klojang dat hij
niets zegt. Misschien vroeg hij geld voor een kuda
kepang voorstelling op de hoek van de straat”.
“Allah, die lui werken altijd op jou innerlijk. Maar als
mooie meisjes, als ze lief lachen, ik geef,
tanggoeng”.
“En als het kerels zijn, wat doe je dan?”.
“Ik? Ik douw mijn wijsvinger diep in mijn neus en
dan zeg ik ´wat jij vraagt moet ik eerst bij elkaar zien
te oeros, schrapen, snap je?”.
“Gore vent ben jij zeg. Ai-nou, serieus nou”.
“Kijk de kwestie is namelijk deze, toe hef or toe hef
not. Hetzelfde als bij tawar. Eerst tijd rekken en dan
pas toegeven. Als je snel geeft, geef je dubbel,
toch?”.

243
 Tjangkok.

“Hoe vind je mijn ramboetans?”.

“Lekker sappig. Waar vandaan deze?”.
“Hier uit mijn achtertuin. Ik heb daar twee
ramboetanbomen die erg veel vruchten dragen. De
een is een tjangkok van de ander”.
“Goh, ik zou ook wel een ramboetan in mijn tuin
willen. Heb jij misschien een tjangkok voor mij?”.
“Toevallig wel, maar je moet nog even wachten tot
de wortels van mijn tjangkok ietsje groter zijn”.
“Hoe maak je toch een tjangkok?”.
“Makkelijk. Rondom het stammetje van een jonge
sterke tak snij je een brede ring van de bast weg,
meestal bij een oogje op de tak. Dan neem je een
kluit aarde van onder de boom en bedek daarmee
de blanke uitsnijding van de tak. Met een beetje
natmaken van de aarde lukt het wel. Voor de
stevigheid wikkel je een stukje karong om die grote,
dikke prop aarde. En dan maar goed nat maken
telkens en wachten tot er wortels opkomen”.
“Kan dat bij alle bomen?”.
“Niet bij alle, maar wel bij veel. Mijn oom van de
proeftuin heeft tjangkokkans gemaakt van djeroek,
mangga, doekoe, zuurzak, doerian, nangka, sawo,
enz.”.
“Tjoba, van hieruit zie ik daar een mooie tak in jouw
blimbingboom. Die kan ik mooi als tjangkok voor
mijn katapult gebruiken?”.

244
 Duiven.

“Laatst zag ik op de nok van mijn dak een bruine

duif zitten met witte koentjoeng. Die leek op die van
jou”.
“Kan niet, mijn duiven zijn geen dakschijters”.
“Maar het was wel een mooie Javaanse duif. Ik heb
met kleppekken geprobeerd hem te vangen, maar
hij vloog weg. Duidelijk een jonkie””.
“Heb je niet met djagoeng geprobeerd?”.
“Nee, te laat. Het was al tien uur en dan hebben alle
duiven in de buurt al gegeten. Zijn krop was nog
dik”.
“Hoeveel postduiven heb jij?”.
“Ik heb…even kijken…Panah en Pelor, Otje en Didi,
Sigilah en Sletje…zes postduiven. Mijn andere
duiven zijn geen postduiven”.
“Ik heb geen postduiven. Niet mooi. Zo mager. Ik
heb van alles. En de mannetjes luisteren als ik met
hun vrouwtjes kleppek, hun duikvlucht is precies als
een kiekendief, met gesloten vleugels tot bijna aan
de grond”.
“En waar zitten ze?”.
“Altijd bij hun hokken. Nooit op het dak. Soms, na
een uurtje vliegen proberen ze uit te hijgen op het
dak, maar dan katapul ik die dakschijters d´r af met
kleine stukjes djagoengkolf. En als er toevallig een
in de boom gaat zitten, dan schaam ik me rot voor

245
de buren, want mijn duiven horen daar niet. Het zijn
toch immers geen perkoetoets!”.

Zijn ini (dit) en haar anoe (dat).

“Vanmiddag zag ik veel orong-orong bij het terras.

Je weet wel die heel kleine zandkreeftjes die op de
rand van een zandkuiltje zitten te zonnen. Als je
alleen al naar hun kijkt lopen ze snel naar de punt
van hun trechtertje en duiken onder het zand. Echt
maloe die beestjes”.
“Ja, leuk. Maar ik denk dan altijd aan zus Fietje. Op
een dag heel vroeger zat ik onder het slaapkamer
raam van zus Fietje met orong-orong te spelen. En
toen hoorde ik door het raam boven mij gegiechel.
Ik ging gluren, natuurlijk. Mijn zus lag op de divan
en Dharmo van de buren sprong op haar. Zonder
kleren!
En toen ging hij met zijn ini boven op haar anoe
zitten. Eerst dacht ik, ze gaan stoeien. Maar si-
Fietje, zij blijft maar stil liggen, nadenken geloof ik”.
“En toen?”
“Maloe ik. Net als die orong-orong ben ik snel onder
het raam gedoken. En toen ben ik naar Soemo
gegaan, de chauffeur van mijn oom. En ik heb hem
verteld over Fietje en Dharmo”.
“En wat zei Soemo?”.

246
“ De volgende keer dat je zoiets ziet, moet je gaan
tellen, een, toewe, drie, pier, pep, ses en dan
verder”.
“En waarvoor?”.
“Soemo zei, als het kort duurt, houdt hij niet van
Fietje, maar als lang, dan wordt hij familie van mij”.

Bioscoop.

“Straks ga ik naar de bioscoop. Ik heb gehoord dat

er een goeie film draait met Jane Russell en Peter
Lorre””.
“Adoe, Jane Russell. Ik word steeds afgeleid van
het verhaal, ik zie alleen maar die twee
goenoengans Merbaboe en Merapi. Geef mij maar
Rita Hayworth”.
“Is dat jouw favoriet, Rita Hayworth?”.
“Een van de. Boven mijn bed hangt Paulette
Goddard, dat is echt mijn favoriet”.
“Ik ben blij dat smaken verschillen. Ik hou meer van
films met een serieuze inhoud, zoals ´Under
Capricorn’ met Joseph Cotton en Ingrid Bergman”.
“En muziekfilms dan?”.
“Ja, natuurlijk. Alle films met señor Xavier Cugat
bijvoorbeeld of met Fred Astaire en Ginger Rogers.
En, hoe heet zij toch…Dorothy Lamour of is het
Dorothy Malone”.
“Maar jouw echte vrouwelijke favoriet, welke?”.

247
“Ik heb een paar, ja. Gene Tierney, Jean Simmons,
Susan Hayward en Lana Turner. Maar de top of de
bil vind ik Eleanor Parker”.
“Ik kijk liever naar Virginia Mayo of Virginia Lake
met haar mooie rechterlok voor haar ogen”.
“Wat ik ook goede films vind zijn westerns of
oorlogsfilms met John Wayne of Humphrey Bogart
of Jeff Chandler of Victor Mature”.
“La-illah, bantji die vent, net een meisje”.

Si Babon.

“Daar gaat hij, SiBabon”.

“Wie is dat dan?”.
“Hij heeft een mooie naam hoor, zoiets als Everhard
Schepen van der Does tot Grevelingen, maar wij
noemen hem SiBabon. Hij loopt namelijk altijd met
een grote kip onder zijn arm”.
“Waarvoor?”.
“Nou, om te vechten. Volgens mij is hij nu ook op
weg naar de kampong om zijn kip te laten vechten
met een vechthaan. Die vechtkip van hem is
boekan main een kanjeuse, agressieve babon, die
ook honden aanvalt. Vroeger trainde hij zijn kip op
krielhaantjes met een veel te grote bek”.
“Ach, volgens mij is zijn kip een haan van de zeer
verkeerde kant, met minderwaardigheidcomplex”.
“Ajo nou, een haan legt toch geen eieren? Deze wel
hoor. Grote bruine eieren”.

248
“Heb jij dan wel eens sambal goreng van die eieren
gegeten, volgens mij zijn dat kalkeieren, bantji
eieren”.
“Schei toch uit. Die eieren zijn juist het geheim van
SiBabon. Als zijn tegenstander bezig is zijn haan te
oesep om hem klaar te maken voor het gevecht,
dan breekt SiBabon een ei op de kop van zijn kip en
smeert hem helemaal in, zijn kop, zijn veren, zijn
poten, alles. Die haan valt aan, ketst op de kip, zijn
poten glad, hij glijdt uit,…al..afgelopen..slagaderlijke
bloeding”.

Sambalgorenghati (pittig lever

gerecht).

“Gisteren lekker sambal goreng hati gegeten”.

“Oh, hartjes”.
“ Nee levertjes. Hati is toch lever, jantung is hart”.
“Maar als je verdriet hebt dan zeg je toch sakit hati,
ik heb verdriet. En als je tegen iemand zegt
´voorzichtig´ dan zeg je toch ´hati hati´ .En hoe
noem je dan sambal goreng van hartjes, sambal
goreng jantung soms?”.
“Nee, dat is sambal goreng hati, geloof ik. Dus dat
kan allebei, hartjes of levertjes. Volgens mij dragen
ze niet hun hart maar hun lever op de tong”.
“Die lui beuken maar raak met hun taal”.
“Ja, maar ze kunnen ook leuke woorden verzinnen
in hun taal, Neem nou het woord onderzeeboot, dat
is bij hun kapak didalem laoet oftewel schip binnen

249
de zee. Een schrijf machine is mesin toelis
(schrijven) of mesin tik. En wat denk je van het
woord studio, b.v. van een kunstenaar, dat is kamar
kerdja seorang ahli seni oftewel werkkamer van een
mens begaafd met kunst. Of straalvliegtuig, zo´n
Gloster Meteor, is pesawat terbang pantjar-gas, dat
is een apparaat dat vliegt en gas spuit. Goed ja?”.
“Je lijkt wel woordengek, zeg. Mensen die veel
lezen weten veel, maar mensen die kijken weten
soms nog iets meer. Wist je dat?”.
“Waar haal je dat nu vandaan?”.
“Staat in de boeken”.

Ikan (vis).

“Wat eet jij daar?”.

“Gewoon, ikan brenkes. Lekker pedis, deze. Ga
maar halen bij die ouwe vrouw. Ze is goed in
visgerechten”.
“Ik heb haar nog nooit eerder gezien hier op de
pasar. Zit zij vaak op deze plaats?”.
“een keer per week zit ze daar met haar anglo´s.
Die plaats is van haar dochter. Maar die verkoopt
alleen groenten en fruit van haar eigen erfje”.
“En die ouwe zit daar op zaterdag te masak
masak?”.
“Ja, ze is de kokkie van mijn tante. Daarom ken ik
haar. In het weekend gaat mijn tante altijd naar haar

250
zoon die een plantage in de bergen heeft en dan is
kokkie vrij”.
“En hoe komt ze aan de vis voor haar gerechten?”.
“Uit haar vijver. Ze heeft in plaats van vruchtbomen
een grote vijver in haar tuin. Ze kweekt twee
soorten zoetwatervis, dat zijn goudvis en goerami”.
“Het lijkt me in onderhoud niet gemakkelijk”.
“Zij zegt van wel. Je moet alleen voor stromend
water zorgen. Nou, at is bij haar gemakkelijk, haar
desa ligt langs de rivier en ze hoeft alleen maar
water af te tappen en weer terug te voeren in de
rivier. Ze kweekt ook bibit (jong broedsel) voor
andere desa vijvers”.
“Ze hoeft dus nooit vis op de pasar te kopen?”.
“Jawel, als mijn tante wel eens kakap (schelvis) of
lidah (tong) wil eten dan gaat ze naar de pasar”.

NEFIS.

“Als jij indruk wilt maken op jouw aanstaande

schoonvader, moet je hem zeggen dat je bij de
NEFIS hebt gezeten”.
“Ja, maar ik weer niet wat NEFIS betekent”.
“Netherlands East Forces Intelligence Service, dat
was de Nederlandse inlichtingendienst in Australië
tijdens de bezetting van de Jappen in Indië”.

251
“Een spionagedienst dus. Maar voor wie dan, het
hele KNIL zat toch geïnterneerd in de
Jappenkampen”.
“Eh, pas op. Dat zijn commando eenheden die de
hele oorlog door ergens in de archipel werden
gedropt om sabotage te plegen of om belangrijke
inlichtingen te verzamelen voor het geallieerde
opperbevel in de Pacific. Generaal MacArthur was
de opperbevelhebber”.
“Maar wat waren dat voor mensen?”.
“Militairen, maar ook burgers. Toen de Jappen
binnenvielen konden kleine eenheden van het KNIL,
marine en luchtmacht nog ontvluchten naar Ceylon
of Australië. Anderen hebben in het oerwoud
guerrilla acties tegen de Jappen uitgevoerd, zoals in
Nieuw Guinea, Borneo, Sumatra, Celebes, Timor en
ook op Java, en die zijn later door geallieerde
onderzeeboten naar Australië geëvacueerd. Uit die
groepjes is in Australië de NEFIS gevormd”.
“Ajo, Tjoba, jij vertelt mij daar meer van. Dan kan ik
schoonpa een tjabe rawit in zijn jeweetwel steken”.

Bouwmaker(flink doener).

“Vanmiddag reed ik langs mijn vroegere school en

daar zag ik mijn oude gymleraar staan. Wij
noemden hem toentertijd ´Tjakar ajam´
(kippenpoot)”.
“Waarom, omdat hij als een kip loopt?”.

252
“Nee, maar als je aan het begin van het schooljaar
in de rij stond om kennis te maken met je
klassenleraar, stond hij bij de deur om iedereen een
hand te geven. Die handdruk was zo hard, dat je
het eigenlijk wilde uitschreeuwen van de pijn. Je
hand zag er uit als de kromme poot van een dooie
soepkip. Iedereen had diep respect voor die vent en
dat was ook zijn bedoeling”.
“Potige vent, zeg. Een Indo?”.
“´Tuurlijk, zijn lievelingsgymnastiek waren de ringen.
En dan moest je eerst optrekken en dan tegelijk de
Christusstand proberen. Geloof je. Met een arm
strekken lukt het al niet, laat staan met twee. Als
slappe dodols hingen we te bengelen aan dat ding”.
“Kassian jullie”.
“Ja, beroert wij. Je durft niks te zeggen tegen die
kerel. Als je alleen maar naar zijn bast kijkt word je
al bang, V-bouw. Zijn kronen als klapperdoppen,
zijn triceps, oeaaahhh, kabels. Als je door hem
maar een keer geleld word maak je ge-ga-ran-deerd
de première mee van de eerste vliegende mens in
de ruimte”.
“Bouwmaker zeg. Maar je kan in zijn ogen spugen
en keihard weglopen. Die lui zijn kortademig, lo”.

Latàh.

“Mijn kokkie is zo latah als de pest. Ze hoeft maar

even te schrikken of ze prevelt hardop telkens en

253
telkens dezelfde, onbegrijpelijke woordenstroom: I-
tje-moe-loet-mam-poes-sapi-mati-foe-joeng-tai”.
“Oh ja, nou dat is nog niets vergeleken met wat mijn
Oma zegt als iets op de grond laat vallen: Ih-petot-
makan-makan-garam-gon-do-ro-wo-barang-kali-
kaja-poetih-kates en-nog toe.adoeh”.
“Nou dat is inderdaad een lange schrikreactie. En
wat doet ze als dat is gebeurd?”
“Dan lacht ze verlegen en zegt: Ja jong, Oma kan
daar niks aan doen. Dat deed mijn moeder ook al”.
Latah komt vooral voor bij Indonesische vrouwen.
Maar ook vele Indische vrouwen zijn er mee behept.
Als zij schrikken reageren zij door een reeks
verwarde woorden uit te spreken.
In ernstiger gevallen kan na de schrikreactie een
hypnose toestand optreden die tien tot twintig
minuten kan duren. Zij zal als een robot elke
handeling nabootsen die men haar voordoet. Zij zal
ook elk aan haar gegeven bevel nauwkeurig
opvolgen. Daarna komt zij weer langzaam tot
zichzelf om dan volledig uitgeput te zijn voor een
onbekende periode.

Super Kak (lijmcombinatie).

“Jouw vlieger is sinting(duizelig), hij blijft maar

draaien. Trek hem maar naar binnen, dan
passangen wij een grassprietje aan de rechterkant,
want hij trekt naar links”.

254
“Lo, ik heb al een grassprietje gebruikt, maar
misschien te klein, ja”.
“OK. Nu weer proberen. Nah, zie je wel, nu is hij
goed, nu hangt hij stil. Heb jij je glastouw zelf
gemaakt?”.
“Ja, gisteren met mijn broer. Hij gebruikt geen
flessenglas, maar van een kristallen vaas. En dat is
betoel scherp man. En zijn kak komt van een
Chinees uit Madura, geheim recept, lo”.
“Volgens mij wil die blauwe met jou vechten. Ja, kijk
maar, volgens mij daagt hij jou uit”.
“He-uh, die is van die Ambonese kampong. Hij is al
een paar dagen in de lucht, dus hij moet goed zijn.
Ik ga eerst naast hem staan, dan weet hij, dat ik ook
wil. En dan lel ik hem met mijn broer zijn glastouw”.
“Pas op, zijn bestuurbaarheid is goed, hij duikt en
stijgt snel en keert scherp naar links en naar
rechts”.
“Ja, dat zie ik. Dat is geen klein jongetje, volgens
mij een sterke kerel. Ajo berani mati, eerst naar
boven, links duiken, naar boven, naar rechts, duiken
naar boven en links onder hem, snel naar boven, en
vieren…adoeh, pedot zijn touw..ik heb gewonnen,
d´l zijn vlieger. Ik zeg jou, istimewa mijn broer zijn
glastouw, super kak, tjap Bikin D´l”.

Afstamming.

“Heeft nou afstamming met bloed te maken?”.

255
“Metaforisch gezien wel. Soms komt het ter sprake
en dan is het best leuk om verhalen te horen over je
eigen bloedgroep. Maar waarom vraag je mij dat?”.
“Nou, vanmorgen gaf ik een lel met mijn golok op de
nek van een kip, omdat de kokkie mij dat vroeg.
Voor ajam panggang vanavond. En toen zij mijn
Oma dat ik precies mijn Opa was. Die sloeg ook zo
gemakkelijk iemand zijn kop naar de filistijnen, zei
ze. Lo, dacht ik, hij was toch ketellapper in Holland,
je weet wel een toekang soldeer”.
“Oh, maar jouw Oma is toch een Atjehse? En jouw
Opa zat in Atjeh bij het KNIL toch? Nou, en daar
werd hij getraind van ketellapper tot klewangfighter.
Net als mijn Opa, die was schoenmaker in Holland
en kwam op achttien jarige leeftijd als soldaat in
Atjeh terecht. Bijna alle Hollandse soldaten waren
eenvoudige ambachtslieden, boerenzonen,
straatventers, dagjesdieven, avonturiers en
dergelijke”.
“Laatst zag ik dat Opa vanaf zijn krossi males op de
waranda zijn golok naar een kat smeet op minstens
tien meter van hem af. Doormidden. Zonder risico”.
“Nah, dat is wat jou Oma bedoelde. Even onbesuisd
als jouw Opa die kat doodde, deed jij dat met die
kip”.
“Eeeh, dan heb die reflex toch van hem, ja. Dus
afstamming heeft iets met bloed te maken, ja
toch?”.

256
 Octrooirecht.

“Wist jij dat de VOC octrooirecht had?”.

“Hoezo, hadden ze wat uitgevonden?”.
“Nee, maar het gaat over iets anders dan wat jij
denkt. Bij de oprichting van de VOC in 1602 kregen
zij van de Staten Generaal octrooi, dat wil zeggen
dat zij het alleenrecht kregen op de handel en
scheepvaart naar Azië. Alleen schepen van hun
kongsi mochten met handelsartikelen heen en weer
naar Azië varen”.
“Nou, dan ga ik ook octrooi aanvragen op mijn
warung kliling (SRV wagen met allerlei eetwaren en
andere Indische spulletjes). Volgens mij, zes
karretjes genoeg voor mijn WKK, de Warung Kliling
Kompenie”.
“Eh, staatsbelang, jong. Dat van jou is toch perkara
ketjil. De VOC was voor Holland super belangrijk
omdat voordien meerdere compagnieën in Holland
met hun schepen apart van elkaar handel dreven
met Azië. Daardoor was de concurrentie moordend
en dat drukte de prijzen, terwijl de handelsreizen
naar Azië toch al zeer kostbaar waren. Bovendien
moest deze kostbare Nederlandse handel
beschermd worden tegen de Portugese vijand. En
dat was van nationaal belang, dat ook moest
worden gefinancierd uit de winsten van de
handelsproducten. En zo werden de koppen bij
elkaar gestoken en de VOC opgericht”.

257
“Jij bent toch van Verkeer en Waterstaat, ajo, je
helpt mij met een brief voor Johan van
Oldenbarneveldt”.

E.F.E. Douwes Dekker.

“Jij hebt zeker wel eens gehoord van Douwes

Dekker”.
“Dat is toch die schrijver van Max Havelaar”.
“Juist, dat was Eduard Douwes Dekker of zoals hij
zichzelf noemde, Multatuli. Maar weet jij ook iets af
van zijn neef Ernest Francois Eugene Douwes
Dekker?”.
“Waarom dan, heeft die een nieuw boek
geschreven?”.
“Nou, je kunt beter zeggen dat hij een nieuw boek
heeft geopend. Hij was inderdaad een
protestschrijver en zijn protesten richtten zich op de
Nederlandse heerschappij in Indië. Als Indo voelde
hij zich meer aangetrokken tot de Indonesiër. Hij
was een sterke voorstander van de
onafhankelijkheid en richtte in 1912 ´De Indische
Partij´ op onder de leus Indië voor de Indiërs”.
“Zo, dat was goed zeg. Ik vind die totoks wel aardig,
maar je moet een keer laten zien wat je waard
bent”.
“Dat was hij ook van plan, want ondanks dat de
partij ook toegankelijk was voor Indonesiërs en

258
Chinezen, zouden Indo´s de zaak moeten trekken,
vond hij”.
“En waarom ken ik die partij niet?”.
“Een jaar later was die al verboden en werd E.F.E.
Douwes Dekker uit Indië weggejaagd. Einde
verhaal”.
“En hij dan?”.
“Hij bleef zich inzetten voor de vrijheid van
Indonesië en kreeg eind 1949 van Soekarno de
eretitel ´Vader van het Indonesische Politieke
Nationalisme´”.

Landstormer.

“Ik heb dat altijd een stomme naam gevonden,

landstormer. Misschien uit het Duits ja, Landsturm,
Sturm und Drang of zoiets”.
“Nou, daar lijken de landstormers wel iets te oud
voor, want de storm-en-drang periode ligt binnen de
puberteitsjaren en Landstormer ben je pas op je
32ste jaar na je dienstplichtige jaren. Ja, de naam
geeft wel actie aan. In films zie je heel duidelijk dat
bij de verovering van een vesting de aanvallende
troepen niet naar hun doel wandelen, nee, ze
gingen onder veel gekrijs en geschreeuw in
stormloop voorwaarts om met hun stormladders de
vestingmuren te beklimmen”.
“Kassian, en dan kregen zij kokende olie op hun
kop. Gelukkig maar leven wij niet meer in die tijd.

259
Nu hoeven ze hier in Indië alleen maar te bewaken
toch?”.
“Nou als je bij de militie hebt gezeten dan ben je
geoefend Landstormer en kan je in tijden van nood
worden opgeroepen voor versterking van het leger.
Maar in tijd van vrede ben je ingedeeld bij een van
de zeven Landstorm districten hier op Java en
wordt je tot je 45ste jaar een dag in het jaar
opgeroepen voor een herhalingsoefening”.
“Weet je dat ik me kapot lach als Landstormers op
oefening gaan. Dan wordt de colonne gevolgd door
een sliert straatverkopers, toekang saté, toekang
setroop, waroeng kliling, vrouwen met vruchten,
enz. Leuk ja”.

De nacht expres Batavia -

Soerabaja.

“Hoeveel kost de nachttrein naar Batavia toch?”.

“Zo gaat meneer met de nacht expres. En welke
klasse gebruikt meneer, de 1ste, 2de, of 3de klasse?”
“Derde natuurlijk, ik hoef toch niet deftig te pitten”.
“Nou als je derde klas reist zit je niet in de
slaapwagon. Dan betaal je op het overdag tarief
een toeslag f 3, - voor een veldbed of je kunt voor f
1,50 een extra zitplaats naast je krijgen om ruimer
te kunnen pitten”.
“En als ik in de slaapwagon wil zitten?”.

260
“Dan betaal je een toeslag van f 10, - voor de 1ste
klas of f 6, - voor de 2de klas, enkele reis. Maar je
hebt dan airco in de slaapwagons en er zijn
couchettes en ook badkamers in de wagon. Ja, dat
is pas luxe”.
“Ach, ik ga maar met de overdag trein. Zo duur,
zeg”.
“Vroeger duurde de reis twee dagen met een
overnachting in Bandoeng, Djokja of een andere
plaats. Omdat langzamerhand het spoorwegnet zich
heeft uitgebreid, werd daarna de Eendaagsche
Expres ingesteld en die doet er nu zo´n 13½ uur
over de reis”.
“Dat is verrekte snel, toch?”.
“De Nacht Expres, waar jij naar vroeg, is pas per 1
november 1936 geïntroduceerd. In de nacht rijdt die
een beetje langzamer, maar je hebt dan ook erg
veel comfort aan boord”.”Adoeh. Jij lijkt wel zo´n
reclameboy van de spoorwegen. Ik ga maar
overdag reizen. Al!”.

Nederlands Indië, hoe lang pas?

“Ik zag laatst een lijst van alle koloniale oorlogen

van het KNIL. Adoeh, die lui hebben weinig rust
gehad, zeg. Door maar door moesten ze vechten.
Die blanda´s waren vroeger toch echt een vestlustig
volkje”.
“Ja, ze moesten elk stukje van de archipel als het
ware met bloed veroveren. Maar wat wil je, als je

261
per se in een land wil zitten dat niet van jou is en de
bevolking jou eruit wil gooien. Dan moet je vechten
om je plaats. Maar handel was en is heilig voor
Holland, alle handelingen in die zin zijn geoorloofd,
handel is oorlog”.
“Dus de handelingen van de Staten Generaal waren
eigenlijk oorlogsverklaringen aan alle volkeren
hier?”.
“Nou..eh.eerst kreeg de VOC omstreeks 1600
volledig mandaat van de Staten Generaal om ten
behoeve van de handel oorlog te voeren. Vanaf
1799 kreeg eerst de koning zelf en later de
Nederlandse regering het bewind over wat toen
genoemd werd ´onze kolonie´. Maar die kolonie
moest nog bevochten worden Zelfs Java was nog
niet geheel onder Nederlands gezag”.
“En Nederlands Indië was toen niet meer dan een
stuk Java en nog wat kleine stukjes overige
eilanden toch?”.
“Rond 1800? Ja. Daarna werd eerst Java
onderworpen, dan Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes en
alle overige eilanden. Pas in 1910 was de hele
archipel Nederlands gebied”.
“Jah-ilah, feitelijk is de Nederlandse Indische
archipel pas 40 jaren oud, tot 1950, toen werd het
Indonesia”.

Links verkeer.

“Waarom rijden we hier in Indië eigenlijk links?”.

262
“Misschien ja, door Raffles? Je weet wel Thomas
Stamford. Dat is ook mijn tweede voornaam,
Stamford”.
“Oh, en daarom weet je alles over Raffles”.
“Ja, en ik weet ook dat hij op zee geboren is, ergens
in de buurt van Jamaica. En ze zeggen dat mensen
die op zee geboren zijn totaal geen richtingsgevoel
hebben. Ze kunnen zich nergens op herkennen, b.v.
een kerk of een schoorsteen weet je wel”.
“Wat een flauwe kul zeg. En daardoor heeft hij links
rijden verplicht gesteld?”.
“Als zeevarende natie weet een Engelsman toch
niet hoe hij zich op land moet gedragen. Links of
rechts, wat kan hem dat schelen, als maar geef
geluid. Voor Thomas zijn tijd had je toch nog geen
fietsen en auto´s, alleen maar grobaks en delemans
en voetgangers. Maar toen er teveel sado´s en
andere koetsjes kwamen kreeg je ook veel
ongelukken want die koetsiers rijden gewoon in het
midden van de weg. En van de andere kant ook.
Dus botsing, paardje dood, die lui op de bok ook
dood. Banjak susah lo! Nou en toen heeft Thomas
Stamford gezegd van nu af aan hou je links van het
midden van de weg, niet anders”.
“He-eh, ik ga maar pitten. Van jouw verhaal krijg ik
echt compleet een delirium. See you, Stamford”.

VOC en rijst.

263
“Moet je horen, hier staat dat de Verenigde Oost-
Indische Compagnie, de VOC dus, niets van rijst
moest hebben, en daar dan ook niet in handelde.
Snap jij dat nou?”.
“Nou ja, die Hollanders zaten toen nog tot aan hun
strot in de klei, ze wasten zich nauwelijks, en uit hun
poriën walmde de lucht van gortenpap, bruine
bonen en zout vlees. Wat moesten ze dan met
rijst?”.
“Ja, en de koloniaal moest ook geen rijst. Hier staat
verder dat een jonge officier van Gezondheid in
1844 vanuit Indië naar zijn familie schreef dat het
voor de Europeaan ´tot minder goede toon´ schijnt
te behoren om rijst te eten”.
“Oh, komt de Indo weer als minder gegoede
Europeaan op de proppen?”.
“Hier staat inderdaad dat rijst door de minder
gegoede Europeaan werd gegeten als ontbijt,
namelijk droge rijst met wat kruiden erop. En als
nagerecht bij het middagmaal ´grobbejak´, een
brijachtige substantie van rijst, suiker, tamarinde,
arak en specerijen”.
“Gatver, geef mij maar rijst met petjil. Lekkeer toch
die sajoerans, sambal gorengans, keringans en
dergelijke”.
“Weet je, mijn ouwe heer, een echte totok en al
veertig jaar in Indië, noemde alle gerechten
´ingewandenprut´. Hij at het wel, maar het liefst had
hij een bord warme rijst met boter en suiker”.

264
 Per trein van Batavia naar
Bandoeng.

“Zo gek ja, ze zeggen dat als je met de trein van

Batavia naar Bandoeng wil gaan dan moet je een
van de vier vluggertjes pakken”.
“Verkeert jong, je bedoelt de ´Vlugge Vier´. De
treinverbinding van Batavia noemt men zo omdat
het een snelverbinding is die de afstand tussen de
twee steden in ruim twee en een half uur aflegt. Op
vier tijden van de dag vertrekken treinen zowel uit
Batavia als ook uit Bandoeng. Ik geloof dat je om
06.45 uur uit Batavia naar Bandoeng kunt
vertrekken en dan om 09.26 uit Tandjong Priok, dan
om 13.32 en om 16.00 weer uit Batavia. Bijna
precies op diezelfde vier tijdstippen vertrekken ook
de treinen uit Bandoeng naar Batavia en Tandjong
Priok”.
“Oh, dat is de KET, dat weet ik, Kwartet Espres
Tjepat. Vroeger dacht ik altijd hoe kan dat, want
halverwege ontmoeten ze elkaar en dan wat?
Botsing. Maar nu weet ik dat die lui met wissels
werken. Maar als je met de auto gaat, hoe lang?”.
“Toch zo´n drie tot vier uur. Vergeet niet dat je door
de preanger rijdt, dat is behoorlijk bergachtig met
veel bergpassen. Bandoeng ligt hemelsbreed zo´n
180 kilometer van Batavia vandaan en op circa 700
meter hoogte”.
“Dus met de trein, sneller. Maar dat komt door die
locomotief, een bakbeest van een ding zeg”.

265
“Ja, volgens mij een Mallet 2-8-8-0, SS 1250
klasse”.

De Indische NSB.

“Wat ik maar wil zeggen is dat democratie in Indië

niet gewenst was. Of dat anders kon? Neen!”.
“Wat krijgen we nou? Het ging toch goed vroeger?”.
“Het ging helemaal niet goed! Vanaf 1920 al niet.
Neem nou de jaren dertig, de wereldcrisis, de
economie lag plat, massaontslagen van zowel
Indo´s als Hollanders die in Indië geboren waren,
gaarkeukens vanwege tekort aan voedsel, overal
stak het nationalisme in allerlei vormen de kop op,
Indonesiërs in opstand, dood en verderf, de roep tot
harder ingrijpen door de overheid…”.
“Sjonge, sjonge, wat maak jij er een drama van”.
“Ja, maar nu snap ik pas dat er zoveel Indo´s lid
van de Indische NSB werden. Gemengd bloed
speelde toen nog geen rol. De Nederlandse NSB
leider Mussert kenmerkte de Indo´s als ´Groot
Europeanen´. Wat gold dat was een strengere
aanpak van orde en gezag. Indonesisch
nationalisme, OK, maar dan wij ook, dat was het
parool voor de Indo leden”.
“Ja, weet je nog die hakenkruizen bij de padvinderij
en die enorme NSB vlaggen. Ik zie het nog voor
me”.

266
“Nou ja, na de verkondiging van de NSB
rasbeginselen vielen zeer velen af en in mei 1940
werd het lidmaatschap voor ambtenaren verboden.
Weer later, even voor de oorlog met Japan, werden
alle NSB-ers samen met alle Duitsers in Indië
zonder meer geïnterneerd”.

Indo´s altijd in de vuurlinie.

“Voel jij je nu een Nederlander? Ik bedoel, jij met je

Hollandse achternaam? Denk en gedraag jij je als
een Nederlander?”.
“´Tuurlijk niet, ik ben een Indo, zo voel ik dat ook.
Niet dat ik denk, oh ik hoor tot een apart ras, maar
zoals mijn oom, de onderwijzer, eens zei: “Ik ben
geboren uit tarwekoren en een kus van een
tropische zus””.
“Leuk. Het geeft wel aan dat jij hybride bent, dus
biologisch gezien afkomstig van twee rassen”.
“Is dat eng om een Indo te zijn?”.
“Nou, sinds de Indo´s in 1839 door de toenmalige
minister van Koloniën als bastaarden werden
aangemerkt, werd het bijna onmogelijk om hogerop
te komen dan de lagere administratieve rangen bij
het gouvernement, het leger of de politie. Over het
algemeen behielden ze die lagere posities tot 1940.
Intussen zijn vele Indo´s er in geslaagd om als
wetenschappers, ingenieurs, artsen, architecten,
managers in de cultures, officieren bij het leger en
politie diep door te dringen tot de hoogste regionen

267
van de samenleving. Maar.de discriminatie van de
overheid bleef, zelfs openlijk versterkt door het
gevoerde ontmoedigingsbeleid dat aangaf dat
Europese mannen niet zo maar konden trouwen
met Indische- of Indonesische dames”.
“Goh, waren die totoks zo bang voor ons Indo´s?”.

Tijd voor democratie?

“Gisteren zei ik tegen mijn vrouw en kinderen dat ik

wilde verhuizen, dichter bij mijn werk. Masalah, ze
wilden niet. Ik zei dat wij wel gingen, al! Zij
noemden mij marxist omdat ere geen democratie in
huis was”.
“Als jij jouw zin doorzet en hun argumenten niet wilt
horen dan ben je sowieso geen democraat maar
een potentaat”.
“Geen tijd voor democratie”.
“Geen tijd, hè, geen tijd om samen met je gezin te
beraadslagen. Je zou een voorbeeld moeten nemen
aan de vroegere besluitvormingsmethoden die in
heel Azië en Afrika golden. De dorpsoudsten
kwamen bij elkaar om uitgebreid over een
onderwerp te praten. Eenieder kreeg de
gelegenheid zijn mening te geven. De
bijeenkomsten duurden voort tot er een consensus
was bereikt. Toen betekende democratie nog dat
iedereen gehoord diende te worden, en besluiten
nam gezamenlijk als groep. Dat was pure

268
democratie hier op Java. Dat was gotong-rojong-
democratie”.
“Maar dat duurde lang, bijna tot sint juttemus”.
“Jawel, maar daarom heeft het blanke westen heel
Azië en Afrika het model opgelegd van hun
parlementaire democratie, de meerderheidsregel.
En ja, dat verlangen ze bij jou thuis ook”.
“Ja lekker, als ik dat doe zijn drie mensen blij tegen
ik super chagrijnig, Al! Ik ga niet meer weg, laat
maar”.

Auto prietpraat.

“Vroeger herkende ik alle auto´s aan hun

ornamenten op de motorkap. Bijvoorbeeld, een
steigerend paard op de kap, dan zag ik aan de vorm
van dat ornament dat het een Dodge 4-deurs sedan
1933 was met van die ´zelfmoor´ deuren”.
“Loh, waarom zelfmoorddeuren?”
“Omdat de deuren naar achteren open gaan. Op het
moment dat jij uitstapt heb je geen zicht op het
verkeer achter jou en kan je gepakt worden door
een grobak of nog erger door zo´n bus gila en dan”.
“He-eh, ik begrijp, kepleset jij”.
“Precies. Maar het mooiste ornament vind ik die
slanke staande vrouwenfiguur met haar lange haren
wapperend naar achteren op de kap van de De
Soto S 6”.

269
“Jah-ilah, in jouw fantasie zie je natuurlijk Sofietje in
haar blootje met haar haren in de passaatwind.
Geef mij maar die hardloper van de Hudson 32 K
convertible of de zwaan van de Packard standard 8
sedan”.
“Ja, die zijn ook mooi maar toch ja, als je met jouw
stofbril achter het stuur zit en je ziet zo´n dansende
De Soto godin voor je, dan wordt je toch compleet
happy”.
“Nou, droom maar verder. Ik heb zin in roedjak mat
saos Jawa. Ik hoor al getingel in de verte dus
Tjarda, de chauffeur van mijn Hispano Suiza jl2
cabrio 5180 uit 1936 zal direct bij de halte staan.
Adios”.

Indo´s, een kwetsbare groep.

“Telkens als ik bij oom Fred en tante Sofie op

bezoek ben lok ik bij die twee oudjes verhalen uit
over de nog steeds misselijk makende discriminatie
van hoger opgeleide Indo´s ten opzichte van de
kleine boengs. Oom heeft voor IEV gewerkt, vanaf
1920”.
“´Tuurlijk, die je weet wel welke soort Indo´s denken
dat ze Hollanders in techicolor zijn, blagak, lo”.
“Oom heeft daar een heel droevige verklaring voor.
Omdat Indo´s door de jaren heen bij voorkeur op
een kantoor werkten hadden ze de totoks nodig om
hun dat werk te geven. Een Indo werkte niet op de
sawah, niet als visser, niet als koelie, niet als

270
toekang saté of op de pasar, nee hij wilde op
kantoor werken. Daarom had hij de totok nodig en
was hij tevreden met elke kantoor job. De hoger
opgeleide Indo had net zo goed de totok nodig,
want dat waren de heersers over alle goede banen
bij gouvernement en bedrijfsleven. Wilde hij een
betere status bereiken dan moest hij zich in zeer
hoge mate Europees gedragen. Liet hij merken dat
hij ook nog een eigen culturele achtergrond had,
dan kon hij oprotten. Dus keerde hij zich
gedwongen van de kleine boeng af”.
“Irritant zeg, dat wij als Indo´s zo moesten leven”.
“Ja, en van hoog tot laag bleven de Indo´s
kwetsbaar omdat langzamerhand een groot aantal
Indonesiërs met goede opleidingen naar hun
baantjes solliciteerden”.

Kosmisch gesteente.

“Ik zag laatst een film met een grote meteoriet die
de aarde dreigde te verpletteren”.
“Jah-ilah, kan toch niet zoiets. Dat is toch flauwekul,
ze zeggen toch dat de dampen om de aarde niks
doorlaten, katanja, alles gaat smelten”.
“Ih, je bedoelt de dampkring om de aarde. Maar pas
op, er zijn wel degelijk veel meteorieten op Java
gevallen. Bij rembang is een stuk van 20 kg
neergekomen, en bij Cheribon pas geleden nog drie
stukken, een van 48 kg, of bij Madioen een groot
stuk van 166 kg”.

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“Hoe weten ze nou dat meteorieten zijn?”
“Nou, als je plotseling een ijzeren klomp in jou tuin
aantreft die dagen achter elkaar roodgloeiend blijft,
dan snap je toch wel dat zoiets niet normaal is.
Zoiets komt toch van een andere wereld, of niet?”.
“Moet wel”.
“Pamor noemden de Javanen zo´n ijzer meteoriet
en ze hechten er bovennatuurlijke krachten aan.
Het schijnt dat de mineralogische samenstelling van
het ijzer goed bruikbaar is om er wapens van te
smeden. En wat ik knap vind is dat krissenmakers
met tamelijk primitieve middelen uit pamor krissen
maakten voor hun vorst”.
“Oh dat heb ik gezien toen ik in de kraton van
Djokja bij zo´n krissenmaker was. Hij zette de kris
met de punt op de grond en dat ding bleef loodrecht
staan zonder om te vallen. Betoel dat was goena
goena”.

Eindejaar conversatie.

“Ik zag jou daarnet in de kerk zitten. Je had een en

al aandacht voor de preek. Vond je ´m goed?”.
“Nee, elk jaar hetzelfde geluid, vrede in Christus zijn
koninkrijk. Mana vrede, door maar oorlog. In alle
koninkrijken op aarde zijn er niet zoveel
burgeroorlogen geweest als dat van Christus”.

272
“Nou zeg. Gaan we wijsgerig doen? Dat humeur
van jou heeft zeker te maken met de laatste dag
van het jaar”.
“Heb ik gelijk of niet?”.
“Dat van oorlog en vrede? Ja. Maar dat is het risico
van het leven. Mens zijn is een hard vak, niet
iedereen kan zijn hartstochten bedwingen. Je zou
kunnen zeggen dat sommige nationale en
geestelijke leiders zo hartstochtelijk naar vrede
verlangen dat ze er een oorlog voor over hebben”.
“Je moet niet spotten, lo”.
“Soedah. Wat doe jij vanavond met Oud en
Nieuw?”.
“Oh, ik heb al kaarten voor de bios. En daarna
fuiven bij Boebi en Doortje in hun nieuwe huis,
tegelijk is dat hun selamatan. En jij?”.
“Traditiegetrouw eerst het tennistoernooi afronden,
dan een openlucht concert bij de Jachtclub, eten in
de Soos en aansluitend het oudejaarsgalabal”.
“Boleh jij, jouw black and white komt d´r uit. Ik doe
mijn safaripak maar weer aan. Zalig uiteinde, ja”.
(vertellingen van Ventje en Nono die o.a.
gepublceerd werden in de “Tong Tong” en de
“Moesson”).

273
This is the end of the Petjoh conversations. I will
now revert to English.

Rice, the food that never bores.

Batara Guru, one of the mightiest Gods fell in love

with one of his daughters named Retna Dumilah
(shining jewel) because of her exceptional beauty.
She finally consented to become his wife after
having resisted his advances for a long period of
time. Her conditions were that he would grant her
three wishes.
Food that never bores, clothing that would never
wear out and a gamelan that can play on its own.
Retna died while they were busy trying to satisfy the
three conditions. After that her name became Tisna
Wati. Forty days after her death different crops
began to sprout on her grave, including the rice
plant. This pant originated from the hairs on the
head of Retna.
Not having been informed of the death of Retna, the
messenger of Batara Guru met the beautiful Dewi
Sri, the wife of the God Batara Vishnu, while on his
quests for the solutions of the conditions set by
Retna. He fell madly in love with her, but was
changed into a wild boar by the gods as
punishment. Dewi Sri died shortly thereafter. On her
grave also different crops sprouted, including a rice
plant.

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The rice from Tisna Wati’s grave can only be
cultivated on dry soil (dry rice).
The rice from Dewi Sri’s grave needs to be irrigated
with water (sawah rice).

Religion or superstition.

Good and bad spirits live in every house. When

viewing a new house it is important to get the
feeling that the house is friendly towards you. If you
are not beset by goose pimples, itching in your hair
or shivers on your back then the house is okay and
pre-destined for you to live in. The future inhabitant
of the house has to perform certain acts in order to
expel the bad spirits. On the first day he has to spit
three times on the floor while speaking out occultist
words. Salt has to be strewn at the front door and all
the rooms. The main foodstuffs such as rice, oil,
flour and sugar have to be placed first in the
kitchen. Only then can the furniture and clothing be
carried inside. A broom made of palm nerfs (sapu
lidi) has to be placed behind each door and pieces
of garlic have to be placed everywhere. A pig’s
head is buried in the garden to ensure the house is
free of bad spirits. An initiation feast (selamatan)
was also mandatory. The good spirits are asked to
bless the house before consuming a meal.
Every house has its own guardian named the djaga.
A dish with flowers and delicacies is placed on the
most walked on parts of the house in order to satisfy
and honour the guardian.

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 The Keris (Kris).

The Kris is a dagger worn by the Javanese as a

defensive weapon against eventual attackers. There
are two types of Krisses. First, the Kris used by the
women. This Kris can be identified by the wavy
blade. The blade consists of three waves. It is
carried in a scabbard which is usually beset with
gold or silver. It is carried mostly on the back but
sometimes around the waist. The length of the Kris
is approximately 30 centimetres.
The blade of the Kris used by the men is made of
four to five waves and has a length of 40 to 60
centimetres. The men prefer to carry the Kris on
their back in belt fastened around the middle of the
upper torso. Both the men and women can, if
attacked, remove the Kris from the scabbard with a
fast movement of their hand over their shoulder or
from the waist.
Kris owners have special obligations. The oldest
son inherits the weapon after the death of the
owner. The Kris may be inherited by another family
member under exceptional circumstances.
The Kris has to be bathed (mandi) every week on
Friday (djumat kliwon) in water with flower chalice
leaves from the red- and white rose and the flower
of the green kenanga. Moreover, incense has to be
burned at set times. Spiritual murmurs accompany
these rituals. Never is one allowed to step over a
Kris. (dilarang di langkah). The Kris has usually a

276
fixed place in the house which is determined by a
dukun (wonder doctor).
If the Kris is, if used correctly, the guardian of the
house and its inhabitants. If the obligations are not
lived up to the Kris can rebel and punish the owners
with illnesses, calamities or even death.

The legend of Njai Loro Kidul.

Njai Loro Kidul is the Goddess of the Southern

Ocean, and thus dwells in the southern part of Java.
Her task is to watch over evil and calamities in the
southerly seas of Java.
Many of the people who live there have, in honour
of the Goddess, furnished a room, or if they do not
have this a space in the house. In both stands a
made up bed for her and a place where regularly
sacrifices are made to honour her.

The story of the clever kantjil (a small

dear).

This story is related in Petjoh. It has been translated

as accurately as possible.
On one day si kantjil he want to cross the river. But
river nja wide and deep. So si kantjil he starts
thinking. Then he spots a crocodile. The kantjil goes
to him and says good day crocodile. The kantjil
says, you here alone? Yes, here well. The kantjil
says, if we kantjil are so more numerous than you

277
crocodiles. The crocodile says no, we are more than
you and I can prove it. OK, if so, you lay one behind
the other from here to other side of the river. Then I
will count. If we much less, than you may eat me.
The crocodile he is hungry. He sys OK and calls all
the crocodiles in the neighbourhood. As soon as
they are lying behind one another to the other side
of the river, si kantjil say, now I start counting. He
jumps, while counting one, two, three, etc. over the
backs of the crocodiles. At the end si kantjil says,
you are right, you are many more. Goodbye Mr.
crocodile and si Kantjil disappears into the wood!
Later si kantjil is very thirsty and he goes to the
river. On the bank si kantjil wants to drink swig of
water. He did not see the crocodile and si kantjil is
standing on top of him. Then the crocodile swings
his snout and bites kantjil in his leg. Then the
crocodile he says, nah now I’ve got you. Si kantjil he
thinks quickly. Loh, mister crocodile you are
mistaken. You are getting near sighted. Instead of
my leg you bite in my walking cane. The crocodile
he becomes mad and he growls and let go of the
leg. And si kantjil he jump away merrily. The
crocodile, …. he is very angry.
On another day, the crocodile he was tired. He
climbed up the bank of the river to sun bathe. This
crocodile he looks like a tree trunk. The kantjil was
on his way to water. Then he see tree trunk. Si
kantjil not trust that. He thinking and says, if you
tree trunk turn around. If you crocodile stay as you
are. Then the tree trunk he turns around. When si

278
kantjil this saw, he turned around and he
disappeared.
The crocodile he was mad and wanted revenge.
Another time si kantjil was tired and wanted to
sleep. The crocodile, he knew that si Kantjil hold
siesta nearby and thinks up a plan. In the bushes
close to the river he built a nest, just like that of a
wild pig. Then hungry tiger he comes. Si kantjil sees
tiger and thinks up a pretext. To save himself he
greets tiger politely and than says: You look hungry.
I know where there is a lovely meal lying nearby.
Say where my friend the tiger he answers, because
I would like some food right now. The kantjil showed
the tiger the way. There near the pig nest. The
crocodile he sees the tiger and gets the fright of his
life. The crocodile he begins to defend himself. The
crocodile and the tiger they fought very hard until
the lumps of earth flew all around. Because both are
tired after fighting they stop. Si kantjil he run, after
seeing fight, away fast.

The myth of the Garuda.

It was in the beginning when Siwa and Parwati had

just created the world and when the gods and the
giants fought each other over the ownership of the
holy elixir ´Amerta´. Garuda originated in this period.
The gods and the giant demons were discussing
how they would be able to possess the elixir, when
the god Vishnu spoke the following words: If you

279
want the elixir you have to try to walk up the sea of
milk above the Amerta. They decided to do this.
First they let the dragon Anantabhola uproot the
mountain Mandara and placed the mountain in the
middle of the sea of milk on the back of a giant
turtle. The mountain became the centre of the milk
churner. Then they asked the dragon Basuki to be
the churn wire. Then they called the gods on one
side and the demons on the other side. Every one
of them had to pull on the one and the other side of
the churn wire. Indra, the king of the gods seated
himself on top of the mountain in order to stabilize it.
The gods and the demons began to pull with all
their strength. The goddesses Sri and Laksmi, the
horse Ucaisrawa and the cosmic jewel Kastubami
sprouted out of the foaming water. They all fell
towards the side of the gods.
When the elixir Amerta came out of the water, it fell
towards the side of the giants. Vishnu devised a
trick. He changed himself in a beautiful girl. The girl
urged the demons on to let her carry the water. As
soon as she had the Amerta of life in her hands, she
ran away and changed herself back into the god
Vishnu. Since that time the gods and the demons
have perpetually been at war.
Garuda was only an egg during the churning of the
sea of milk. The unborn son of the God prophet
Kasiapa born from his wife Wanita.
Therefore he was also the unborn younger brother
of Arjuna, the wagon racer from the sun, and the
cosmic snakes, the nagas, which were from one of

280
Kasiapa´ 29 wives. Garuda would kill the nagas
later and become Vishnu’s means of transportation.
It all started with the disagreement between
Kasipa´s vrouwen Kadru and Wanita over the colour
of the tail of the horse Ucaisrawa who had sprouted
from the churned milk together with the elixir. Kadru
said that the horse had a black and white tail, while
Wanita was certain that the tail was completely
black.
When they had quarrelled enough they decided to
make a bet. The one who was wrong would become
the slave of the other. Kadru was wrong. The horse
did not have a black tail, but her rival, who knew
this, devised a trick. She let sprayed her children
and the tail of the horse with a white poison. The tail
turned black and Wanita became the slave o Kadru.
Garuda was born at the same time that his mother
was bound to slavery. The egg cracked open.
Garuda finally came to life. He sparkled as fire and
his blinding light filled the heavens in all directions.
The surprised gods thought that the day of
judgement had arrived and that now the time had
come to burn the three continents. But Agni, the god
of fire, knew the truth and held a thunderous speech
for the other gods with these words: ´ Oh you gods,
do not be afraid. The time has not yet come for me
to set the world on fire. The day of judgement is still
far away. What light do you see? It is the light of
Garuda, mighty between the birds. He is no other
than the son of Kasiapa born out of Wanita. Her
sparkle is equal to mine´. The reassured gods now
honoured Garuda: ´Oh Garuda, You are the

281
prophet, You are the priest, You are the god, You
are the master of everything that flies, You are the
King. Your sparkle is equal to the sunlight. Protect
us, mightiest under all birds´. Calmed by the
blessings Garuda turned of his sparkle and his light
disappeared.
When Garuda finally found his enslaved mother, he
was assigned with the guardianship over his half
brothers and the snakes. But Garuda was naughty.
Whenever he had the chance he killed one of the
snakes and ate it. After a while he tired of his task
and spoke to his half brothers with the words: ´Hey,
you naga snakes, how can I buy back the freedom
of my mother? ´
The snakes answered: ´Do you really want to buy
back the freedom of your mother? Do you want to
break her bondage? Listen. Have you ever heard of
the water of immortality, the holy Amerta, which the
gods received from the foaming sea of milk. Go
there and get it for us!
Now he finally knew what he had to do, Garuda
went to his mother to ask her for advice and her
blessings.
She instructed him: ´go first to the island on the
other coast of the sea. It is populated with felons
and murderers. Kill them and devour them one by
one. They will be your food for your quest for the
Amerta. But watch out! Do not kill the
Brahmins…isn’t your father, the god prophet a
Brahmin? ´.

282
She had further encouragements for him. The god
Bayu (energy) will take care of your wings. The
goddess Candra (moon) will watch your back and
the gods Agni (fire) and Agni (wind) will protect your
head. All the gods will protect you.
Garuda departed and started a slaughter. He killed
and ate the rogues, turtles and elephants. Finally he
reached the top of the ´Somaka´, the source of the
Amerta. in the land of Sanka. He was confronted by
the warriors of the god Indra. The twelve Sandhya
of the east, the sons of Dharma, The eight Basu of
the south, the eleven Rudra of the west and the
twelve Aditya of the north led by Indra, the king of
the gods. He clawed and pricked towards them and
finally triumphed. He hit the eyes of the scared gods
and blood flowed. They were blinded and unable to
see the world. After triumphing in battle he moved
on.
He took the water out of the ocean and extinguished
the fire at the entrance to the cave where the
Amerta was kept. Then he fought two dragon
guardians, killed them and devoured them. The
Amerta was finally his.
Then he flew back. Vishnu saw him leave and
asked him for a favour. The laws of that time
commanded that a favour be granted.
Vishnu’s request was a simple one: Oh great
Garuda, be my means of transportation and it has
remained so forever.
Garuda is Vishnu’s means of transportation with the
Amerta in his hands. Garuda brought the elixir to

283
the snakes and his mother was freed out of
bondage. Before he gave to them, he advised the to
take a bath to cleanse themselves. This they did,
and while they were away the god Indra stole back
the Amerta of immortality.
Since the existence of the Republic of Indonesia,
Garuda symbolizes the existence of the republic,
their freedom and their ever being victorious.
Garuda is embodied on all their banners.
Indonesia is a treasure case of legends and myths.
Too many to relate them all!.

The law of mathematics.

This story is related in Petjoh. The translation has

been done as accurately as possible.
Si Tjarli he visit fortune teller. I have heard about
Javanese Pasar days, such as hari Wage, kliwon,
Pon, Paing, etc. There are also, so they say, good
and bad days to, for example, gamble, go hunting or
fishing. What for days and numbers are that really?
The fortune teller he understand the question and in
the meantime searches for his buku pinter (freely
translated, a reference book).
If one says hari baik, than it is not sure that the day
is good for everybody. Sometimes good for the one,
fatal for the other. If one speak of hari baik, it does
not say that the whole is good for somebody. Some
hours of the day are good, but others have bad luck.
That is why one has to take into account the

284
WETON, this the day of birth and the pasamaam
(such as Wage, Djumat, Kliwon, Pon, Paign etc.).
For example, Day of birth Djumat-Wage (never say
Friday Wage, because this combination tidak
pantes).
Born Djumat-Wage, that is 6 plus 4 equals 10. This
10 is the WETON.
Then you look at the calendar. For instance you
want to bet on Rebo-Paing, that is 7 plus 9 equals
16 this number you add to the previous result
(Djumat-Wage which is 10), so total-nja 10 plus 16
equals 26. This number you Bagi (divide) by 5.
I think si Tjali understand nothing of this. But wait,
as soon as I have gesulap (juggled) you understand
better. I no understand why divide by five? Because
there are only 5 Dewas (spirits).
We know there is Pantja Dudo. This is the congsi of
the 5 Dewas. Their places are in the four corners of
the earth and one in the sky. The four corners are
Ngalor, Kidul, Wetan and Kulon. And I see nothing
in the sky, where then?
Loh, really true. Look in my buku Pinter. In table A is
after Dewa number 2 equals Djabrail Hido equals
Langit (sky).
But if the Dewa 2 in practice he sit not very long in
the sky. He can sit on everything that is high, such
as trees, mountains, roofs etc.
Si Tjali think out loudly. Dewa 2 on my roof?
Tjilaka itu (that means misfortune).

285
The fortune teller he make clear. On that day you
may not climb in a tee or a mountain. If you do this,
chances are that you djatuh (fall) out of the tree or
that you kesangdung (stumble) on the mountain and
break your paws.
If this is clear we go back to our sum and that was
26 this number divided by 5 is 5 with remainder-nja
1. This 1 you look up in the Pantja Sudo table A.
then you see standing behind 1: Ahmat-Putih-Lor
equals Redjeki (luck).
So if you born on Djumat Wage you not think you
are lucky all day. Lucky nja only on certain hours,
njo (njo is derived from sinjo or young man). For
these hours you have to look in table B. just now
remainder-nje 1, so you have to look in column1.
From here you go to table A column 4. So answer-
nja:
between 6 and 7 o’clock equals redjeki (luck),
between 7 and 10 o’clock equals halangan
(preventive),
between 10 and 1 o’clock equals hati-hati (be
careful),
between 1 and 3 o’clock equals slamet (luck),
between 3 and 6 o’clock equals gelap (darkness).
If the remainder a 2 is then take column and the
results of column two are:
between 3 and 6 o’clock equals redjeki (luck),
between 6 and 7 o’clock equals halangan
(preventive),

286
between 7 and 10 o’clock equals hati-hati (careful),
between 10 and 1 o’clock equals slamet (luck),
between 1 and 3 o’clock equals gelap (darkness).

Now we tell about the right direction: WETAN 10

and you want to gamble on Kemis/Pon. Then you
add up the numbers 10 plus 8 plus 7 equals 25.
This number you bagi (divide) by 5 and the
remainder is 0 as end result. Because the number 0
does not exist in system Pantja Sudo, you take
number 5 instead. Loh, why do I have to take
number 5 and not number 2 or 3?
How but you, you are goblok (dumb). How much is
2 times 5 or 3 times 5 it can never be 25. But 5
times 5 is 25. So now you take a 5 and look at table
A. Behind the 5 is Ngidjirail-Hiram which equals
KOELON which equals gelap (darkness). So you
with your WETAN 10 must not gamble on Kemis
Pon in the West but in the East. Sometimes you
can’t go to the East because the island you live on
is the furthest East. Going to the East means
drowning in the sea. That is why you have to fool
DEWA.(Si Tjali mouth suddenly falls open and his
eyes become very big).
This DEWA (spirit) sits in the West, that means that
he is sitting for every opening that is situated in the
West and lies in wait (watching out). For instance
for your front door mengadep KOELON (your front
door faces East) and you go gambling that day,
then the DEWA will spot you and will cheat you so
you will have an accident or bad luck. But if you are
smart and do not leave by the front door, but by the

287
back door then this door is in the East and si DEWA
is bingung (confused). So si DEWA sits in West and
can only watch doors in the East. For doors jang
mengadap WETAN is other DEWA.
Si Tjali pulls a long face. Tjali if you do not believe
me, ask another fortune teller for advice. But watch
out if other fortune teller’s advice is the same as
mine I will turn your neck around three times for
punishment.
Oh no fortune teller. You know everything good.
One more question fortune teller and then all. Can
those pasar days Kliwon, Pon, Wage etc. be of use
in Holland or somewhere else like America?
According to the old teaching masters from Java,
their hitungans (counting manners) are not to be
taken overseas. So from Java not allowed to
Sumatra, let alone to Holland. In such case the
hitungans loose their power.
In Holland everywhere signs, may not do this, may
not do that. If no sign always may everything. If you
want begin business is allowed, but need diploma.
Aduh angel (difficult) say.
In short for luck or bad luck you must always go in
the right direction or you will end up with bad luck.
Tjali, I hope you have much success.

Monsoon and trade winds.

The basin of the Indian Ocean successively

connected with the Red Sea, the Persian Golf, the

288
Indonesian waters (part of the Indian Ocean) and
the South-and East Chinese Sea had formed for
ages a maritime trading network that consisted of
the Middle East and Asia.
The Asiatic trade- and ship movements depended
upon the half yearly monsoon winds. The north east
monsoon allowed ships from Indian and Arabic
ports to sail from March to May to Malacca. If they
didn’t, they would have to wait until October for a
favourable wind because of the traverse south west
monsoon. The large Chinese junks sailed to the
southern regions during the north east monsoon
which made it possible for the Javanese, the Indian
and the Chinese ships to reach the Javanese
coastal places and even as far as the Moluccans.
These ships were able to sail back form May up
until September with the south east monsoon.

Bizarre hospitality.

My uncle from Semarang owns a large wood

processing factory and his most important client is a
filthy rich Chinese. One day this Chinese invited him
for a meal at his home. There was another totok
(European) invited. He worked for the governmental
forestry department on central Java.
Once they were seated they couldn’t believe their
eyes when viewing the delicious dishes that had
been served. In the middle of the table stood many
dishes which included very expensive caviar, a
couple of large show bottles with steamed and

289
baked Chinese delicacies. Behind the chairs of both
guests stood a servant with a large fly waver in their
hands.
The meal was very sober. A mankok (dish) of fish
soup as a starter, then some rice with a side dish.
After the meal was finished, the European forester
reached out his hand in the direction of the
desirable show bottles. The servant ran immediately
from behind his chair struck with his waver in the
direction of the bottles, while yelling ´ kok akeh
lalare! ´ which means ´there are so many flies
around here!´. Frightened, the forester pulled away
his hand quickly. Unfortunately he had not
understood the meaning of the action of the servant
and made a second attempt. This attempt was
punished in the same manner by the servant with a
sore streak across his grabbing fingers. It finally
dawned by the forester and he understood the
message.

Tong-tong-klek.

A guard picket is always set up in the kampong

during times of unrest and danger. The appointed
kampong (village) inhabitants walk around the
village during the night and while they walk, they
strike on the tong-tong-klek which is made of
bamboo. A bamboo stalk consists of a large number
of knots or connections. The connections are
partitioned. The tong-tong-klek consists of a piece
of bamboo with a length of two knots (about 40 to
50 centimetres). There are hollow spaces between

290
the knots due to the partitions. On one end of the
partial stalk there is an extension past the knot so to
enable the user to hold the instrument in his hand.
Two small grooves are cut length wise in the piece
between the two knots. The user strikes the
instrument with a small stick. Three different tones
can be produced depending upon where the
instrument is struck.
The guards strike a certain rhythm on the tong-tong-
klek during their picket rounds. (the instrument is
named after the sound it can produce). By a fire or
inundation the rhythm becomes sharper and the
sound louder. The person manning the guardhouse
hears the warning and strikes the large tong-tong.
This is a hollow tree trunk with a cleft over the
length of the trunk. This produces a dull but
endurable sound.

The tjitjak (a small lizard).

The tjitjak is a small type of lizard of about 15

centimetres in length, which is capable of moving on
walls and ceilings.
In earlier days the mobile technique of the tjitjak on
walls and ceilings was attributed to the capability of
secreting a sticky matter underneath the flat of their
toes. Nothing is further from the truth!
Underneath the broad toe planes are gekkotiden
with parallel leaf like skin folds which can be moved
by the muscles. This allows them to fasten
themselves to the rough areas on the walls and

291
ceilings. The same moveable skin folds allow the
tjitjak to fill up the smallest spaces between the toe
planes as small sucking cups.
The tjitjak hunts for insects. He creeps up to his
prey and snaps at it in a fast movement. Sometimes
the tjitjak lets go of his prey immediately. Apparently
he doesn’t like his booty. The reptile may have
made a mistake with the body coverage of fine
pointed hairs of the night butterfly or the horny
armour of some beetles. The tjitjak can change its
skin from light to dark to protect itself. Moreover, the
tjitjak has large developed vocal chords whose
sound is responsible for its name.

Domestic weaving.

Not only the walls of the houses in the kampong

(country side houses), but also those of simple
houses in urban areas are often made of weaved
bamboo
(gedek). Interwoven overlapping leaves of palm
species (atap) are used for roof cover.
Household articles such as baskets (krandjangs),
sleeping rugs (tikars), containers to cleanse the rice,
rice steaming baskets, wavers (kipas) for increasing
the fire in the anglo (charcoal fire pot), boxes,
strainers, lids (tutupans), hats (topis) and many
other articles are woven.
The materials, such as bamboo, rotan, pandan,
leaves of the cocos palm, nipa, the sago palm, the

292
lontar palm, widuri fibre, mendong byes, alang
alang grass and many other leaves and stalks are
gathered depending upon the area where the village
is situated. Weaving is a side business for the
farmer. Both the farmer (tani) and his wife weave.
She weaves the initial product and he weaves the
finished product. The farmer needs about twelve
working hours to produce a Pandan rug of about
160 by 60 centimetres. The proceeds were very
small.
There was a time that the weaving of hats was very
important. When straw hats were the fashion in
Europe, many hats were exported. The hats were
produced under European management in weaving
factories in Tangerang and Tasikmalaja on western
Java. This product was also supplied to the police
forces and the army. The hats were originally
fabricated from split and cleansed custom cut
bamboo hides. In a later stadium the leave of the
pandan plant was used. The pandan plant leave
was more easily to treat and was also more flexible.

Muskets and rear loading rifles.

The rifles used by the Dutch forces during the Atjeh

war were long heavy Beaumont rifles with long
bayonets. The rifles had an effective range of
around eighty metres and the interval between
loading and firing was twenty seconds.
In that time the armies consisted mainly of infantry
and the fire power and intensity depended upon

293
closed order fire formations. These formations were
used in the Napoleonic era, and were effective in
open terrain.
The Dutch army units were, unfortunately, almost
always confronted by rough terrain and closely
grown tropical vegetation. The opponents were well
organized, fanatically motivated and were masters
in guerrilla warfare.
The new rear loaders did not improve the
advantage of the Dutch Indies army during the first
Atjeh war in 1873 when the soldiers were
confronted with unexpected attacks from the Atjeh
population with their swords (klewangs).
Despite this, the rear loading rifle was in 1850 a
breakthrough in weapons technology. The rifled
barrel and the cartridge, which housed the powder,
bullet and detonator improved the precision and the
range of the bullet and made the carrying of the rifle
and ammunition pouches much easier.

The Paradise bird.

The beautiful feathers of the paradise bird

decorated the head covers of the sovereigns and
other important persons long before the Parisian
fashion world discovered the feathers in 1880.
Thousands of Paradise birds were killed for their
feathers which were not equalled by any other bird
family.

294
The furs of the birds were prepared by wild,
unknown Papua and Moluccan tribes living in the
jungle of New Guinea and the Banda islands. The
feet and wings were cut off and the fur removed
from the body up to the beak. The skull was
removed.
The Dutch seafarer Jan Huygen van Linschoten
wrote in 1598: ´No one has seen these birds alive,
because they live in the sky, always aimed at the
sun and only return to the earth at sun glow to die
for they have no paws or wings´. The famous
Swedish botanist Carolus Linaeus christened them
in 1760 the largest sort ´Paradisea apoda´, the
Paradise bird without paws.
The Paradise bird belongs strangely enough to the
same family as the ordinary crow. There are 42
different species of the Paradise bird, of which 36
live in New Guinea. Only the males are attired with
the enormous magnificent white-yellow and brown
feathers. The hens are brown of colour and without
feathers.

Boleh Tawar (bargaining).

´ Oh, look at that John, what a lovely little

sculpture´.
John looks, likes it also, but looks (compulsory) not
enthusiastic.
´ How much is this´.

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The merchant sees tourists in front of him and sets
the price at 30000 rupiah, twice the amount that he
had previously in mind.
´30000´ says John, ´If I had that money I would
retire to Hawaii. I’ll give you 10000 for it´.
´Be now business like´, says the merchant, ´this
Buddha sculpture comes from a just discovered
holy monastery in the Himalayas. What do you think
that my purchase price is 27500´.
´What Himalaya´, says John, ´you mean Taiwan
and then second choice, 11250´.
The merchant walks towards the couple and pushes
the sculpture in the hands of the woman.
´This is no ordinary rock, this is alabaster. Made by
a master artist out of one great piece. Look, alone
the jewels in the eyes cost a fortune. You can take it
with you for 24500´.
´I see some discolouration here and there. It must
be in your possession for quite some time´, says
John, 13000 and you can consider this as an
exceptional high offer´.
John pushes his wife away softly.
´20000´ says the merchant quickly.
John and Myra keep on walking.
´How much then?´ screams the merchant.
´15000´ yells John looking backwards.
The merchant nods yes, and while the couple
return, the merchant wraps another sculpture with a
small crack in its back in lots of paper.

296
 The tokke (named after the sound the
lizard produces).

The tokke can become as long as 32 centimetres

with a tail of 15 centimetres. This is more than
double the length of the tjitjak whose maximum
length is 13 centimetres. The tokke belongs to the
Gekko species and they are the only reptiles who
have a strong developed larynx. The vocal organs
of the toke have developed is such a manner that
the lizard produces a loud and articulated sound to
which it is named after.
When the tokke ´calls´ people in the tropics count
the number of calls and believe that this is a
prediction. For instance, if the tokke calls seven
times, this means luck or one may make wish.
The tokke eats insects and is therefore mainly
sneaking around at night. This nightly sneaking
manner of the tokke frightens many people. Just like
all night animals, the tokke has large extruding ball
like eyes whose pupil can narrow itself into a
vertical split during the daytime. This makes him
look spooky and can with its large head and in times
of danger with wide opened jaws can take on the
appearance of a scaring repelling reptile. A bite
from the tokke does hurt and is unpleasant. The
tokke and the tjitjak have in common that during a
fight or danger they can let their tail be torn off or
they drop it. They then take cover under the roofing
of a house. It seems that the tail grows on again.

297
 Kretek cigarettes (cigarettes mixed with
clove and menjan).

The ´roll-your-owns´ was the secret of the

Javanese. They mashed tobacco leaves and then
by rolling this in a corn leaf, a pisang leaf or a palm
leaf he made kretek cigarettes. The cigarette had a
tapered form. The Javanese stuck the thin end in
his mouth and lit the thick end. This is how the
Javanese smokers rolled their cigarettes (rokok) in
a dried corn leaf (klobot) or in a dried kawung leaf.
A simple roll-your-own filled with mashed native
tobacco.
Around 1870 a man named Hadji Djamahari, who
lived in the town of Kudus in central Java, thought
that he had found a medicinal cure for his constant
coughing. The legend tells that he added mashed
clove to the tobacco and is since then considered to
be the inventor of the rokok kretek. This was
medicinal smoking. The creaking sound of the
burning cigarette indicated that the medicine was
working and the aroma was pleasant. The name of
the cigarette comes from the sound a lit cigarette
makes when taking a drag, kre…tek – kre…tek, etc.
The town of Kudus became the centre of the kretek
cigarette industry. Formerly, the roll-your-owns were
made domestically. After the First World War they
were produced in factories under Chinese
management mainly for the Indonesian internal
market. At present, the largest kretek cigarette

298
factory is located in the former salt warehouse
´Gudang Garam´ on east Java.

According to the journalist P.A. Daum.

The journalist and writer P.A. Daum irritated himself

in his newspaper articles about the Eurasians
(Indos). He named them ´poor lesser Europeans´
and ´Europeans begging for a living´. He was
fiercely against concubines and prostitution. He
claimed that these immoral relationships had taken
on such proportions that young European men were
doomed to be ruined for the rest of their lives.
In his articles Daum wasn’t interested in the well
being of the native or Eurasian women and girls. His
thoughts went out to the young men who did not
abide by the ´Victorian´ moral rules. Because of this
they would end up as an alcoholic, lose their sense
of superiority and would end up ruined somewhere
in the country side with a native woman.
There was a saying in the European community at
that time about the sense of superiority of the
Europeans over the Eurasians.
´God created the white man and God created the
coloured man, but the devil created the mulatto´.
Presently the Eurasian says: ´ we are in Indonesia
and we are in The Netherlands, because the Dutch
were there and are here´.
Because of the discriminating report from the
commission Werner to the Dutch government in

299
1950, the term Indo was deemed to be an inferior
person.
Officially, the term INDO was introduced for the first
time in 1916 by the journalist Th. R. Landauw.
These persons were characterised as descendents
of European males and Indonesian females, whose
roots lie in Indonesia but are legally Dutch citizens.

The salaries of civil servants in Dutch

New Guinea.

The regulation of the salaries of the civil servants in

Dutch New Guinea in 1957 (BLNNG 1957)
consisted of 26 payment scales and was divided
over 414 functions. Underneath follows a part of the
functions with their scales and the maximum pay in
guilders in 1957.

Scale Function pay in

guilders

1/5 (Head) writer, (Head) officer,

policeman, teacher elementary 123-250
village school
8 Clerk, laboratory technician, nurse
259
I (NGD)
10 Clerk, supervisor, Operator I
(PTT), Assembler, assistant 450
designer, assistant accountant
11 (Head) police officer, typist I 550
Machinist I, Technical commies,

300
 Agriculture / Forrester
12 Assistant Directors, Deputy
editorial commissioner , Midwife,
620
Technical officer, kindergarten
teacher (Ia)
14 Chief clerk, Police Inspector,
810
Announcer (radio), Registrar,
Head draftsman
16 Assistant accountant, teacher
(principal Act), Agriculture / animal 928
husbandry official
18 Officer, industrial teacher
education, traffic, Airport Master 975
Harbor Master, Information Officer
20 Commissioner of Police, Chief
meteorologist, Movie Maker,
1028
Finance Administrator I, Director
mulo / technical school
22 Secretary, Engineer, 1315
Teacher MO,
Controller 1 (BB), Superintendent
Police

23 Administrator, Government
doctor, Principal pharmacist
1460

24 Principal Administrator, Inspector

Public Health 1615

26 Government Secretary, Attorney-

General 1940

301
P.S.
The income tax deducted of the salaries of
employees in Dutch New Guinea were transferred
unjustifiable to The Netherlands and used for other
purposes. Every law has a consideration. The taxes
gathered in Dutch New Guinea were not used for
the purpose of this consideration. This was decided
by a judge in The Netherlands in a case in which
Mr. Ridder had summoned the Dutch Government.
The judge also decided that Dutch nationals
originating from the former Dutch New Guinea
would be able to receive a back payment from the
Dutch government for up to 10 years for the income
taxes paid if they emigrated.

302
Sate ajam, sate kambing and…sate babi.

A building with a crafted ceiling and thick walls. A

gilded baroque mirror hangs on the wall and a
crystal chandelier dangles from the ceiling. I was
there to ask about the delay of my visa application.
´I find personally´ said the Indonesian civil servant
whom I had met via a friend, ´…allow me, my
secretary will bring the file…taking into account
previous experiences…until further investigation
has finished…eh…do you like sate?´
´Yes, very much´ I answered.
´Really? Have you ever eaten at Pak Dusun´s place
(Dusun means illiterate)? No, then we’ll drive over
there now.
Every time a truck passed Pak Dusun a large cloud
of dust blew over his fire and it started to crackle.
Above us was a movable sun screen. The civil
servant had removed one foot from its sandal and
placed the knee of his leg in his elbow pit.
´Today only sate babi´, said Pak Dusun.
´Yesterday sate kambing, and maybe tomorrow
sate ajam´.
I looked surprised, pig’s meat served by a Muslim?
The civil servant ordered two helpings of sate babi
and lemonade.

303
´Doesn’t matter´, he said ´Pak Dusun is pure Islam.
But sometimes when the market offer of pig’s meat
is cheaper, he is sometimes also…Chrislam´.

The fishing industry in the archipelago.

The population of the archipelago consumes mainly

see food. The most important region for fish
consumption and fish production is the island of
Java. Fish is also imported from other regions and
foreign countries. Fishermen are active along the
coastal areas and at the open sea. Especially in the
relative quiet Java sea large scale fishing takes
place with small prows of a few metres in length up
to large prows of fifteen metres in length and longer.
Fishing can only take place during certain seasons.
The sea is filled with thousands of small and large
prows during the seasons when the fish are
abundant. Quietness reigns during the periods
when the fish population is scarce. The life cycle of
the fishes is therefore of great influence on the
fishing industry.
There are definite differences between the fishing
industry of Indonesia and The Netherlands. Large
schools of fish of one species, such as haring, swim
in the European seas. There are considerably less
schools of fish swimming in the Indonesian waters,
except for instance for the tongkol (mackerel),
kakap (a sea bass species) and a few other
species. The sea bottom is also not suitable for the

304
use of drag nets due to the existence of coral and
rock formations.
There are exceptions: along the sandy shores it is
possible for the fishermen to use dragnets pulled by
themselves. This happens mainly during high tide.
The fish and the shrimps are pushed towards the
shore during the upcoming tide. Along the ebb tide
waterline near the coast fixed traps (seros) are
constructed. Many fish are cultivated in salt water
ponds (empangs) along the coast and inland in
ponds (tambaks) for fresh water fish. Indonesia also
has a multitude of edible see shell species which,
although in a primitive manner, are cultivated on the
south side of Java. The sea fish that are caught are
kept alive by depositing them in artificial ponds
made of sea nets which keep floating through the
use of floating corks or in shallow areas with the use
of wooden poles.

According to me, more delicious in The

Netherlands.

The writer Hans Vervoort explains in his book

´Vanonder de koperen ploert´ how our Indonesian
kitchen originated.
The ´rice table´ is actually an invention of the Dutch
who urged their native cooks to vary the food and
use a large number of side dishes. Another reason
may be that home sickness for Indonesia among
older Eurasian Dutch made them to concentrate on

305
the preparation of food, which in the end is the
easiest way to relive the past.
The culinary specialist kitchen derived from home
sickness is ideal for the preparation of a variety of
dishes instead of the boring routine type food
served by Indonesian cooks.
During the colonial era, the Dutch have stomped off
the culinary specialism in the Dutch East Indies.
Eurasian Dutch are a product of a relationship of a
Dutchman and his housekeeper. Seeing that a man
walks and loves via his stomach, it seems to reason
that the Dutch bachelors hired the best female
cooks.
After the independence of Indonesia, most of the
Eurasian Dutch repatriated to The Netherlands and
with that a wealth of culinary experience and of
recipes related from mother to daughter. The
Indonesian cooks returned to the county side and
cooked their food in the traditional manner.
The writer believes that because of the above
mentioned facts the Indonesian culinary dishes are
prepared better in The Netherlands than in
Indonesia. This story shows that the writer hasn’t
done his homework. Fortunately we may and can
quarrel over the taste of food.

Always eating.

´ Now I understand why you Indos are always

talking about food´, said our Dutch friend when she

306
saw all the roadside food stalls. At the same
instance she almost got run over by a monger who
seemed to be in a hurry carrying two to the brim
filled baskets fastened onto a cross bar which hung
over his shoulders. One of the many food mongers
who run in the city with a rhythmic step as if he is
being followed by a swarm of bees.
The standard food supplied in the stalls is limited for
the low budget of the ordinary person who is
satisfied with simple dishes, Amongst these are nasi
goreng, bami goreng, mie bakso, nasi bakmoy (rice
with a meat sauce), sop buntut, sop kaki sapi (soup
made from meat of the tail or the leg of an animal),
soto ajam, rudjak petis, ketoprak and lotek
(something like gado gado).
Makanan food stalls offer spicy dishes based on the
Sumatran kitchen. The table is filled with different
dishes in cups and saucers. One takes something
from each cup and saucer and puts it on his plate.
You only pay for the food that is consumed. Most
persons cover the warm rice with a few pieces of
meat, saturate it with sajur sauce and consume it
very quickly. The client only pays for every piece of
meat consumed.

A dish from Palembang.

The Musi river flows slowly, calm and stately along

the city of Palembang. The river is at certain places
three hundred metres wide. On the other side of the
river and the city were the BPM and NKPM

307
refineries. Bagus Kuning, Pladju and Sungei
Gerong. The Musi was the most important water
way, but also the tributaries, the brooks and creeks
which crossed through Palembang and the
surrounding area were busy water ways.
The crocodiles that live in these water ways were
called Cayman in the past. Large areas of the city
were inundated during the monsoon season.
Therefore, the natives built their houses on poles.
The most important means of transportation was the
prow (prahu). Merchants offered their merchandise
from the prows. The lit boats offered a breath taking
scene at night.
Beside the well known Krupuk Palembang (woven
fish krupuk, shrimp chips), is the Pe-empeh tunuh or
empe empe still a well known fish dish from
Palembang. The dish consists of balls of dough
which is mixed with the local ikan belida (an
elongated fresh water fish caught in the Musi River
consisting of soft, tender meat. A sort of gabus).
Empe empe is served cooked or baked with a fine
mie (so´un) and a spicy Tjukah (vinegar) sauce
made of a composition of onion, lombok, garlic,
palm sugar and lots of vinegar.
The food of Palembang and Padang (Makanan
Palembang and Padang) are well known and is a
favourable dish in Indonesia.
The prepared food of Padang is displayed in show
cases. One can point to the dish one wants when
ordering. The serving of the food consists of the
ordered portions or units of fish or chicken etc. are
deposited on the table of the person who ordered it.

308
He or she only pays of what is consumed. Hygiene
is very important when the meals are served. Every
dish has its own spoon to deposit the food on your
own plate. The food is eaten with spoons or by
hand. Finger bowls filled with water are placed on
the table to cleanse the hands. As a sign of
hospitality free water is served before and during
the meal.
Persons who were important in the development
and the history of the Dutch East Indies.

Pramudya Ananta Tur.

Pramudya Ananta Tur was born in Blora, a town on

the border of central and east Java on the 6th of
February 1925. It was the colonial era, but the
revolutionary, nationalistic movement was reaching
its peak. He followed a course in stenography in
Batavia after completing his education, and was
hired by the fervent nationalistic press agency
Domei. This press agency was controlled by the
Japanese occupation forces.
He was an active participant in the fight for freedom
during the independence period. Later he became a
war correspondent and an editor by a nationalistic
magazine.
He was imprisoned after the first political military
action and was released from prison after two and a
half years. He wrote two novels while in his Dutch
prison: ´fugitive´ and ´The Guerrilla family´. Most of
the stories and books of his extensive literary

309
writings were written by him while he was
imprisoned.
During the period Sukarno he supported the Partai
Kommunis Indonesia (PKI) and was a member of
´Lekra´, an institute for popular nationalistic reading
matter, connected with the PKI. He used this
position to turn against writers who had rejecting
opinions about the national reconstruction. For this
he was sentenced to 14 years forced labour (1965-
1979). After his release from prison his freedom of
movement was restricted.

Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman.

Rear Admiral Karel Doorman was born on the

twenty-third of April 1889 in Utrecht, The
Netherlands. At the age of seventeen he was
admitted to the Royal Naval Institute (KIM) at Den
Helder, The Netherlands. He was commissioned as
an officer by the Royal Dutch Navy on the 24th of
August 1910. He served on different ships in The
Netherlands and the Far East. In 1915 he was
transferred to the Naval Air Service at Soesterberg,
The Netherlands. Six years later he was a naval
staff officer in The Hague, The Netherlands and in
Batavia. He also commanded destroyers and
cruisers.
From 1938 up until 1940 he commanded the Naval
Air Service in the Dutch East Indies. After that he
was promoted to Rear Admiral and given command
of the fleet in the Dutch East Indies.

310
Karel Doorman realized as no other how important
air support was fir a fleet during a sea battle. During
the battle with the Japanese fleet he hoped to
receive the necessary information and support from
the air. Unfortunately, there was no air support
available for his allied fleet during the sea battle of
the Java Sea. His flagship, De Ruyter, was hit by a
Japanese long distance torpedo and the ship sank.
Karel Doorman chose to go down with his ship. The
allies had lost the sea battle of the Java Sea.

Raden Adjeng Kartini.

The life of the ruling nobility was bound by the strict

and conservative rules of the adat. Boys went to
school, while girls received instruction at home or by
family in household tasks.
The girls were never free within the behavioural
rules and taboos of the adat compared with the
boys. This caused the girls to lag behind in their
development.
Kartini was not allowed to continue her education
after she graduated from primary school. She was
forced to live at home awaiting her forced marriage.
Kartini considered herself a prisoner of the system.
Her strong desire to have the same rights and
freedom as the boys incited her to make this
knowledgeable in long letters and poems.
She contacted Mrs. Abendanon, the wife of the
director of the department of education. Through an
exchange of letters she expressed her thoughts

311
about her life, thoughts, feelings and fears. Not only
about herself, but about the Javanese women in
general.
She died in childbirth in 1904. Her letters were
bundled and published under the title ´Through
Darkness to Light”. Her thoughts were taken over.
The Dutch authorities established schools for girls
according to her ideals.

K.A.R. Bosscha, thee planter on west

Java.

Karel Albert Rudolf Bosscha was born in The

Hague, The Netherlands on the 15th of May 1865.
He was a descendent from an old and important
Frisian family. His grandfather was a cabinet
minister and a well known historian. His father was
a professor emeritus in physics at the polytechnic
university in Delft, The Netherlands.
Young Bosscha was a student of Kamerling Onnes,
an academic of international reputation. Although
Bosscha never finished his studies at Delft, and
answered the call to go to the East, he never lost
his deep interest for scientific research and
engineering.
From 1896 until his death in 1928 his sole purpose
in life was his thee plantation ´Malabar´. He founded
two profitable thee factories on his extensive
property. He also had many side activities beside
his business. He was a member of the national
council and at various times chairman of the

312
planter’s association on west Java. He founded the
first company for telephonic communication on west
Java and the well known Lembang observatory to
which he personally donated a large Zeis telescope.
He promoted the Technical University in Bandung
and was an honorary citizen of the city. He died on
the 25th of November 1928 in Bandung and is
buried at his thee plantation Malabar.

Vice Admiral Conrad E. L. Helfrich.

Conrad Helfrich was born on the 11th of October

1886 in Semarang He was the son of a Dutch
physician and a Eurasian mother. At the age of
seventeen he left for The Netherlands to study at
the Royal Naval Institute in Den Helder. After
receiving his commission as a naval officer he took
part in the Bali expeditions in 1908 and served on
various warships after that. In 1922 he studied at
the Naval Academy and became a lecturer later on
at the same academy. He was promoted to chief-of-
staff of the Dutch East Indies navy in 1931. He was
appointed to the officer commanding all the armed
forces in the Dutch East Indies. He was promoted to
Vice Admiral in august of 1940.
He was prepared to defend the territory of the Dutch
East Indies at any cost. According to this principle
he ordered the allied fleet to stop the Japanese fleet
steaming towards Java. The sea battle in the Java
Sea ended in a disaster for the Dutch navy and their
allies. The fleet was almost completely destroyed.

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After the fall of the Dutch East Indies, Helfrich
commanded the remaining Dutch ships and armed
forces in Colombo, Ceylon.
From 1945 until his retirement in 1949 he
commanded the Dutch navy with the rank of
Admiral. Helfrich died in 1962.

Willem Walraven (writer and journalist).

In 1915 Willem Walraven signed a three year

contract with the Dutch Indies army. He served in
the garrison administration at Tjimahi near
Bandung. It was here that he met his future
Sundanese wife Itih. Walraven married later on with
his native wife. During their marriage he treated her
like an equal partner.
Such a marriage was very exceptional within the
colonial community of that time. As a new comer he
had no knowledge of the conservative bias in the
colonies. His marriage meant for him a continuous
guerrilla war with the European community, in which
he recognized the same narrow mindness as in his
birthplace Dirksland in The Netherlands.
As a journalist by the ´Indische Courant´, but
especially as a writer of many, many letters he
described with a critical point of view the persons
and happenings within his surroundings. It was the
Eurasian Dutch conduct and thought patterns within
the Dutch East Indies society that suffered. His
critical articles often made him come into social
conflicts and difficulties.

314
It was only after his death in the Japanese
internment camp Kesilir on east Java in 1943 that
his writings were bundled in a book and published.
The film ´Imprisoned on
Java´ describes his life long career.

Sir Stamford Raffles.

In Kebun Raya, the botanical garden of Bogor

stands a monument as a remembrance to Olivia
Raffles, who had died in 1814 in what was known
then as Buitenzorg. She was the wife of Sir
Stamford Raffles, the British Governor general who
ruled over the Dutch East Indies during the British
interval.
After the return of the Dutch East Indies to The
Netherlands in 1817, Sir Stamford Raffles was
posted to Benkulen. A desolate area of Sumatra
that from the beginning of the colonial era was
considered to belong to Great Britain.
From this vantage point he dreamt to gain control
over the Strait of Malacca and the Sunda strait, the
two narrow sea straits which connected south- and
east Asia, for Great Britain. He fostered this dream
since he was employed as governmental secretary
ten years earlier in Pinang, the British crown colony
in Malaysia. He tried by all legal and illegal means
to realize his dream, but without success. Except for
one small success. He was able to obtain the island
of Singapore for Great Britain.

315
Raffles himself developed the system of freedom of
trade in an area full of monopolies and severe
taxes. Due to his exertions, Singapore has become
the largest business centre in Asia.

P. A. Daum, writer and journalist.

Paul Adrianus Daum was born in The Hague, The

Netherlands in 1850. Through ambitious personal
education he was able to leave the poverty stricken
surroundings in which he grew up. He became a
competent journalist and became later editor of ´Het
Vaderland´.
In 1879 he left for the Dutch East Indies and
accepted the position of editor by the well known
newspaper ´De Locomotief´ in Semarang.
Thereafter he became editor-in-chief of the
´Bataaviasch Nieuwsblad´.
He wrote, spirited, keen articles expressing his
opinions about the social conditions as they existed
at that time in the society of the Dutch East Indies
after 1870.
He argumented more and better education in his
newspaper articles and was a strong advocate of
women’s emancipation and took a stand against the
Christian religion and its followers. At the same time
he was continuously irritated by the origin of the
Eurasian Dutch (Indos). Because of the sinful
keeping of concubines (njais) and prostitution.

316
His novels, which are written with a literary stylistic
quality, are mainly about the marriages of the
European ladies and gentlemen between each
other, who on the veranda of their country houses
drink champagne together, gossip, play bridge, hold
sparkling parties and now and then have a extra
marital relationship.

Sir James Brooke.

James Brooke was born in 1803 near Benares and

hails from a British Indian civil servant family. He
served for a short time as an officer in the British
army and after that became an employee of the
British East Indian Company. At the age of thirty
two, shortly after the death of his father, he sailed
with his own ship to the Dutch East Indies. He
offered his services in different places and became
frequently involved in the internal quarrels of the
native rulers.
He was trusted by the Dutch Governor General J.D.
Eerens, who issued him with a letter of free
passage and a letter of recommendation for the
Dutch governmental posts. He did not achieve
anything on south Celebes, but was able to remain
permanently on Serawak by offering military
services to the sultan of Brunai. He was raised to
the Rajah of Serawak for these services. His nick
name was ´The white Rajah of Serawak´.
In 1847 he was able, by again offering his services
to the sultan of Brunai, to obtain the island of

317
Labuan as a coal station for Great Britain. He was
appointed Governor of Labuan and as the British
Consul General of his own sovereignty of Serawak.
His experiences caught the imagination of the
public. The whole of Europe lay in romantic
devotion at his feet.

Nico J. Gerharz, brass band drum major

and conductor in Batavia.

The army had its own brass band since 1836.

Sometimes they performed concerts for the public
and sometimes they played dance music during
official parties.
Second Lieutenant Nico Gerharz formed an
orchestra from the military brass band to perform
well known classical music. These were opus that
was composed for an orchestra and where solo
musicians performed. Gerharz became conductor of
Concordia in Batavia in 1904.
From 1905 onwards symphony concerts were
performed under his management, with works from
Berlioz, Charpentier, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and
many other composers. The performances of the
orchestra brought about a change in the musical life
in the Dutch East Indies. The concerts were
performed once a month and the concert hall was
filled to the brim.
´Woh the person´ wrote Victor Ido, ´who at the start
of a concert decided to have a last drink or to begin

318
chatting with some one. The conductor looked at
the person, in view of the whole concert hall, with
his piercing eyes. It was even worse for those who
came too late. They were forced to stand during the
whole performance in order to prevent annoying
shuffling of the legs of the chairs´.

Maria Dermout (writer).

Maria Dermout – Ingerman was born on the 15th of

June 1888 at Pekalongan. She spends the first
twelve years of her childhood at the sugar factory
Redjosari in the Dutch East Indies. After learning for
four years at a school in Haarlem, The Netherlands,
she married at the age of nineteen with Mr. I.J.
Dermout. They had two children.
She considered herself not to be a writer. She also
thought that she had not mastered the art of writing
good enough and that it was not her intention to
become a writer.
She wanted to relate what she saw, heard or felt
and that is why she tried to express herself as
simple and introvert as possible. ´I have had the
great privilege that there were always great story
tellers, male and female, in my lifetime, not to
mention books´.
She was inspired by the country where she lived.
Thereafter by the revelations from the legends and
history and she was inspired again. To the sources
which inspired her were the works of Dr. Francois
Valentijn from 1724, a preacher on the Moluccan

319
islands, and Rumphius who defined the natural
living conditions on Ambon in the smallest detail in
his book ´D´Amboinische Rariteitenkamer´ which
was published in 1705. After her death in 1961 two
books were published followed by the publishing of
her combined work in one book. This consisted of
short stories which she wrote between 1910 and
1933.

Habib, the loved one.

Habib Abdurachman Zahir was a person who was

very well respected in Atjeh. He was an Arabian of
birth and a very well learned person. Because of his
pilgrimage to Mecca he was a Hadji. He was also
very learned in the scriptures and had an
exceptional knowledge of western customs. The
Uleemas of Atjeh, who were versed in the scriptures
and were also preachers, followed him and the
people adored him. Habib Abdurachman sought
foreign aid for Atjeh and travelled to Constantinople
with the proxies of the Sagi chiefs allowing him to
negotiate in the name of Atjeh with the Guardian of
the Caliphate.
His offer to the Raised Gate (the old name of
Turkey) consisted that the sultan of Atjeh, his
empire and his subjects would subjugate
themselves to the Caliph of the Islam. This would
also include the proceeds of the pepper rights.
Turkey reused to accept the offer because of
diplomatic pressure brought to bear upon Turkey by
The Netherlands, Russia, France and Germany. A

320
little while later, Great Britain, through Disraeli, let it
be known that they would also not interfere.
The way was now clear for The Netherlands to send
a second armed expedition to conquer Atjeh.
Habib returned to Atjeh and led the resistance
against the Dutch.

Johan Fabricius.

Johan Fabricius was born in a stately Indonesian

house on the Bragaweg. It had house number 2. He
was the son of playwright Jan Fabricius. The family
lived in The Netherlands as of 1902. The family
returned to the Dutch East Indies in 1910 for a
period of four years. The family moved to Paris in
1914, where Johan developed his talent for artistic
drawings. In 1918 he took lessons at the Academy
for Expressive Art in The Hague. Painting,
especially portraits were his passion. He enjoyed it
more than writing. For him, to write meant to work.
But the urge to write became stronger after his first
book ´Eiko van de Reigershof´ was published in
1922. His best known books are the classical ´
cabin boys of the Bontekoe´; ´Comedians passed
by´, and ´The girl with the blue hat´. He wrote a little
less than a hundred historical stories and children’s
books. The main characters in his books were
mostly based on persons he had met somewhere
during his world travels. Whenever he returned to
the Dutch East Indies, he felt at home. He was
acquainted with many people. Inspired by the

321
Javanese poet Noto Suroto he wrote ´Shadow
game´. ´The Island of demons´ was inspired by
Polok, the Balinese girlfriend of the painter Le
Meilleur.

Lieutenant General Gerardus J.

Berenschot.

Gerardus Berenschot was born on the 24th of July

1887at Solok on Sumatra. He was the son of a
Dutch KNIL officer and a Eurasian woman. He
attended the Cadet school at Alkmaar, The
Netherlands and thereafter the Royal Military
Academy (KMA) at Breda, The Netherlands.
Upon his return to the Dutch East Indies he took
part in the war against Atjeh and served with the
corps Marechausee (a Para military unit
comparable to the Spanish Guardia Civil). He
studied at the Advanced War Academy and was
from 1925 up until 1930 employed as an instructor
at the same Academy. He returned to the Dutch
East Indies in 1934 where he was appointed Chief
of the General Staff. During this period the Dutch
government had began an austerity program for the
armed forces. In 1939 he was appointed
Commander-in-Chief of the army. His task was to
modernize the KNIL, which mainly was used for
police work, and get it in shape for the defence of
the archipelago against a foreign power, meaning
Japan. On the 31st of October he held consultations
in Batavia with the British Commander-in-Chief for

322
the Far East, Air Marshall Brooke-Popham, after
which he would fly back to Bandung. The plane
crashed shortly after take off from Kemajoran
airdrome. All the passengers and crew were killed.

Bep Vuyk (writer).

Bep Vuyk was born in 1905 in Rotterdam. She left

for Java at the end of 1929 to teach cooking and
foodstuffs. In 1932 she married F. van Willigen, a
thee planter from central Java. Due to the financial
crisis he was fired in the same year. They were now
confronted with the choice of a modest existence in
semi-poverty on Java or make the adventurous
move to the Moluccans where her husband’s family
owned a neglected kaju putih business on Buru.
They chose for the latter.
Her first novel ´Thousand islands´ was published in
1937. In this novel she describes her first reactions
about acquainting herself with Indonesia, the land
that was the source of her inspirations. In the book
she describes the life of two persons on a thee
plantation. One person came from The Netherlands;
the other was born and raised in Indonesia. Both
had to make a choice how to get on with their lives
due to the crisis they were in. in the novels and
short stories of Bep Vuyk are work and freedom
inseparable. Her novel ´The last house in the world´
received the ´van der Hoogt´ award. Later she wrote
´Bara´s wood´ and were some of her short stories
bounded.

323
During the Japanese occupation, Bep Vuyk and her
two sons lived in a Japanese internment camp.
After the independence of Indonesia she and her
husband became Indonesian citizens. Due to the
worsening political situation in Indonesia they
decided to leave for The Netherlands in 1958.

Paul Seeling (1876-1945).

The gifted composer Paul Seeling died on the 13th

of June 1945 in the Japanese camp ´Meester
Cornelis´ on Java. His compositions are almost
unknown in The Netherlands.
Paul Seeling was born in 1876 at Breda, The
Netherlands. He received his diversified musical
education mainly from well known teachers in
Germany. He studied piano, cello, instrumentation
and music theory. In 1898 he was appointed second
conductor of the ´Stadt theater´ in Essen, Germany.
As of 1900 he led the court orchestra of the
Susuhunan of Surakarta. He investigated and
studied the music of the east during his eight years
at Solo. He then moved to Thailand to be the
director and advisor of the Royal Orchestra in
Bangkok.
The compositions of Seeling are a combination of
eastern and western music. Much of his works have
been lost during the Second World War. His music
has been played in Europe, the United States and
Japan, but funny enough never in The Netherlands.
One of his piano concerts was performed in the

324
Dutch East Indies by the pianist Kathe Haase, the
mother of the writer Hella Haase.
After 1930 he was completely involved with his
publishing company and his music businesses in
Surabaya, Bandung, Batavia and Semarang.

Cornelis Matelief de Jonge.

Cornelis M. de Jonge was in The Dutch East Indies

from 1605 until 1608 as an admiral of the V.O.C.
fleet and fought against the Portuguese and the
Spaniards.
During this period he got involved with V.O.C. fleets,
whose ship’s councils took individual decisions with
regards to trade relations and the establishment of
strong points and trading posts. He realized the
necessity for a central governed organization based
on a unilateral policy and definite aims.
De Jonge designed a plan for future V.O.C. policies
in the Dutch East Indies. His plan was as follows:
The V.O.C. had to concentrate first on the Moluccan
Islands in order to obtain a monopoly position.
An effective central organization under the
leadership of a Governor General had to be set up
according to the Portuguese example. This
organization would have to operate from a
permanent, central headquarters. The products
bought in Asia could be shipped from here to
Europe.

325
The V.O.C. should also, according to the
Portuguese example, develop an economic system
for the internal Asiatic trade (making profits via
purchase and sales within Asia, and to use these
profits to purchase goods destined for Europe).

Pa van der Steur.

Johannes van der Steur was born in Haarlem, The

Netherlands on the 10th of July 1864. He left for the
Dutch East Indies in September of 1892. The Word
of God was holy for him and as a missionary he
offered help and assistance to the poor in the
poverty stricken parts of Haarlem at an early age.
His work as a missionary of the Midnight mission,
which concerned itself with the conversion of the
visitors of brothels who left their pay there instead of
using it for their family brought Johannes van der
Steur to Harderwijk. The colonial recruiting depot,
where soldiers were trained for the Dutch East
Indies was located in this town. After listening to he
stories related to him by returning soldiers over the
life in the East, he decided to move to The Dutch
East Indies to set up military homes to make the life
for the soldiers a little easier.
He finally reached Magelan in central Java with
money donated from rich families from The Hague.
He founded his first military home in this large
garrison town. It took some time before the number
of visiting soldiers increased.

326
Not long afterwards Johannes was confronted by
four children from the country side who were in
desperate need of assistance. They were Christien,
Lucy, Marie and Giorgio Pappolo. Their Italian
father had died and his native wife lived under
terrible circumstances somewhere in the back
country side. Pa van der Steur took the children into
his newly founded military home in Magelang. It was
the beginning of an almost endless string of children
which he took into his house ´Oranje Nassau´ and
whom he cared for with love and affection.
Most of the time it was ´father dead, mother poor´ or
´father gone, mother poor or ill or hade gone away
with another soldier´ Most of them were children of
European fathers and native mothers. Pa van der
Steur fed them and taught them a trade. The
number of children grew constantly. He received
help from family and volunteers from The
Netherlands. He married Anna Maria Zwager in
1907, and she was like a real ´mom´ for the
children. Houses were founded also in Sukabumi
and Tjimahi.
He received financial aid from the ´committee of
Welfare´ in The Netherlands, the government and
many, many private donation from the ´Union of old
Steurtjes´ in Surabaya. Thousands of ´Steurtjes´
entered society, well brought up and educated
thanks to the loving care of Pa van der Steur. He
died in Magelang on the 16th of September 1945.

327
 Maria van Zeggelen (writer).

Maria van Zeggelen (1870 – 1957) belonged to the

group of ethnic writers. These writers were more
interested in writing about the Indonesians, his living
needs, living circumstances, his existence
philosophy and his community life.
Her popular children’s book ´The golden Kris´ was
published in 1908. It is a story about the recently
conquered regions of south Celebes ( Sulawesi).
Being the wife of the KNIL officer H.A. Kooy she
spends some years at a lonely military outpost in
that region. Her book is filled with interesting facts
about the Buginese society.
In her book ´The Dutch wife in the Indies´, which
was published in 1910, she describes the boring
and empty existence of Dutch wife within the
European community on Java. The life of the main
characters changes when the wife follows her
husband to the uninhabitable mountainous region of
south Celebes where only Indonesians live.
Her book ´The Colonial Boy´, published in 1920, is
about a young governmental civil servant who
operates in complete harmony with the native
sovereign. The ethnical thought process is the red
line in this book. One of the sovereign’s daughters
becomes very sympathetic towards him.
The Atjeh Empire is described in the book ´Old
Glory´. She describes the Atjeh empire if the 16 th

328
and 17th century when Atjeh played a leading role in
south east Asia.
´Kartini´ is the romantic biography of the young
daughter of the sovereign of Japara. She died at an
early age, when she was fighting for Javanese
women’s emancipation. She is remembered in
Indonesia every year on ´Kartina day´.

Louis Couperus (writer).

Louis Couperus (1863 – 1923) spend a great part of

his childhood in the Dutch East Indies. The writer,
who was born in The Hague, wrote the novel ´ The
Silent Force´ in 1900. This was a pinnacle in the
literature of the Dutch East Indies.
The native population became more involved in this
novel. It was around the time that there was an
ethnic revival in The Netherlands. More interest and
care for the ´native´ was the slogan. The aim was
an ´assimilation policy´ where white and coloured
people would melt together with the final goal to
make the Dutch East Indies independent.
A group of writers harboured these ideas around the
turn of the century and made them clearly visible.
Couperus describes in ´The Silent Force´ the
Javanese nobility extensively and with respect.
Couperus extensively describes the mysticism of
the East, ´the silent force, which was
incomprehensible for a westerner but at the same
time so intriguing. The obnoxious Resident van
Oudijck finally succumbs when his family is

329
confronted by the secretive force. Penniless and
disillusioned, but especially filled with
incomprehension he remains solely in the desa.
The book criticises the role of The Netherlands with
respect to the Dutch East Indies. But especially the
governmental policy from The Netherlands, which
had only one goal in mind and that was to bleed the
country and the people dry.
´Yes and once the Eurasians will rise up threatening
against the pressure and disdain of the white
rulers´.

Raymond Westerling.

Raymond Westerling was born in 1919 in Istanbul.

His father was Dutch and his mother of Turkish –
Greek descent. He reported as a volunteer for the
Dutch army at the Dutch consulate in Turkey. He
was accepted and received a commando training in
Canada and Great Britain. He was parachuted by
the British on Sumatra to organize and train a police
force after the capitulation of Japan.
He was transferred in December 1946 to Makassar
and appointed commanding officer of the Special
Forces Depot. The unit consisted of around 130
men. His assignment was to regain control and
restore peace and order in this region which was
under control of plunderers (rampokkers). The
plunderers were large, independent operating
groups, who hid in the country side and there
terrorised and intimidated the population. They were

330
criminal gangs who were only self interested using
the excuse of being guerrilla fighters against the
Dutch authorities, and committed horrible brutalities
against their own people. Westerling and his men
unleashed a reign of terror which caused 3000
fatalities. Westerling remained on south Celebes
until March 1947 after which he was posted to Java.

Charles Edgar du Perron.

Du Perron belonged to the first Dutch writers who

were born and raised in the Dutch East Indies. His
book ´The land of my origin´ was published in 1935.
Du Perron described the personality of Arthur
Ducroo who was beset with home sickness to his
youthful times in the Dutch East Indies which he
had left when he was twenty – two years old.
This novel was the first and largest nostalgic
colonial document in Dutch literature.
In this novel the younger years of Ducroo are
described both in the Dutch East Indies and Europe.
The works of du Perron were initially published
under his ghost writer name Duco Perkins. The
complete works of Duco Perkins were published in
1926 under the title ´For want of earnestly´. He
returned to the Dutch East Indies in 1936 because
of the recession in Europe. He worked there for a
few years as a freelance journalist. It was during
this time that a group of writers who were attracted
by the idea of Indonesian nationalism. Du Perron
also contributed to ´Criticism and Restoration.´, a

331
magazine which acknowledged the right if
independence.
Du Perron returned to the Netherlands in 1939 and
went to live in Bergen. He died on the 14th of May
1940 just after the German invasion.

Rhumpius.

Georg Everhard Rhumpius is known for his

standard literary works ´Ambonsche Historie´ and
´Herbarium Amboinense´, later translated into Dutch
with the titles ´Het Amboinsch Kruidboek´ and the
´Amboinsche Rariteitenkamer´.
Georg Rhumpius was born in 1628 in Hanau,
Germany. He left for the Dutch East Indies in 1653
in the service of the V.O.C. as a midshipman. He
was stationed on Ambon.
A number of years later he became an employee of
the V.O.C. as a merchant. He lived on Hitu, the
northern peninsula of the island of Ambon. In Hitu
he used his diversified knowledge to make
analytical descriptions of the physical and biological
aspects of plants, animals and people in his
surroundings. He recorded his findings in many
documents.
He became blind at a later age. Because of his
exceptional services the V.O.C. offered him a desk
function with the same rank and pay. Although he
was handicapped he continued, with the aid of his
son Paul August, his studies. He died on the 15th of

332
June 1702 on the island he loved so much, Ambon.
The information he left behind is of immense value.

General H. S. Spoor.

Simon Hendrik Spoor was born in Amsterdam on

the 12th of January 1902. In 1918 he enrolled in the
Cadet school at Alkmaar. He then was admitted to
the Royal Military College in Breda. He was posted
to the KNIL in 1923 with the rank of second
lieutenant of the infantry. Between 1929 and 1932
he followed a course at the Advanced Military
Academy in The Hague, and then returned to the
Dutch East Indies. He was promoted to captain in
1934 and appointed as an instructor at the Royal
Military College at Breda. In 1941 he was appointed
as lecturer at the Advanced Military School in
Bandung. On the 8th of March 1942 he was
attached to the headquarters of General MacArthur
in Australia. He was the head of the Dutch Military
Intelligence Service (NEFIS)
After the capitulation of Japan he returned to the
Dutch East Indies. He was promoted to the rank of
Major General in September of 1946 and appointed
Commander of the KNIL and all land armed forces
in the Dutch East Indies. He was promoted to the
rank of General on the 1st of May 1949. He died on
the 25th of May 1949 and is buried with his soldiers
at the military cemetery Menteng Pulu.
General Spoor died under suspicious circumstances
concerning the treasure of Nakamura (he had

333
ordered an investigation into the disappearance of
the treasure) together with the editor J.H. Houbolt,
the security officer, ensign R.C.I. Aernaut and Mr.
W.J. Haye.

M. H. Szekely – Lulofs (writer).

Madelon H. Szekely – Lulofs (1899-1958) was born

at Atjeh as the daughter of a governmental civil
servant. She experienced personally the rough life
on the rubber plantations when she married the
Hungarian writer and plantation owner Szekely.
Her first novel ´Rubber´ was published in 1931.
Through this novel she became well known. A film
was made of the novel in 1936. In her novel she
describes the tough, raw and particularly lonely
existence on the rubber plantations at Deli during
the twenties of the previous century. The Europeans
earned a great deal of money from the rubber
industry. But because of the loneliness and
boredom, the main characters led a decadent
lifestyle and spend their free time in the club where
very often wild parties were held which sometimes
ended in orgies. Whenever the rubber market
crashed, it was followed by many bankruptcies and
redundancy of the employees.
Her second novel, ´Koelie´ was published in 1932.
In contrast to the life style of the Europeans this
novel describes the harsh life of the contract
koelies, Ruki, very explicitly and with him all the
under contract working rubber tappers. Ruki was

334
beaten on the infamous plantations and the little pay
he received went mostly in the gambling pot, so he
was forced to sign on for another two years.
Tjut Nja Din is a novel in which Madelon Lulofs
fervently describes the continuing struggle against
the Dutch of an Atjeh female sovereign after her
husband Teuku Umar had been killed after years of
persecution by the forces of van Heutz.

335
 Epilogue.

All the information that has been gathered in this

book has been retrieved from Dutch and Indonesian
archives and was complemented by information
extracted form different internet sites under which
www.Indodutchgoogle.com.

Via this internet connection the Eurasian Dutch from

all over the world keep in contact with one another.
The information has been verified during numerous
visits to Indonesia, where all the large islands, the
Moluccans and the Strait of Malacca have been
visited. In these countries, discussions have taken
place with many important public persons under
which attorney generals, generals, chiefs of police
and historians.

This printed book will not be used for any

commercial goals.

Rob Dias

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