A Brief History of Indonesia
A Brief History of Indonesia
Tim Hannigan
pub. Tuttle 2015
pp.288
ISBN 978-0-8048-4476-5 (pbk)
ISBN 978-0-4629-1716-7(ebook)
The sub-title is usually far through brief: Sultans, Spices in addition to Tsunamis – The Incredible Story of Southeast Asia’s Largest Nation.
When Tim Hannigan first arrived in Indonesia “as an earnest young backpacker using a passion for history“, he was unable to find anything using a general overview; just academic tomes in addition to guides to tourist ‘obyeks’ of interest. These guides, phrase books in addition to beautiful coffee table books portraying landscapes, flora in addition to fauna, in addition to meals, are still the main stock of non-fiction reading to be found on the shelves of book stores situated in malls in addition to airport departure lounges.
however right now Periplus stocks two paperback volumes of narrative history, both by Tim: Raffles in addition to the British Invasion of Java, in addition to right now This kind of one, the result of far less intensive scholarship, albeit with an extensive bibliography in addition to index.
This kind of book is usually less concerned with dates than with context. In our interconnected in addition to interdependent world, the importance of what is usually right now known as the Indonesian archipelago from the shaping of the planet geopolitical map we know today is usually barely recognised by Indonesians themselves, let alone visitors.
The archipelago was formed as Asian in addition to Australian land masses separated, so its early history was determined by geology in addition to is usually unwritten except by archaeologists. Climate alterations lead to migrations of early hominids; a great Ice Age had lowered sea levels, in addition to what is usually right now a nation was land-linked to Asia in addition to sea journeys were shorter. The Java Man dates back some million years, in addition to the recently discovered metre high Homo florensiensis in Flores proved which sea journeys were made at least 100,000 years ago.
The ‘Hobbits’ were followed much later by the Melanesians, who still predominate from the easternmost regions of the archipelago. Then some 7,000 years ago the Austronesians, “the greatest tribe of maritime travellers the planet has ever known“, set forth through “the damp Indoor of southern China“. the idea took a further two in addition to a half millennia for them to reach Sulawesi, in addition to which’s when Indonesia’s history began: c.2,500BC.??There are no barriers to trade along the coastlines between the Red Sea in addition to Africa from the westerly direction in addition to to Japan in addition to China from the some other. The seasonal monsoon winds provided easy sailing through the Malacca Strait. During the equatorial dry season (summer), the winds carried ships with their cargoes to the north-west in addition to to the north-east during the wet season (winter).
Lying midway along the trade route there was the incentive for traders to settle. Here the idea must be noted which until 1867 when the Straits Settlements on the Malay Peninsula were declared a British crown colony, their affairs were intertwined with those of South Sumatra in addition to West Java in terms of trading in addition to piracy.
The volcanic activity in addition to tropical climate provided the fertility suitable for agricultural settlements, particularly in Java. As well as goods to sell or barter, traders brought their religions – Hinduism in addition to Buddhism, in addition to later Islam – in addition to languages. These traders also sought the riches found here: tin through Palembang in south Sumatra which also provided pepper, in addition to the spices, nutmeg in addition to cloves, through the far Moluccas.
Before then, there were “Empires of Imagination”: Here in addition to there some pretender prince, with ideas too big for the traditional role of village chief, might have seized control of a federation of hamlets or a growing port. Once he had done so he could have found himself in need of a political concept to bolster his brand new position as head of a proto-state. The Indian idea of kingship was perfect for the task. Situated at the junction of the sea lanes in South Sumatra, through the 7th to 12th centuries the Buddhist trading ‘empire’ of Srivijaya (aka Sriwijaya) was able to dominate the surrounding states, including those across the Straits of Malaka. By the time its influence had waned some six centuries later, kingdoms in Java had already sought permanence through the construction of stone temples, such as the earliest on the Dieng plateau which were built by Shiva worshippers.
The Sailendra Dynasty in central Java, a trading rather than a maritime kingdom, possibly had ties with Srivijaya because of the religious connection, Mahayana Buddhism, as portrayed in their monument Borobodur, built during the 8th in addition to 9th centuries. They were supplanted by the Sanyaya dynasty who took Shiva, the Hindu god as their key deity in addition to erected Prambanan Temple in addition to lots of smaller temples from the surrounding countryside.
In East Java, at the end of the 13th century, the Mongols, who were then ruling China, sent many fleets to extract tribute through the traders. In 1293, the final one was repelled by Raden Wijaya, who had invited them from the first place. He then “went back to his little village … in addition to turned the idea into an empire called Majapahit. … Later Javanese kings, nineteenth century European orientalists in addition to strident Indonesian nationalists have all retooled its reputation to fit their own prejudices in addition to purposes.”
The introduction of Islam is usually less well documented. By the early thirteenth century there could almost certainly have been Muslim communities living in ports around the Straits of Malaka. Hannigan suggests which the creeping conversion could well have been a matter of “kingly pragmatism”, the need to work with the increasing number Muslim traders passing through or settled with local wives; the first converts.
the idea is usually in relatively recent times, the past 400 plus years which European powers – the Dutch, English, Portuguese, Spanish in addition to French – named the “Spice Invaders” by Hannigan, came in search of the source in addition to tried with varying success to monopolise the trade. However, events ‘back home’ were to lead to what is usually right now an independent Indonesia. The storming of the Bastille in 1789 in addition to the start of the French Revolution lead in political in addition to economic terms to what has been termed the ‘Age of Enlightenment’.
Out of This kind of came the idea of European intellectual in addition to moral superiority in addition to the spurious moral imperative – the idea which “we know what’s best for them” in addition to the contemptuous notions of the ‘ignorant native’ in addition to the ‘Asiatic despot’. One may surmise which the ‘inferiority complex’ engendered remains from the national psyche, in addition to is usually the fundamental reason for the current rise in nationalism.
Sukarno once said: “Never forget your history.” To which I could add “especially which not written by the ‘winners’.” At the book launch in Jakarta I suggested which This kind of ‘Brief History’ be translated into Indonesian as an all-purpose supplement to the shallow versions of national history ‘approved’ by successive governments.
Tim Hannigan’s Raffles book has recently been translated into Indonesian in addition to is usually available in Gramedia.
Comments
A Brief History of Indonesia
A Brief History of Indonesia