Indonesian History and People

Culturally and politically, Indonesia is one of the more complex countries in the world, with 336 ethnic groups speaking 583 languages and dialects. It is only recently that these people have been contained within one political framework. Throughout most of history, Indonesia's inhabitants were divided politically in many different ways as a bewildering array of kingdoms and empires rose and fell within the region. Since independence in 1945, one of the challenges Indonesia faces is constructing a unified national identity. Through six chapters, Drakeley discusses Indonesian history beginning with settlement and social development in 5,000 BCE, through the Colonial Era, the Independence Movement, the Sukarno Era, and the Soeharto Era, to the 2004 elections. Ideal for students and general readers, the "History of Indonesia" is part of Greenwood's Histories of Modern Nations series. With over thirty nation's histories in print, these books provide readers with a concise, up-to-date history of countries throughout the world. Reference features include a biographical section highlighting famous figures in Indonesian history, a timeline of important historical events, a glossary of terms, and a bibliographical essay with suggestions for further reading.

A monumental history and ethnographic study of the island of Java, first published in 1817.

Since the Bali bombings of 2002 and the rise of political Islam, Indonesia has frequently occupied media headlines. Nevertheless, the history of the fourth largest country on earth remains relatively unknown. Adrian Vickers' book, first published in 2005, traces the history of an island country, comprising some 240 million people, from the colonial period through revolution and independence to the present. Framed around the life story of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesia's most famous and controversial novelist and playwright, the book journeys through the social and cultural mores of Indonesian society, focusing on the experiences of ordinary people. In this new edition, the author brings the story up to date, revisiting his argument as to why Indonesia has yet to realise its potential as a democratic country. He also examines the rise of fundamentalist Islam, which has haunted Indonesia since the fall of Suharto.

"The history of Sumatra, containing an account of the government, laws, customs, and manners of the native inhabitants, with a description of the natural productions, and a relation of the ancient political state of that island."

Provides comprehensive information on the geography, history, wildlife, governmental structure, economy, cultural diversity, peoples, religion, and culture of Indonesia

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world. It comprises more than 17,000 islands inhabited by 230 million people who speak over 300 different languages. Now the world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia remains extraordinarily heterogeneous due to the waves of immigration - Buddhist, Hindu, Arab, and European - that have defined the region's history.

This late-nineteenth cnetury travel book has been described as a "seminal work", opening as it did to Western eyes the glories, curiosities and mysteries of Java, an island little known in the Western world at the period.

In the seventeenth century, the Dutch established a trading base at the Indonesian site of Jacarta. What began as a minor colonial outpost under the name Batavia would become, over the next three centuries, the flourishing economic and political nucleus of the Dutch Asian Empire. In this pioneering study, Jean Gelman Taylor offers a comprehensive analysis of Bataviarsquo;s extraordinary social world-its marriage patterns, religious and social organizations, economic interests, and sexual roles.

A guidebook about the island of Java, first published in 1893.

Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of the World's Largest Archipelago Indonesia is by far the largest nation in Southeast Asia and has the fourth largest population in the world after the United States. Indonesian history and culture are especially relevant today as the Island nation is an emerging power in the region with a dynamic new leader. It is a land of incredible diversity and unending paradoxes that has a long and rich history stretching back a thousand years and more. Indonesia is the fabled "Spice Islands" of every school child's dreams—one of the most colorful and fascinating countries in history. These are the islands that Europeans set out on countless voyages of discovery to find and later fought bitterly over in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. This was the land that Christopher Columbus sought and Magellan actually reached and explored. One tiny Indonesian island was even exchanged for the island of Manhattan in 1667! This fascinating history book tells the story of Indonesia as a narrative of kings, traders, missionaries, soldiers and revolutionaries, featuring stormy sea crossings, fiery volcanoes, and the occasional tiger. It recounts the colorful visits of foreign travelers who have passed through these shores for many centuries—from Chinese Buddhist pilgrims and Dutch adventurers to English sea captains and American movie stars. For readers who want an entertaining introduction to Asia's most fascinating country, this is delightful reading.

The Chinese in Indonesia form a significant minority of about three percent of the population, and have played a disproportionately important role in the country. Given that Chinese Indonesians are not seen as indigenous to the country and are consistently defined against Indonesian nationalism, most studies on the community concentrate on examining their ambivalent position as Indonesia's perennial "internal outsider." Chinese Indonesians Reassessed argues for the need to dislodge this narrow nationalistic approach and adopt fresh perspectives which acknowledge the full complexity of ethnic relations within the country. The focus of the book extends beyond Java to explore the historical development of Chinese Indonesian communities in more peripheral areas of Indonesia, such as Medan, the Riau Islands and West Kalimantan. It reveals the diverse religious practices of Chinese Indonesians, which are by no means confined to "Chinese" religions, and celebration of "Chinese" ethnic events. Presenting a rich array of historical and contemporary case studies, the book goes beyond national stereotypes to demonstrate how Chinese Indonesians interact with different spaces and environments to establish new Chinese Indonesian identities which are complex and multi-faceted. The book engages with a larger global literature concerned with diasporic Chinese identities and practices and offers sophisticated and empirically grounded insights on the commodification of ethnic cultures and religions.

Bloody battles and ruthless intrigue come alive in this classic of military history! Pulsating with energy and adventure, Major William Thorn's "The Conquest of Java describes the British Invasion of Java in 1811. Scholars of warfare and Southeast Asian history will marvel at the detailed descriptions of everything from Batavia's fish market to herbal antidotes for poisonous dagger wounds.

Indonesia, a nation of thousands of islands and almost 250 million people, straddles the junction of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has presided over 6 per cent average yearly growth of its economy, to surpass $1 trillion. If this rate continues, Indonesia will join the world's ten biggest economies in a decade or so, just behind the so-called BRIC countries. The much-discussed recent documentary The Act of Killing revived some of its darker past, and Barack Obama's reminiscences about the childhood years he spent there briefly shone the spotlight on a country many Americans know little about. Yet as Indonesia approaches its 2014 parliamentary and presidential elections, its future is wide open. Though the largest Muslim nation by population, it remains a receiver of wisdom from the Arab world, rather than a messenger of multi-religious tolerance. Its pursuit of trade agreements with Japan and South Korea have burnished its economic ambitions, but its diplomacy is long on so-called "soft power," and short on sanctions or force. So what does the future hold for this pivotal place? Award-winning Asia-Pacific journalist Hamish McDonald's Demokrasi is an accessible and authoritative introduction to the modern history and politics of this fascinating country.

At a time when sea navigation depended more on the skill and courage of sailors than on technology, men were nonetheless able to build maritime regional empires that stretched from Indochina to the Indonesian Archipelago. This book, which draws on a huge body of archaeological and documentary research, provides a much-needed overview of the history of the Malay Peninsula and insular Southeast Asia from its earliest times to the 16th century. It also provides an in-depth analysis of the international context of the political, economic and social evolution of these kingdoms, and so provides a useful background to the modern history of the region. This is an excellent book for those with a keen interest in the ancient history of the first kingdoms of the Malay Peninsula and Indonesian Archipelago.

This comprehensive history provides a fresh interpretation of Southeast Asia from 100 to 1500, when major social and economic developments foundational to modern societies took place on the mainland (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) and the island world (Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines). Kenneth R. Hall explores this dynamic era in detail, which was notable for growing external contacts, internal adaptations of nearby cultures, and progressions from hunter-gatherer and agricultural communities to inclusive hierarchical states. In the process, formerly local civilizations became major participants in period's international trade networks. Incorporating the latest archeological evidence and international scholarship, Kenneth Hall enlarges upon prior histories of early Southeast Asia that did not venture beyond 1400, extending the study of the region to the Portuguese seizure of Melaka in 1511. Written for a wide audience of non-specialists, the book will be essential reading for all those interested in Asian and world history.

Recognized as the most authoritative general account of Indonesia, this revised and expanded fourth edition has been updated in light of new scholarship. New chapters at the end of the book bring the story up to the present day, including discussion of recent events such as the 2002 Bali terrorist bombings and the 2004 tsunami.

A History of Southeast Asiais a sweeping as well as a wide-ranging narrative of Southeast Asia's historical development told through key individuals and events. It provides real insight into one of the world's most distinctive but complicated regions, at a time when Asian countries are beginning to set the pace in the global economy. The book is in fact essential reading for anyone interested in international affairs. Superbly supported by over 200 illustrations, photographs and maps, this authoritative yet engagingly written study relates the history of Southeast Asia from earliest recorded time until the present, covering Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines. 'Arthur Cotterell writes in a most entertaining way by putting a human face on the history of Asia, Far too often history books are dry and boring and it is refreshing to come across one which is so full of life.' Peter Church, editor of A Short History of South East Asia'Here at last is an enjoyable survey of Southeast Asia's past. In this brilliantly illustrated and amazingly compact volume, Arthur Cotterell has covered an immense amount of history. The author's ability to relate events in an accessible and exciting way is bound to make A History of Southeast Asiaan invaluable contribution to the on-going debate about the region's future. Students as well as general readers will take undoubted pleasure in the attention paid to cultural issues, a dimension of present-day Southeast Asia which simply cannot be ignored. Without an awareness of its cultural heritage, there is little chance of appreciating the political choices that are currently available in each nation state today. Above all, A History of Southeast Asia successfully weaves the different cultural traditions into a fascinating historical narrative. For Arthur Cotterell has written another masterly book.' Hugh Higgins, author of Vietnam

A History of Southeast Asia: Critical Crossroads presents a comprehensive history of Southeast Asia from our earliest knowledge of its civilizations and religious patterns up to the present day. Incorporates environmental, social, economic, and gender issues to tell a multi-dimensional story of Southeast Asian history from earliest times to the present Argues that while the region remains a highly diverse mix of religions, ethnicities, and political systems, it demands more attention for how it manages such diversity while being receptive to new ideas and technologies Demonstrates how Southeast Asia can offer alternatives to state-centric models of history more broadly 2016 PROSE Award Honorable Mention for Textbook in the Humanities

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world. It comprises more than 17,000 islands inhabited by 230 million people who speak over 300 different languages. Now the world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia remains extraordinarily heterogeneous due to the waves of immigration - Buddhist, Hindu, Arab, and European - that have defined the region's history.

The Indonesian Heritage Series is a ten-volume illustrated encyclopedia for general and student readers. Written by leading Indonesian and international experts, it covers natural sciences, geography, history and art themes. It is the first comprehensive encyclopedia to embrace the rich natural and cultural heritage of the entire Indonesian archipelago from Sumatra to Papua. One of the world's fastest-changing and most populous nations, Indonesia is home to a rich and resilient civilization, in a natural setting of astonishing diversity. 1. Ancient history -- 2. The human environment -- 3. Early modern history -- 4. Plants -- 5. Wildlife -- 6. Architecture -- 7. Visual art -- 8. Performing arts -- 9. Religion and ritual -- 10. Language and literature

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, encompassing nearly eighteen thousand islands. The fourth-most populous nation in the world, it has a larger Muslim population than any other. The Indonesia Reader is a unique introduction to this extraordinary country. Assembled for the traveler, student, and expert alike, the Reader includes more than 150 selections: journalists' articles, explorers' chronicles, photographs, poetry, stories, cartoons, drawings, letters, speeches, and more. Many pieces are by Indonesians; some are translated into English for the first time. All have introductions by the volume's editors. Well-known figures such as Indonesia's acclaimed novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer and the American anthropologist Clifford Geertz are featured alongside other artists and scholars, as well as politicians, revolutionaries, colonists, scientists, and activists. Organized chronologically, the volume addresses early Indonesian civilizations; contact with traders from India, China, and the Arab Middle East; and the European colonization of Indonesia, which culminated in centuries of Dutch rule. Selections offer insight into Japan's occupation (1942-45), the establishment of an independent Indonesia, and the post-independence era, from Sukarno's presidency (1945-67), through Suharto's dictatorial regime (1967-98), to the present Reformasi period. Themes of resistance and activism recur: in a book excerpt decrying the exploitation of Java's natural wealth by the Dutch; in the writing of Raden Ajeng Kartini (1879-1904), a Javanese princess considered the icon of Indonesian feminism; in a 1978 statement from East Timor objecting to annexation by Indonesia; and in an essay by the founder of Indonesia's first gay activist group. From fifth-century Sanskrit inscriptions in stone to selections related to the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 tsunami, The Indonesia Reader conveys the long history and the cultural, ethnic, and ecological diversity of this far-flung archipelago nation.

If history can offer a guide to the future, the turn of the century and the crossroads of reformasi presents a timely juncture for examining Indonesia's political, economic, and social history both to evaluate current events and to chart the country's course. Indonesia Today provides an up-to-date overview of economic and political developments in the country. The contributors explore events, processes, and themes in contemporary Indonesia including the evolution of political institutions and democracy, economic development and political economy, religious and social movements, political ideology, and the role of the armed forces. By holding a mirror to historical events, the authors add a rich dimension to our understanding of Indonesia and its problems, free from the exigencies of the present and the prejudices of the past. Contributions by: Greg Barton, Kelly Bird, Susan Blackburn, David Bourchier, Richard Chauvel, Robert Cribb, Howard Dick, Robert Elson, Pierre van der Eng, Greg Fealy, Wihana Kirana Jaya, Philip Kitley, John Legge, Tim Lindsey, Grayson J. Lloyd, Angus McIntyre, Marcus Mietzner, Goenawan Mohamad, M. C. Ricklefs, Shannon L. Smith, Atmadji Sumarkidjo, Adrian Vickers, and Thee Kian Wie"

This book is both an introduction to contemporary life in Javanese society and an analysis of the emerging Javanese-Indonesian culture.

In the first major work on Indonesian historiography to have appeared in any language, twenty-two outstanding scholars survey available source materials in Asia and Europe and discuss the current state of Indonesian historical scholarship, the approaches and methods that might be fruitful for future research, and the problems that confront Indonesian historians today

This late-nineteenth cnetury travel book has been described as a "seminal work", opening as it did to Western eyes the glories, curiosities and mysteries of Java, an island little known in the Western world at the period.

Muslims and Matriarchs is a history of an unusual, probably heretical, and ultimately resilient cultural system. The Minangkabau culture of West Sumatra, Indonesia, is well known as the world's largest matrilineal culture; Minangkabau people are also Muslim and famous for their piety. In this book, Jeffrey Hadler examines the changing ideas of home and family in Minangkabau from the late eighteenth century to the 1930s. Minangkabau has experienced a sustained and sometimes violent debate between Muslim reformists and preservers of indigenous culture. During a protracted and bloody civil war of the early nineteenth century, neo-Wahhabi reformists sought to replace the matriarchate with a society modeled on that of the Prophet Muhammad. In capitulating, the reformists formulated an uneasy truce that sought to find a balance between Islamic law and local custom. With the incorporation of highland West Sumatra into the Dutch empire in the aftermath of this war, the colonial state entered an ongoing conversation. These existing tensions between colonial ideas of progress, Islamic reformism, and local custom ultimately strengthened the matriarchate. The ferment generated by the trinity of oppositions created social conditions that account for the disproportionately large number of Minangkabau leaders in Indonesian politics across the twentieth century. The endurance of the matriarchate is testimony to the fortitude of local tradition, the unexpected flexibility of reformist Islam, and the ultimate weakness of colonialism. Muslims and Matriarchs is particularly timely in that it describes a society that experienced a neo-Wahhabi jihad and an extended period of Western occupation but remained intellectually and theologically flexible and diverse.

Indonesia's trajectory towards successful economic growth has been long and capricious. Studies of the process often focus either on the Netherlands Indies or independent Indonesia, suggesting the existence of fundamental discontinuities. The authors of the 17 essays in this book adopt a long-term perspective that transcends regimes and bridges dualist economic models in order to examine what did and did not change as the country moved across the colonial-postcolonial divide, and shifted from reliance on exports of primary products to a multi-centred economy. The aim is to analyse how economic development grew out of the interplay of foreign trade, new forms of entrepreneurship and the political economy.           The authors deal with entrepreneurship and economic specialization within different ethnic groups, the geographical distribution of exports and resource drains from exporting regions, and connections between an export economy and mass poverty. One recurring issue is the way actors from different ethnic groups occupied complementary niches, highlighting the rich variety of roles played by Asian entrepreneurs. A study of the international sugar trade shows how regime change fostered co-operation between different ethnic groups and nationalities involved with trading networks, inter-island shipping, urban public transport, and the construction sector.  A comparison of export earnings and population groups involved in trade before and after 1900 shows that unexpected agricultural and industrial transitions could underpin a fundamental shift in income growth, with improved living standards for broad sectors of the population.               

Unlike the European explorers, adventurers, colonizers and traders who preceded him, Charles Walter Kinloch ("Bengal Civilian") travelled through Penang, Singapore and Java in 1852 simply to recuperate from illness. As well as being one of the first tourists, he was also one of the first to write a book about his travels, providing an account of his experiences in South-East Asia.

This succinct work of history charts the growth of Indonesia, a remarkable nation of more than 6,000 inhabited islands. With lucid originality, the text incorporates more than 2 million years of history with depth and brevity—particularly focusing on Indonesia's development into a microcosm of a multi-ethnic modern world. Many current concerns are perceptively addressed, such as the legacy of European-Asian trade, Dutch colonialism, and the emergence of what has become the largest Muslim population in the world.

Cloves and nutmeg are indigenous to the Spice Islands of Eastern Indonesia. This intriguing book tells of the many uses of these exotic spices and the history of their trade over period of more than 2,000 years. The book describes how such aromatic spices influenced the battles, the politics, and the rise and fall of numerous commercial empires. It follows the Silk Road across Central Asia and the Spice Route over the Indian Ocean, and it shows how the spice trade into Europe came to be dominated by Middle Eastern and Venetian merchants. Backed by the Crowns of Portugal and Spain, explorers - such as Columbus, Vasco de Gama, and Magellan - dreamt of capturing this trade by sailing directly to the Spice Islands, driving the maritime exploration of the world known as "The Age of Discovery." Much of the story is told through the lives of these historical characters, as well as Sir Francis Drake, Jan Pieterzoon Coen, Pierre Poivre, and others who are lesser known but equally important. The story also revolves around the intense rivalry between the Sultans of Ternate and Tidore and their relationship with the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English, who at different times occupied the Spice Islands. The book follows the growth of the Dutch and English East India Companies - which were founded to profit from the spice trade - and their efforts to monopolize that trade. It finishes as the Dutch East India Company goes into bankruptcy and the once splendid Sultanates sink into obscurity.

Toraja is a place, but more importantly a people who have been shaped by location, and by selective absorption of and resistance to cultural forces from the Islamic lowlands. This ambitious, multifaceted study traces the history of Tana Toraja, from 1870 (40 years before the Dutch took control of the highlands) to the 1990s.