The Development of Indonesian Nationalism amongst Elite Groups
What was the first Indonesian nationalist movement?
In May 1908 the Budi Utomo organisation was born. It grew quickly and by July had 650 members. It did end up with around 10,000 members but was never a political organisation as much as a Javanese cultural and educational one.
Why did it have limited appeal?
Budi Utomo did not have broad support amongst social groups especially lower social classes, so was mainly an elite movement. It was never a truly national movement, and aimed at elite Javanese groups.
Why is it significant?
The formation of Budi Utomo is seen as significant as the starting point for the process of Indonesian National Awakening which would lead to independence. However, as you'll see from the quote below this role has been disputed. This kind of disagreement is what makes historical study interesting.
Source A: Indonesian Left Wing Writer Pramoedya Toer
"It is still taught in Indonesia today that the awakening of nationality occurred with Budi Utomo, a social and cultural group formed by the placid Javanese in 1908. That is not true, however. Budi Utomo is not an organization typical of Indonesia. It was an organization based on Javanese culture. It made no reference to Indonesia at all. The pioneer of national awakening was Tirto Adisuryo, hailed as the father of Indonesian journalism later. He was a Javanese who began to use the Melayu language as the common language for Indonesians to communicate among themselves, while Budi Utomo used the Javanese language exclusively. Tirto Adisuryo ultimately failed, but he formed the Priyayi organization. In 1909, he also organized the Sarekat Dagang Isram, which was the forerunner of the Islamic Society formed in 1912. Therefore, I wrote to correct the official version of history that claims Budi Utomo was the pioneer of Indonesian nationalism. This official history was based on the consensus view of Dutch politicians and it mentioned Budi Utomo was the one. It was not in Budi Utomo's character to resist colonialism. Tirto Adisuryo's Islamic Society was completely different."
Tasks and Questions
- What argument does Pramoedya make about the birth of Indonesian nationalism?
- What evidence does he base his argument on?
- How does his view differ from the standard view?
- If you were going to assess the strength of his argument, how would you go about doing it?
- What does this source tell you about historical interpretations?