Overview: The Growth of Indonesian Nationalism
What was happening in Indonesia around 1900?By 1900 the Dutch had began to secure their grip on the outer islands of Indonesia. These new conquests would change the economic structure of Indonesia, and mean that Java would become far less economically important to the colonial administration at the same time as its population exploded. It was during the early 20th Century that Indonesian nationalism began to develop. We will look at three broad groupings of early Indonesian nationalism: Elite movements; Islamic movements, and the growth of left wing parties, including the birth of the Indonesian communist party.
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Tasks and Questions
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How had Indonesia changed by the turn of the century?
Demographically, the population of Indonesia was expanding rapidly, and Java in particular was beginning to become overcrowded. In response, the colonial government began to encourage people to settle in the outer islands, a policy which would reappear later with mixed success in post independence Indonesia.
What was the colonial response to these changes?
The colonial administration came under pressure to do more to develop Indonesia economically to improve living conditions and the Ethical Policy was born. This policy attempted to promote the welfare of the people, but in reality, commercial interests normally came first.
Was the ethical policy successful?
Ultimately the ethical policy failed to achieve much impact in improving living conditions for the majority of people. In part this was due to the pressures of population growth on Java, but the policy did help create a small educated elite (even if this was unintended) who would go onto lead later Indonesian nationalist movements. You can read more about the Ethical Policy here.
How did global events impact Indonesia in the early 20th Century?
The world was in many ways an exceptionally globalised one at the turn of the century. This would be reflected in Indonesia as global events and movements including calls for Islamic modernisation, the First World War, and the Russian Revolution. These would impact Indonesia, often with dramatic consequences. The spread of Communism and other left wing ideologies to Indonesia was undoubtedly one of the most significant of these.
How did Indonesian nationalism develop?
Indonesian nationalism developed along three broad areas. The first of these, was the growth of nationalist sentiment amongst elite groups. The second was Islamic movements led by a modernist movement. The third was the rise of left wing groups, most notably the spread of Communism in Indonesia. Follow the links to examine each of these in more detail.