Poison For Employers: The Power Of Revenge Slaves In The Colonial Age

The massive slave trade was carried out in the early phase of Dutch colonialism. The presence of slaves is like cheap labor. In simple language: all-round slave. Once purchased, the owner can ruthlessly exploit slave labor at will. This position made slaves – male or female – vulnerable to torture. Often out of bounds. The slave's anger peaked. They chose to rebel. Revenge perpetuated. Because poisoning the employer is the best way to avenge his torment.

The image of Batavia as a slave market has been well known since the early phase of Dutch colonialism in the archipelago. The lack of manpower in Batavia was the reason. He chose the option of bringing in slaves from outside and within the country.

Sure enough, slavery was able to help the development of the Dutch trading airline VOC. Especially in building the city of Batavia and expanding its power. Therefore, the citizens of Batavia (Europeans, Chinese, and Arabs) considered the comfort of life absolutely necessary for the "flame" of slavery. Slaves were hunted by all the citizens of Batavia. The slave auction was also the most friendly event for potential employers to visit.

The visit was made to get quality slaves, they thought. Because, they can choose slaves according to their respective criteria. Male slaves are usually seen from their abilities and skills at work.

While female slaves are usually glimpsed from their looks, voice, and ability to do housework. On the other hand, the price and background of slaves is also one of the considerations for buying slaves. All of that for the sake of finding reliable slaves for a variety of jobs.

“Slaves were employed as carpenters, garden workers, in shipyards, in warehouses or in households. There are those who are required to sell agricultural products or prostitution, so that the owner gets a fortune. Thus, for example, Chr. Frick bought a young woman for 18 rijksdaaleder from Bali, whom he then hired for two silvers a day (1683).”

“A slave who is profitably used as a housemaid or as an accomplice to an employer to display his wealth. Others are rented out to earn income, for example to work on Onrust Island or on plantations outside the city,” said Adolf Heuken SJ, an important figure in the writing of the history of Jakarta in his book Places of History in Jakarta (2016).

The ability to buy it made the slave owner feel superior. His slaves were treated inhumanely. Their work is hard. They are often forced to work day and night to support their employers.

The masters did not really think about the health of the slaves. If the slave died, the master would consider him lonely. They just came to the auction market, then bought a new slave. after that the problem is solved.

The mistreatment of employers continues. They often tortured their slaves cruelly. In fact, just because of a small problem. This behavior was also supported by the rules made by the Company. Which, the rule states that if slaves are difficult to control, then torture of slaves is legalized. Therefore, the rule triggers the arbitrariness of the master to the slave. They are often given cruel and heinous punishments. Dirattan, chained, branded hot iron, until doused with hot water. If they were unable to punish, the masters could hire someone else to control the slaves.

“If men are the cause of the slaves' suicide, then the masters are even more cruel by taking pleasure in killing the slaves themselves and delighting their eyes with such a gruesome spectacle. A Dutch woman, who caught one of her slave girls having fun with a man who worked in her house, dragged the slave and forcibly stuffed him into a martavane (martaban), a type of crock, a large lacquered earthenware container that was slightly larger in size. than our ancient measure."

“The belly of the jar is big but the mouth is very narrow and tapers towards the bottom. In such a place water can be stored without ever having a bad smell or fleas. After the poor slave was put into the martaban with great difficulty, the master dripped boiling water little by little over his head until the container was hot and his body was hot, then he died from sleep, "explained Jean Baptiste Tavernier as written by Bernard Dorleans in the book Orang Indonesia. & the French (2006).

Revenge

The mistreatment and high death rate of slaves obviously meant nothing to their masters. But not for the slave himself. The cruelty and torment he got was so imprinted. Some slaves who could not stand the torture chose to run away.

But those who are already burning with anger actually have a rebellion. They tried to fight back because they were already hurt. The most popular means of resistance chosen by slaves was to poison their masters.

The popularity of how to kill employers with poison is not without reason. The ease with which the slaves had access to poison – in small or large quantities – was the origin. After all, almost every Chinese stall that sells in Batavia at least sells various types of poison.

The seller is not too concerned or skeptical about the intended purpose of the poison being purchased. The only thing they thought about was profit. The poisons were then stored by the slaves while waiting for the right moment.

“Poisoning a male or female employer is often preceded by various ceremonies involving witchcraft, as revealed from a series of court proceedings in witchcraft cases in 1638-1639. Attempted poisoning is always sentenced to death by courts. Maria van Macassar, Margareta van de Cust's slave girl was sentenced to death by strangulation at the stake in 1674, she was accused of carrying out a series of witchcraft as well as poisoning her employer's son-in-law, Jan Slecht."

“In 1681, the prosecutor of the city of Casembroot showed the court two pieces of arsenic found in the slave girl Hester van Malabar. This slave admitted to poisoning his former master, Miss Reiniers. He also admitted that he refined the poison into powder with the intention of adding it to the drinking water of Dirck Heckman and his wife,” said historian Hendrik E. Niemeijer in the book Batavia of the Colonial Society of the XVII Century (2012).

The number of cases of employers dying due to poisoning made the VOC move quickly. They restricted the sale of poison in Batavia. Shops that can sell poison are only shops that are licensed by the VOC. The buyers are also limited. And that's for those whose names are already registered.

However, restrictions on the sale of poison were ineffective. The high profits from selling poison actually trigger the emergence of illegal poison traders. Moreover, the VOC, as in the past, was never serious in taking action.

The high rate of purchasing poison also increased due to the slave-master love affair. The relationship is described in three types: between fellow slaves, between male masters and female slaves, and between female masters and male slaves. The latter special is rare.

Love is like a forbidden relationship. But, quite emotional. Especially when the employer begins to get the heart of fellow free citizens. The slaves who were burned by the fire of jealousy immediately acted darkly by poisoning both, or one of them.

“A female slave who is in love with a male master is threatened with serious suffering, because her female master is naturally jealous and angry. However, according to a British officer, Major William Thorn, there was also a time when a female slave poisoned her male employer because she was dumped by her ex-lover,” wrote the book Ketoprak Betawi (2001).

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