Influence Of The Chinese In Indonesian History: From Majapahit To Dutch Colonialism

Photo illustration of Chinese influence in Indonesian history: From Majapahit to Dutch colonialism (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The influence of Chinese ethnicity in Indonesian history is quite large. Especially about trade. Various literacies explain the Chinese presence even before the heyday of the Majapahit Kingdom.

It is noted that the relationship between ethnic Chinese and the upper classes of the Majapahit Empire stems from their liking for luxury goods created by China. As a result, this momentum was used as best as possible by the Chinese to come to trade in the archipelago by bringing goods such as silk, porcelain, and sampang or varnish.

As revealed by the British historian, Pater Carey in the book Orang Cina, Bandar Tol, Opium, & the Java War (2008). He explained, Chinese people who initially only traded trinkets from the Bamboo Curtain country, have recently started to feel at home. Some of them even settled.

"At the peak of the Hindu-Buddhist kingdom, some of the small employees (toll gate guards), boat crews, and traders along the Brantas River seemed to be people of Chinese descent."

In fact, not a few of them stayed and married the local population while slowly embracing Islam. Not surprisingly, religious equality has made them swing in cooperative relations in the trade sector.

For this reason, during the following centuries, the Chinese continued to play a very important role in economic and social life in the interior of the Javanese kingdoms. Later, through their labors in trading, in the 17th century the Mataram Kingdom received a source of annual income from the trading activities of the Chinese, which they were good at trading rice and teak wood.

"In fact, the Javanese rulers need Chinese people with all their activities in the trade sector. This need for their role is reflected in the special administrative and legal positions given to them. "

Thus, in each of the main port cities and trading cities located on the banks of the river, a special syahbandar - a toll and customs authority - was designated for the Chinese merchant community. In line with that, the Mataram Kingdom also felt the need to enact laws through traditional Javanese law in order to protect Chinese people.

On that basis, there was a double fine, aka blood money, for anyone caught killing a Chinese. Uniquely, the fine turned out to be much greater than if someone was caught killing a Javanese.

The Netherlands is smitten

Photo illustration of Chinese influence in Indonesian history: From Majapahit to Dutch colonialism (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Seeing the shrewdness of the Chinese in trading, the Dutch VOC trading partnership was attracted. Exactly, after taking over Jayakarta and turning it into Batavia in 1619. The Governor-General of the VOC who had served twice (1619-1623 and 1627-1629) Jan Pieterszoon Coen, openly praised the Chinese and made them trade partners.

In his book Nusantara (1961), Bernard HM Vlekke revealed that Chinese for Coen were an ethnic group who liked to work hard and did not like war. Therefore, from the beginning the Chinese became an important part of the Batavian population.

They were so attracted, the Dutch tried to seduce all Chinese merchants in Banten to move to Batavia. However, this effort was strongly opposed by the Sultan of Banten, who understood that if the Chinese left, trade in Banten would disappear.

“In the first year of Batavia's existence, there were eight hundred Chinese settlers and ten years later their number had increased to two thousand. They worked as traders and visited ports and small islands in the Indonesian archipelago which were not too important to be visited by Company ships. "

In addition, the Chinese in Batavia worked as fishermen, tailors, masons and carpenters. "So, it is not an exaggeration to say that Batavia would not have been possible without the Chinese," he added.

Interestingly, in bringing Chinese people to Batavia, Coen also legalized various methods. From starting to seduce Chinese people to move to Batavia with the frill promises of toll and excise fee exemption until October 1, 1620.

In fact, giving direct orders to the head of the representative office in Japan, Jacques Specx in order to encourage as much migration of Chinese people as possible to the country which was nicknamed the Queen of East Batavia.

“… If necessary, use Company transport ships. If they were not willing to travel to the Indies, he should try to employ them to the Company on probation, ”Johannes Theodorus Vermeulen said in the Chinese book in Batavia and Huru Hara 1740 (1938).

Not only that, Coen also ordered company officials to treat Chinese traders well in neutral places, such as Pattani, Siam (Thailand), Singapore. If necessary, traders are persuaded by providing free transportation on a large scale.

All this was done by the colonial government with one main objective, namely to get the maximum profit. "Through these Chinese traders the Company would obtain very profitable Chinese goods to sell in Europe as well as increase tax revenue in Batavia."

On the other hand, Chinese people also felt the benefits. They became free to carry high value Chinese silk and porcelain, via junks (ships) that left for Batavia. So, it can be ascertained that the relationship between the two parties presents a complete symbiosis of mutualism.

Under these conditions, the Chinese felt at home in Batavia. Historian Ong Hok Ham in his writing in Tempo Magazine entitled The Establishment of Capitalism among Chinese Peranakans in Java (1978), revealed that the influence of the Chinese in presenting economic benefits made them have a strong political position in Batavia.

“Since about the mid-18th century the Chinese peranakan community stabilized itself. They really are a separate society. They were no longer bothered by the desire to return to China. Also they don't mix with newcomers. Peranakan Chinese developed Chinese-Javanese-Dutch style and culture, ”concluded Ong Hok Ham.