Strangling Taxes In The Dutch Colonial Period Often Triggered War

JAKARTA - The spice trade monopoly strategy made the Dutch colonialists rich. The existence of Dutch power also lasted a long time because of it. However, trade gains had little effect on the growth of the colony. In Batavia, for example. The Dutch built Batavia precisely from taxes. Ethnic Chinese, then the natives became their taxpayers. All their activities are subject to stifling taxes. From land to building taxes. As a result, the seeds of rebellion emerged.

The ambition of the Dutch trading airline VOC to dominate the archipelago is final. All power and efforts were mobilized to realize the dream of monopolizing the spice trade in the archipelago. The Company also moved quickly to conquer Jayakarta. The battle was won by the VOC. As a celebration of victory, on the ruins of Jayakarta the Company built Batavia in 1619.

The city was considered in accordance with the Dutch ideals of presenting a colony in the archipelago. The development of Batavia was carefully discussed. But far away from the fire. The development did not go smoothly. The central executive of the VOC Heeren Zeventien was reluctant to spend a lot of money to build Batavia. VOC so turning the brain.

The Governor-General of the VOC who had served twice (1619-1623 and 1627-1629) Jan Pieterszoon Coen immediately took charge of the situation. He wanted the city of Batavia, which incidentally was the center of the VOC administration in the archipelago, to be built to resemble the cities in the Netherlands. He also had the idea of bringing in Chinese on a large scale. Pun Coen provides them with a variety of privileges.

Coen's idea actually worked. The Chinese became the driving force of the economy in Batavia. They do all the essential work. From carpenters to merchants. In exchange, the Company gladly collected taxes from the Chinese. The tax allowed the VOC to build the city of Batavia majestically, until Batavia was dubbed by foreign tourists as the Queen of the East.

"Compared to other residents of Batavia, the Chinese paid five times as much tax to build a city fort wall, and three times as much to pay taxes to build a city hall (stadhuis)," said Windoro Adi in the book Batavia 1740: Sisisir Jejak Betawi (2013). ).

Perhaps when compared to the natives, ethnic Chinese are given a lot of privileges. But the tax issue is another matter. The Company does not discriminate regarding incoming money. Ethnic Chinese became citizens of Batavia who paid the most taxes. Routine fees from the Chinese were also the main ammunition for Batavia to beautify itself.

Moreover, the total types of taxes they pay are too many. From gambling taxes, hog slaughter taxes, spectacle, prostitution, tobacco, to head taxes. Those who became tax collectors were given the title by the VOC as Kapitan China. The Chinese captain was assisted by Chinese officers to collect taxes.

“Unlike Souw Beng Kong, Phoa Beng Gan is not a skilled and rich merchant. Therefore, to help with his finances, the Dutch government gave Phoa Beng Gan the right to collect a head tax which at that time was called 'surat konde.' Chinese people aged 16 and over have to pay a head tax or a conduit letter.”

“This head tax is called a konde because the Chinese at that time had long hair, then they rolled it into a bun. The head tax is 0.25 guilders per month, but if paid annually it becomes 2.50 guilders. Many Chinese people objected and did not want to pay the tax, but those who disobeyed were eventually prosecuted in court and sentenced to eight days in prison or a fine of 25 guilders,” concluded Benny G. Setiono in the Chinese book in Pusaran Politik (2008).

After the VOC collapsed and was replaced by the Dutch East Indies colonial government, the subject of taxpayers was not only a "monopoly" of ethnic Chinese. The Bumiputra began to be looked at as a new source of income. The natives began to be taxed. Land tax is one of them.

Like ethnic Chinese, the natives were also restless with the Dutch, who arbitrarily raised taxes at will. aka tax suffocating. This condition is exacerbated by the presence of punishments for the natives who fail to pay taxes. Many Bumiputras also chose to fight. The Banten Peasants' Revolt (1888), the Belasting War in Minangkabau (1908), to the Entong Fat struggle (1916) were some of them.

“During the Bealnda colonization, the tax levies that were felt were so heavy that it caused a stir that was often seen among farmers and the people. Villages, hamlets, clans, and other units, which used to be autonomous or had very little interference from the government, are now under threat of independence because of tax levies.”

“As a result, peasant rebellions arise, the Ratu Fair movement, tax revolts such as in Java and Sumatra and others. In Minangkabau, the suppression of such rebellions, among other things, raised the political awareness and nationalism of one of the proclaimers of Indonesia, namely Mohammad Hatta," concluded historian Ong Hok Ham in his book Dari Problem Priayi to Nyi Blorong (2002).