High Hajj Costs In The Dutch East Indies Period: Prosperous Fields Search For Additional Revenue

A pilgrim from the Dutch East Indies who was at the Dutch consulate in Jeddah around 1884. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The pilgrimage to Makkah is not new in the archipelago. The worship even lasted during the Dutch colonial period. Even though the implementation of the fifth Islamic Rukun is limited to those who can afford it. All because of the pilgrimage, it brings many benefits. From religious knowledge to social status.

The Dutch did not remain silent. Instead of only seeing the pilgrimage as the estuary of the rebellion, the colonial government actually looked at the potential for great profits from the pilgrimage. The power of attorney was also involved in regulating the pilgrimage.

The spread of Islam is quite massive in the archipelago. Islam, which used to have a status as an import religion, managed to become the majority religion. This achievement made religious schools - including pesantren - appear everywhere in the 19th century.

The popularity of Islam has increased over time. Moreover, the bumiputras prefer to deepen religious knowledge rather than to study science at Dutch schools. This assumption has decreased, which is agreed by the Muslims of the archipelago.

The presence of religious education makes Muslims enthusiastic about carrying out religious orders. They even want to carry out religious orders in the fifth Islamic Rukun: go on a pilgrimage to Mecca if you can afford it. Savings is the main teachings of the bumiputras.

This step was perpetuated in the hope that one day the money will be sufficient, they will go on a pilgrimage. Because, the pilgrimage has many benefits. From studying religious knowledge to increasing social status in society. Alias, they get a special position in the community.

The flow of students from the Indies to Haramain (Makkah and Medina) has been going on since at least 1500's and continues to increase in line with the recall of the number of people who went on pilgrimage. For the people of Java (all people belonging to the Malay race) at that time, going on a pilgrimage to Mecca was not only intended to visit the Holy City and sacred buildings.

But what is more important is to improve their practices and religious knowledge. As the Dutch East Indies Bumiputra Affairs Advisor, Snouck Hurgronje, an older Javanese, who have lived here for life or for several years, intends to devote the rest of their lives to carrying out religious worship in the holy land, while younger people devote themselves to studying religion, "said Yudi Latif, in the book Intelligence Geology (2013).

The movement of Muslims from the archipelago was initially ignored by the Dutch. The owner of the power also did not want to regulate too much regarding the life of the native people. The Dutch felt the risk was very large. It is possible that the existence of the Dutch colonial government was disrupted.

In fact, worship on the pilgrimage brought a big risk to the Dutch. Muslims who returned home from pilgrimage not only brought religious knowledge, but also understood imports. Pan Islamism, his name. This understanding focuses on that Muslims should not be colonized by the Dutch who are actually Christians.

The rebellion that was inflamed by scholars who had just returned from Hajj appeared everywhere. The move was so troublesome for the Dutch elite in the 19th century. The owner of power lost time and money. The Dutch are self-aware. They began to evaluate that the bumiputras could not be challenged to pilgrimage openly.

The Dutch were involved in the strategy. They began to regulate all kinds of conditions for Hajj. The effort was made because they saw the extraordinary enthusiasm of Muslims in the archipelago to perform the pilgrimage. The Dutch believe the pilgrimage can bring great benefits.

As an invitation, the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies began to directly handle the pilgrimage process. From departure to repatriation to the Dutch East Indies (now: Indonesia). This effort made the Dutch East Indies colonial government get a bigger share.

The Netherlands also did not charge the cost of Hajj. They try to increase the cost of Hajj with a large amount of additional travel costs. The option makes the flames of the rebellion less. Because, those who go to Makkah are limited to the rich and very rich.

The same thing experienced by Hajj, which is equally seen as potentially subversion, until Snouck Hurgronje fought for a smarter approach in the early 20th century. A regulation that applies between 1825 and 1852 aims to hinder the pilgrimage by setting a very large fee, namely 110 guilders, for hajj passports only.

"The new obstacles in 1859 required that every prospective hajj candidate obtain a certificate from his regent stating that he was able to finance round-trip Hajj trips and leave provisions for the lives of his wife's children at home. Hajj and scholars are the parties who are first suspected of having anti-European movements. So there is a vicious circle of tension between the government and religious leaders," said Anthony Reid in the book Towards Sumatra History: Between Indonesia and the World (2011).