Colonial experience

The colonial history of Indonesia lasted for hundred years. (A) However, the establishment  of Jakarta, the capital of the Dutch East Indies, demonstrated the great impact that was brought by the colonization of the Dutch.  The colonial history of Jakarta  can be divided into 3 major periods. The 1^st period is that of the Dutch East Indian Company. After capturing the city, most of the activities initially concentrated around the company warehouses and the fort. The city, filled with canals, resembled a typical Dutch town. (B) The beginning of 2^nd period started in early 19 century; the Dutch was determined to extend the city to more areas in the South. Later on, the south of Jakarta became the seat of new colonial government. During the Napoleonic War, the British’s brief control over the city in 1815 brought the 2^nd period to the end. (C) The last period in colonial history concentrated primarily on modernizing the city and provoking the passion for Nationalism. Two national heroes, Diponegoro and Raden Ajeng Kartini were the leading figures in the 3^rd period of colonial history. (A) Diponegoro, who was the Javanese prince, fought against Dutch in war; however, the war resulted in 200,000 Javanese and 8,000 Europeans starving from lack of food and becoming sick from cholera. Dutch exiles him in 1830.  Raden Adjeng Kartini , who was daughter of a Javanese aristocrat, demonstrated that the power of female was not negligible. She attended the Dutch school and colonial rule impacted on her education. Her great concerns were not only about the matter of the liberation of women, but also about public social matters and problems. The wider movement fought for the equality of the law. In 1900s, powerful letters were published and created a stir in the foreign community. Furthermore, the colonial experience left a great impact on every aspect of society in Indonesia. During the early 19^th century, while Dutch’s rule was being restored, the Netherlands government commenced with a “culture system” on Java that changed the life of the local people. The administration no longer ordered the local people to grow a certain amount of crops as tax to the government ; as an alternative, through following the direction of the government, the local people started to grow crops for export and provided a share of their land and labor. (C) This alternation not only affected people’s daily life, but also strengthened the educational system in Indonesia. Before the 3^rd period of the colonial history, 90% of the Indonesians were not educated; nevertheless, in the 1920s,  colleges started to open and to send the Indonesians to Holland to provide an opportunity to educate them; therefore, indonesians learned to agitate for freedom. In 1927, Indonesia National Party under Sukarno arrested and the demand for independence, “One people, one language, One nation”.  (A) Ultimately, the arrival of Japanese in WWII forced the colonial era to cease.