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The Republic of Indonesia was only created after World War II but the history of Indonesia stretches back much, much further. Now the largest archipelago state in the world, the series of over 17,000 islands in southeast Asia that make up Indonesia have seen a lot of change over the centuries.

padar island indonesia
The incredible natural landscape of the different parts of Indonesia, like Padar Island here, are just one of the reasons to visit

Understanding Indonesian history is crucial for anyone thinking of traveling here, so if that’s you, here’s our introductory guide:

Indonesia’s Ancient Origins

In prehistoric times most of what is now islands was connected to mainland Asia, allowing early humans to find their way to these lands. Evidence of this ancient human settlement was discovered in the 1890’s, when human fossils were found in Java by a Dutch scientist. Subsequently shown to be a Homo Erectus, the skull cap, tooth and thigh bone became known as the Java Man and proved to be one of the key findings in understanding the evolution to modern humans, Homo Sapiens.

The Java Man fossils have been dated to be between 700,000 to 1.49 million years old but they weren’t an isolated find. Other incredibly ancient fossils and evidence of extremely early tools show that the Indonesian archipelago was home to plenty of people. Some of the very earliest paintings anywhere in the world have been found in Indonesian caves, from over 40,000 years ago!

Despite the extensive prehistoric it was after sea levels rose at the end of the last Ice Age that the Indonesia we know today was created. The connections to the mainland were submerged and the Indonesian islands were what was left above the water. Modern humans settled all over the archipelago, marking a major development in Indonesian history.

Early Indonesian Kingdoms

Over the centuries people across the different islands of Indonesia took advantage of the ideal growing conditions for rice, creating large paddy fields wherever there was space. The increased availability of food and ability to trade goods led to the creation of a series of small kingdoms, each with their own beliefs, way of life and even language.

It was not until the arrival of Hinduism and Buddhism that this began to change. Brought by Indian missionaries and emissaries, the religious teachings resonated with indigenous beliefs and were widely adopted across the Indonesian archipelago.

With increased communication, trade and a shared belief system, the small kingdoms started to evolve into something larger and more powerful. In the 4th century the kingdom of Tarumanagara was established in western Java, with its kings associating themselves with the Hindu god Vishnu. Closely followed by the Kalingga kingdom in central Java and then the Mataram kingdom in east Java slightly later, the archeological evidence of these early kingdoms show how wealthy and influential they were.

The earliest known inscription on the island of Java is dedicated to a 5th century king of Tarumanagara, Kalingga had close links with China and features in records from the Tang dynasty and there are multiple temples and ruins from the Mataram period. In fact, the 8th century Mataram temple of Borobudur is still the largest Buddhist temple in the world!

history of indonesia Borobudur buddhist temple
The huge Borobudur temple is testament to the wealth and power of the early Indonesian kingdoms

Srivijaya and Majapahit

All of these kingdoms were eclipsed however by the emergence of the Srivijaya kingdom in the 7th century on Sumatra and the Majapahit kingdom in eastern Java in the 13th century. These kingdoms were based on their naval power, controlling trade all over the western waters of southeast Asia. They had lucrative agreements with China, India and even the new Islamic Caliphate that had emerged in the Middle East and controlled large areas of what is today Indonesia.

Both kingdoms fell in large part due to foreign interference, with repeated raids and the loss of their valuable trade contracts, but they left behind a sense of identity that had not previously existed here on a large scale.

The spread of Islam

These were the last major Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia. Islam had slowly been spreading across the archipelago, brought by Muslim traders, but by the 15th century it had become the dominant religion on the powerful islands of Java and Sumatra.

history of indonesia Tasikmalaya mosque in west java
Stunning mosques like this one at Tasikmalaya in West Java have their origins in the widespread conversions to Islam in the history of Indonesia

This shift in religious practices did not create one state, but a series of shifting alliances and powerful royal families, particularly on Java. Originally subject to the influence of the Sultanate of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula, this was taken over by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The Islamic powers in Indonesia then became the central hub for trade from the Middle East and other Islamic countries, bringing in incredible wealth.

These riches drew the attention of the colonial powers vying for control of these eastern lands, which would drastically shape the future of Indonesian history.

Colonial Indonesia

Technological advancements and political changes in western Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries led to a major shift in Asia. First Portugal, then the Netherlands and British found their way to Indonesia, seeking to establish direct sources of the valuable spices and other goods that originated here.

nutmeg tree fruit
The native nutmeg trees that grow in Indonesia were one of the main reasons Colonial powers were interested in controlling trade here

In the early 1500’s the Portuguese started the colonial period in Indonesia, establishing various trading posts and introducing Christianity. The early history of colonialism in Indonesia was relatively peaceful, but the Portuguese chose to focus on other places in Asia and South America. This created an opportunity that the Dutch quickly took advantage of.

The Dutch East India Company

In 1602 the Dutch government created the United East India Company to bring together a series of different merchant companies seeking to establish spice trade routes in the East Indies. These traders were given a monopoly for 21 years in Asian trade and given a huge amount of power. The new company could start wars, put people in prison or even execute them, agree to treaties and mint money, all in the name of the Dutch government.

Primarily based in Java, the Dutch East India Company became the de facto Indonesian colonial power by the mid 1600’s. Granted an agreement that only the Dutch could trade in and around the Indonesian archipelago, they took full advantage and enforced their rule over the locals wherever possible.

Dutch colonial rule was harsh. They had cannons and guns and expanded the indigenous slavery system which came with tough conditions for the people caught up in it. They also played local factions off against each other for their own benefit, and used their Indonesian base to expand their influence to other parts of Asia.

jakarta history museum
Established by the Dutch, the city of Batavia would later become the modern capital of Jakarta – you can learn more about this in the Jakarta History Museum, which was previously the Batavia City Hall

The Dutch East Indies

The mercenary attitude of the Dutch East India Company did not inspire good management. Smugglers were a constant problem, there was widespread corruption and the constant push for more territory was costing the company huge amounts of money. In 1800 the company was bankrupt, and the Dutch government nationalized all its Indonesian holdings, creating the Dutch East Indies.

This change coincided with an invasion by the British, who had been competing with the Netherlands for power in Asia for some time. The British captured Java from the Dutch forces in 1811 and immediately set about calming tensions in central Java, as well as trying to reform the organization of land on the islands. These efforts ended prematurely when Indonesia was returned to the Dutch as part of an Anglo-Dutch treaty in 1814.

The Netherlands East Indies would exist until the Japanese invaded in 1942, but they had to deal with multiple revolts from local people. On the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Aceh uprisings were dealt with harshly – the new state was no less aggressive than the Dutch East India Company.

A series of land reforms and a new caste system generated huge profits for the Netherlands but took a terrible toll on the local people. Famine and widespread disease was common, as well as violent punishments for workers who failed to please their masters. This led to widespread opposition to foreign rule, with the first Indonesian independence movement being established in 1908, a stepping stone to today’s Republic of Indonesia.

The Creation of Modern Indonesia

The Indonesian nationalist movement was a huge threat to Dutch rule, so they immediately tried to shut it down. Nationalist activity increased after World War I, and in response the Dutch made multiple arrests, banned people getting together and the sharing of what they saw as subversive publications.

The ongoing unrest was interrupted by World War II and the invasion by the Japanese in 1942. Japan had been interested in Indonesia since the 1920’s, as part of their vision to have Asia be controlled by Asians, not Europeans. They had been quietly supporting people fighting for independence and so when they swept into the Indonesian archipelago, the locals initially welcomed the Japanese.

However in large parts of Indonesia the Japanese treated the locals and Europeans equally badly. Forced labor was common, as well as the use of prisoner-of-war camps, but despite this, prominent members of the nationalist movement were discussing terms with the Japanese. Japan had started the process of giving Indonesia independence, so when they surrendered and ended the war, the Indonesians took the opportunity to declare themselves an independent nation.

This did not go down well with the Dutch, who wanted to resume their rule after the war even though they had largely abandoned the people to the Japanese. Five years of conflict finally ended in 1950 when the Netherlands accepted an independent Indonesia and the Republic of Indonesia was established.

indonesia independence day red and white decorations on street
On August 17 every year, Indonesia celebrates the original declaration of independence in 1945 with red and white decorations everywhere

Indonesia Today

Becoming independent did not lead to stability for Indonesia. The first president, Sukarno, made a number of changes to the republic’s constitution, including abolishing the elected parliament and taking control of East Timor, and he saw a major economic downturn during his rule.

In 1965 there was a failed coup, which was blamed on the Indonesian Communist party, the PKI. In the aftermath there was a large anti-communist movement and President Sukarno was forced out of power. Army General Suharto took over as leader in 1968 and created a ‘New Order’, focusing on improving the economy. He ruled until 1998 when a series of crises caused widespread dissatisfaction, leading to his resignation.

Since then, democratic elections have been reinstated for the presidential position as well as Indonesia’s General Assembly and the Indonesian government recognized East Timor’s independence in 2002, after a long struggle for self-rule. Indonesia is today the fourth most-populous country in the world and even with its volatile political history, has always been able to hold on to its identity.

bali temples on water with mountains behind
All over Indonesia you can immerse yourself in the local culture and learn more about their long history

From the ancient Hindu kingdom of Tarumanagara to the modern republic, the history of Indonesia is fascinating. On our adventures to this diverse archipelago we love seeing the juxtaposition between the distant past and what Indonesia has become, and can’t wait to share this experience with you – check out our special tour itinerary here to see what we’ve selected for our guests.

 

AWS Staff

This post was published by the Adventures with Sarah team. Click here to find out more about the people that make everything at AWS happen.

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