Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-15T01:12:52.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

E. F. E. Douwes Dekker: Evangelist for Indonesian Political Nationalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

Paul W. van der Veur
Get access

Extract

The dormant political atmosphere, so long characteristic of the colonial society of the Indies, was undergoing an almost imperceptible change at the dawn of the twentieth century. Apart from the official adoption of the “Ethical Policy”—the moral assumption by the Netherlands of a concern for “native” welfare—ripples indicative of a new consciousness were occurring within the indigenous society. A movement for female education and emancipation was instigated by Raden Adjeng Kartini, daughter of the Regent of Djapara. A socio-cultural organization of Javanese intellectuals named Boedi Oetomo (Splendid Endeavor) was founded in May 1908. The Sarekat Islam (United Islam), initially concerned with economic matters, had by 1912 begun to stress religious principles and was soon to gain a mass following under Hadji O. S. Tjokroaminoto. The Eurasian E. F. E. Douwes Dekker, through agitation and the establishment of a real independence party, the Indische Partij (Party of the Indies), was the first to make a major contribution in the field of political nationalism.

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , August 1958 , pp. 551 - 566
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1958

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

The author is Assistant Professor of Government at the University of Hawaii.

1 Although in English literature often referred to as Dekker, the family name is Douwes Dekker. For a general description of E. F. E. Douwes Dekker's life see 70 Jaar Konsekwent (Bandung, n. d.), passim; Koch, D. M. G., Om de Vrijheid: De Nalionalistische Beweging in Indonesië (Djakarta, 1950), pp. 30–43Google Scholar; Koch, D. M. G., “Dr. E. F. E. Douwes Dekker,” Orientatie, No. 34 (July 1950), pp. 56–64Google Scholar.

The writer wishes to express his particular appreciation to the Royal Library and the Library of the Netherlands Ministry for Overseas Affairs in The Hague for the use of their material. The Ministry for Overseas Affairs also permitted the use of its archives and generously granted permission to quote relevant passages.

2 “Hoe kan Holland het spoedigst zijn kolonien verliezen?” Nieuwe Arnhemsche Courant, May 1908 (reprint).Google Scholar

3 See the unpubl. diss. (Cornell, 1954) by Robert van Niel, “Development of the Indonesian Elite in the Early Twentieth Century,” pp. 104–106.

4 Ki Hadjar Dewantoro, “Dr. D. D. Setiabuddhy berusia 70 tahun,” Merdeka, Oct. 8, 1949Google Scholar.

5 Djajadiningrat, Achmad, Herinneringen van Pangeran Aria Achmad Djajadiningrat (Amsterdam-Batavia, 1936), p. 272Google Scholar. Note the strongly sectional approach. See also Supardi, Imam, Dr. Soetomo: Riwajat hidup dan perdjuangannja (Djakarta-Amsterdam, 1951), pp. 26–27Google Scholar.

6 It is difficult to establish one particular date as the beginning of such a comprehensive development, and a good case can be made for putting the actual rise of nationalism at a later date and the national awakening in an earlier period. See Van Niel, p. 113.

The author uses the term “Indonesian” throughout the article in its ethnic meaning. The term “indigenous inhabitants” or “native inhabitants” has been maintained occasionally where such was deemed appropriate in quotations from prewar sources.

7 Van Niel, pp. 119–120.

8 Further confirmation of Douwes Dekker's contribution to the founding of Boedi Oetomo is given by Soerjaningrat's, Soewardi “Het Javaansch Nationalisme in de Indische Beweging,“ in Soembangsih: Gedenkboek Boedi Oetomo 1908–20 Mei 1918 (Amsterdam, 1918), pp. 27–48, esp. p. 34Google Scholar. See also Notodidjojo, Soebagijo Ilham, “Dr. Danudirdja Setiabuddhi,“ Pantja Raja, II (March 15, 1947), 286Google Scholar.

9 “De Algemeene Vergadering van den Indischen Bond,” Bondsblad, XV (Aug. 1912), 239–240Google Scholar.

10 Bond, Indische, “De Algemeene Vergadering van 25 Augustus j. 1.,” Bondsblad, XV (Sept. 14, 1912), 250Google Scholar.

11 Aansluiting tusschen Blank en Bruin (Batavia, 1912), p. 19Google Scholar.

12 “Partij-Program,” Het Tijdschrift, I, 2 (May 15, 1912), 562–563Google Scholar.

13 “De oprichting van een artsenschool te Soerabaia,” Bulletin van den Bond van Geneesheeren in Ned.-Indiē, LII-–LIII (Aug. 15-Sept. 1, 1912), 27Google Scholar.

14 [H. C] K[akebeeke], “De Indische Beweging,” De Expres, Sept. 7 and 9, 1912Google Scholar.

15 Bond, Indische, “De Algemeene Vergadering,” Bondsblad, XV (Nov. 9, 1912), 277–280Google Scholar.

16 Insulinde, “Mededeeling van het Hoofdbestuur-Mededeeling van De Indische Partij,” Insulinde, III (Oct. 1, 1912), 3Google Scholar. Insulinde had transferred its headquarters from Bandung to Semarang in July 1910.

17 “De Indische Partij. Verslag der Propaganda-deputatie,” Het Tijdschrift, II, 3 (Oct. 15, 1912), 136Google Scholar.

18 “Qe groote Constitutie Vergadering der Indische Partij,” De Expres, Dec. 27, 1912. See also van Ham, J. G., Eerste Boekjaar der Indische Partij (Bandoeng, 1913), esp. pp. 105–131Google Scholar.

19 Art. 111 of the “Constitutional Law” of 1854 prohibited “assemblies and meetings of a political nature or by which public law is threatened” and permitted the government to take such steps against violations “as circumstances” made necessary.

20 de Gruyter, J., “De Indische Partij,” De Indische Gids, XXXXV, 1 (1913), 757Google Scholar. Under the term “Indiërs,” Douwes Dekker included all who were willing to give their all to the Indies and felt united by similar political and economic interests.

21 70 Jaar Konsekwent, p. 11. The quotation is this author's direct translation from the Indonesian original. The version in Dutch provided by Douwes Dekker translates the words “seorang bapanja nasionalisme politik” (“one of the Fathers of political nationalism“) as “the Father of political nationalism” (ibid., p. 12).

22 Dekker, Douwes, Het Jaar 1918 in zijn Beteekenis voor de Indische Beweging (Schiedam, 1914), p. 49Google Scholar. These figures should be considered, however, with great reservation. In all likelihood they represent the total accumulative membership and discrepancies appear even in the above source which places the total membership at 7,300 on p. 5.

23 “Triomph,” Het Tijdschrift, I, 2 (Aug. 1, 1912), 716–717.

24 “Oost-West,” Het Tijdschrift, I, 1 (Sept. 15, 1911), 33–34.

25 Over het koloniale ideaal (n.p., 1913), p. 22.

26 “De Indische Partij …, ” p. 142; “Spreekt de Waarheid en Schiet goed,” De Indiër, I (1913), 54–55.Google Scholar

27 “De Indische Partij …,” pp. 142–143.

28 See the Top Secret (Declassified) Report of the Deputy Advisor for Native Affairs Rinkes, D. N. (hereafter referred to as Rinkes Report) in Bescheiden betreffende de Vereeniging “De Indische Partij” (Batavia, 1913, Zeer Geheim), p. 149Google Scholar. Also Gruyter, J. de, “Uit het ontwakend Oosten,“. De Beweging, I (May 1913), 169.Google Scholar

29 This section relies heavily on the Rinkes Report, esp. pp. 153–156.

30 “De Indische Partij …,” p. 137.

31 See among others Hindia-Poetra, , “Uit het Land der Slaven,” De Indiër, I (1914), 230; Rinkes Report, pp. 153–154.Google Scholar

32 “De Indiër. Rassenpsychologische, politische, sociologische beschouwingen van een Indiër over Indiërs,” (Part VII), De Expres, July 27, 1912.Google Scholar

33 “Rizal,” Het Tijdschrift, II, 4 (May 15, 1913), 569–575.Google Scholar The crucial differences alluded to are that in the Philippines both “Mestizos” and natives were Christian and the Mestizo class was also to a large extent a landowning class. These conditions were not present in the Indies.

34 For background on this decision see Bescheiden, pp. 177–183. With regard to Art. IIl see n. 19.

35 Hoofdbestuur, “Mededeelingen van het Hoofdbestuur. Rechtspersoonlijkheid,“De Expres, March 6,1913. For the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Indies and the Governmental decree, see Bescheiden, pp. 187–192.

36 Secret Memorandum Gov. Gen. Idenburg to Min. of Col. Th. B. Pleijte (Geheim Kabinet No. 60/1, Aug. 25, 1913), p. 5.

37 See Dekker, Douwes, Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo, R. M. Soewardi Soerjaningrat, Onze Verbanning (Schiedam, 1913), pp. 5–7Google Scholar; also by the same authors Mijmeringen van Indiërs over Hollands Feestvierderij in de Kolonie (Schiedam, 1913), passim.Google Scholar

38 Memorandum Idenburg (n. 36), pp. 5–6.

39 “Onze Helden: Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo en R. M. Soewardi Soerjaningrat,” De Expres, Aug. 5, 1913.Google Scholar

40 Memorandum Idenburg, pp. 13–14.

41 For an account of the foregoing see also Onze Verbanning and Het jaar 1913 en zijn beteekenis voor de Indische Beweging, passim.

42 The Secretary of the University of Zürich informed this writer by letter (July 20,1957) that “Herr” Douwes Dekker passed the qualifying examination but never submitted a dissertation and that “Die Promotion zum Doktor der Volkswirtschaft ist deshalb nie rechtskraftig geworden.”

43 The case is United States v. Bopp et al., Federal Reporter, CCXXX (1916), 723Google Scholar. For the report of the trial see “Een mislukte Hindoe-samenzwering,” Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant, Jan. 17, 27, 30, Feb. 22, Apr. 23, 24, 25, 1918.

44 Letter to Raden Achmad (Feb. 22, 1914). This part of Douwes Dekker's private correspondence was made available to the writer by F. H. de la Fosse, a former member of the Indische Partij.

45 Letters to De la Fosse (Dec. 10, 1913 and March 19, 1914).

46 Mededeelingen der Begeering omtrent enkele onderwerpen van algemeen belang, I (Sept. 1917), 6.Google Scholar

47 To mention some of them: adoption of a new salary policy in Aug. 1913 (equal pay for equal work); making the hereditary succession to the Regency dependent upon certain educational qualifications (1913); abolition of Art. IIl (1915); official announcement of the establishment of a “People's Council” on Dec. 16,1916; closer solidarity among the “European“group as a result of World War I.

48 Secret Report of W. Muurling (No. 13, Feb. 16, 1918), pp. 12–13.

49 For a discussion of the reasons for the founding of the Indo-Europeesch Verbond and its political history see the author's unpubl. diss. (Cornell, 1955), “Introduction to a Sociopolitical Study of the Eurasians of Indonesia,” pp. 217–350.

50 For the statutes and program of the NIP-SI, see De Beweging, III (March 5, 1921), 149–169.Google Scholar

51 Partij, Nationaal Indische, “Verslag ingevolge art. 12 opgemaakt over den stand der Partij gedurende het jaar 1920,” De Beweging, III (April 2, 1921), 237–238, 245–246.Google Scholar

52 Parlij-Journalisliek en Redactiegeheim (Semarang, n.d.), pp. 4–5.

53 “Ontwerp voor een Indisch Nationaal Eenheidsprogram,” De Beweging, III (Oct. 22, 29, 1921), 725–727, 729–731. Also D. M. G. Koch, Om de Vrijheid, pp. 80–83.Google Scholar

54 Bouman, H., Enige beschouwingen over de ontwikkeling van het Indonesisch Nationalisme op Sumatra's Westkust (Groningen-Batavia, 1949), pp. 77–78.Google Scholar

55 Soewardi Soerjaningrat had entered the educational field in June 1922. At the time that he established the first Taman Siswa (Garden of Learning) school in Djocjakarta, he adopted the name Ki Hadjar Dewantoro (The Teacher as Go-between of the Gods). Attempting to provide a truly national education, the Taman Siswa system grew rapidly and claimed 230 schools with over 12,000 pupils in the late 1930's. Dewantoro's significance and achievements in the field of national education far outrank those of Douwes Dekker. For an excellent discussion of the schools see W. le Fèbre, “Taman Siswa,” Orientatie, No. 43 (1951), pp. 348–391.

56 Studie-Plan van het Nationaal Handels-Collegium 1988–1989 met bizonderheden omtrent het ontstaan en groei van het Ksatrian Instituut (N. H. C.-M. J. S.-N. O. S.) (Bandoeng, n.d.), p. 95.

57 M. H. Thamrin in Handelingen van de Volksraad (1937–38), pp. 338–340. In 1937 the Ksatryan Institute included the following types of schools: 5 elementary schools, a 5-year secondary trade school, a 5-year secondary school of journalism, a 4-year secondary teachers school, and a 2-year secondary trade school for girls.

58 As referred to by P. J. A. Idenburg, Chief of the Dept. of Education and Public Worship, in Handelingen van de Volksraad (1937–38), p. 1062.

59 Idenburg, pp. 758–759.

60 Idenburg, p. 759; but for a different version see Thamrin, pp. 809–810.

61 Idenburg, p. 760.

62 For a detailed account of the action of the government and Douwes Dekker's defense see P. F. Dahler and M. H. Thamrin, Het Proces-D. D.: Officiele bescheiden inzake zijn vervolging op grond van art. 156 Strafwetboek, 2 vols. (Batavia, Bandoeng, resp., 1937), passim.

63 Het Proces-D. D., I,7.

64 Het Proces-D. D., I, 107.

65 Het Proces-D. D., I, 103–104.

66 Secret Telegram Gov. Gen. Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer to Min. of Col. in London (Telegram No. 63, Feb. 20,1941). See also the report of the Dutch Mission in Japan, “Japanese War-Criminals with regard to the Netherlands Indies,” (Report of T. Haraguchi), pp. 15–16.

67 70 Jaar Konsekwent, pp. 115–128.

68 “Proces-Verbaal … A. W. F. de Roock … inzake de Indo-Europese groep (Warganegaras) in de Republiek,” [Secret], April 28, 1948.

69 Its Sanskrit meaning may be translated as: “Strong in Physique, Loyal in Spirit.”

70 Personal information received (Honolulu, Hawaii, June 14, 1957) from Harsono Tjokroaminoto who was present at the ceremony.