SHORT HISTORY OF INDONESIA

I. HINDUISM AND BUDDHAISM PERIOD (100 – 1500 M)

Early civilization in Java and Sumatra was heavily influenced by India. Today's cultures in Indonesia, and even the language, still show influences from the Sanskrit language and literature. Records from these days in Indonesia are scarce, but we do know that sophisticated cultures already existed. The kings and cities of Sumatra and Java are mentioned in records from China, because ambassadors were sent there. Arabs and Persians knew about the area from traders, and even the Greeks and Romans had very distant reports. There were some kingdoms in some parts of archipelago (e.g. Kutai Kingdom at Kalimantan about 100 M, Tarumanegara Kingdom at Central Java about 400 M, Sriwijaya kingdom near Palembang about 500 M, Suwawa Kingdom in North Sulawesi about 700 M, Kediri Kingdom in East Java about 1135, Majapahit Kingdom in Central Java about 1330 M etc.)

Records from inside Indonesia are very few, though, since writing was done on palm leaves and other materials that did not survive well. Much of our knowledge comes from stone buildings and inscriptions. By the time we start to get a clear history of Java and Sumatra, there are already great buildings in stone, fine sculptures, classical music and dance, much as we know them today.

II. ISLAM PERIODE (1500 M – 1670M)

Since the past Indonesia archipelago rich with natural resources so this make a lot of traders visit Indonesia from other countries e.g. ; Arabic countries and China, even European countries, beside to trade they also brought their cultures. in this period Islam slowly spread throughout the archipelago a lot of kings and kingdoms convert to Islam and there were some Islamic kingdoms in some part of the islands (e.g. : Demak in central java about early 1500 M, Aceh in Sumatera about early 1500 M, Kutai in Kalimantan about 1565, Banten in West Java about 1524 M, Ternate and Tidore in Sulawesi, etc.)

In this period some foreign countries from Europe (Portuguese 1509 M, Spain 1512 M, England 1579 M, Netherland 1590 M) also began to visit the archipelago, they try to trade with local trader for some commodities (e.g. : clove, pepper, spices, etc.). Later they occupied the area under their power for years.

III. IMPERALISM PERIOD (1670 M – 1940 M)

Portuguese

Portuguese came for the first time at 1509 M in Malaka. The goal of the Portuguese was to take control of trade. Later trade empires would include Gowa, Banten, and the Dutch VOC or East India Company. The original goal of all of them was money before political power, but they did not always stick to their original goal.

Melaka was the center of the Portuguese trade empire in the Indies in the 1500s. The Portuguese in Melaka were attacked every few years by the Sultans of Malaya and Sumatra, especially Aceh and Johore. Sometimes alliances would be formed with powers on Java to attack the Portuguese.

Around this time Portuguese missionaries began to spread the Catholic religion in Indonesia, especially in the east. Today Catholicism is one of Indonesia's recognized religions.

The VOC takeover of Melaka was the real end of Portuguese importance in the region 1641 M. But after losing Melaka, some Portuguese started trading with Gowa on Sulawesi. Around 1668 M Portuguese finally fled to Flores or even Macau and Thailand after VOC took over their territories.

Spain

Spain for the first time came to archipelago couple years after Portuguese about 1512. The arrival of Spanish ships was worrisome to the Portuguese, however, who now had to deal with a European competitor in the heart of the Spice Islands. Spain and Portugal had divided the entire world between themselves in 1494. They continued to argue for years over the exact position of the dividing circle. A 1524 conference sponsored by the Pope did not settle matters. In 1529 M Kings of Spain and Portugal agree that Maluku should belong to Portugal, and the Philippines should belong to Spain.

English

November 1579 M Sir Francis Drake of England, after raiding Spanish ships and ports in America, arrives at Ternate. Sultan Babullah, who also hated the Spanish, pledges friendship to England. 1600 M Elizabeth I of England charters East India Company. English set up fort at Banda, Sir James Lancaster leads an (English) East India Company expedition, reaches Aceh, and builds a trading post at Banten. English begin setting up many posts in the Indies, including at Makassar, Jepara, Aceh and Jambi at 1611. March 17^th, 1824 M British and Dutch sign Treaty of London and divide the Indies between themselves. The Dutch claim Sumatra, Java, Maluku, Irian Jaya, and so on. The British claim Malaya and Singapore, and retain an interest in North Borneo. Aceh is supposed to remain independent.

Netherland

In the 1500s, the Netherlands were an important business center for Europe, where products from Russia, Scandinavia, Africa, Asia and America were bought and sold. The Netherlands during that time was ruled by Spain. By 1581, the Netherlands had rebelled against the King of Spain and had begun to govern themselves. But since Spain now had control of the Portuguese colonies, the Spanish could prevent Dutch businessmen from easy access to spices from the Indies. This was one reason that Dutch ships began to make their own voyages direct to the Indies in the 1590s. April 2^nd 1595 Dutch expedition under De Houtman leaves for Indies. De Houtman expedition reaches Sumatra in June 5^th 1596. Until 1800 in this time-line, Dutch activities are marked with a VOC for East India Company, in this time line also happened sporadic struggle from many kingdoms around the archipelago to fight against the colonialism e.g. : prince of Diponegoro 1825-1830 M in Java, Pattimura 1817 in Ambon, King Sisingamaharaja X 1825 in Tapanuli, Imam Tuanku Bonjol in the Padri War in the 1830s The Dutch introduced the fifth of Indonesia's recognized religions: Protestant Christianity. Beside the missionary work on Java, there were soon many "orang Kristen" around Manado on Sulawesi, in Ambon, and around Kupang on Timor and nearby Roti.

Protestantism (Kristen), one of Indonesia's five religions.

By the end of the 1660s, Banten was trading directly with China, Japan, Thailand, India and Arabia, using its own ships to compete with English, French, Danish and VOC traders. Sultan Ageng of Banten was a strong opponent of the VOC monopoly who insisted on promoting trade with other European, Arab and Asian traders as he pleased.

IV. IMPREALISM AND MODERNISATION PERIODE 1830 – 1910 M

It was only after the Java War that the Dutch began to think about a real empire in the Indies. From 1830 to the end of the century, the Dutch began a drive to take complete control of the areas from Aceh to New Guinea, and to extract as much profit as possible from the valuable areas, such as the Priangan area of West Java.

Revenues from the Indies paid for as much as one-third of the Dutch government's budget in the mid-1800s. These monies helped to finance the industrialization and development of the Netherlands in the 1800s. The burden fell especially upon the Netherlands Indies, since the Dutch had lost many of their other colonies to the British during the Napoleonic wars (including South Africa and Sri Lanka), and since Belgium with its business and industry broke away from the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830. The government was called the Netherlands Indies, or Nederlands-Indi・in Dutch, or Hindia Belanda in Indonesian today.

1848 new constitution in Netherlands: Dutch States-General has some control over colonial affairs. Revised commercial, civil and criminal codes for the Netherlands Indies are introduced, applicable to people of European descent only. Demonstration in Batavia, led by Baron van Hoevell (a Dutch Reformed minister), petitions the King of the Netherlands for freedom of the press, public secondary schools, and representation for the Netherlands Indies in the States General. Regency schools, for the education and training of the children of local rulers and nobles, begin operations. In 1892 elementary school must be held in every level of region. After 1901 education relatively spread in many areas, not only for high level society but also for public.

On March 1836 the first local newspaper was published in Indonesia it was called “Soerabaijas Advertentie Blad” in Surabaya.

1851 “Dokter-jawa” school was founded in Gambir, Batavia (Now Known as Universitas Indonesia). 1857 First telegraph line is laid from Batavia to Buitenzorg. In June 17^th 1864 the first train`s rail was built by Mr LAJ Baron Sloet van den Beele. The rail begun operated for public on Saturday August 10^th, 1867.

1879 Kartini was born in Jepara Central Java. R. A. Kartini is remembered today for her collected letters, works of high literary quality. Far ahead of her time, Kartini was an early advocate both for Indonesia and for the interests of women everywhere.
Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij is founded as the major inter-island shipping and passenger line　in 1888.

May 20^th 1908 Budi Utomo is founded among upper-class Javanese students in Jakarta, including the future Dr. Sutomo and Cipto Mangunkusumo. Budi Utomo was the first organization that struggle for the independence.

1910 to 1940 New Nationalism

In this time line there were so many important things happened in Indonesia because in this time line so many organizations were founded by many young Indonesians both within the archipelago and abroad to fight for the independence. There were also many young Indonesians who become independence pioneer, e.g. :

November 18^th 1912, Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan founds Muhammadiyah in Yogya. The Muhammadiyah remains one of the large, respected Islamic organizations in Indonesia today. It has been known for its "modernist" Islamic viewpoint. Indische Partij is founded by Setiabudi (Douwes Dekker), Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo and Ki Hajar Dewantoro. All three are exiled within a year.

May 9^th 1914 Sneevliet founds Indische Sociaal-Democratische Vereeniging, would become PKI (Indonesian Communist Party).

1922 Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Indonesia or Indonesian Students Association was founded in the Netherlands. Its membership would include Mohammed Hatta, Sutan Sjahrir, Sutomo, Ali Sastroamidjojo, and many others who would be prominent in the independence struggle (and in the government of the Republic of Indonesia in the 1950s).

Ki Hadjar Dewantoro (Indonesian Education Father) founds Taman Siswa in Yogya, independent school with no government support to promote Javanese arts as well as modern education (anti-modernist); invents term "guided democracy".

1925 New constitution: Council of the Indies becomes advisory, Volksraad gets limited legislative powers, Governor-General and bureaucracy are unaffected. Chinese are officially defined under "vreemde oosterlingen". Membership in the Volksraad is set at 60: 30 Dutch, 25 Indonesians, and 5 members of either Arab or Chinese descent.

1926 Sukarno gets engineering degree in Bandung. Sukarno publishes series of articles "Nationalism, Islam and Marxism", calling for cooperation between the three movements.

October 28^th 1928 Youth Congress in Batavia adopts "sumpah pemuda": one nation, one language. Muhammad Yamin writes poems "Indonesia tumpah darahku". This event known as the born of modern Indonesia.

1940 to 1945 The Second World War

Even after the Netherlands had been taken over by Nazi Germany, the Dutch still held onto their colonies. For over a year and a half, the Netherlands East Indies government continued to rule over Indonesia, reporting to the Dutch government-in-exile. Efforts by Indonesian activists to organize self-rule were ignored.

January 6^th 1942 First Japanese air raid on Ambon.January 10 Japanese begin invasion of Indonesia in Kalimantan (Tarakan) and Sulawesi (Manado). January 11 Japanese take Tarakan. And slowly took over other region from Dutch. Between January to December.

1943 Japanese fully occupied all Netherland-Indies, and recruiting local people to become auxiliary troops, Local Defense Force (PETA) was the core of Indonesian Armed Force (TNI), also using every resource to finance their war to fight America elsewhere in the pacific and allies troops.

1944 Allies attack Japanese force in several areas in Netherland Indies and retake those areas from Japanese force, e.g. : Irian Jaya, Biak, Palembang, Sabang, Ambon, etc.

1945 March 1^st Badan Penyelidik Usaha Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia (BPUPKI), a committee to prepare for Indonesian Independence, is announced by the Japanese. Members include Sukarno, Hatta, Wahid Hasyim, many others. Chairman is Dr. Radjiman Wediodiningrat.

August 17 Sukarno reads the brief, succinct, and unilateral "Proklamasi"; the Declaration of Independence. August 18 New Republic consists of 8 provinces: Sumatra, Borneo, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Sunda Kecil. August 29 The New Republic: The constitution that had been drafted by the PPKI preparatory committee, and announced on the 18th, is adopted (UUD 45). Sukarno is declared President, Hatta is declared Vice-President. PPKI (originally BPUPKI, founded under the Japanese occupation the previous March) is remade into KNIP (Central Indonesian National Committee). KNIP is the temporary governing body until elections can be held. The new government is installed on August 31.

1945 to 1950 War for Independence

During this time-line Indonesia didn`t fully independence but still had to fight to keep the independence from the allies force which the Dutch within the allies and had a purpose to reoccupy the Indonesia, during this period there were some big war inside Indonesia between Indonesian force and allies force, one of them was "Bandung Lautan Api" where Indonesians start to burn down the city rather than surrender it to the Dutch. Much of the southern part of Bandung is burned. November 10 (Heroes' Day/Hari Pahlawan) Indonesian counterattack in Surabaya. Fighting continues for three weeks. 600 Indian troops defect from the British and join the Indonesians. Battle of Ambarawa, etc.

Although Indonesia had declared their independence during this time line Indonesia not fully independence because there were still Japanese, Dutch, British and allies troop in the country. Beside wars toward the alien nations many Indonesian also try to keep the independency with other ways such as to make some agreement with British, Dutch, also Japanese. One of the agreement was Linggar Jati Agreement in October 14^th 1946 between Indonesia and the Dutch.

V. THE SUKARNO YEARS 1950 – 1965

Sukarno was an activist for independence under the Dutch in the 1930s, and under the Japanese in the 1940s. He was the first President of Indonesia, he described the national ideology of Pancasila and is still a popular historical figure today. However, his presidency ended in economic and political disorder.

The transfer of leadership in the PKI in January marked a strong change of direction for the Communists. Instead of trying to work with other left-wing groups or even trying to infiltrate them, the PKI would instead appeal directly to the masses and represent itself openly. In 1951, party membership was only a few thousand; by 1958, it was 1.5 million.

The crackdown on PKI activities in August further led the PKI leadership to pursue a policy of finding allies in government--which would eventually lead to their pursuit of Sukarno himself as an ally. The PKI would frequently claim to have close ties with Sukarno in order to protect themselves; Sukarno in turn would manipulate the PKI to serve his own ends or to counterbalance other political forces (the military or Muslim parties) so that no one force could become too powerful.

There were some conflicts during Soekarno as Indonesia president, there also some rebellion inside the country, the most famous one was the G 30 S PKI rebellion in 1965. Communist party tried to make coup against the government by kidnapping and killed some Indonesia generals. Until now the truth was hidden and many theories created who was the actor behind that rebellion.

But under Soekarno government Indonesia also active in international relation one of the most important of his activities was Non-Block movement.

VI. THE SOEHARTO YEARS 1965 - 1998

"Supersemar": Sukarno and Suharto in 1966. The abbreviation "Supersemar" is also a reference to the character Semar from traditional wayang kulit stories. Officially, Sukarno gave emergency powers to Suharto, which were then approved by the Assembly--but Sukarno was under pressure from military powers and street demonstrations, and by then, the Assembly had been purged of many of Sukarno's supporters.

At the beginning, Suharto shared many policy decisions with Adam Malik as foreign minister and the Sultan of Yogya regarding domestic affairs. During the 1960s, Suharto's government repaired the economy with the help of foreign-trained "technocrat" economists, many of whom worked in the Bappenas planning group.

Starting in 1969, Suharto's government decreed a number of restrictions on political activities, parties and organizations. However, the government claimed that Golkar was not actually a political organization, and therefore was not covered by the restrictions. The result was that Golkar was able to be the only political party without restrictions, or more to the point, was able to act as a political party when it was advantageous to act as a party, and was able to claim not to be a political party when it was advantageous not to be a party.　Since then in Indonesia only had three political party they were Golkar, PPP, PDI, the government called Pancasila Democration.

Economic growth started to speed up in 1989, with a variety of moves toward economic liberalization. Some government figures called for free markets and globalization, while others called for subsidizing development in the national interest.

REFORMATION PEROID 1998 – 2001

May 1998 many students from various university made large demonstration all over the country they push the government to responsible to the crisis and force the government especially the president to resign and carried out new general election to built new clean government that free from corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).

May 12^th 1998 Six students are killed during a demonstration at Trisakti University in Jakarta. Days of serious rioting and looting break out in Jakarta; over 500 are killed in the disorder in Jakarta. Serious rioting also breaks out in Surakarta; at least 28 dead. Suharto leaves summit meeting of G-15 developing countries in Cairo before schedule to return home. Ethnic Chinese begin leaving the country.

The riots in Jakarta and Surakarta around May 14-15 were the worst violence in Indonesia since 1965. Beyond the immediate danger, the unrest also damaged hopes of economic recovery, in the long term.

May 21^st 1998 Suharto announces his resignation at 9:00 AM. Vice-President B. J. Habibie is the new President of Indonesia.

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