indonesian history

History of Indonesia covers a very long time span, which began in prehistoric times by the "Java Man" at the time about 500,000 years ago. Period in the history of Indonesia can be divided into five age: pre-colonial era, the emergence of the kingdoms of the Hindu-Buddhist and Islam in Java and Sumatra, which mainly relies on trade; colonial era, the introduction of the Europeans (especially the Netherlands) who wants the spice lead colonization by the Dutch for about 3.5 centuries between the beginning of the 17th century until the mid-20th century, the era of independence, after the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (1945) until the fall of Sukarno (1966); New Order era, the 32-year reign of Suharto (1966 1998); and the reform era, which lasted until now.

Prehistoric

Geologically, the territory of modern Indonesia appeared roughly around the time of the Pleistocene when still connected to the Asian mainland. The region's first settlers was a man known to Java at the time about 500,000 years ago. The Indonesian archipelago, such as existing at the time of melting of ice formed after the end of the Ice Age.

Pre-colonial era

Indian scholars have written about Dwipantara or Dwipa Javanese Hindu kingdom in Java and Sumatra around 200 BC. Kingdom of West Java Tarumanagara master about the year 400. In 425 Buddhism reached the area. In Renaissance Europe, Java and Sumatra has had thousands of years old civilization heritage and along two major kingdoms of Majapahit in Java and Sriwijaya in Sumatra, while the western part of Java island kingdom inherited the civilization of Tarumanagara and the Kingdom of Sunda.

Hindu-Buddhist kingdom

In the 4th century until the 7th century in the region of West Java, there are Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that is patterned Tarumanagara kingdom, followed by the Sundanese kingdom until the 16th century. During the 7th century until the 14th century, Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya in Sumatra growing rapidly. Explorers Chinese I Ching visited the capital of Palembang around the year 670. At the height of glory, the Srivijaya controlled as far as West Java and the Malay Peninsula. The 14th century also witnessed the rise of a Hindu kingdom in East Java, Majapahit. Majapahit Patih between the years 1331 to 1364, Gajah Mada managed to obtain power over the territory that is now mostly Indonesia and almost all the Malay Peninsula. The legacy of the Gajah Mada, including codification of law and in Javanese culture, as seen in the epic Ramayana.

Islamic Kingdom

Islam as a government presence in Indonesia around the 12th century, but in fact Islam has already arrived in Indonesia in the 7th century AD. It was already a busy shipping lane and become international through the Malacca Strait that connects the Tang Dynasty in China, the Srivijaya in Southeast Asia and the Umayyads in West Asia since the 7th century. According to Chinese sources by the end of the third quarter of 7th century, became the leader of an Arab merchant Muslim Arab settlements on the coast of Sumatra. Islam also gives effect to the existing political institutions. This is apparent in the year 100 H (718 AD) King of Srivijaya Jambi named Srindravarman send a letter to the Caliph 'Umar ibn' Abdul 'Aziz of Bani Umayyad Caliphate request sent da `i who can explain Islam to him. The letter reads: "From the King in the King who is the descendant of a thousand kings, whose wife was also grandson of a thousand kings, who in the animal cages are a thousand elephants, whose territory there are two rivers that irrigate the tree aloes, spices fragrance, nutmeg and lime lines that fragrant smell to reach out to a distance of 12 miles, to the Arab King who does not associate other gods with God.

I have sent you a gift, which is actually a gift that is not so much, but just a sign of friendship. I want you to send me someone who can teach Islam to me and explain to me about its laws. "Two years later, the year 720 AD, King Srindravarman, which was originally Hindu, converted to Islam. Sriwijaya Jambi Sribuza also known by the name of Islam. Unfortunately, in 730 AD captured by Jambi Sriwijaya Sriwijaya Palembang who still adhered to Buddhism.
Islam continues to mengokoh become a political institution who carry Islam. For example, an Islamic sultanate called the Sultanate of Peureulak established on 1 Muharram 225H 839M or 12 November of that year. Another example is the kingdom of Ternate. Islam arrived in this kingdom in the Maluku islands in 1440. Its king, a Muslim named Bayang Ullah.

Islamic Sultanate then semikin spread his teachings to the people and through assimilation, replaced Hinduism as the main trust at the end of the 16th century in Java and Sumatra. Only Bali that still retain the majority Hindus. On the islands in the east, Churchman-known Christian and Muslim clergy has been active in the 16th century and 17, and currently there are a large majority of both religions on these islands.

The spread of Islam carried / pushed through trade relations outside the archipelago; this case, because the spreading propaganda or mubaligh an envoy of the Islamic government that came from outside Indonesia, then to feed themselves and their families, the mubaligh this work through how to trade, the mubaligh even this spread Islam to the traders from the natives, until the merchants are embracing Islam and also transmit to other residents, as most traders and experts kingdom / empire was the first to adopt the new religion. Sultanate / Kingdom of importance include Ocean Pasai, Sultanate of Banten, which establish diplomatic relations with European countries, the Kingdom of Mataram in Yogja / Central Java, and the Sultanate and the Sultanate of Ternate in the Moluccas in eastern Tidore.

Dutch colonization

Starting in 1602 the Netherlands gradually became the ruler of the territory which is now Indonesia, by exploiting divisions among small kingdoms that had replaced Majapahit. The only thing that is not affected is the former Portuguese colony, which remains controlled by Portugal until 1975, when integrated into the Indonesian province called East Timor. The Dutch controlled Indonesia for nearly 350 years, except for a short period in which a small part of Indonesia ruled Britain after the British-Dutch Java War and the period of Japanese occupation during World War II. When colonize Indonesia, Netherlands East Indies Netherlands developed into one of the world's richest colonial power. 350 years of Dutch colonialism for some people is a myth because the new Aceh region was conquered later after the Dutch near bankruptcy.

VOC

In the 17th century the Dutch East Indies and 18 are not controlled directly by the Dutch government but by a trading company called the Dutch East Indies Company (Dutch: Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC). VOC has been given monopoly rights to trade and colonial activity in the area by the Dutch Parliament in 1602. Its headquarters are in Batavia, now called Jakarta.

VOC main purpose is to maintain its monopoly on the spice trade in the archipelago. This is done through the use and threat of violence against the population in the islands spice, and against people of non-Dutch who tried to trade with their resident. For example, when the population continues to sell the Banda Islands, nutmeg to English merchants, the Dutch troops killed or deported virtually the entire population and then populating the islands with the servants or slaves who worked in the nutmeg plantations. VOC become involved in internal politics of Java in this period, and fought in several battles involving leaders of Mataram and Banten.

After the VOC went bankrupt in the late 18th century and after a short British rule under Thomas Stamford Raffles, the Dutch government took over ownership of the VOC in 1816. A rebellion was crushed in Java Diponegoro War in 1825-1830. After 1830 the system of forced cultivation, known as cultuurstelsel in the Dutch language were adopted. In this system, the residents were forced to plant the results of the plantation that became the world market demand at the time, such as tea, coffee, etc.. Results plants were then exported to foreign countries. These systems bring great wealth to the implementer - both the Dutch and the Indonesian. Forced cultivation system is a government monopoly and was abolished in the more free time after 1870.

In 1901 the Dutch adopted what they called the Ethical Policy (Dutch: Ethische Politiek), which included greater investment in education for indigenous people, and little political change. Under the governor-general J.B. van Heutsz Dutch East Indies government extending direct colonial rule throughout the Dutch East Indies, and with it established the foundation for Indonesia's current state.