TOe Htnertcan
28 FEBRUARY 1963
1 e JAARGANG No. 14
ePllwbus oïüüü
B R I D G E
BETWEEN
EAST
AND
WEST
Rise and Decline of the indo Group
TONG-TONG KALENDERS
zijn hier nog te krijgen!
1
qARINc
ONIS^
Spotlight on Dutch-Indonesian History (VIII)
Considering the life of the Dutch-Indonesians in the 17th Century, as outlined in the
articles before, we might say that it was rather agreeable and in many ways even superior
to that of any other group in Batavia, including the Dutch. We even dare to say that
this was "The Golden" Century" of the Indo's. Though the memory of the past glory of
their Portuguese ancestors was still painful, every new generation had lesser ties with
this past and grew more conscious of a new existence as a new and unique citizenry.
Sure the Dutch were the masters, but
these masters liked the Indo's very much,
feeling in them a kind of brothers in the
vast masses of Asians. We also pointed out
that the Indo's were for many reasons in
dispensable for the Dutch. The Indo's
thought themselves in many ways superior
to the Dutch. In the first place they claimed
to be of finer Portuguese ancestry, calling
themselves "fidalgo's". This was not true
of course, but there were no Portuguese
anymore to dispute these claims and even
the greatest slob could make a show with
a glorious name and nothing more. There
was however something in their bearing,
some sort of grace and elegance and good
manners, distinguishing them sharply from
many "rough and coarse" Dutch. Even up
to now Dutch-Indonesians in Holland are
considered to have "inner civilization
Much of this well-bearing however has
nothing to do with noble ancestry or civi
lization, but is caused by a social behaviour,
partly inherited from the Indonesians, part
ly forced upon them in a life with "heath
ens" from which they had to distinguish
themselves by at least a show of superiority
and dignity, which became natural after
several generations.
The Indo's for instance were (and are)
never loud and non-drinkers. Drunkenness
was a normal though pityful sight in the
streets of Batavia those days. Indonesians
did (and do) not drink. The Dutch drank
often and much, partially because drinking
was considered a remedy for all kinds of
diseases those days (Governor-General Jan
Pieterszoon Goen: "We must drink or
perish!"). Anyway, when there were mis
behaving drunks in the Batavian streets, it
were never Indo's. Furthermore, the Dutch
were much more "greedy" than the Indo's.
This was true but only in a certain sense.
The Dutch had a fatherland to return to.
and all hoped to make money in a short
time to "get away in time". The Indo s had
no special reason for hunting richesses as
they stayed in Indonesia and could take
life with more leasure.
Yes. getting away in time The
Europeans of the northern countries of
Europe coidd stand the heat of the tropics
far less than the Portuguese and the Span
iards. They were also a far easier prey to
all kinds of diseases, especially the Dutch.
who clung stubbornly to national habits and
considered many oriental habits dangerous.
Afraid of the evil odours of the night, the
Dutchman went to bed early, closed the
curtains tight, piled all his cushions up
around him and tried to survive the night.
When we know that his house was as small
and narrow and tightly closed as the houses
in cold Holland, we can imagine how this
Dutchman lived. Bathing was considered
unhealthy and dangerous. Even as late as
1775 an order of the High Government
forbade, forcing the soldiers of the garri
son to take a bath once a week! Under
these circumstances and with alcohol as
the only remedy to survive, the Dutch
drank enormous quantities and the distilling
of arak (a native alcohol drink) was some
times the principal industry of Batavia.
It is clear that this way of life was fatal
in the highest degree. Batavia was often
called "The Grave of The Dutch" and as
late as 1770, when the famous navigator
James Cook stayed for several months in
Batavia, he wrote in his diary about Bata
via: "Death means nothing here. The only
comment on the death of a fellow citizen
is: well, he owned me nothing, or: I must
get my money from his executors!"
Compared with the Dutch the Indo's
lived far healthier as already for many
generations they lived like the Indonesians.
But they formed the opinion that they were
physically of a superior quality. Anyhow
the Indo's lived on and on while their
Dutch masters often died in a row. This
made the Indo's in many positions more
indispensable than ever.
However this superior position couldn't
last forever. Gradually the Dutch got better
adjusted to life in the tropics. By a steady
"import" of better prepared Dutch from
Holland their position throughout Indonesia
was slowly but positively consolidated. On
the other hand the Indo's didn't "grow
up", though their community expanded
considerably. For every dying Dutchman,
married to a native woman, left children
behind who could not return to Holland
and on the other hand could not follow
the mother to her Mohamedan family. Al
most automatically they were taken up in
the community of the "Malaccansand
gradually the Indo-Puttugurie character o(
this group deminished and this "European
orphanage" got more and more a decided
Indo-Dutch character. The old Portuguese
names for them (Sinjo for the men and
Nona for the women) were preserved up
to the beginning of this century.
It was however a poor group with no ties
to a European people and no ties to the
Indonesian peoples. They couldn't take up
farming as the Dutch had decreed that
no land should be taken away from the
rightful owners, the Indonesians. Further
more it was not wise to go far beyond the
city of Batavia, which was in these days
still surrounded by jungles and swamps.
The tiger and the rhinoceros lived in the
near vicinity of the city. In the settlements
of Indonesians was no place for the Indo-
Dutch.
In the city of Batavia navigation and
the big trade were for the Dutch alone. In
the small trade the Chinese were unsur
passable even by the Dutch. Being excellent
traders by nature and moreover diligent,
thrifty and superior craftsmen, they soon
held a firm grip on the shopping, manufac
turing" and money-lending sections of the
business in Batavia, later on in the whole
Dutch East Indies. Manual labour in these
days was done by slaves and therefore so
cheap that it was impossible to compete
in it for 'free men. There was only one
source of income left for the Indo's: in the
lower administration sectors: as a clerk
or a civil servant. These were as a whole
pityful underpaid jobs through all centuries
and the better paid high ranks in this sector
being very limited, the community as a
whole led a poor life.
So after a shortlived rise as a rather
prominent and independent Batavian com
munity a strong decline set in for the Indo's.
So strong indeed and without any hope of
recovery, that we can only be surprised
that the Indo-group survived at all!
(To be continued)
(in Nederland uitverkocht!)
Het is voor iets goeds nooit te laat,
bestel dus nu nog:
De Bali Kunstkalender $1.75
(7 beroemde producties met verklarende
tekst in Ned. en Eng.)
Be Keukenkalender $2.
(Kalender en kookboek tegelijk dus van
blijvende waarde ook in 1964.)
De Verjaarskalender $1.50
(Gaat "eeuwig" mee! Astrologische ka
lender met voor U belangrijke gegevens.)
Deze 3 kalenders samen voor $4,50.
Bestellingen bij The American Tong-Tong
P.O. Box 137, Whiltier, Cal.
