^Tïie iïtnericatt 'e jaargang n° 20
15 JUNE 1963
B R I D GE
BETWEEN
EAST
AND
WEST
Thomas Stamford Raffles (1811-1816)
HET BET AALBOEKJE
1
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pARINC
ONIS^
Spotlight on Dutch-Indonesian History (1811 1816)
Most historians refer to Raffles as one of the most intelligent and active governors
that ever ruled over the Indies. His shortcomings and faults are stated afterwards
and often minimized. In reverse Herman Willem Daendels is called a tyrant with
many misdeeds, and almost grudingly a few merits are credited to him. When we
make a careful study though of the impact of the ideas both rulers in the history of
Indonesia, we find that Daendels is without any doubt the creator of the new Era.
He laid down the foundations of the
systems of governing, law, defense, educa
tion, religion and forestry for the centuries
to come, wheras Raffles only accamplished
one new system, the "Land Rent", on which
later on the tax-reforms were based. Daen
dels however was a soldier, a tyrant, a man
who never would listen to others. It must
be said though that he was honest and had
a true conception of the great possibilities of
Indonesia. Raffles was a very amiable per
son, a surprisingly good writer and a lover
of science in many fields. Where Daendels
was a "baru" (a newcomer), Raffels was
born in the tropics (on the ship "Ann",
lying for Jamaica) and had lived in the
tropics all his life. He knew the "brown
man", what is more: he had a sincere in
terest for history and civilization of the
Asiatic peoples.
Ever since he started his career as an
agent for the English East Indies Company
in Pulu Pinang, he displayed much atten
tion to the history, literature, botany, agri
culture, trading and art of Indonesia. Many
outstanding Indonesian scholars were his
good friends, a.o. the famous historian and
author Abdullah bin Abdul Qadir Munsji.
He gathered a thorough knowledge about
people and nature in Indonesia. The book
he wrote in later years, History of Java,
bears ample evidence of this knowledge.
It is furthermore very well written, in a
flowering, often gripping style. For more
than a century this book was widely read
even today it makes wonderful reading. And
one thing becomes at once clear to every
reader: Raffles had a great personal love
for Java and its people.
When Raffles was in Pulu Pinang how
ever, Java was still very far, and what is
more: Daendels was undisputed master there
and building up a strong army. Neverthe
less Raffles set to work in a fast pace. On
orders of his master. Governor General of
India Lord Minto. he "befriended the na
tives in order to make an easy and inexpen
sive campaign to conquer the Dutch East
Indies for Prince Willem V."
Raffles wrote letters to sultans and prin
ces on Java, met their envoys and promised
the Javanese "golden mountains" when they
would help him drive out the Dutch. In
fact Raffles promised far too much, and even
his good friend and adviser, historian Dr.
Leyden, worried a great deal about this
"talking of accustoming the Malays to inde
pendence and all that"
However: Raffles work was successful and
when the British armies invaded Java, no
help was offered to the Dutch by the Java
nese. Eventually it became evident that
Raffles did not think about redeeming his
pledges to the Indonesian rulers and a series
of little wars broke out, easily won by the
well organized troops of Raffles, whereafter
the new Governor General established his
power strong and sure. Typical was the
conflict with Palembang. Here the Dutch
garrison was suddenly attacked by troops
of the Sultan. When the garrison surren
dered, all Dutch men, women and children
were murdered the Javanese soldiers were
all put on a boat and this boat sunk on the
river Musi; all soldiers drowned. The Sultan
thereupon claimed the Independency Raffles
promised by letter. Raffles was extremely
shocked by this brutal murder and sent his
army to Palembang. The Sultan was de
feated, forced to give up the rich tin-islands
Banka and Billiton to the government and
recognize the English overlordship.
Modern man considers such an act hor
rible: to make profit out of a murder. But
when we read the history of the Europeans
in Asia since the Portuguese, we find such
acts turning up so many times (with the
Portuguese as well as with the Spanish, the
Dutch and the British), that it almost seems
a normal pattern. Cruelty, or at least in
difference to others' pain and misfortune,
was rampant in the highest circles even in
the beginning of the 19th Century. One
example: when during the Battle of Water
loo a Dutch soldier was arrested for looting,
his general ordered him to be tied to a can
non and trailed along alive until the poor
fellow was dead. The Java Wars some ten
years later, were carried on with the most
horrifying cruelties on both sides. History
of the Europeans in Asia is often presented
as a struggle between European civilization
and Asian barbarism. This is not true.
On studying the history of the short
reign of Raffles over the Dutch East Indies,
we" find all these patterns of establishing
power over the natives in one short period
of five years. The most wonderful fact about
this thing however is, that Raffles was sin
cere. He had a true love for Indonesia and
the Indonesians and was convinced of his
nobel intentions. In fact he loved this coun
try so much that he wanted to keep the
Dutch East Indies for the British Crown.
When Napoleon was chased away and Prins
Willem V came back to Holland, Lord
Minto ordered Raffles to prepare the return
of the Indies to the Dutch to Raffle's great
dismay. He did everything in his power to
thwart a proper return of all possessions.
(continued page 2)
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