Dutch-Indonesian Community

Netherlands India: A study of plural economy is a book written by John Sydenham Furnivall (1878-1960), a british scholar who was born in Essex, England. Studied in Trinity Hall, Cambridge University in 1896, and obtained degree in natural science in 1899. In 1901 Furnivall joined Indian civil service and assigned post in Burma on 16 December 1902, he was delegated as Assistant Commissioner and Settlement Officer, later made Deputy Commissioner in 1915 and Commissioner of Land Settlement and Records in 1920. He retired from the service in 1923.

Furnivall produced numerous amount of scholarly works of Burma, and also took interest of comparative study between Burma and Dutch East Indies. This book is praised and considered the “classic” work of studying Indonesian history for its depth.

This book coves economic construction of the colonial society and a very good complementary for these who have read Jean Gelman Taylor’s Social World of Batavia (1984). Furnivall highlighted the plural economy of Dutch East Indies. Each society has its own economic function and interacting to each other but never considered themselves as same identity. The Chinese and the pribumi for example, only interacting for economy activity, making the society effectively segregated.

The Indonesian version was published first at August 2009 by Freedom Institute, with additional prologue by Thee Kian Wie, giving introduction to the reader of economy-political context of Dutch East Indies, such as the dynamic of Netherland’s local politic which eventually would affect the colonial policy of dutch east indies. There was rising concern from the liberal in Netherlands to stop the exploitation of Dutch East Indies, which eventually result what was known as “ethic policy”.

This book 13 chapters and one appendix with content as follows

• Chapter I: Indonesia till 1600
• Chapter II: Dutch East India Company, 1600-1800
• Chapter III: The Unrest Period, 1795-1815
• Chapter IV: Uncertain Period, 1815-1830
• Chapter V: cultuursteelsel (1830-1850)
• Chapter VI: Transition to Liberalism (1850-1870)
• Chapter VII: Liberalism (1870-1900)
• Chapter VIII: Efficiency, Welfare, and Economy
• Chapter IX: Administrative Reformation and Politic
• Chapter X: Economy Development
• Chapter XI: Social Economy
• Chapter XII: The Impact of 1929 Crisis
• Chapter XIII: Plural Economy

After the forewords from Jonkheer MR. A. C. D. De Graeff (Govenor of Dutch East Indies in 1926-1931) and JS Furnivall we are introduced to history of Dutch East Indies, the geography of the malay archipelago, the interaction between the India and Chinese and presence of Indianised Kingdom. I noted that JS Furnivall thought Indonesia was colonized by India and thought the rising of Islam in 1600 eventually ended the long reign of India. Actually, there were still long debate how the Hindu actually penetrate into the malay archipelago.

Furnivall pointed the first sign of plural economy of this period, the Chinese only interested to work as merchant, and living as separate ethnic from other local tribes.

Furnivall’s whole idea of “plural economy” could be defined as condition where the ethnic/society are segregated from each other, their interaction based solely of economic interest and caused them having no common identity.

While this book might be useful for comparative study between Burma and Dutch East Indies, the comprehensive and detailed informations might be too much for casual reader. It is very depth and heavily emphasize on the topic of state administration. This is a very good introduction for historians and academicians, but not really suitable for these can’t stand academical writing.

This book is very useful to give insight what was happened behind the administration of the colonial government. Furnivall connected the dynamics and changing of international stage in Europe, and how these change eventually alter the policy-making process in the Dutch East Indies. It helps to see the history more objectively.

Just recently bought this book from Periplus for $6. This is story about a rich dutchman of French heritage, lived in Jatinegara in late 19th century. This is not book about eurasian, but it’s still useful to see the social life among dutch, eurasian, and indonesians in the dutch east indies. The author, Edward du Perron was born in Dutch East Indies. He was probaby best classified as Creoles, the european people who was born in Dutch East Indies.

Charles Edgar du perron was born in Java 1899, his parents, the only son of french-dutch descent. Even though he was Dutch, the author is remoted from friends at his age, so his friends were only the native children.

Part of this book describing his life in Dutch east Indies as boy, and the others living in Europe as man. It’s like visiting the past and its people, looked through glass of dutch, like how the young boy was very close with his guardian angel Alima (an indigenous), and how he was taught by mistress/teachers of eurasian and dutch background.

For these who are looking for dutch east indies literature, I recommend you to pick this one, though I must admit I’m too lazy to read anything not related of his life in dutch east indies. I skipped the first chapters or anything about his life in Europe, because I only see this book as reference about life and social reality in the Dutch East Indies.

Social World of Batavia is a book written by Jean Taylor Gilman. This is probably one of the most complete literature of Dutch-Indonesian you could find. Written in readable language, this book contained valuable informations for any Dutch-Indonesians who are curious of their history.