History / Sejarah

Relics of fossils of Homo erectus, which by the anthropologist also dubbed “Java Man”, suggests that the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago. Austronesian people, who form the majority of the population at this time, migrated to Southeast Asia from Taiwan. They arrived in about 2000 BC, and causes the Melanesian nation that has existed there first pushed into remote areas in the eastern archipelago. Conditions ideal place for agriculture, and control of rice cultivation since at least the 8th century BC, leading to many villages, towns, and small kingdoms grow well in the first century AD. In addition, Indonesia is located in the international sea trade routes and inter-island, has been a shipping line between India and China for several centuries. History of Indonesia subsequently experienced a lot of influence from these trading activities.
Since the 1st century Indonesian trading vessel had sailed away, even to Africa. A part of the relief ship in the temple of Borobudur, k. 800 M.

Under the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the island of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java since the 4th century until the 14th century. Kutai, is the oldest kingdoms in the archipelago that stands in the 4th century in the Upper Mahakam River, East Kalimantan. In the western region of the island of Java, in the 4th century until the 7th century AD stand Tarumanegara kingdom. Government Tarumanagara followed by the Kingdom of Sunda from the year 669 AD until 1579 AD In the 7th century Malay kingdom which appeared centered in Jambi, Sumatra. Srivijaya Malay defeat and emerged as the most powerful maritime kingdom in the archipelago. Territory includes Sumatra, Java, Malay Peninsula, while controlling the trade in the Straits of Malacca, Sunda Strait, and the South China Sea. Under the influence of Srivijaya, between the 8th century and the 10th dynasty to dynasty and Sanjaya managed to develop agriculture-based kingdoms in Java, with its historic relics such as temples of Borobudur and Prambanan temples. At the end of the 13th century, Majapahit was standing in the eastern part of Java island. Under the leadership of mahapatih Gajah Mada, its influence stretched over much of Indonesia; and is often called the “Golden Age” in Indonesian history.

The arrival of Arab traders and Persian through Gujarat, India, and brought Islam. Besides the Chinese sailors, led by Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He) who are Muslims, also never stop in this region at the beginning of the 15th century. The traders are also spread Islam in some parts of the archipelago. Pasai Ocean, established in 1267, is the first Islamic kingdom in Indonesia.

When the Europeans arrived in the early 16th century, they found several kingdoms which they can easily be mastered in order to dominate the spice trade. Portuguese first landed at the two ports of Bantam and the Kingdom of Sunda Sunda Kelapa, but can be expelled and moved to the east and master the Moluccas. In the 17th century, the Dutch emerged as the strongest among other European countries, beating Great Britain and Portugal (except for their colony, Portuguese Timor). At the time that Christianity came to Indonesia as one of the old imperialist mission, known as 3G, namely Gold, Glory, and Gospel. Dutch control of Indonesia as a colony until World War II, initially through VOC, and then directly by the Dutch government since the beginning of the 19th century.

Under Cultuurstelsel system (System Investment) in the 19th century, large plantations and forced cultivation implemented in Java, eventually producing a profit for the Netherlands that can not be produced VOCs. During colonial rule more freely after 1870, the system was abolished. After 1901 the Dutch introduced the Ethical Policy, which included limited political reform and greater investment in the Dutch East Indies.

During World War II, when the Dutch colonized by Germany, Japan controlled Indonesia. After getting Indonesia in 1942, Japan saw that Indonesia is a fellow fighters trade cooperative and willing to deploy troops when needed. Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, KH. Mas Mansur, and Ki Hajar Dewantara awarded by the Emperor of Japan in 1943.
Sukarno, Indonesia’s first president.

In March 1945 Japan formed a committee for Indonesian independence. After the Pacific war ended in 1945, under pressure from youth organizations, Soekarno-Hatta proclaimed Indonesia’s independence on August 17, 1945. After independence, the three founders of the nation Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Sjahrir each served as president, vice presidents, and prime minister. In an attempt to recapture Indonesia, the Dutch sent their troops.

Bloody efforts to quell the independence movement was then known by the Dutch as a ‘police action’ (Politionele Actie), or known by the people of Indonesia as a military aggression. The Netherlands finally accepted the right of Indonesia to independence on December 27, 1949 as a federal state called the Republic of Indonesia States after strong pressure from the international community, especially the United States. Integral Natsir motions on August 17, 1950, calling for the return of the unitary Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Indonesia disband States. Sukarno returned as president with Mohammad Hatta as vice president and as prime minister Mohammad Natsir.

In the 1950′s and 1960′s, Soekarno government began to follow as well as pioneering the non-aligned movement at first, then closer to the socialist bloc, such as the People’s Republic of China and Yugoslavia. In the 1960s witnessed the occurrence of military confrontation against neighboring countries, Malaysia (“Confrontation”), and dissatisfaction with the growing economic difficulties. Subsequently in 1965 erupted G30S incident that caused the deaths of 6 medium-generals and a number of other officers. New forces emerge that call themselves New Order which immediately accused the Communist Party of Indonesia as the brain behind this event and intend to overthrow the legitimate government and to replace the national ideology based on a socialist-communist. These allegations as well be a reason to replace the old government under President Sukarno.
Hatta, Sukarno, and Sjahrir, the three founders of Indonesia.

General Suharto became president in 1967 with a reason to secure the country from the threat of communism. Meanwhile Soekarno own physical condition weakened. After Suharto came to power, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian citizens suspected of involvement in the communist party were killed, while many more Indonesian citizens who are abroad, do not dare to return to the homeland, and finally revoked his citizenship. Thirty-two-year reign of Suharto’s New Order is called, temporarily called the reign of Sukarno’s Old Order.

Suharto implement neoliberal economic and successfully bring in huge foreign investment to go to Indonesia and generate substantial economic growth, though uneven. At the beginning of the New Order regime of Indonesia ekomomi policy drawn up by a group of economists graduated from the Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, who was called “Berkeley Mafia”. However, Suharto enriched and their families through the practice of corruption, collusion, and nepotism is widespread and he was eventually forced to step down from his post after massive demonstrations and the worsening economic conditions in 1998.

From 1998 to 2001, Indonesia had three presidents: Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. In 2004 elections the world’s largest single day was held and won by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Indonesia is currently experiencing economic problems, political and religious strife nuances in the country, and some areas are trying to get independence, particularly in Papua. East Timor finally officially broke away in 1999 after 24 years together with Indonesia and 3 years under UN administration of East Timor into the country.

In December 2004 and March 2005, Aceh and Nias hit by two major earthquakes that killed hundreds of thousands of lives in total. (See the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the Sumatra earthquake in March 2005.) This incident was followed by an earthquake in Yogyakarta and tsunami that hit Pangandaran Beach and surrounding areas, as well as mud flood in Sidoarjo in 2006 that does not go unsolved.