Netherlands Hide History of Slavery in Indonesia
The Dutch were involved in slavery and the slave trade for several centuries. This dark history is hidden from the young Dutch generation.
NETHERLANDS increasingly contemplating slavery. The last few years of slavery he did in the past have also been included in history textbooks, both primary and secondary education. And if we pay attention to the annual anniversary of the end of slavery on July 1, while watching the politicians who come to attend the memorial, then the impression arises as if the Netherlands already has a high historical awareness of the past of slavery.
Unfortunately, that is not the fact. Except for the fact that slavery is discussed only superficially (and not infrequently by teachers), which is taught at school and commemorated by the public only a fraction of the history of Dutch slavery, not yet the history of slavery. That part took place in the former colonies in the West: Suriname and Antila.
The fact that the Dutch had been involved in the slave trade for centuries in the Dutch East Indies has until now been forgotten. This part of the past of slavery is not shared by the Dutch, in Dutch national history, in Dutch education and in commemoration of Dutch national holidays.
How could that happen? And why should the Dutch no longer ignore the history of slavery?
It is also interesting to see that the Dutch audience specifically considered the VOC trade partnership as a role model for firmness and entrepreneurship. That the VOC's activities coincided with genocide, extortion, fraud, and robbery was not so emphasized. In various history books, the VOC's despicable role, for example, was not or was not given much attention.
What people don't know anymore is that in Asia, on a large scale, the VOC was also involved in the slave trade and slavery.
For the construction of headquarters, trading posts and fortifications, but also to carry out its trading activities, since the beginning of 1600, the VOC had bought and used people who were made into slaves. Only in the early decades of his arrival in the archipelago, the VOC had sent, by ship, tens of thousands of people who were made slaves to various headquarters and trading posts in several areas of the archipelago.
The slaves were mainly gathered by the VOC in Asia, especially in the regions of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesian islands such as Bali, Sulawesi, and Sumatra. Even so the VOC also 'shopped' slaves at the East African slave market.
In slave markets in Asia and Africa, the VOC was one of its customers. But this trading joint venture also bought prisoners of war in various conflict-ravaged Asian regions. The enslaved people were bought at a very low price and then sold elsewhere with high profit. The VOC itself also enslaved people. On the types of voyages of conquest, the prisoners of war were suddenly declared slaves to be sold or used alone.
From the research, it was proven that during its existence, the East Indies trading company of the East India Company was estimated to have traded, employed and transported ships between 600 thousand and a million people who were made slaves. As a comparison, the overall slave trade in the Western region is estimated at between 500 thousand and 600 thousand people.
One of the big differences between Dutch colonization in the West and in the East concerns colonial nature. Suriname and Antila belong to the so-called plantation colonies, while the East Indies is a trade colony. With large plantations, the West was in dire need of many slaves who had to work hard on plantations. On the other hand in the East, the commodity crops have been produced by farmers and local authorities, so that slaves are not really needed.
Thus, in the East Indies, those who were made slaves were mobilized to raise the VOC empire. This mainly relates to the construction and maintenance of the fort and VOC headquarters. In addition, on a large scale, these slaves were bought by private parties, sold and mobilized to 'serve' as much as possible, such as being servants at home, but also working on plantations.
Clearly, the VOC optimally benefited from cheap labor and the slave trade. But there are still other ways in which the VOC has benefited from these poor families.
Since the VOC's initial activities in Asia, the employees of the trading company have been carrying out the smuggling trade. That also happened for the slave trade. Not intervening, the VOC authorities instead allowed their employees to trade this slave. This illegal trade is considered as "one of the conveniences". Smugglers are even allowed to use VOC ships.
In addition, there is also income from the so-called slave tax. The VOC held a monopoly on the slave trade in the archipelago. From this position, they quoted taxes for each slave traded by other groups. In addition to private European parties, Asian and Arab slave traders were also active.
In this way during its lifetime and operation, the East Indies trade partnership also managed to raise extra funds. Without exaggerating it is certain that the slave trade and slavery in the East, is a large pillar of support that is not so well known that the colossal VOC trade empire can be established.
And the slave trade and slavery itself did not stop when the VOC at the end of the 18th century went bankrupt. Under the Dutch state, slavery was maintained throughout the 19th century and profits also went to the state treasury. This was obtained partly because of the sale of those who were made slaves and the quotation of what was called the slave tax.
While other colonial rulers such as Britain and France had abolished slavery, respectively in 1833 and 1848, it was not until the mid-19th century that the Dutch had overtaken the hustle and bustle, de Tweede Kamer (the Dutch parliament) decided to abolish slavery in the Indies. "At the latest on January 1, 1860, slavery throughout the Indies had to be abolished," the decision said. As such there were two dates for abolishing slavery: 1 January 1860 for the East Indies and 1 July 1863 for the West Indies.
Who wished that slavery would actually end in the Dutch East Indies, so he might feel cheated. Abolition on January 1, 1860, only meant the redemption of slaves in small numbers, precisely only 4,739 people were bailed out. An even greater number, meaning thousands of people, most of whom were owned by slave owners outside of Java, continued to be confined in slavery.
Fear of political unrest among local authorities and large landowners, but especially the concern that the freed slaves would cost a fortune and cause a decline in revenue, causing various Dutch cabinets in The Hague to not really stop slavery in the Dutch East Indies.
This gave rise to the surprising fact that under Dutch colonial rule, slavery in the Dutch East Indies, even though it had been officially abolished in 1860, continued until the first decade of the 20th century.
It is striking that the oldest and longest history of colonial slavery has now been forgotten, has no place in the collective memory of the Dutch, cannot be found in Dutch national history, has no place in the Dutch educational curriculum and is also not as meaningful as records. feet on a national memorial to the past of slavery, every July 1.
It must be admitted that the Netherlands always had complicated relations with the dark side of its national history. This sluggish relationship does not only concern the past in the former colonies. The fact that it is only now (after so long a push) that there is a possibility for openness to the structural violence used by the Dutch during the Indonesian war of independence is one example.
The fact that only the past of slavery in the West has managed to enter the collective memory of the Dutch public and is now commemorated every year, does not mean that the Dutch people are really big-hearted to voluntarily admit their mistakes in the past. This was especially an awesome and tireless struggle carried out by descendants of slaves in Suriname and Antila. In collaboration with white historians and blacks, they finally gained recognition for the history of slavery experienced by their ancestors.
Whereas in the past slavery in the East there was never a group that rose to demand recognition of the history of slavery experienced by their ancestors. And it should not be expected that such a group would rise, only because most of the descendants of slaves in the East were unaware of the history of slavery of their ancestors.
Should this confession continue to be ignored, including a warning to the important history of Dutch slavery's past? Of course not. Well, it starts with a warning: it not only respects the victims and their descendants who are aware, but of course, it also means to 'not forget it'; so that people are aware of the actions of the past so that we continue to critically look at it and study it for the future.
And isn't this a hypocritical attitude if in Dutch history lessons are bravely called 'slavery in the former colonies (and the colony is written in the plural), but it turns out it only concerns slavery in Suriname and Antila so that the history of Dutch slavery in the East is not listed equally once? Is this nothing more than a fabrication of history, because now research has shown something that can not be refuted again that the overall contribution of the Netherlands in the dark episodes of world history is apparently greater than what is now believed.
More than that it is wrong to assume that if we continue to deny and ignore it, the world will not know it either. Exactly a year ago, I was invited to speak before an audience who filled the auditorium of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta in a symposium on ... the past of Dutch slavery in the archipelago. Yes, Indonesians now know how the Dutch like to silence and distort history with the two countries.
It has been almost three years ago that my book was published. There I elaborately described the 'forgotten' part of the history of Dutch slavery. Even so in the Netherlands people are still silent of a thousand languages, a deafening silence. This makes people not so hopeful. Also in the slavery exhibition at the newly opened Tropen Museum, there was almost no attention for slavery in the East.
Of course, everything doesn't need to be like that. Not long ago Unesco announced that it had placed Cais do Valongo, a former Brazilian slave port, on its cultural heritage list. "That way we can remember aspects of human history that should not be forgotten," the reason for the step. The remnants of this port were closed and because it was hidden from children and grandchildren.
Well, in the Netherlands the history of complete slavery that lasted for several centuries has been closed and hidden from posterity. Therefore it is very urgent to improve the educational curriculum about the past of slavery, so that slavery and slave trade in the East have a place in the curriculum. It must also be included in Dutch national history and be remembered at least in national memorials. The ignorance that slavery actually happened and was the Dutch past and the wrong national image as a result, could be the basis for intolerance, racism, and hatred of foreigners.
Nations that are incapable of making changes, and therefore continue to ignore and hide the dark side of their history, are not only untrustworthy and unable to gain respect or moral authority. Nations such as this will harvest and deserve high resentment and excessive ridicule, also from the international community.
Reggie Baay, author of Daar werd wat gruwelijks verricht: Slavernij in Nederlandse-Indie (There were terrible things to do: Slavery in the Indies) in 2015.
Source: Historia
Unfortunately, that is not the fact. Except for the fact that slavery is discussed only superficially (and not infrequently by teachers), which is taught at school and commemorated by the public only a fraction of the history of Dutch slavery, not yet the history of slavery. That part took place in the former colonies in the West: Suriname and Antila.
The fact that the Dutch had been involved in the slave trade for centuries in the Dutch East Indies has until now been forgotten. This part of the past of slavery is not shared by the Dutch, in Dutch national history, in Dutch education and in commemoration of Dutch national holidays.
How could that happen? And why should the Dutch no longer ignore the history of slavery?
It is also interesting to see that the Dutch audience specifically considered the VOC trade partnership as a role model for firmness and entrepreneurship. That the VOC's activities coincided with genocide, extortion, fraud, and robbery was not so emphasized. In various history books, the VOC's despicable role, for example, was not or was not given much attention.
What people don't know anymore is that in Asia, on a large scale, the VOC was also involved in the slave trade and slavery.
For the construction of headquarters, trading posts and fortifications, but also to carry out its trading activities, since the beginning of 1600, the VOC had bought and used people who were made into slaves. Only in the early decades of his arrival in the archipelago, the VOC had sent, by ship, tens of thousands of people who were made slaves to various headquarters and trading posts in several areas of the archipelago.
The slaves were mainly gathered by the VOC in Asia, especially in the regions of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesian islands such as Bali, Sulawesi, and Sumatra. Even so the VOC also 'shopped' slaves at the East African slave market.
In slave markets in Asia and Africa, the VOC was one of its customers. But this trading joint venture also bought prisoners of war in various conflict-ravaged Asian regions. The enslaved people were bought at a very low price and then sold elsewhere with high profit. The VOC itself also enslaved people. On the types of voyages of conquest, the prisoners of war were suddenly declared slaves to be sold or used alone.
From the research, it was proven that during its existence, the East Indies trading company of the East India Company was estimated to have traded, employed and transported ships between 600 thousand and a million people who were made slaves. As a comparison, the overall slave trade in the Western region is estimated at between 500 thousand and 600 thousand people.
One of the big differences between Dutch colonization in the West and in the East concerns colonial nature. Suriname and Antila belong to the so-called plantation colonies, while the East Indies is a trade colony. With large plantations, the West was in dire need of many slaves who had to work hard on plantations. On the other hand in the East, the commodity crops have been produced by farmers and local authorities, so that slaves are not really needed.
Thus, in the East Indies, those who were made slaves were mobilized to raise the VOC empire. This mainly relates to the construction and maintenance of the fort and VOC headquarters. In addition, on a large scale, these slaves were bought by private parties, sold and mobilized to 'serve' as much as possible, such as being servants at home, but also working on plantations.
Clearly, the VOC optimally benefited from cheap labor and the slave trade. But there are still other ways in which the VOC has benefited from these poor families.
Since the VOC's initial activities in Asia, the employees of the trading company have been carrying out the smuggling trade. That also happened for the slave trade. Not intervening, the VOC authorities instead allowed their employees to trade this slave. This illegal trade is considered as "one of the conveniences". Smugglers are even allowed to use VOC ships.
In addition, there is also income from the so-called slave tax. The VOC held a monopoly on the slave trade in the archipelago. From this position, they quoted taxes for each slave traded by other groups. In addition to private European parties, Asian and Arab slave traders were also active.
In this way during its lifetime and operation, the East Indies trade partnership also managed to raise extra funds. Without exaggerating it is certain that the slave trade and slavery in the East, is a large pillar of support that is not so well known that the colossal VOC trade empire can be established.
And the slave trade and slavery itself did not stop when the VOC at the end of the 18th century went bankrupt. Under the Dutch state, slavery was maintained throughout the 19th century and profits also went to the state treasury. This was obtained partly because of the sale of those who were made slaves and the quotation of what was called the slave tax.
While other colonial rulers such as Britain and France had abolished slavery, respectively in 1833 and 1848, it was not until the mid-19th century that the Dutch had overtaken the hustle and bustle, de Tweede Kamer (the Dutch parliament) decided to abolish slavery in the Indies. "At the latest on January 1, 1860, slavery throughout the Indies had to be abolished," the decision said. As such there were two dates for abolishing slavery: 1 January 1860 for the East Indies and 1 July 1863 for the West Indies.
Who wished that slavery would actually end in the Dutch East Indies, so he might feel cheated. Abolition on January 1, 1860, only meant the redemption of slaves in small numbers, precisely only 4,739 people were bailed out. An even greater number, meaning thousands of people, most of whom were owned by slave owners outside of Java, continued to be confined in slavery.
Fear of political unrest among local authorities and large landowners, but especially the concern that the freed slaves would cost a fortune and cause a decline in revenue, causing various Dutch cabinets in The Hague to not really stop slavery in the Dutch East Indies.
This gave rise to the surprising fact that under Dutch colonial rule, slavery in the Dutch East Indies, even though it had been officially abolished in 1860, continued until the first decade of the 20th century.
It is striking that the oldest and longest history of colonial slavery has now been forgotten, has no place in the collective memory of the Dutch, cannot be found in Dutch national history, has no place in the Dutch educational curriculum and is also not as meaningful as records. feet on a national memorial to the past of slavery, every July 1.
It must be admitted that the Netherlands always had complicated relations with the dark side of its national history. This sluggish relationship does not only concern the past in the former colonies. The fact that it is only now (after so long a push) that there is a possibility for openness to the structural violence used by the Dutch during the Indonesian war of independence is one example.
The fact that only the past of slavery in the West has managed to enter the collective memory of the Dutch public and is now commemorated every year, does not mean that the Dutch people are really big-hearted to voluntarily admit their mistakes in the past. This was especially an awesome and tireless struggle carried out by descendants of slaves in Suriname and Antila. In collaboration with white historians and blacks, they finally gained recognition for the history of slavery experienced by their ancestors.
Whereas in the past slavery in the East there was never a group that rose to demand recognition of the history of slavery experienced by their ancestors. And it should not be expected that such a group would rise, only because most of the descendants of slaves in the East were unaware of the history of slavery of their ancestors.
Should this confession continue to be ignored, including a warning to the important history of Dutch slavery's past? Of course not. Well, it starts with a warning: it not only respects the victims and their descendants who are aware, but of course, it also means to 'not forget it'; so that people are aware of the actions of the past so that we continue to critically look at it and study it for the future.
And isn't this a hypocritical attitude if in Dutch history lessons are bravely called 'slavery in the former colonies (and the colony is written in the plural), but it turns out it only concerns slavery in Suriname and Antila so that the history of Dutch slavery in the East is not listed equally once? Is this nothing more than a fabrication of history, because now research has shown something that can not be refuted again that the overall contribution of the Netherlands in the dark episodes of world history is apparently greater than what is now believed.
More than that it is wrong to assume that if we continue to deny and ignore it, the world will not know it either. Exactly a year ago, I was invited to speak before an audience who filled the auditorium of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta in a symposium on ... the past of Dutch slavery in the archipelago. Yes, Indonesians now know how the Dutch like to silence and distort history with the two countries.
It has been almost three years ago that my book was published. There I elaborately described the 'forgotten' part of the history of Dutch slavery. Even so in the Netherlands people are still silent of a thousand languages, a deafening silence. This makes people not so hopeful. Also in the slavery exhibition at the newly opened Tropen Museum, there was almost no attention for slavery in the East.
Of course, everything doesn't need to be like that. Not long ago Unesco announced that it had placed Cais do Valongo, a former Brazilian slave port, on its cultural heritage list. "That way we can remember aspects of human history that should not be forgotten," the reason for the step. The remnants of this port were closed and because it was hidden from children and grandchildren.
Well, in the Netherlands the history of complete slavery that lasted for several centuries has been closed and hidden from posterity. Therefore it is very urgent to improve the educational curriculum about the past of slavery, so that slavery and slave trade in the East have a place in the curriculum. It must also be included in Dutch national history and be remembered at least in national memorials. The ignorance that slavery actually happened and was the Dutch past and the wrong national image as a result, could be the basis for intolerance, racism, and hatred of foreigners.
Nations that are incapable of making changes, and therefore continue to ignore and hide the dark side of their history, are not only untrustworthy and unable to gain respect or moral authority. Nations such as this will harvest and deserve high resentment and excessive ridicule, also from the international community.
Reggie Baay, author of Daar werd wat gruwelijks verricht: Slavernij in Nederlandse-Indie (There were terrible things to do: Slavery in the Indies) in 2015.
Source: Historia
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