European Imperialism Indonesia - The Jewel in the Dutch Crown.

Marco Polo  Marco Polo visited Indonesia in 1292 while under the service of Kublai Khan.  He reported a great empire existing.

Malacca  By the 15thC. Malacca was the Venice of Sea.  In 1511 a Portuguese armada captured Malacca at its height of power and strategic importance.  Why was Indonesia the hub of international trade in the 15 th, 16th & 17 th centuries?

Why Indonesia?  The answer lies in the spices found there. Used not only for taste but as preservatives in an age that knew nothing of refrigeration  European countries sought a monopoly on trade in the “Spice Islands” - nutmeg, cloves, pepper, silk (from China) and, later, tea and coffee  By the 16 th century Portuguese influence was waning as the Dutch and British began to vie for a trading presence

The Dutch  The Dutch proclaimed their presence with the establishment of a factory at Palembang in Sumatra in  In 1602 the Dutch East India company was formed.  The British East India Company set up at Bantam (near Jakarta) in Java in  In 1623 the Dutch massacred British settlers at Ambonia (Java) and took over the settlement.

The Dutch Consolidate  In 1666 they seized the island of Celebes (Sulawesi) from the Portuguese  Despite the English presence in Sumatra (1685), the Dutch grew in power and ruthlessness.  They became very unpopular due to their harsh indirect rule.  During the Napoleonic Wars ( ) the British captured Batavia (Jakarta) and Java.

Dutch Resilience  The European Peace Treaties (post Napoleonic Wars) restored control of Batavia and Java to the Dutch.  In 1824 the British gave control of Sumatra to the Dutch in return for Malacca.  European rule had not changed the predominantly agrarian ways of the local people.

 Their culture remained rich in tradition and glory.  As the Portuguese, British, and Dutch traded feverishly such kingdoms as the Sultanate of Aceh ( ) and the Javanese kingdoms ( ) were ruled in quiet splendor.  European intervention did not at first greatly disturb the traditional way of life. The Indonesians