Indonesian Historiography

Since colonialism regulated the major indigenous people custom, Dutch government brought about some impacts to assimilate Westernization went right through local customs. Since first Dutch merchants arrival on Banten 1596 led by De Houtman, main prior was aimed for commerce. Yet, local people felt it was a menace that threatened their life. Then, they assaulted and withdrew but got home back with full spices shipload. The Dutch King in Holland caught a whisper a land promising spices and peppers, so that fourteen expeditions were sent off throughout world. Finally, they discovered Indonesia and determined to settle down. By that, local system was to be dominated of the colonial authority and modernization more frequently came to be.

Indonesian historiography is written by using colonial insight. Occasions related to colonial activities would be written on, anything beyond of unbenefited activities to government would be skipped out, using their perspective. Small things, for instance the peasant movements were rarely loomed by colonial historians. General depiction emphasized only on nobilities and surroundings. Local inhabitants were regarded as the suffered objects, the blamed people. This is what academic historians have to deal with. Colonial historiography was likely to be replaced on right position, no more becoming one single perspective. We are to turn over the colonial perspective to get into Indonesian perspective. So, it’s time to Indonesian themselves formulate their own history, without colonial intervention anymore.

Actually, national consciousness had been thought, before the Seminar Sejarah I on 1957, twelve years after Indonesian can breathe an independent breeze freely. We can find it out in “Sedjarah Peperangan Dipanagara: Pahlawan Kemerdekaan Indonesia”, book by Muhammad Yamin, “TNI I” by A.H. Nasution, and “Sedjarah Perdjuangan Indonesia” by M. Dimdjati. The Seminar then produced a nationalism perspective that should be attached on every educational book for scholars. According to academic historians, youths need a stimulating history to impart nationalism. Sartono Kartodirdjo revealed Indonesian National History is not the only cause to be seen. Born of Indonesian history deprived from many interconnected events, one caused another. He called this “the integration” concept. Indonesia as the result from many influences, not enough could be looked up “from within” but also “from outward”. He again stressed and paid much attention on history themes in preceding times were only about politic domination. As though, historians had serious amnesia to write down outskirt of political instruments. Becoming a history that attempts to move out from colonial perspective is now required. This is what then called “the decolonization of Indonesian historiography” when indigenous people become the active role.

History does not belong to mere politic. The other essential background is through social approach. Politic just mainly sketches about “the great man”. We need for other aspects to show how local society gives donation to history process. Getting closer to ordinary people, social approach is deemed the fittest aspect to take up. Social approach more recommended due to reflecting genuine daily life of human being.