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1913 in Indonesian History: Demanding Equality, Changing Mentality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2020

Bart Luttikhuis  and
Arnout H. C. van der Meer
Bart Luttikhuis*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
Arnout H. C. van der Meer
Affiliation:
Colby College, Waterville, Maine, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: luttikhuis@kitlv.nl
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Abstract

In 1913, a new generation of Indonesians asserted their agency by publicly demanding equality in colonial society. Through four case studies—the prohibition of traditional forms of deference, the sudden popularity of Western dress, the adoption of new legal assimilation guidelines for Indonesians, and the discussion of employee rights at a railway company—we argue that this new assertiveness reflected a broad change in mentality that we consider a turning point in Indonesian history. By focusing on Indonesian agency, we challenge the Eurocentric periodization of the Indonesian past that emphasized WWI as a trigger of change.

Keywords

Indonesia1913Anti-colonial nationalismTurning PointsChanging mentalities

Information

Type
Original Article
Information
TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , November 2020 , pp. 115 - 133
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Institute of East Asian Studies, Sogang University.

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