Indonesia Tourist Guides — History

Human fossil skulls excavated in Indonesia during the 19th and 20th centuries point to the island of Java being the home of primitive man. Fossils of Homo Erectus - an ice-age near man, and Solo Man, a brain eating cannibal are indications of human inhabitation on these islands some five million years ago. The earliest known Homo Sapiens, the Wajak Man inhabited the Indonesian islands in more recent times - about ten to twelve thousand years ago.

The earliest records of Java are to be found in Indian chronicles from as far back as 600 BC, and Indonesia even finds mention in the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Indian influences came to Indonesia with traders in the 2nd century AD - and Indian culture and religion, then at the height of its golden period, found a fertile home in the feudal ruling classes of the Indonesian islands. Hindu dominance lasted for a period of fourteen hundred years, from 200 AD to 1600. Southern Indian scripts and Sanskrit had an influence on language, and astronomy, navigation techniques, the art of pottery and textile dying, sculpture, arts, architecture, philosophy and metaphysics were absorbed and integrated, as were the Hindu hierarchies of social structure.

By the 5th century, Hinduism was well entrenched in Java, with Brahmanist cults worshipping Shiva. The 9th century saw a fusion of beliefs, where Buddha and Shiva were worshipped as incarnations of the same being. However, the influence of Hinduism had no significant impact on the rural people, who practiced animism, some of whom continue to do so today. Buddhism found its roots in island of Sumatra and the two religions co-existed and developed peacefully.

The Indian era in Indonesia saw the rise and fall of many kingdoms - the Sriwijaya, Pajajaran, Sailendra, Kediri, Singosari, reaching its peak with the Majapahit Empire - considered the Golden Age of Indonesia. This period (1294-1398) saw Indonesian sculpture and architecture move away from Indian influences and move towards the establishment of more indigenous forms of culture.

Islam saw an entry into Indonesia as early as the 4th century, and was accepted in the areas of Indonesia which were least influenced by the Hindu kingdoms. The egalitarian and revolutionary concepts of Islam were embraced by the people as an alternative to feudal bondage, and had a greatly democratizing and civilizing influence on Indonesian society.

The Portuguese period in Indonesian history, though short (1512 - 1662), had a deep impact - Portuguese was imposed as the lingua franca, and the Portuguese influence still exists in language, music and architecture. In the 17th century, with the British busy setting up trading posts and concentrating on Singapore, Indonesia was left to the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch started out as traders, and slowly extended their colonial tentacles over lands, production and political life, which saw a complete Dutch hegemony over Indonesian life.

Dutch colonial rule came to an end in 1949 - when the sovereign republic of Indonesia was formed. The first president of Indonesia, Achmed Soekarno started off with a shaky parliamentary democracy, but soon reverted to an authoritarian style of government, which led Indonesia into economic starvation and political chaos. In 1966 General Soeharto, whose regime, overthrew Soekarno in a political coup till 1998 saw Indonesia further slide into political chaos, internal rebellion and anarchy, and economic instability.

Today Islamic extremism, corruption, military excesses, separatist movements and violence in the name of religion foment Indonesia.

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