Violent episodes from the early history of the Dutch East India Company, including its violent depopulation of the Banda Islands in 1609-1621 in order to gain exclusive control over nutmeg, have... Show moreViolent episodes from the early history of the Dutch East India Company, including its violent depopulation of the Banda Islands in 1609-1621 in order to gain exclusive control over nutmeg, have received increasing public and scholarly attention. However, the wider conflicts in the region over cloves, which continued for decades afterwards and were mainly centred around Ambon, received less attention as yet. In this dissertation, Tristan Mostert examines these seventeenth-century spice wars, and the influence of both environmental factors and the political dynamics of the region, from the arrival of the first Dutch ships in the area to the establishment of colonial control over Ambon, Hoamoal and the surrounding islands around 1656. The dissertation explores how the escalating conflict triggered wider regional power dynamics in which Gowa (Makassar) and Ternate were heavily involved. It also shows how the VOC turned to increasingly extreme tactics in its attempts to achieve its monopoly: deliberate environmental destruction, driving out and deporting the population, dismantling existing political and social structures. It contents that in order to understand how the VOC eventually established its monopoly, one should not look for traditional military explanations, but rather to this policy of environmental warfare and colonial control, through which it transformed the landscape of the region. Show less
This dissertation investigates ikat from the eastern Indonesian islands from a uniquely technical perspective, including design analysis of asymmetry and microscopy. Paradoxically, this technical... Show moreThis dissertation investigates ikat from the eastern Indonesian islands from a uniquely technical perspective, including design analysis of asymmetry and microscopy. Paradoxically, this technical perspective highlights the human factor. We see 19th- and early 20th-century weavers’ decisions in close-up, as if sitting next to them. This yields rich insights in both materiality and creativity. It also allowed the differentiation of 21 weave types and their distribution across 41 regions in the Indonesian archipelago.Asymmetry is widely distributed, yet has largely been ignored. Ten Hoopen discriminates seven techniques to achieve asymmetry, including visual tricks and illusions. Sumbanese royal weavers made thrilling efforts to hide their virtuosity, using tiny visual devices, secret keys, to reveal that their creations were far more labour-intensive than apparent. Ironically, because they were such great masters at hiding their virtuosity, it remained overlooked by generations of scholars.In his final chapter the author analyses what may have spurred the weavers of the region to create their most time-consuming feats of artistry, and develops a view of these women as more inventive and intelligent than they have been credited with before – and more assertive, using ikat’s prestige to spin their men into a web of taboos and prescriptions. Show less
At the end of the eighteenth century the Enlightenment brought forth new ideas on colonial relations and colonial policies. How did these ideas manifest themselves in early nineteenth-century... Show moreAt the end of the eighteenth century the Enlightenment brought forth new ideas on colonial relations and colonial policies. How did these ideas manifest themselves in early nineteenth-century literary fiction?Vaders en dochters (Fathers and daughters) focusses on three narratives about dramatic events in Moluccan history: a narrative poem by Jan Fredrik Helmers (1812), a short story by Maurits Ver Huell (1837) and a historical novel by Willem Ritter (1844). In all three the main characters are a father and a daughter. These narratives are extensely researched and analyzed. By taking in account more recent historical and antropological findings, an attempt is made to trace the emergence, rise and downfall of Enlightenment idealism in nineteenth-century historical romance.The stories of Helmers, Ver Huell and Ritter inspired other nineteenth century narratives, both literary and historical. In time some parts were integrated into Bandanese and Ambonese local histories, while the female character of Ver Huells story nowadays is considered a national heroine of Indonesia. In conclusion a postcolonial novel by Y.B. Mangunwijaya, likewise about a father and daughter in the turmoil of Moluccan history, is discussed to highlight the merits and deficiencies of Dutch colonial fiction. Show less
