Indonesian History

Fossilized remains of Homo erectus, which the anthropologist is also dubbed "Java Man", raises allegations that the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago. [11] Austronesian people, who form the majority of the population at this time, migrate to Southeast Asia from Taiwan. They arrived at around 2000 BC, and causes the Melanesian nation that has existed there earlier pushed into remote areas in the eastern archipelago. [12] The condition of the ideal place for agriculture, and control of rice

cultivation since at least the century -8 BC, [13] cause a lot of neighborhoods, cities and small kingdoms grow well in the first century AD. In addition, Indonesia is located in the international sea trade routes and inter-island, cruise lines have become between India and China for several centuries. [14] History of Indonesia subsequently experienced a lot of influence from these trading activities. [15]
Since the 1st century Indonesian trading ship has sailed away, even to Africa. A part of the relief ship in the temple of Borobudur, k. 800 AD

Under the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the island of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java since the 4th century until the 14th century. Kutai, the oldest kingdom in the archipelago that stands in the 4th century in the Mahakam river, East Kalimantan. In the western region of Java island, in the 4th century until the 7th century AD stand Tarumanegara kingdom. Tarumanagara government followed by the Kingdom of Sunda from the year 669 AD to 1579 AD In the 7th century Malay kingdom appears centered in Jambi, Sumatra. Srivijaya Malay defeat and emerged as the most powerful maritime kingdom in the archipelago. Territory covering Sumatra, Java, Malay peninsula, while controlling commerce in the Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait, and South China Sea. [16] Under the influence of Srivijaya, between the 8th century and the 10th dynasty and the Sanjaya dynasty successfully developed kingdom agriculture-based empire in Java, with its historical relics such as temples of Borobudur and Prambanan temple. At the end of the 13th century, Majapahit stood in the eastern part of Java island. Under the leadership of Mahapatih Gajah Mada, its influence stretched over much of Indonesia; and is often called "Golden Age" in Indonesian history. [17]

The arrival of Arab traders and Persian through Gujarat, India, and then brought the Islamic religion. In addition, Chinese sailors, led by Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He), the religion of Islam, also never stop in this region at the beginning of the 15th century. [18] The merchants are also spread the Islamic religion in some parts of the archipelago. Pasai Ocean, established in 1267, is the first Islamic kingdom in Indonesia.

When Europeans arrived in the early 16th century, they found several kingdoms which they can easily be mastered in order to dominate the spice trade. Portuguese first landed in two ports of Banten and Sunda Kingdom of Sunda Kelapa, but can be evicted and moved to the east and master the Moluccas. In the 17th century, the Dutch emerged as the strongest among the other European countries, beating the United Kingdom and Portugal (except for their colony, Portuguese Timor). At that time Christianity arrived in Indonesia as one of the old imperialist mission, known as 3G, that is Gold, Glory, and Gospel. [19] The Dutch controlled Indonesia as a colony until World War II, initially through the VOC, and then directly by the Dutch government since the beginning of the 19th century.
Johannes van den Bosch, founder cultuurstelsel.

Under the system cultuurstelsel (Investment Systems) in the 19th century, large plantations and forced cultivation implemented in Java, finally generate profits for the Dutch East India Company which can not be reproduced. During the colonial administration a freer after 1870, the system was abolished. After 1901 the Dutch introduced the Ethical Policy, [20] which included limited political reform and greater investment in the Dutch East Indies.

During World War II, when Holland was occupied by Germany, Japan controlled Indonesia. After getting Indonesia in 1942, Japan saw that the fighters Indonesia is a co-trading cooperative and willing to deploy troops when needed. Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, KH. Mas Mansur, and Ki Hajar Dewantara given an award by the Emperor of Japan in 1943.
Sukarno, Indonesia's first president.

In March 1945 the Japanese formed a committee for Indonesian independence. After the Pacific war ended in 1945, under pressure from youth organizations, Soekarno-Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945. After independence, the three founders of the nation namely Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Sutan Sjahrir each served as president, vice presidents, and prime minister. In an effort to regain control of Indonesia, the Dutch sent their troops.

Bloody efforts to curb this freedom movement came to be known by the Dutch as 'police action' (Politionele Actie), or known by the people of Indonesia as the Military Aggression. [21] The Dutch finally accepted the right of Indonesia to independence on December 27, 1949 as a federal state called the Republic of Indonesia States after receiving strong pressure from the international community, especially the United States. Integral Natsir motion on August 17, 1950, calling for the return of the unitary state of Indonesia and dissolve the United States of Indonesia. Sukarno returned as president with Mohammad Hatta as vice president and Mohammad Natsir as prime minister.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the government of Sukarno began to follow at once pioneering non-aligned movement at first, then became closer to socialist bloc, for example, People's Republic of China and Yugoslavia. In the 1960s witnessed the occurrence of military confrontation against neighboring countries, Malaysia ("Confrontation"), [22] and dissatisfaction with the growing economic difficulties. Subsequently in 1965 erupted G30S incident which caused the death of 6 people generals and a number of other middle-ranking officers. It comes new power that calls itself the New Order which immediately accused the Communist Party of Indonesia as the brain behind this event and intends to overthrow the legitimate government and replace the national ideology into socialist-communist based. This accusation was once used as an excuse to replace the old government under President Sukarno.
Hatta, Sukarno, and Sjahrir, the three founders of Indonesia.

General Suharto became president in 1967 on the grounds to secure the country from the threat of communism. Meanwhile, Sukarno's own physical condition has weakened. After Suharto came to power, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian citizens suspected of engaging the communist party were killed, while many more citizens of Indonesia who were overseas, did not dare return to their homeland, and finally revoked his citizenship. Thirty-two year reign of Suharto's New Order called, while the reign of Sukarno called the Old Order.

Suharto implement neoliberal economic and successfully bring in massive foreign investment to enter Indonesia and produce great economic growth, though uneven. At the beginning of the New Order regime policies ekomomi Indonesia prepared by a group of economists graduate of the Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, who was called "Berkeley Mafia". [23] However, Suharto and his family add to their wealth through corruption, collusion, and nepotism are widespread and he finally forced to step down from his post after massive demonstrations and the deteriorating economic conditions in 1998.

From 1998 to 2001, Indonesia had three presidents: Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. In 2004 the largest single day election in the world [24] was held and won by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Indonesia is currently experiencing economic problems, political and religious strife in the country, and some areas trying to gain independence, particularly in Papua. East Timor finally officially broke away in 1999 after 24 years of union with Indonesia and 3 years in a country under UN administration of East Timor.

In December 2004 and March 2005, the Aceh and Nias hit by two major earthquakes that killed hundreds of thousands of people in total. (Refer to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the Sumatra earthquake in March 2005.) This incident was followed by the Yogyakarta earthquake and tsunami that hit Pangandaran Beach and its surrounding areas, and mud flood in Sidoarjo in 2006 that does not go unsolved.