What is war to whom? The troops roaming on Java in the late seventeenth century were of all shapes and colours. Some came from Sulawesi, some from Madura; some were religious others acquisitive....Show moreWhat is war to whom? The troops roaming on Java in the late seventeenth century were of all shapes and colours. Some came from Sulawesi, some from Madura; some were religious others acquisitive. Usually they operated in small units known as war-bands led by a warlord. Despite the differences between these war-bands, many of them did gather and fight under a single banner. Often they hurdled behind overlords -sunans or sultans- who were in need for additional brawn; a competitive market of martial supply and demand resulted. The king with the most men usually won. Even the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was part of this market and relied on indigenous patrol. In 1677, the Company decided to support the Central Javanese realm called Mataram and thus landed in a diplomatic struggle for troops. This thesis wonders how VOC men reported on these warriors and what clues are given of a Javanese military labour market at odds with the European one. The Dutch commanders would soon find out drawing in allies was as important as winning battles; the extent to which they could enter the networks of warlords and rulers thereby determined much of their victory. This thesis tells how far they did in the two chaotic and bloody years of 1677 and 1678.Show less
Vanwege de groeiende onvrede over het functioneren van de Nederlandse democratie begonnen drie politieke partijen midden jaren zestig na te denken over manieren om het evenredige kiesstelsel te...Show moreVanwege de groeiende onvrede over het functioneren van de Nederlandse democratie begonnen drie politieke partijen midden jaren zestig na te denken over manieren om het evenredige kiesstelsel te hervormen. De kiezer invloed geven op de regeringsvorming werd daarbij het uitgangspunt. Men trachtte dit onder meer te bereiken door voor de verkiezingen al een regeerakkoord te sluiten. Dit onderhandelingsresultaat, ook wel het stembusakkoord genoemd, legde de deelnemende partijen, te weten de PvdA, D’66 en PPR, dan aan de kiezer voor. Ondanks dat het instrument de partijen gezamenlijk winst bracht bij de Kamerverkiezingen van ’71 en ’72, raakte het stembusakkoord nadien in de vergetelheid.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
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This thesis describes and analyzes the famine that occurred in the Netherlands East Indies, c. 1900-1904. The famine affected Java and parts of the Outer Islands. It details (the principles behind)...Show moreThis thesis describes and analyzes the famine that occurred in the Netherlands East Indies, c. 1900-1904. The famine affected Java and parts of the Outer Islands. It details (the principles behind) the relief efforts of the Dutch colonial government. It also analyzes how the colonial government used the famine to accumulate knowledge on the subject, while politically representing and justifying its response. The thesis argues that famines and food shortages are integral to understanding the colonial state and colonial society. Further, it takes a comparative perspective by connecting the famine to famine experiences of other colonial powers in British India and French Indochina.Show less