Jan Jacob Maria de Groot (1854 – 1921) was an important scientist who worked as a sinologist for the Dutch government and taught at the university of Leiden and Berlin. During his life, he studied...Show moreJan Jacob Maria de Groot (1854 – 1921) was an important scientist who worked as a sinologist for the Dutch government and taught at the university of Leiden and Berlin. During his life, he studied the religious customs of Chinese people in Indonesia as well as elsewhere. He was one of the great curators of the Leiden collection and also curated in Berlin, but his work was removed after his death. In this thesis, the progressive development of his works will be sketched; an attempt will be made to understand his relevance and function within the history of sinology in Leiden; and finally, his relationship to the Dutch colonial government will be put in a post-colonial perspective. Ultimately, the goal of the work is find out what Jan Jacob Maria de Groot’s goals and ambitions meant for the Dutch colonial government, and why his relevance in the history of sinology is often understated.Show less
