From the 1900s, the Dutch state wanted to expand its territories to the Outer Islands. This expansion drift was mainly commercially driven but came together with a new policy, focused on civilizing...Show moreFrom the 1900s, the Dutch state wanted to expand its territories to the Outer Islands. This expansion drift was mainly commercially driven but came together with a new policy, focused on civilizing the indigenous people, which was called the ethical policy. To civilize the local people, education and healthcare in the Dutch East Indies had to be developed and improved. Next to education and healthcare, also developing infrastructure projects with new roads, ports and railway connections were part of the policy. For the execution of schooling and healthcare a suitable party had to be found. It seemed that the Church and its missionaries were a perfect fit. The Church wanted to spread Christianity in all places possible, even in the more remote places in the world, which fitted the expansion plans of the Dutch towards the Outer Islands. Both parties had their own objectives but in reality, they needed each other. The government wanted to expand its business and enforce the ethical policy, the missionaries could use government funding to spread the word of God. The main research question of this thesis is: To what extent did the mission in Dutch Borneo met the objectives of both Dutch government and Catholic church?Show less
The Islamic pilgrimage, the Hajj, is known as one of the biggest movement of people in the world. This annual event has long become the meeting point of Muslims from various places. In the late...Show moreThe Islamic pilgrimage, the Hajj, is known as one of the biggest movement of people in the world. This annual event has long become the meeting point of Muslims from various places. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the face of hajj changed significantly due to the advance in technology, opening of transportation routes and involvement of colonial government in conducting the hajj. The number of hajj participants from the Dutch East Indies, which were also known as the haji jawa increased greatly, including the female pilgrims, which made up 20-30% of the total pilgrims from the region. This thesis puts gender and colonial perspective together to study the female pilgrims and hajjah from the Dutch East Indies in comparison to the male counterparts. This thesis addresses the issue of how the Dutch colonial government perceived the female pilgrims and hajjah from the Dutch East Indies, such as what kind of themes appeared in the depiction of female pilgrims in the archives, where and when the female pilgrims were mentioned or not mentioned and why, and how it eventually relates to the production of knowledge about it. Contrary to the popular beliefs that the pilgrims were all male, there were many female pilgrims and many of them stayed in Mecca as moekimers. Women were mainly depicted as wife and companion, and victim of violence and slavery. They were underplayed in the archives and had never been under the spotlight in comparison to male pilgrims which were regarded as very important due to the possibility of being subversive and rebellious. The downplayed depiction of female pilgrims in the archives is continued until today in the historiography of hajj.Show less
