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
Candi Borobudur is one of the most prominent ‘heritage sites’ in Indonesia. Since its ‘rediscovery’ by Dutch colonists, researchers have been using Western approaches to gain insight in the...Show moreCandi Borobudur is one of the most prominent ‘heritage sites’ in Indonesia. Since its ‘rediscovery’ by Dutch colonists, researchers have been using Western approaches to gain insight in the function, surroundings and overall significance of the candi. In doing so, many scholars have overlooked the Buddhist theological aspects that demonstrate the existence of a cultural landscape in the form of a representative mandala. Within this cultural landscape, local villagers had long maintained a self-sufficient way of life that was both environmentally friendly and economically diverse. Nevertheless, the Dutch East Indies government prescribed that Candi Borobudur be a ‘monument’ and appropriated it as part of Dutch imperial legacy. This narrow understanding is the basis of the ‘heritagisation’ of Candi Borobudur, manifested in its spatial reduction and the omission of its intangible features. After the Republic of Indonesia’s independence, the New Order regime continued to ‘heritagise’ the candi by conducting an exhaustive restoration in the 1970s. An example of ‘crypto-colonialism’ and ‘authorised heritage’, the restoration culminated in Candi Borobudur’s inscription in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List in 1991. According to the official Indonesian narrative, the candi is a ‘monument’ that epitomises Indonesian cultural and historical wealth. Inspired by the republic’s Pancasila ideology, such a narrative is to instill a sense of ownership of the candi among Indonesians. Ironically, the process of ‘heritagisation’ of Candi Borobudur has entailed the co-optation of obsolete legislation and forced evictions of local communities. Given that the candi is a Buddhist site in a Muslim-majority country, its religious meaning has also become increasingly foreign. Overall, the ‘heritagisation’ of Candi Borobudur demonstrates both a combination of and a contention between ‘colonial’ and nationalist practices.Show less
