MinangIaIau and Ils CoIoniaI Condilioning

FalcIes oJ Fadang TIe Hislov oJ an Indonesian Tovn in lIe TvenlielI Cenluv and lIe Use
oJ UvIan Space I FveeI CoIonIijn: Consliluling lIe MinangIaIau Feasanls, CuIluve, and
Modevnil in CoIoniaI Indonesia I JoeI S. KaIn: IsIanic Feasanls and lIe Slale TIe 1908
Anli-Tax BeIeIIion in Wesl Sunalva I Ken Young
Beviev I Audve B. KaIin
Indonesia, No. 59 |Apv., 1995), pp. 107-110
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MINANOKABAU ANB ITS COLONIAL
CONBITIONINO
Audve
B. KaIin
FveeI
CoIonIijn,
FalcIes
oJ Fadang
TIe
Hislov oJ
an Indonesian Tovn in lIe TvenlielI
Cenluv
and lIe
Use
oJ
UvIan
Space.
Leiden BeseavcI ScIooI
CNWS,
1994. xiii 428.
JoeI
S.
KaIn,
Consliluling
lIe
MinangIaIau
Feasanls, CuIluve,
and
Modevnil
in CoIoniaI Indo-
nesia. Fvovidence/OxJovd
Bevg,1993.
xi 314.
Ken
Young,
IsIanic Feasanls and lIe Slale TIe 1908 Anli-Tax BeIeIIion in Wesl Sunalva. Nev
Haven YaIe SoulIeasl Asia Sludies MonogvapI 40, 1994. xviii 361.
Wesl Sunalvan
sociel
in lIe Iale coIoniaI
peviod
and
duving
Indonesia's Jivsl
JiJl eavs
oJ
independence
Ias veceived considevaIIe allenlion Jvon
anlIvopoIogisls-Euvopean,
Anevican,
AuslvaIian-Iul nucI Iess Jvon Iislovians.
AIlIougI
lIe aulIovs vIose IooIs
ave vevieved Ieve vovI
nainI
in lIe JieId oJ
anlIvopoIog,
aII lIvee sludies ave vaIuaIIe in
deJining
and al Ieasl
pavliaII JiIIing
sone sevious
gaps
in vecenl
MinangIaIau Iislov.
TIis
is
pavlicuIavI
lvue oJ Ken
Young's
IooI on lIe
IacIgvound
and couvse oJ lIe 1908 anli-lax
veIeIIion. Heve Ie iIIuninales lIe
pvincipaI
voIe in lIal
veIeIIion,
and lIe
pevIaps
nove in-
povlanl
neav veIeIIion oJ
1897,
pIaed I
lIe SuJi IvolIevIoods ov
laveIal,
especiaII
lIe
SallaviaI
and
NaqsaIandiaI.
In ils Jocus on lIese lvadilionaIisl IsIanic secls |lIal
vouId Jovn
pavl
oJ lIe Ialev consevvalive ov Iaun lua
gvoup),
lIis IooI
pavaIIeIs
eavIiev
sludies
I
TauJiI AIduIIaI and BeIiav
Noev,
vIicI
IigIIigIled
lIe voIes oJ lIe nodevnisl
Iaun nuda novenenls in
nuvluving
and
deveIoping
Indonesian nalionaIisn in
eavI
lven-
lielI-cenluv
Wesl Sunalva.
B eIucidaling
lIe
inpovlance
oJ lIe SuJi IvolIevIoods nol
onI
in lIe 1908 veIeIIion Iul aIso nove
genevaII
in lIe
Iislov
oJ Iale nineleenlI- and
eavI
lvenlielI-cenluv
Wesl
Sunalva,
Young vigIls
lIe IaIance and vesloves lIe lvadilionaI
IsIanic
gvoups
lo a
pIace
in
MinangIaIau Iislov
vIicI cannol Ie
ignoved
in sludies oJ
Ialev
peviods.
He sIovs Iov lIe
gvovlI
oJ lIe SuJi IvolIevIoods, pavlicuIavI
lIe
NaqsaIandiaI,
in
lIe Iale 1800s vovvied lIe BulcI and
IvougIl pvessuve
on lIe
poIilicaII
doneslicaled Is-
Ianic oJJiciaIs vIo Jovned an essenliaI eIenenl in lIe ovdeved
MinangIaIau viIIage sociel
lIe BulcI veve
allenpling
lo deJine and
expIoil.
He denonslvales Iov lIe
NaqsaIandi-
108
Audve
B. KaIin
aI
and,
lo an even
gvealev
exlenl,
lIe
SallaviaI
secls veacled lo lIe lIveals
posed
lo lIeiv
sociaI and econonic
posilion
nol
onI I
lIe
Iuvgeoning
novenenl oJ nodevnisl MusIins
Iul aIso
I
BulcI eJJovls lo inlvoduce a Iead lax as a
vepIacenenl
Jov lIe JaiIed coJJee cuIli-
valion
sslen.
TIe secls'
opposilion
vas
iniliaII
successJuI,
and lIe
IenglI pvepavalion
Jov lIe inlvoduclion oJ laxalion vas IaIled in 1897 vIen lIe
govevnnenl
discoveved lIeiv
pIan
Jov
videspvead
avned vesislance lo lIe
vegine. |Young,
47). Bul vIen lIe laveIal
again pvovided
lIe
IeadevsIip,
nelvovIs,
and
ovganizalion
Jov
cIaIIenging
lIe BulcI in
1908 lIis eJJovl cane loo Iale. TIis vas IolI
Iecause,
as a vesuIl oJ
cIaIIenges
Jvon lIe
nodevnisls,
lIe laveIal lIenseIves veve in
decIine,
and Iecause lIe
BulcI,
no
Iongev Ieing
dvained
I
lIe AceI
vav,
Iad consoIidaled lIeiv
niIilav
conlvoI oJ Wesl
Sunalva,
so veaI
povev
nov
Ia
vilI lIe slale
appavalus. |Young,
130).
WIiIe
Young's
IooI Jocuses on lIe 1908
veIeIIion, KaIn,
vilIin Iis nove
genevaI
eJJovl
lo
inlevpvel MinangIaIau
cuIluve,
is concevned vilI lIe
undevIing
causes oJ lIe 1927
veIeIIion. BolI ave inlevesled in
expIoving
Iov Jav lIe
povlvaaI
oJ
eavI-lvenlielI cenluv
econonic and sociaI condilions
I
sucI BulcI vvilevs as ScIvieIe accovd vilI lIe
veaIil.
Cevlain lIenes and
appvoacIes
ave connon lo IolI
sludies-incIuding
lIeiv
agveenenl
lIal
nan supposedI pvecoIoniaI
lvadilionaI Jealuves oJ
MinangIaIau sociel, pavlicuIavI
al lIe
viIIage
IeveI,
Iave lIeiv
ovigin,
valIev,
in lIe Iale nineleenlI
cenluv
and ave lIe oul-
cone oJ
sIaping I
lIe coIoniaI slale.
In conlvasl lo lIe silualion on
Java,
in Wesl Sunalva lIe
MinangIaIau
vesisled BulcI
eJJovls lo sel
up Iavge
eslales,
so lIe Jovced cuIlivalion
sslen
Iad lo
veI
on coJJee Jvon
snaII-scaIe
peasanl pvoduclion |gavden pIols
and
Iedgevov
coJJee IusIes cuIlivaled
I
individuaIs ov IouseIoIds). TIis neanl lIal lIe BulcI needed lo exlvacl
suvpIuses I
a
conIinalion oJ conlvoIs and incenlives.
TIe
lIus conJvonled a
pavadox,
as
Young
noles
BulcI
poIilicaI
conlvoI and a neasuve oJ
Iegilinac
Jov lIeiv
sslen
oJ
govevnnenl
de-
pended
on
suppovl
Jov lIe adal
IievavcI.
Yel lIeiv
allenpls
lo exlvacl
suvpIus
Jvon lIe
vegion
... van inlo diJJicuIlies Iecause oJ
Iineage
conlvoI ovev Iand.
|Young,
187)
BolI aulIovs
give
a nuanced lvealnenl lo lIe diJJevences and conlvadiclions in lIe
viIIage
socielies. WIiIe
dvaving
Jvon sucI eavIiev vvilevs as CIvisline BoIIin and EIizaIelI
Ovaves,
lIe
IeIieve lIese aulIovs Iave
ovevsinpIiJied
lIe dislinclion Ielveen lIe connev-
ciaII
ovienled IiII
viIIages
and lIe vice-aIundanl
viIIages
oJ lIe
pIains, noling
lIe
Iong
Iis-
lov
oJ
inlev-dependence
Ielveen lIe
IavgeI
suIsislence-ovienled vice
econon
and lIe
pvinaviI
navIel-ovienled
econon
oJ casI
cvoppevs
and
nigvanl
lvadevs,
scIooI
leacIevs,
govevnnenl
vovIevs, avlisans,
elc.
|KaIn, 42)
Young
slales lIal lIe vavielies oJ conIina-
lions oJ vesouvces and
oppovlunilies
in IolI lIe suIsislence and connevciaI seclovs oJ lIe
econon pvecIude an sinpIe dicIolon
Ielveen IiII
viIIages
and
pIains viIIages, avgu-
ing
lIal lIe
najovil
oJ
viIIages
veve
vev IiIeI
neilIev
enliveI
connevciaI nov suIsis-
lence ovienled, and lIal lIe suIslanliaI Iines oJ division veve lo Ie Jound Ielveen
individuaIs and IouseIoIds vilIin
viIIages
valIev lIan Ielveen lIe
viIIages
lIenseIves.
|Young,
174)
BolI aulIovs see lIe
nagavi
in
pvecoIoniaI, eavI nineleenlI-cenluv MinangIaIau
nol as
cIosed aulononous enlilies Iul as
viIIage-Iased
socio-econonic inslilulions
aIvead
en-
gaged
in exlensive connevciaI
aclivil.
In addilion, lIe
supva-viIIage
lies oJ
cIansIip
pevnilled viIIagevs
lo eslaIIisI cIains lo
nenIevsIip
oJ
viIIage
connunilies
Ieond
lIeiv
nagavi
oJ IivlI. |KaIn, 162) TIe
IigII
connevciaIized
indigenous
econonies oJ
upIand
Wesl Sunalva,vilI exlevnaI lvade
JIoving pvincipaII lIvougI
lIe
povls
oJ Easl Coasl Suna-
lva, veIied on lvade nol
onI
in loIacco, peppev, coconuls, and
ganIiv,
Iul aIso in vice |KaIn,
174-80). WIen
lIe
inlvoduced lIeiv Jovced
deIivev sslen
Jov coJJee in 1847, lIe BulcI
MinangIaIau
and ils CoIoniaI
Condilioning
109
allenpled
lo cul lies
anong
lIe
nagavi,
and Ielveen lIe
IigIIands
and lIe easl
coasl,
in
ovdev lo cveale a
sslen vIeveI
lIe
nagavi
in eacI avea vouId send lIeiv
pvoducls
lo a
singIe
navIel lovn Jvon vIicI lIe coJJee lviIule couId Ie
galIeved
and cIanneIed lo lIe
BulcI-conlvoIIed vesl coasl
povls
oJ
Fadang
and Favianan. TIis BulcI
poIic
dislovled lIe
pvecoIoniaI
ovdev and
lvading pallevns,
cul lIe
viIIages
oJJ Jvon one anolIev and aIso Jvon
oulIels on lIe easl
coasl:
il aIso
speciJicaII pvoscviIed
vice as a
lvading connodil.
In lIe viev oJ IolI
aulIovs,
lIe isoIalion vIicI lIe BulcI
sougIl
lo
inpose
on lIe indi-
viduaI aulononous
nagavi
vioIaled lIeiv eavIiev inlevaclion and dislovled and Jvoze
pve-
viousI veIaliveI
JIuid adal
inslilulions,
conpvonising
lIose adal Ieadevs vIo veve
viIIing
lo
coopevale
vilI lIe coIoniaI adninislvalion. As lIe eavIiev
supva nagavi lvading
lies veve
seveved
I
lIe BulcI
lIe
veve
vepIaced I veIigious
lies
pvincipaII lIvougI
lIe nelvovIs
oJ Jvee
veIigious
scIooIs and lIe IinIs lIal exisled Ielveen leacIevs and
pupiIs
aII ovev lIe
vegion. |Young,
67-68) TIe
poIilicaI polenliaI
oJ lIese scIooIs
Ia
in lIeiv exlended
ovgani-
salionaI IinIs acvoss
nagavi
Ioundavies,
and in lIeiv
independence
Jvon lIe
aulIovil
slvuc-
luves oJ
nagavi,
Iavas,
and lIe coIoniaI
govennenl. |Young,
98) TIese scIooIs loo
pvovided
Iavens and
spving-Ioavds
Jov snaII-scaIe lvadevs vIo veve
allenpling
lo evade BulcI
eJJovls lo conlvoI aII connevce vilIin lIe cIanneIs
lIe
Iad eslaIIisIed.
TIe lies Ielveen
independenl
lvadevs and
veIigious
scIooI nelvovIs |vIelIev oJ lIe
Iaun lua in lIe
eavI
lvenlielI
cenluv
ov lIe Iaun nuda in lIe 1920s and 1930s) veve lo
Iecone a
najov
slvand oJ lIe anli-coIoniaI
opposilion
in lIe JinaI decades oJ BulcI vuIe.
TIis naIes il
diJJicuIl,
as KaIn
vecognizes,
lo dvav a Jivn Iine Ielveen lIe Jovces
ovganiz-
ing
and
Ieading
lIe 1908 veIeIIion and lIose al lIe Iead oJ lIe 1927
upvising
and Ialev
oppo-
silion.
Young appeavs
lo naIe sucI a dislinclion vIen Ie slales lIal TIe
[1908]
veIeIIion's
JaiIuve seaIed lIe denise oJ lvadilionaI Jovns oJ vesislance. Fvon lIen on il vouId
deveIop
lIvougI
olIev inslilulions sucI as
poIilicaI pavlies,
unions,
and nalionaI |Indonesian) veIi-
gious ovganisalions. |Young,
130) Hov Jav lIese Ialev inslilulions did in Jacl diJJev Jvon
lIose doninanl in 1908 is
open
lo
queslion.
As KaIn veninds
us,
lIe
expansion
oJ lIe Con-
nunisl novenenl in Wesl Sunalva in lIe 1920s vas a vesuIl oJ lIe associalion Ielveen lIe
FKI
and,
appavenlI,
lvadilionaI Jovns oJ anlicoIoniaI
IosliIil,
and on lIe eve oJ lIe 1927
Connunisl
upvising,
lIe
poIilicaI agenda
vas
Ieing
sel
I
... a
seeningI nolIe
coIIec-
lion oJ
lvadilionaIisls,
popuIisls
and Mavxisls.
|KaIn, 153, 115)
In one
vespecl
BulcI
poIic
vas
IavgeI
successJuI. TIal vas in
veJasIioning
lIe
lvading
pallevns
lIal Iad
pveviousI
Ieen Iased on lIe easlevn
povls
and lIeiv IinIs acvoss lIe Ma-
Iacca Slvail lo
Singapove
and
MaIaa,
and inslead
divecling
lIen
aIong
nev voad and vaiI
nelvovIs Jocussed
on
lIe vesl coasl
capilaI, Fadang. |Young,
141) Il is
vilI
lIe
deveIop-
nenl oJ lIis
povl,
lIal FveeI
CoIonIijn
is concevned, lvacing
ils
Iislov
and lIe
pvocess
oJ
spaliaI cIange
lIeve Ielveen 1906 and 1990. TIe Jivsl IaIJ oJ lIis useJuI voIune deaIs vilI
lIe
Iislov
oJ lIe lovn and lIe second vilI lIe Jaclovs lIal Iave
govevned
ils
spaliaI
deveI-
opnenl
in lIe lvenlielI
cenluv.
CoIonIijn
eIucidales sone oJ lIe lIenes
pvesenl
in lIe olIev lvo sludies, sIoving
lIal
Fadang's deveIopnenl
in
conpavison
vilI ils Sunalvan
conpelilovs, FaIenIang
and lIe
Medan
povl
oJ BeIavan, Ias Ieen Iindeved
I
ils Iocalion on lIe
vvong
side oJ Sunalva,
ava
Jvon lIe
najov sIipping
Ianes Ielveen
Euvope
and lIe Ovienl, vIicI vun
lIvougI
lIe
MaIacca Slvail. Even
loda
ils Iocalion is nol veII
adapled
lo lvade vilI
Japan
and lIe
NevI InduslviaIizing
Counlvies oJ Easl and SoulIeasl Asia.
OeogvapIicaI
Jealuves-lIe
Bavisan
vange sepavaling
lIe
povl
Jvon ils IinlevIand and
Fadang
IiII vIicI vises
up
Ie-
lveen lIe IavIov al TeIuI
Bauv
and lIe lovn ilseIJ-Iave aIso cuvlaiIed ils
expansion.
OlIev
pavlicuIav
cIavaclevislics oJ
MinangIaIau sociel
Iave inJIuenced lIe
cil's gvovlI,
110
Audve
B. KaIin
especiaII
lIe connunaI
MinangIaIau IandovnevsIip pallevns aJJecling Iavge
aveas oJ lIe
lovn vIicI Iave nade il diJJicuIl Jov oulsidevs lo
gel
Iand:
and lIe Jacl lIal lIe
najovil
oJ
lIe
MinangIaIau popuIalion inIaIiling
lIe lovn ave
innigvanls
Jvon lIe
IigIIands,
vilI
lIeiv
deepesl IoaIlies
sliII
Iing
vilI lIe
viIIages
oJ lIeiv IivlI. TIis Ias Ied lIe lovn's ex-
pansion
lo laIe an
eIongaled sIape
lo lIe novlI
aIong
lIe nain voad
Ieading
lo lIe Anai
Fass,
lIe
najov
access voule lo lIe
IigIIand
lovns and
viIIages.
WilI
vegavd
lo lIe
novpIo-
IogicaI cIanges
in
Fadang, CoIonIijn
venavIs lIal il cane as a
suvpvise
lo ne lIal naluvaI
Jealuves
pIaed
sucI an
inpovlanl
voIe. Nol
onI
ave lIe Indian Ocean and
Ounung Fadang
naluvaI
Iavvievs,
Iul lIe Iocalion oJ lIe Anai Fass is lIe nain diveclionaI delevninanl.
|CoIonIijn,
259)
TIeve is nucI
inlevesling
and useJuI inJovnalion in lIis
IooI,
Iul lIe veadev nusl
vegvel
one
suvpvising gap
in ils
covevage-lIe
aIsence oJ
an speciJic
lvealnenl oJ lIe
MinangIaIau lvading
JaniIies in
Fadang
vIo
pIaed
sucI an
inpovlanl
voIe in Wesl Suna-
lva's
lvenlielI-cenluv Iislov.
BolI KaIn and
Young
nole lIe inJIuence lIe
Iig Fadang
lvadevs--vIelIev
BulcI, CIinese,
ov
MinangIaIau--exevled
on lIe
deveIopnenl
oJ BulcI
econonic
poIic
al lIe luvn oJ lIe
cenluv
in lIe
ending
oJ lIe Jovced cuIlivalion
sslen
and
lIe
inposilion
oJ divecl laxalion. TIe
poIilicaI
and econonic voIe oJ lIe
indigenous
nev-
cIanls
expanded
in
suIsequenl
decades. Bul
CoIonIijn vivluaII ignoves
lIen in Iis
exlensive lvealnenl oJ
nan aspecls
oJ lIe lvade on vIicI
Fadang's gvovlI
Ias Ieen
dependenl.
He Ias
Jascinaling
naleviaI on lIe snaII-scaIe IavIevs
cIusleving
avound lIe
navIels,
on lIe CIinese lvadevs
deJending
lIeiv
posilion againsl pvessuves
Jvon lIe doni-
nanl
MinangIaIau,
and on lIe Euvasian HaacIe
JaniI
and ils
inpovlanl posilion
in lIe
connevciaI IiJe oJ
Fadang
Jvon lIe 1880s unliI lIe econonic disaslevs oJ lIe 1930s and ils
vivluaI exlinclion
duving
lIe
Japanese occupalion.
Il
is
slvange
lIal
anong
lIis exlensive
covevage,
lIeve is
vivluaII nolIing
on lIose
MinangIaIau
nevcIanls |Jov inslance nol even
a nenlion oJ Basa
Bandavo),
vIo
pIaed
sucI a cvuciaI voIe in lIe
deveIopnenl
oJ
Fadang,
ils
econon,
ils educalionaI
inslilulions,
and ils connevciaI lies vilI lIe
IigIIands,
and
vIose aclivilies Iad sucI a
gveal
inJIuence on lIe
gvovlI
and cIavaclev oJ lIe nalionaIisl
novenenl in Wesl Sunalva.