REPUBLIC VERSUS KINGDOM

Title : Mangir

Author : Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

Using historical background, Pramoedya wrote a play. The setting is Mataram, the present day Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in the 16^th century. This is a folk tale that still alive up to know, but Pramoedya’s version is a little different. Mangir was a village republic and its ruler was not a king. He was a chief. In Pramoedya’s opinion a chief works for his people while a king is a burden for his people. So Pramoedya used the story to express his anti-feudalism political ideas.

Mangir was a small territory west of the present day Yogyakarta. The troop of Mangir was so strong that it was very difficult to beat them. Senopati, the king of Mataram, then planned a strategy to conquer them. He ordered Pembayun, his own daughter, to become a member of an intelligence unit under Ki Juru Mertani, one of his generals. Pembayun pretended to be a troubadour. Together with her group she set out to Mangir. Wanabaya, the chief of Mangir fell in love and soon married her. At first the other members of Mangir leadership disagreed with his decision to marry Pembayun but Wanabaya insisted so they refrained. Even so their suspicion remained.

One day Pembayun could not deny anymore that she was the daughter of Senapati. Despite his surprise Wanabaya agreed to come to Mataram to show respect to his father in law. Meanwhile in Mataram Senapati had prepared troops to kill him. Although he fought bravely he was killed and his territory was occupied by Mataram. Pemanahan, the father and founder of Mataram was also killed in the fighting.

In my opinion Pramoedya used the story to portray fierceness of a kingdom . He was sure that kingdom were very oppressive. Mataram is an agressor and conqueror. Meanwhile Mangir represents a republic that serves the interests of its people. Maybe he wanted to tell that most republic were easy prey for kingdoms. In short he wanted to show the dark sides of kingdoms and to promote equality and justice.

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Tags: 16th century, equality, Kingdom, Mangir, Mataram, oppression, Republic, Yogyakarta

ISLAMIC LOVE STORY

Book title : Ayat ayat Cinta (Verses of love).

Author : Habiburahman el Shirazy.

Fahri, the main character, is an Indonesian student who studies Islam in Cairo, Egypt. At the time he almost finished his studies. He prepares his master’s thesis. Once a week he takes a lesson on Koran reading from a famous scholar Syaikh Utsman who lives in a different part of the city. Fahri always takes a train to go there. One day in the train he met and talked to an Egyptian girl named Maria who is also his neighbor. It is in the same train that he met Aisha, a Turkish- German girl. Aisha gave a seat to an American woman. Her action made a man got mad because he hates American. Fahri calmed him down and argue that it is obligatory for moslem to protect visitors and treat them well. Since that day his relationship to Maria and her family got closer.

He was so delighted when his academic advisor accepted his thesis proposal that he wanted to celebrate it. He bought Egyptian fried chicken and ate it with his friends on top of his apartment building. Suddenly he heard someone crying. Soon he found out that Noura, his neighbor was crying outside because her father beat her. Fahri contacted Maria to calm her. Maria went downstairs and that night Noura slept at Maria’s room.

The next morning Mr Boutros, Maria’s father talked to Fahri about Noura. He asked Fahri to find a place for Noura. Then Fahri asked his friend Nurul, an Indonesian girl who studies in Egypt to help Noura. Nurul was ready to help, then Noura went to Nasr city early in the morning.

Meanwhile Aisha accompanied Alicia, an American woman, to meet Fahri at a metro station. Alicia asked him many questions about women in Islam. Fahri explained about the concept of women in Islam.

Syaikh Ahmad is Fahri’s teacher. He is a wellknown ulama or moslem scholar. When Fahri told him about Noura he was so touched to hear Noura’s suffering that he decided to help her. He asked Noura to live in his parents’ house in a village far from Cairo. Noura then lived there.

One day Fahri received a long letter from Noura. She wrote about her sorrow and her feeling of love to Fahri. Fahri was so touched to read her letter that expressed her suffering. He never thought that Noura lived an unhappy life. He decided to tell Syaikh Ahmad, his teacher, about it. Upon reading it Syaikh Ahmad was also touched and shed tears. Then Fahri let Syaikh Ahmad to keep the letter.

When he went home he fell unconcious in front of his house. Due to the extreme heat Fahri suffered from heat stroke so he had to lay in bed for several days. One morning when she woke up he realized that Maria was at his bedside. As a moslem he was very surprised and felt guilty since being together with a woman in a room is forbidden in Islamic law.

In his unconsciousness Fahri suddenly saw someone came to him. He was thin and his face was shining. He introduced himself as Abdullah bin Mas’ud. Fahri was very surprised because Abdullah bin Mas’ud was a close associate of prophet Muhammad whose skill of Koranic reading was so well that the prophet himself love to hear him reading. Fahri kissed his hand and he was smiling and hug him. Then he whispered prayer to Fahri. At that time Fahri could stand. Then Abdullah bin Mas’Ud asked Fahri to read the Koranic verse of Al Baqarah (The Cow), the second verse of Koran. When Fahri read it Abdullah corrected him several times. Abdullah also said that there will always be people who want to destroy and obstruct Al Qur’an (the Holy Koran) but they will surely fail because Allah himself guard the Koran.

When Fahri awoke he saw his friends and Nurul. Then his teacher Syaikh Utsman also came to see him. He gave Fahri water of zamzam (from Al Haram mosque in Mecca). The next morning Fahri will be operated to remove frozen blood in his brain but CT Scan showed that the blood has gone. The surgery was cancelled and Fahri soon got better. There was a surprise as someone had paid his hospital expenses.

Syaikh Utsman asked Fahri if he wants to marry in the near future. He told Fahri that someone was looking for a right candidate to be the husband of his niece. Further he said that the girls is really a devout muslim. Fahri was surprised because he lived a simple life and he was not financially ready to marry. Syaikh Utsman told him that the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married when he was poor and so did Ali bin Abu Thalib. He added that the girl was looking for a devout husband, not a rich one. He also gave Fahri her picture but Fahri did not dare to take a look.

One day Fahri called his mother to ask her permission to marry and she agreed. After that Syaikh Utsman arranged a meeting with his would be wife. When the mystery guest came Fahri realized that they are the family of Erbakan and Aisha. In the meeting both sides agreed that the couple would soon marry in an Islamic way. The wedding ceremony was held at Abu Bakr Ash Shiddiq mosque.

Several days later Eqbal Erbakan, Aisha’s uncle brought the happy couple to the family residence in a luxurious apartment building. Aisha turned out to be a rich girl. She comes from a rich family. Her father was a German businessman and her mother was a Palestinian woman. Her mother passed away some years earlier. Aisha received a lot of money from her father. So Fahri and Aisha enjoyed their happy life in Aisha’s apartment.

Unfortunately their happiness did not last long. One day suddenly police came to their apartment to arrest Fahri. They charged him to have raped Nura. Fahri denied all the accusations but he was jailed. Then the trial followed. At first the accusations remain. Noura insist that she was raped by Fahri his house. Meanwhile Fahri wanted to find Maria because she was a key witness. Then one day madame Nahed, Maria’s mother came to see him. She told him that Maria was seriously ill and that she always called his name. Maria loves him very much. Yousef, Maria’s brother, told him that it was Maria who paid all the hospital expenses when Fahri was hospitalized. Madame Nahed asked Fahri to help Maria. She wanted Fahri to give words of comforts to Maria. Fahri was confused.

On the next session of the trial Mr Boutros, Maria’s father, gave his testimony. He denied that Noura slept at Fahri’s room that night because Noura slept at Maria’s room. Meanwhile Fahri received a letter from Al Azhar stating that he was expelled from al Azhar University for indecent behavior.

When madame Nahed once again asked Fahri to help Maria, Fahri agreed. With her family he came to see Maria. It was a heart-touching scene. He was surprised when he saw Maria. She was thin and lose her cheerfulness. A doctor told him that she can be cured with love only. Her family also showed him her diary in which she expressed her love to Fahri. At first Fahri could not say a word. He had married to Aisha so it was impossible for him to say words of love to Maria. Her family kept on begging Fahri to help.

Then Madame Nahed talked to Aisha. Finally Aisha was touched and agreed that Fahri had to marry Maria to save her. She even gave her ring to Maria. So Fahri married Maria. After a brief religious wedding ceremony Maria woke up. Fahri had two wives by then.

In the next session of the trial Maria gave her testimony. She said that Noura was in her room since midnight to dawn. Gamal, another eyewitness also denied accusations to Fahri. Finally Noura who was cornered also withdraw her charges to Fahri. She said that she really loved Fahri and wanted to marry to him. She also said that she was rapd by her step father that night. At last Fahri was released from jail. All accusations were dropped.

The heart –touching scene is the last part. Maria was unconscious since she gave her testimony in the trial. One day when she was lying in bed she recited some verses from the Holy Koran while she was a Coptic Christian. When she awoke she told her husband that she was very sad because she was not allowed to get into paradise. In her unconsciousness she went to a very beautiful place. She saw a shining greenish palace. It was very large. Its grandeur is beyond imagination. She saw many people wearing beautiful dress entered its beautiful door. Then she wanted to get in. But at the door someone repelled her. He said that the door is Babush shalat or a door for those who do prayer in their life time and Maria is not one of them. The she walked to another door. Once again she was repelled. The door is Babur Raiyyan or the door for those who used to fast in their life time and Maria is not one of them. Then she walked to another door. But again and again she was repelled because the door is Babuz Zakat or the door for those who used to pay due to the poor and Maria was not one of them. After that she went to another door. It was Babut Taubah or the door for those who repent in their lifetime and she was not one of them. When she went back to the previous doors all were closed. Then she stood in front of Babur Rahmah (door of mercy). But it was closed. She cried and she recited Koranic verses that she knew. It was verses about Mary, the mother of Isa or Jesus. Suddenly Babur Rahmah was slowly opened. A graceful lady came out and asked her. She also told her that Maria could enter Paradise if she had the key. They key is the teaching of Prophet Muhammad. Mary also ordered her to have ablution and find they key immediately. And she promised she would bring Maria to paradise when she had the key.

So Maria went and she woke up feeling very sad. She asked Fahri to help her. Fahri was touched. He immediately help her to have ablution and pray. After praying Maria passed away in peace.

But ah, thou soul at peace !

Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure!

Enter thou among My bondmen !

Enter thou My Garden!

Al Fajar / The Dawn 27-30.

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This novel is best seller in Indonesia today. It has been filmed and achieved the same success. So did the theme song of the film. I am sure that it is worth translating into English and maybe Arabic.

Habiburahman El Shirazy was born in Semarang, Central Java in 1976. After finishing his basic and secondary education in Indonesia he went to Egypt to continue his sudy at Al Azhar University in Cairo. He started his writing carrer since he was a student in the 1990’s. He wrote poems, articles and play. Today he is a rising star in Indonesian literature. His second novel Ketika Cinta Bertasbih will be filmed soon

Tags: Al Azhar, death, Egypt, Islam, marriage, polygamy, wedding

Book Title  :  Glonggong.

Author       :  Junaedi Setiyono

The setting of the novel is Java in the 19th century.  At the time Java was a Dutch colony.  The main character lived in Tegalrejo,  a small village in the outskirt of Yogyakarta.  He was a son of a nobleman named Suwanda.  Later he knew that Suwanda was his step father.  Although he was born as a step son of a nobleman,  he grew up in a village.  He barely could read and write.  He learned Javanese and Arabic characters from his neighbor Kyai Ngali,  an Islamic clergyman.  As a village boy he used to play with other village boys.  He would play fighting games with his friends using papaya leaves as sword.  In Javanese language it is called Glonggong.  He was really good at fighting with it that he was addressed as Glonggong.  One day when he fought with his friend in a village road,   someone watched him attentively.  He was Antawirya a.ka.  Diponegoro,  a prince from Yogyakarta palace who would lead Java war.

Glonggong realized that his mother was ill.  She never got out of her house.  She always stayed inside her room.  She would sing Javanese songs all day long.  She was never cheerful and she looked depressed.

When his servants told him that he and his mother should move to another house he realized that his mother was divorced.  This time he lived in a smaller house in the same village.  He would bring his mother everyday to a river to take a bath.  Then Glongggong knew that Suwanda,  his step father,  had a new wife.  When he passed by Suwanda’s house he saw a nice girl named Endang.  Surya,  his childhood friend had a crush on her but Endang would soon marry to Prayitna.  Prayitna was very jealous to Glonggong and Surya.  When an opportunity came Prayitna fought Glonggong.  It was a fierce fight but Prayitna lose.

After the fight Kyai Ngali,  his teacher,  warned Glonggong that what he did was wrong.  He also warned him that a great war would soon break and that Glonggong should choose a good side.  He meant prince Diponogoro’s side.

Since he won the fight with Prayitna,   Glonggong got a reputation as as a good fighter,  although he made a living by selling chicken to local market.  Meanwhile Endang often met his mother in the river.  This action made Prayitna even more jealous.  Then second fight broke.  Prayitna attacked him when brought his mother back from the river.  His attack also injured Glonggong’s mother.  Glonggong was really mad and he fought back.  This time Prayitna was badly injured.  Not long after that Glonggong’s house was on fire and he could not save his mother.

At the age of seventeen he lose his beloved mother.  Desperate Glonggong was known as a good fighter by the time.  Then Surya offered him a job at a noble house.  St first he worked as a servant but later he realized that his real job was as a bodyguard.  There he met Danar,  another maid,  who helped him learn Latin character.  He also learned that his real father was Ki Sena.

Then he would work as a bodyguard for court officials who traveled far.  He often guard them to Magelang,  a small town about 40 km to the north of Yogyakarta,  to play gambling and to go to brothel.

Surya told him that Ki Sena was in prison because he rebelled the Dutch colonial government but he failed.  Surya also told him that Danar could lead to him.  But Danar just gave him little information that Ki Sena was in Wirogunan jail.

When he guarded his boss Pringga to prince Diponegoro’s residence in Tegalrejo,  he saw mob.  There were many soldiers and workers working on a project.  They were building a road trespassing prince Diponegoro’s land.  Three days later the road project was ruined by the prince’s followers.  Soon hostility escalated.  Several fights followed.

One afternoon he went to pick up his master at prince Diponegoro’s residence.  As he approached Tegalrejo he the mob again.  Suddenly sounds of cannon were heard.  It was the day when the Dutch army attacked prince Diponegoro’s residence.  People ran in panic.  The situation was chaotic.  From a distant he saw black smoke.  He was sure that prince Diponegoro’s residence was burned.  He ran everywhere to find his master.  Finally he found his master who escaped with the prince.  He saw the prince wearing white cloth and talked to his followers.  He gave oration to raise their fighting spirit.  It was July 20,  1825,  the day when Java war broke.

One day Glonggong and Danar guarded someone to Semarang.  Glonggong was curious because his father,  who had been released from jail,   lived there.  At night he went out to find out about Danti,  his sister,  and Ki Sena,  his father.  When he asked a man about Danti his reaction was discouraging.  The man recommended him to go to a brothel.  Danti his sister was a prostitute.  So he went to to find Danti.  He did not find her but a prostitute told her that Danti was smart and lucky.

One night suddenly Glonggong was arrested by Danar and his boss and then he was jailed in the middle of a forest for he was suspected to have contact with a spy from the Yogyakarta palace.  But then one day he was released and soon asked to join Jayengan unit.  This was an army unit under Diponegoro who rebelled the Dutch colonial ruler.  later he was told that his boss Pringga had betrayed the prince and joined the Yogyakarta palace.  He also realized that his father Ki Sena once was a follower of prince Diponegoro and that his duty was to guard the logistics of the Diponegoro army.  Then the unit commander assigned him the same duty.  It was a hard and dangerous job because the army was always on the move since they used guerilla tactics and became enemy’s target.  Surya,  his childhood friend,  did the job before him but he failed.  He reported that his stuff was robbed twice.  So he lost the job.  Then Suta,  also his childhood friend,  failed to do the job.  He was badly wounded in a battle.

Since that time on Glonggong did his new job dutifully.  He roamed from one area to another,  supplying the Diponegoro army with arms and food secretly.  One day he had to guard some stuff to Ungaran,  a dangerous place whre his father and Surya were killed.  The danger proved to be true when he got to a forest just outside of Ungaran.  Some people stood on his way.  They immediately attacked him.  Since he was a good fighter he could beat them easily.  Then someone came.  It was Danar,  his friend.  Danar was not a great problem for him.  Glonggong could finish him easily.  As he would continue his trip  suddenly he heard a loud bang and he felt severe pain in his back and soon he lost consciousness.

When he recovered,  he was in a small village.  He lost contact  with his army unit.  Then he tried to see Danti but when they met Danti did not trust him.  After that he got back to his village.  He got in touch with his former servants in the Suwanda’s house again.  Not long after that he got a clue that Suwanda,  his former step father,  hid a secret.  He found a wheel of the coach that he guarded to Ungaran on his last duty.  He was suspicious to Suwanda so he decided to spy on him.  later he found out that it was Suwanda who shot him at the back and robbed him.  He found the jewelry that he lost in the attack.  Then he managed to seize the jewelry and ran with it.  He decided to give it back to prince Diponegoro.

Unfortunately  he did not have opportunity to see Diponegoro.  He heard that the prince would go to Magelang to negotiate with the Dutch so he went there.  But it was too late.  As he got to the negotiating venue in Magelang the guard did not allowed him to see the prince.  Then Diponegoro was arrested during the negotiation and then he was exiled.

Up to now the story of Java war is still very popular among the Javanese especially those who live in central Java and Yogyakarta.  I come from Magelang.  In my family the story was handed down from genration to generation.  The story is told proudly in my family because my great great grandfather was a unit commander in the Diponegoro army.  When the prince was arrested in Magelang,  he was forced to run,  changed his identity and settled in a vilage outside Magelang.  He did not dare to come home to Yogyakarta because he was a fugitive.  Following the arrest the remaining army of Diponegoro was hunted by the Dutch army and there were mass murder.   The Javanese people were beheaded then their heads were attached on bamboo sticks along the roads.  Perhaps it is a way of terrorizing the Javanese people and to give them lesson not to rebel the colonial ruler again.  The village is now called Sindas,  which mean head in Javanese language.  Outside of Magelang there was a village named Geger,   which means torso.  It was told in my family that the village used to be a mass grave for Javanese people who were beheaded by the Dutch army.  It was a bitter memory in my family but we are proud of it.

Tags: battle, colonialism, Diponegoro, Java war, Magelang, mass murder, negotiation, prince, Yogyakarta

Title  :  The Girl from the coast

Author :  Pramoedya Ananta Toer

This story is a portrayal of the poor fate of  village girls under Javanese feudalism for hundreds of years even up to 20th century.  The main character is just called Gadis Pantai (the girl from the coast),  who represents girls from poor and uneducated families in villages.  She came from a poor fisherman village in the regency of Rembang in north coast of Java,  Indonesia in early 20th century.

One day at the age of fourteen,  a local government official that she did not know married her.  What she knew was that she had to obey and respect her husband whom she addressed as Bendoro (an honorific title for Javanese nobility).  She never had any personal relationship with her husband.  In her husband’s house there were parts that she never set foot.  Even there were rooms where she never saw forever.  Once she saw several babies who had no mother.  She was told that their mothers were divorced so the maid took care of them.

Then Mardinah,  a new maid,  came.  She was a daughter of a low rank official.  She was arrogant.  Her attitude to the girl from the coast was very impolite.  Eventually when she accompanied the girl from the coast came home to village,  people revealed that she had a mission.  She was sent by regent’s wife from Demak,  a neighboring regency,  to persuade Bendoro to marry her daughter.  If Mardinah succeeded she would be married as fifth wife.

Besides disappointment,  the girl from the coast enjoyed financial and social advancement.  When she came home to see her parents everybody in the village warmly welcomed her.  She held a party and gave presents to elderly people in the village.

Until one day she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl.  But the gender made Bendoro disappointed.  Before long her parents came to se her. Bendoro called her father to get into his house.  When he got out the house he was downhearted.  His daughter was divorced !  Bendoro gave him some money but he had to take her daughter home immediately,  while the baby had to stay.  Maids would take care of her.  The girl from the coast did not want to stay at home.  She immediately left her village and her family.  For the next month she passed by Bendoro’s house everyday.  But only for one month.  After that nobody knows her whereabout.

In an interview with Time magazine some years ago Pramoedya told similar story about her grand mother.   Probably this story is based on a true story of her grandmother.

Tags: 20th century, feudalism, girl, Java, Javanese, village girl

This is the fourth sequel of the Buru quartet.  In this sequel Pramoedya described the efforts of the Dutch colonial government to defeat the growing freedom movement in early 20th century in the Netherland East Indies or present day Indonesia.  The main character is not Minke anymore but Jacques Pangemanann,  a native police officer who was promoted to become a staff of Algemenee Secretarie in Buitenzorg or the present day Bogor.  His duty was to observe  the social and political situation especially about political activities of native people and then report it.

Once he ordered Robert Suurhof,  the chief of De Knijppers gang and his men to terrorize Minke but they were shot by Princess Kasiruta,  Minke’s third wife.  Raad van Justitie then decided that Minke was exiled in Ambon.

Besides Minke he also had to observe and control Syarikat Islam (Association of Islam),  Boedi Moelyo and Indische Partij.  To discredit Syarikat Islam he designed an anti Chinese riot.  He ordered Cor Oosterhof,  a chief of gangster.  Riot broke in Sukabumi,  Gresik,  Kuningan,  Madiun,  Caruban,  Weleri,  Grobogan.  But SI still developed.

The threat to colonial government grew even stronger.  Political activism and press activity grew stronger and stronger.  After Minke was exiled in Ambon  the chief of SI was Tjokro.  SI’s influence grew stronger in the society.  Peroetoesan,  SI’s newspaper written in Malay language grew rapidly.  Indische Partij’s newspaper was De Express that was written in Dutch language.  Meanwhile the Chinese had Sin Po.  All of them were anti colonial  government and pro-independence movement.  They offered education and modern thought.  Indische Partij was anti European and pro Eurasian people.  Pangemann’s chief was suspicious that someday IP would manage to hold its own administration.  Boedi Moelyo established an insurance company,  schools and organized social activities.  There were also many local native organizations based on ethnic groups,  professions,  and other background.  The emergence of nationalism and political powers in colonial society was serious problem for colonial government.  Consequently Pangemanann had to keep Indische Partij,  Syarikat Islam and Kuo Min Tang away from each other.

His duties was getting harder so he did not have any chance to get a vacation.  Meanwhile his wife who was a Frenchwoman really want to go home to Europe.  His work was so hard that finally he fell to alcoholism and prostitution.  Eventually he had to sacrifice his family.  They left him to Europe.

Meanwhile his chief pushed him to arrest the triumvirate of Indische Partij -  Wardi,  Douwager and Tjipto.  He was assigned to supervise the arrest and find appropriate official argument.  His argument was that they were arrested due to their journalistic activities,  not for their political activities.  They were exiled to the Netherlands.

Then one day Minke was released from his exile in Ambon.  He went back to Batavia or present day Jakarta.  But the government kept on oppressing him.  Before he came his wife was pushed to go home to Ambon.  His house and all his asset was taken over.  All of his friends also pushed not to receive him.  Even when he was sick doctors and hospitals were forced not to treat him properly.  Eventually Minke died because he never got appropriate medical treatment when he was sick.

There are many pages dedicated to describe Pangemanann’s thought.  there was his admiration to Minke,  his hesitation to arrest the triumvirate of Indische partij,  and his stress of handling his work,  and expressions of his resentment to his superior.

Pramoedya had an impressive political and literary thought.  He nicely described the dirty and immoral efforts of colonial government to defeat political movement of native peple to get their independence.

Tags: colonialism, Indische partij, Java, Netherland East Indies, political movement, Syarikat Islam

This is the third sequel after This Earth of Mankind and Child of All Nations. This time Pramoedya told the struggle for independence through organization and journalism. Minke, the main character, moved to Batavia to continue his study in STOVIA medical school. One day, Ter Haar, a journalist from De Locomotief invited him to a meeting with Van Kollewijn, a member of Tweede kamer (parliament) and a liberal. In the meeting Minke, Marie van Zeggelen, and Ter Haar criticized the evil of colonialism like take over of asset and area. Zeggelen criticized military aggression by Van Heutsz. Ter Haar told that the Netherlands owed more than nine hundred millions guilders to Indonesian people due to exploitation and asset take over. Minke told about the case of Trunodongso.

Then Minke met a Chinese girl named Mei. Later she became his wife. Unfortunately she had mysterious activities. She used to leave MInke at night. After suffering from sickness for some time, she died young. Before long Minke was dropped out of STOVIA.

Then Minke thought about establishing an organization for native people to enhance their condition. He approached government officials. First he went to see the regent of Serang, whom he considered as progressive. But he refused to give support to Minke. Then Minke met other officials. Some of them, like the officials of Mangga Besar and Meester Cornelis supported him. So he established Syarikat Priyayi (Associations of officials). Unfortunately its developemnt is like snail.

Minke also established Medan Priyayi newspaper. There was a legal unit under Mr D Mahler which dealt with cases of injustices in railway company, plantation, government offices etc. Medan became their backing so it increased rapidly.

The native’s movement grew rapidly. In the Netherlands there was Indische Studenten Vereeniging. Tomo from STOVIA established Boedi Oetomo. They built schools but Minke thought they were chauvinistic because BO was for Javanese people only. He wanted an open and independent organization. He also wanted an organization which was not feudalistic and powerful enough to press the government by boycott.

The idea of boycott was interesting for Princess van Kasiruta, the daughter of Sultan Kasiruta. Impressed by her intelligence Minke offered her a position of editorial chief in a female magazine. Later Minke married her.

Minke found that teh government officials attitude was not progressive. They were greedy, arrogant, feudalistic and corupt. He knew that he could not rely on them. He wanted to organize free people. So he established Syarikat Dagang Islam (Association of Islamic trade). The members were traders, and merchnats. It was inclusive, for all groups in the community, not only for Javanese people.

Meanwhile Medan was getting more and more relevant to the community’s problems so it increased rapidly. On the other hand there were also problems due to its news and consequently there were pressures from the colonial government. Sometimes even physical threat.

There were financial contribution from wealthy merchants to SDI. Consequently SDI managed to buy a building in Kwitang, Batavia. The upper part of it was used as a hotel while teh lower part was used as office and shops. The fund was also used to support private schools and legal assistance.

Meanwhile De Knijppers (The clip) threatened Minke and his wife to dismisss SDI. Fighting broke out in some areas between SDI and DK. The police always arrested native (SDI). Minke refrained from making it as news. Meanwhile MInke’s report to local officials never received proper attention. So Minke realized that DK’s action was secretly backed by the government to halt the advancement of non European people.

BO was supported by government’s ethical policy while SDI was continually under pressures. Government gave financial support to their schools on condition that thye had to use government curriculum. Tamrin Muhammad Thabrie, an important official who supported SDI was forced to retire.

Then there was an issue regarding sugar syndicate. They wanted to decrease the land rent rate from one hundfed thirty cent to nienty cent per bahu. Minke immediately held a meeting with leaders of SDI. Heated debate led to split in SDI leadership. Minke’s faction got most support so its membership increased greatly.

Then Minke wrote about sugar factory’s evil practices. Consequently a letter came from De Zweep threatening him to withdraw teh article. Soon torture followed. DZ was arrested and the membership of SDI kept on growing. Medan also covered the case of Tengkoe Djamiloen, a man from Aceh who was treated unlawfully by teh government.

The consequences was hard. The ditor office was abnned and teh employees were expelled from their office and houses. Minke was terrorized by De Zweep. His wife shot them. Two men died and one wounded. Medan was banned for ten days. It decreased but the membership of SDI increased significantly to more than fifty thousand people.

Minke planned to expand SDI to Malay nations who lived outside teh Netherland s east Indies like Sri lanka and South Africa. Leadership of SDI was handed over to Samadi, chief of Sala branch, and Minke would concentrate as international propagandist while Sandiman, Marko and Fricschboten would take care of Medan.

Finally Medan sharply criticized teh viceroy when he came to Rembang, Central Java, to the funeral of the regent of Rembang. At last Minke was arrested and exiled to east Indonesia. Minke’s movement ended.

Tags: Batavia, Boedi Oetomo, colonialism, Exile, Medan Priyayi, STOVIA, sugar syndicate, Syarikat Dagang Islam, Tweede kamer

As the second sequel, this book describes the sorrow of Javanese people under Dutch colonialism. First, letter of Jan Dapperste a.k.a Panji Darman told that Annelies was so depressed that she did not want to do anything. On board she was sick so Jan took care of her. In the Netherlands she was neglected and before long she died in sorrow.

Then Pramoedya describes the evil of the boss of a sugar factory. His name is Frits Homerus Vlekkenbaaij, pronounced pejoratively as Plikemboh in Javanese language. He was a drunk and ferocious womanizer. When he saw Surati, Sastro’s daughter, he had an evil idea. one day, the factory’s money that was Sastro’s responsibility was lost. Plikemboh was ready to help on one condition that sastro must give surati to him. Surati agreed but she set a plan to retaliate . She went to a village that was quarantined due to to plague. She managed to get in eventhough it was heavily guarded. There she met a dying baby with his parents passed away nearby. Shortly after that the baby died in hru hands. The next morning she went t plikemboh. Then he was infected. A few days later they died.

Pramoedya also describes farmers’ sorrow. Minke met Trunodongso, a farmer. He was terrrorized to give up his land to sugar factory. He had five bau of land and the factory hired three bau for eighteen months but in reality two years except he agreed to prolong the contract for the next season. In addition, he never received the money in full. The agreed price was eleven picis but he received three talen so he lost thirty five cents. Minke promised to reprt this case in newspaper. but nijman rejected his report.

Kommer revealed that Herman Mellema was in conflict a local official who then moved to Bondowoso. Then he was in conflict with another local official who then disappeared. Nyai Ontosroh was surprised when she racalled long time ago peple fund dead body. Rumours said he was the local official who was attacked y a buffalo. She was sure it was melema’s dirty action.

The influence of European liberalism is described by his meeting with with Ter Haar who was on his way to Semarang to work for De Locomotief newspaper. He told minke the evil of colonialism. Van deventer and van den Berg disclosed a case of corruption on javanese farmer’s money by the Dutch royal family. The amount was 951 million guilders. Modern time is victorious time for capital. they controlled agriculture, forestry, transportations, and mining. those who stand on their way will be destroyed. Sugar factory became monster and their victims were countless. an example was van de putte. when he was minister of colony, he was a law on sugar. Later on people realized he owned the largest sugar cane plantation in Besuki- Bondowoso. He farmers of Priangan were also easy prey. Once they had many buffaloes that roamed free. They were poisoned to death in great number. Soon plague followed. Then farmers were easily forced to give up their lands. Tea plantations flourished while people’s cattle gone.

The evil of colonialism is completed with the character of maurits mellema, son f herman melema with his first wife. He was the one who would take over Nyai Ontosoroh’s company because Amsterdam’s trial passed a verdict that he was the legal inheritor of Herman Mellema.

Tags: colonialism, Dutch, Java, liberalism, sugar factory

The setting of the story is east Java in the 12th century. There was a kingdom named Kediri. The people lived prosperous life under king Erlangga.

In the village of Girah there was a widow named Calon Arang. She was a well known and powerful witch so everybody was afraid of her. People believed that she had many victims. She had a beautiful daughter, Ratna Manggali. When Ratna Manggali reached the age of marriage for a girl nobody prposed her. This fact made Calon Arang angry to her community. So she decided to take revenge by killing as many people as possible.

One day she prayed to goddess Batari Durga. She wanted to be granted ability to spread plague to the whole country. Batari Durga agreed on one condition that she might not reach the capital. Before long plague spread all over the country and killed many people. Soon people heard the news that the plague was created by the witch.

The situation got worse and worse. More and more people died. Finally the news about the plague reached king Erlangga. In a meeting with his advisers the king decided to halt and to punish Calon Arang. Soon a troop was sent to the village of Girah to arrest Calon Arang. Unfortunately the troops was easily defeated,  even the commander was killed.  Meanwhile the plague got more and more ferocious.

Once again the king discussed the situation with his advisers.  The court priest received a sign from god that there was only one man who could solve the problem.   He is a priest who lived in the village of Lemah Tulis.  His name was Empu Barada,  a kind-hearted priest.  Empu Barada was contacted and he agreed to help.

Empu Barada suggested Empu Bahula,   his student,  to marry Ratna Manggali.  Then they proposed her.  Since Calon Arang was rich  the wedding ceremony was held extravagantly.  empu Bahula the spied on his mother in law.  Ratna Manggali revealed that her mother had a secret book of witchcraft.  Empu Bahula asked Ratna to take the book for him and she agreed.  ne day when Calon Arang slept Ratna took the book.  Empu Bahula then gave it to Empu Barada.

Empu Barada knew the secret of Calon Arang’s witchcraft.  Then he went ot infected areas and cured teh eople with his spell.  eventually Empu Barada met with Calon Arang.  They fought and the good man won.

This novel is based on a famous legend that still alive for about one thousand year in Java and Bali.  Today this book has been translated into English.

Tags: 12th century, Java, king erlangga, witch, witchcraft

Pramoedya told nicely the sorrow of native people under Dutch colonialism in 19th century and 20th century Java, Indonesia. The settings is Wonokromo, a small town close to Surabaya, East Java.

Minke, the main character, was a smart student of HBS, a prestigious Dutch high school of the time. One day he met and soon fell in love with Annelies Mellema, the daughter of Herman Mellema and Nyai Ontosoroh a.k.a Sanikem. Herman Mellema once was the boss of a sugar factory in Tulangan. Later he ran a ranch in Wonokromo. Although she was born in a village, Sanikem was so smart that she could manage her husband’s company Boerderij Buitenzorg , to becaome a prosperous company.

Upon graduating from HBS Minke married Annelies Mellema. Unfortunately their happiness did not last long. One day Maurits Mellema, the son of Herman Mellema and his first wife, came. He was angry and claimed his rights. The surprise meeting with Maurits was really a shocking experience for Herman Mellema. He was so depressed and finally he fell to alcohol addiction and prostitution. Then he died in sorrow and disgrace. The next blow was for his wife Nyai Ontosoroh, Minke and Annelies. The Amsterdam trial did not admit Nyai as Herman Mellema’s lawful wife and decided to take over Herman Mellema’s asset. The trial did not admit Minke’s marriage to Annelies Mellema and ordered Annelies in Maurits custody. Annelies must leave to the Netherlands. This verdict created protests from the native people.

The execution of the verdict was a bloodshed. Nyai’s bodyguard fought with arm so that the Dutch colonial government used armed police. Finally Annelies was forced to leave to the Netherlands.

Pamoedya successfully described in this novel the evil of colonialism like racial discrimination, injustices and ferocious law, which is blind to social reality, selfish and immoral. Monogamy is not better than polygamy. Monogamy make Nyai Ontosoroh’s rights were oppressed. If they were polygamist, Nyai’s rights would have been protected. At least Nyai Ontosoroh would be admitted as lawful wife.

Tags: colonialism, Dutch, Java, Netherlands, Surabaya