With the landmass of 2 million km2 and sea covering for more than 3 million km2, having more than 17 thousand islands, Indonesia possesses an abundant number of natural resources. The biggest island, New Guinea, harbours unique and exotic flora and fauna in which researchers and explorers are yet to discover. This huge potential of discovery is one of the main attractions of Papua land.
This article will explain a little bit about the condition of the people of West Papua pre-Dutch colonization.
First contact with India
Before Dutch colonies set their foot in Papua, the oldest record of Papua can be found in the Ramayana Epic. In an episode where Hanuman was looking for Shinta, it was described how Indians were looking for Sysyira (snowy mountain) full of spices and bird of paradise that they would like to trade for porcelain and potteries.
From the epics, set in the 7th century, people in West Papua have an active trading of goods to India. Indians called Papua as Samudranta or Dwi Panta, which means at the corner of the sea or the ocean’s end.
The purpose of Indians coming into Indonesia was to spread Hindu, and at the same time they found an island at the end of the ocean with snowy mountains harbouring gold ores. This is Gunung Jayawijaya or Grasberg Mountain in Papua Province, as we know now.
Papua from the record of Chinese Explorers
The records of West Papua in Chinese Explorers are written in the scripts from the exploration of Chinese Emperor envoys to Indonesia. These scripts were collected and researched by a Dutch researcher, WP Groeneveldt, for his book Historical Notes on Indonesia & Malaya: Compiled from Chinese Sources.
Chinese are known as great merchants and their routes are vast and wide all over the world, Papua included. There are evidences of Chinese merchants doing trade of goods from Papua, either by direct trades with the indigenous people of Papua or from their fellow merchants. These evidences can be seen in archaeological findings of Chinese porcelains on the northern shore of Papua Island.
In his book, WP Groeneveldt stated that the Sriwijaya kingdom ruled Indonesia and used its power to send gifts to Chinese Empire in the 8th Century. The emperor’s favourite gift is birds of paradise which he has not seen before in China, such as black lories, cassowaries, and buceroses.
The birds described in the Chinese explorers’ notes are the endemics of Papua. These birds were gifts from Maharaja Sri Indravarman to Chinese Emperor, acquired by trading with people from Maluku. People from Maluku transport these birds from indigenous people of Papua.
West Papua in Indonesian Kingdom Era
In his article titled Akulturasi di Irian Barat (1963), Indonesian historian HW Bachtiar wrote that since the 14th century Papua has had good communication and trades to other kingdoms in Indonesia, such as Sriwijaya and Majapahit. It was pre-Dutch colonization in Indonesia.
It can be seen in the Book of Negarakertagama by Mpu Prapanca, as there are vassal states or tributary of Majapahit in the 14th century. It is possible during this era; Papua conducting trades with Majapahit or even has a contribution and role in the military of Majapahit. The chance of Majapahit, as the kingdom that almost united all tribes and small kingdoms in Indonesia under their banner, to have landed in eastern part of Indonesia during this period is highly probable.
After the golden age of Majapahit and Srivijaya ended, Islamic kingdoms in Indonesia are on the rise. Tidore sultanate is one of these kingdoms who settled in the eastern part of Indonesia. Its glory took place from 16th to 18th century, seen by their reign over South Halmahera Island, Buru Island, Seram Island and small islands in West Papua.
Papua and Europeans
The ‘birdhead’ of Papua Island has shown its crown on European explorers, at the same time when the waters of Maluku were explored. History recorded these findings in the mid-16th century. At that time, Papua is known as one of the sovereignties of Tidore Sultanate which rules over spice trades in East Indonesia.
Explorers from Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, England and the Netherlands arrived in Papua in the search for spices. Even so, only Germany, England, and the Netherlands were known to have their interest in Papua.
None other countries in Europe have their long stay in Papua. From the records in 1795, England pulled their men from Manokwari because of the severe disease destroying their people for 2 years.
First Dutch colony in Papua
In July 1828, the Netherlands set foot in Papua for colonization. To anticipate the competition with England, the Dutch chose the southern shore and harboured two of their ships in the north of Aru isles. In one ship, A. J Van Delden stayed. He’s a Dutch Commissary sent by L.P.J. Burggraaf du Bus de Gisignies, a governor general at that time, to build Fort Du Bus as a military base in Papua and to celebrate King Willem I’s birthday.
In the notes written by a Dutch researcher, J. Modera (1830), Fort Du Bus is a symbol of power of the Netherlands towards Papua so that other nations can’t enter those areas, except for areas which are under the control of Tidore Sultanate back pre-Dutch colonization.
Papua’s climates and the diseases that rule over the land is a nightmare for the Dutch settlers and their higher-ups. Their military personnel are under constant stress and in bad health. Because of this, Dutch government in West Papua left Fort De Bus and was deconstructed in 1836.
According to HW Bachtiar, in his book about the activities of the Netherlands in Papua since the 16th century, Tidore Sultanate in North Maluku has always had control over Papua land and the Dutch is only act as intermediary. Bachtiar stated in his book that Papua cannot be easily controlled and settled easily by Europeans.
