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The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies ( nl, gouverneur-generaal van Nederlands Indië) represented
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
rule in the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...
of
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
in 1949. Occupied by Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945, followed by the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during postwar and postcol ...
until 1949. Indonesia proclaimed its independence on 17 August 1945.


History

The first governors-general were appointed by the
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
(VOC). After the VOC was formally dissolved in 1800, the territorial possessions of the VOC were nationalised under the Dutch government as the Dutch East Indies, a colony of the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Governors-general were now appointed by either the Dutch monarch or the Dutch government. During the Dutch East Indies era most governors-general were expatriate Dutchmen, while during the earlier VOC era most governors-general became settlers who stayed and died in the East Indies. Under the period of British control (1811–1816), the equivalent position was the ''lieutenant-governor'', of whom the most notable is
Thomas Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
. Between 1942 and 1945, while Hubertus Johannes van Mook was the nominal governor-general, the area was under Japanese control, and was governed by a two sequence of governors, in Java and Sumatra. After 1948 in negotiations for independence, the equivalent position was named ''high commissioner of the crown in the Dutch East Indies''.


Position of governor-general

Since the VOC era, the highest Dutch authority in the colonial possessions of the East Indies resided with the ''office of the governor-general''. During the Dutch East Indies era the governor-general functioned as colonial chief executive, president of colonial government, as well as commander-in-chief of the colonial ( KNIL) army. Until 1903 all government officials and organisations were formal agents of the governor-general and entirely dependent on the central administration of the ''office of the governor-general'' for their budgets. A governor-general represented the Dutch Empire and monarch and was the most influential party in the colony. Until 1815 the governor-general had the absolute right to ban, censor or restrict any publication in the colony. The so-called ''exorbitant powers'' of the governor-general allowed him to exile anyone regarded as subversive and dangerous to peace and order, without involving any court of law. Until 1848 the governor-general was directly appointed by the Dutch monarch, and in later years via the crown on advice of the Dutch metropolitan cabinet. During two periods (1815–1835 and 1854–1925) the governor-general ruled jointly with an advisory board called the ''Raad van Indie'' (Indies Council), which were jointly referred to as the ''high government''. Overall colonial policy and strategy were the responsibility of the ''Ministry of Colonies'' based in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
, often headed by a former governor-general. From 1815 to 1848 the ministry was under direct authority of the Dutch monarch. In the 20th century the colony gradually developed as a state distinct from the Dutch metropole with treasury separated in 1903, public loans being contracted by the colony from 1913, and quasi-diplomatic ties were established with
Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Pl ...
to manage the Haji pilgrimage from the Dutch East Indies. In 1922 the colony came on equal footing with the Netherlands in the Dutch constitution, while remaining under the Ministry of Colonies. During the tenure of governors-general who were proponents of the ethical policy a people's council called the ''
Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa * Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) * Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia ...
'' for the Dutch East Indies was installed in 1918. The ''Volksraad'', an infant form of democratic council, was limited to an advisory role and only a small portion of the population were able to vote for its members. The council comprised 30 indigenous members, 25 European and 5 from Chinese and other populations, and was reconstituted every four years. In 1925 the ''Volksraad'' was made a semilegislative body; and the governor-general was expected to consult the ''Volksraad'' on major issues.


See also

* List of governors of the Dutch East Indies


Notes


References


Works Cited

* * *


External links

* {{Southeast Asian leaders
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
Dutch East Indies