A new book, 400 Years and More of The British In Indonesia, is the most complete history to date of the British involvement in Indonesia. Drake was only the first of a number of illustrious Englishman to land on Indonesian soil before the Dutch, setting foot in the fabled Spice Islands of the Maluku in 1579 and starting a relationship, which has spanned literally hundreds of years from Queen Elizabeth 1 to Queen Elizabeth II. Three hundred of those years were taken up with what were essentially diplomatic and trade wars with Holland over control of choice islands, which the Dutch sought to monopolize and with which Britain sought to conduct commerce in a part of the world that the Dutch ? not the British ? had historically exerted the strongest influence. From the battle for the pepper trade to Stamford Raffles? brief reign as ruler of the Dutch East Indies to the present heavy involvement in the country, Britain has taken a surprisingly role in Indonesia?s history and economy. Their most influential period of began in 1811 when the British conquered Java. Their short-lived occupation became known as ?The Interregnum.? Because the French had occupied the Netherlands during the Napoleonic Wars, the British considered the French enemies and took possession of Java, appointing Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles as Lieutenant Governor of the East Indies. Another shift in European politics allowed the Dutch to return Java in 1816 under the terms of a peace treaty. Much later, there was a great deal of tension between Britain and Indonesia?s founding president, Sukarno, when he launched his Konfrontasi military campaign (1963-1966) against the creation of a Federation of Malaya, Singapore and the British protectorates of Sabah and Sarawak. Besides the establishment of the British Council of Indonesia in 1948 and the British Chamber of Commerce in 1974, a British International School was established in Jakarta in 1973. The prime ministers of each country visited each other?s homelands in 2012. A new British Embassy opened in Jakarta in 2013. Mark Canning, the current British Ambassador to Indonesia, contributed the introduction to the book. This book is no less than a history, a guide and a celebration of all things British in Indonesia. Black and white line drawings, an unusual but attractive medium in contemporary history books, are found throughout depicting historical figures, events, dioramas, coats of arms, colonial architecture and landscapes. One is sure to be surprised to learn the extent of British involvement in the archipelago through the centuries. Capturing the full scope of their long bilateral relationship, 400 Years and More of the British in Indonesia makes a vital contribution to promoting understanding between the two countries.

Tidak tersedia versi lain

Tidak Ada Data