Wednesday, July 10, 2024

What factors led Chinese emigrants to settle in Indonesia instead of other countries like the Philippines or Malaysia?

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The initial arrival of the ethnic Chinese community in the archipelago occurred in the 5th century (414 BC) by a Chinese priest named Fa Hsien. At that time, Fa Hsien had no intention of going to the archipelago, but wanted to return to China during his trip from India.

Bangil native civil servants together with Arab and Chinese figures in Bangil during the Dutch East Indies era.

In the IX century, the arrival of Chinese people to the archipelago occurred during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). They first landed in Palembang, which was the trade center of the Sriwijaya kingdom. Next, they explored Java Island in search of spices and finally settled there.

The migration of Chinese people to the archipelago, especially for trade purposes, began to appear during the Ming Dynasty, precisely at the end of the XIV century. At that time, it was reported that several Chinese traders had settled in Palembang and Temasik (Singapore). This phenomenon continued until the reign of the Melaka Kingdom which lasted from 1400 to 1511. They came according to the wind season which was the main means of shipping.

During Airlangga's reign, there were Chinese colonies in Tuban, Gresik, Jepara, Lasem and Banten. This is because Chinese people can be accepted and live side by side with the local indigenous population. The second stage occurred after Europeans arrived in Southeast Asia in the 16th century. The presence of Europeans, such as the Portuguese, Spanish, British and Dutch, made the Southeast Asian region increasingly crowded.

This situation encouraged the increasing migration of the Chinese people and created opportunities for them to actively participate in trade. Apart from that, this situation also allows Chinese people to live in the archipelago for a long time. The third stage, when the archipelago was under Dutch East Indies rule, many Chinese settlements were found in several areas of Indonesia, such as West Kalimantan, the East Coast of Sumatra, and along the North Coast of Java. This stage marked the development of the Chinese nation in large numbers in the archipelago.

Their existence is not only driven by trade interests, but also economic needs. In fact, the Dutch deliberately brought in Chinese people to overcome the shortage of labor for mining and plantation projects in the archipelago.

In 1416, a Chinese writer who took part in Admiral Cheng Ho's expedition, Ma Huan, submitted an interesting report about the presence of Chinese trading communities in the northern coastal cities of Java. The large-scale migration of Chinese people to the archipelago then occurred for two main reasons.

First, there was a rebellion in mainland China when power shifted from the Ming dynasty to the Manchu dynasty.

Second, increasing rebellion and unrest in mainland China also pushed Chinese people to seek protection and stability in the archipelago.

At the turn of the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century, there was a surge in mass migration of Chinese people to the archipelago. This surge was triggered by two main factors. First, there have been significant changes in the Chinese government's policy towards migrants. They are no longer looked down upon, instead supported and appreciated for the financial contribution they bring to the family. As a result, the ban on leaving China was lifted and the government opened its doors wide to Chinese people who wanted to seek opportunities abroad. Second, increasing rebellion and unrest in mainland China also pushed Chinese people to seek protection and stability in the archipelago. The combination of these two factors formed a wave of Chinese migration that changed the social and cultural landscape of the archipelago.

That's the history I've read.

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