History
hen traced further, the track record of Indonesia's history is very rich. Starting from the time of early humans - where ancient human fossils were found in several sites in the archipelago, ancient kingdoms, the colonial period, to gaining independence and remaining a unitary state as it is today. Although the process is very long, it actually carves a unique and interesting side of this country to dive deeper into. So, what is the history of Indonesia from time to time? Let's take a look together!
First Humans in Indonesia
The discovery of Homo Erectus fossils or better known as "Java Man" at the Sangiran archaeological site in Central Java, shows that the islands in Indonesia have been inhabited by early humans, at least since 1.5 million years ago. Besides Homo Erectus, Homo Floresiensis or the so-called ancestor of modern humans was also found in Indonesia, precisely in Liang Bua, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara.
The Age of Kingdoms
Apart from its ancient history, Indonesia's history is also very rich thanks to the stories of magnificent kingdoms in the past. Some of the great kingdoms that once flourished in Indonesia include the Srivijaya Kingdom, the Mataram Kingdom, and the Majapahit Kingdom. The maritime kingdom of Sriwijaya in South Sumatra had a very strong influence, where it managed to control the Sumatra sea and the Malacca Strait from the 7th to the 13th century. In addition, the Sriwijaya Kingdom is also the 'mecca' of Buddhism in Indonesia. During the Syailendra dynasty, precisely in the 8th century, the Mataram Kingdom, which was heavily influenced by the Srivijaya Kingdom, built the largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia, the Borobudur Temple, which still stands today.
Apart from Sriwijaya and Mataram, the Majapahit Kingdom in East Java also plays a very important role in Indonesian history. The reason is, the Majapahit Kingdom is the forerunner of the formation of the archipelago, where most of the archipelago's islands were controlled by Majapahit. In addition to the three major kingdoms, small kingdoms/sultanates also flourished in various parts of the archipelago, especially after the introduction of Islam in the 13th century, ranging from Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Ternate, to Maluku.
The Colonial Era in Indonesia
Following Marcopolo's arrival on the island of Sumatra, other European countries, such as the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and British also sent their troops to the country with the intention of controlling the spice trade in Indonesia. In 1596, the first Dutch ship anchored on the coast of West Java and colonized Indonesia for three centuries.
Indonesian Independence
After going through a period of colonization and oppression by the colonizers, the Indonesian people finally began to actively rebel. Young men and women across the country then vowed to "have one homeland, one nation, and uphold a united language" which was enshrined in the historic event of the Youth Pledge in 1928.
Finally, on August 17, 1945, after the defeat of Japan in World War II, the Indonesian people then declared their independence represented by Soekarno and Hatta. Of course, independence was not given easily. However, after going through various bloody battles, the Dutch government finally relented and officially recognized Indonesia's independence in 1950.