Serdadu Afrika di Hindia Belanda (1831 - 1945) oleh Ineke van knessel / African soldiers in the Dutch East Indies (1831 - 1945) by Ineke van knessel

Pada saat saya membaca buku ini, dengan judul diatas, bahwa ada serdadu Afrika yang ditugaskan di indonesia. Buku itu sungguh sangat menarik walaupun belum semuanya saya baca. Saya akan rangkum sedikit demi sedikit. Di dalam buku tersebut tertulis bahwa sang penulis pada tahun 1977 menemukan (pada saat kuliah) bahwa Ghana telah berabad - abad telah menjalin  pertukaran ekonomi dan budaya. Dikisahkan bahwa kerajaan tersebut bernama Ashanti. Mereka pula beranak - pinak dengan orang Indonesia. Oleh karena itu saya asumsikan kenapa para pemain sepak bola Belanda yang keturunan Indonesia cenderung punya wajah lebih Afrika (sebagai contoh Patrick kluivert). Di buku itu tertulis bahwa di Belanda, mereka yang keturunan Afrika - Indonesia (khususnya dari serdadu Afrika yang menikah dengan orang indonesia) setiap dua tahun sekali mengadakan reuni. Buku ini juga hasil kerjasama dengan African Studies Centre (ASC) di Leiden (Belanda), Arsip Nasional Jakarta, dan Komunitas Bambu. Pada tahun 2003, penulis buku ini mengunjungi museum Elmina - Java di Ghana, sebagai masukkan untuk buku tersebut.  


Mereka di Belanda dinamakan Zwarte Hollanders / Belanda Hitam. Bermula pada saat itu Raja Willem I (1836) (see at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I_of_the_Netherlands) 

 RAJA WILLEM I (KING William/Willem I First Dutch King)

Peta Kekuasaan Kerajaan Ashanti (Map of the Ashanti Kingdom)

Asantihene Prempeh I (Ashantihene /Raja semua Ashanti (King of all Ashanti))

Arsitektur Ashanti sebelum dijajah (Ashanti Architecture before colonized)

Bendera Kerajaan Ashanti ( Ashanti Flag)

memerintahkan Mayor Jenderal Jan Verveer berangkat menuju ibukota kerajaan Ashanti (Ghana dulu bernama Elmina) (see at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashanti_Empire)  yang sangat berkuasa di Kumasi, untuk mengadakan pejanjian dengan raja mereka, untuk dijadikan serdadu tentara kolonial. Pangeran mereka dan keponakannya (Kwasi Boakye & Kwame Poku), diserahkan sebagai jaminan dalam kontrak untuk mengenyam pendidikan Eropa di Belanda. Sang Pangeran menghabiskan hidup di Belanda dan menjadi Insinyur pertambangan, dan kemungkinan besar tidak pernah bertemu dengan serdadu Afrika di Hindia Belanda. 

Pada tahun 1831 - 1872 Belanda merekrut sekitar 3.085 pria di Afrika barat (yang awalnya adalah budak belian yang dibebaskan) untuk menjalankan dinas militer di Hindia Belanda (sebagian besar dari Ghana & Burkina Faso). Mereka ditempatkan di Ekspedisi kolonial di Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali dan Timor. Salah satu sejarah juga merekam bahwa mereka ditempatkan juga di Aceh, salah satu peperangan paling berdarah KNIL. Banyak keturunan mereka mengikuti jejak ayahnya untuk menjadi tentara KNIL. Setelah kemerdekaan Indonesia banyak yang kembali ke Belanda (walaupun tidak semua, ada yang ke Pantai Guinea, Ghana, atau ke Afrika Barat). Dalam arsip Kementerian daerah jajahan Belanda, perekrutan mereka dilakukan dengan ujicoba. Perkembangan mereka terekam dengan baik. Banyak juga yang berakhir dengan kematian tragis. Mereka juga bangga akan seragam dan medali mereka. Di buku ini tertulis bahwa mereka direkrut berdasarkan suku mereka, yaitu mossi, grunshi (Ghana & Burkina Faso), fanti atau dagomba. Pada awal abad 19 mereka tidak menganggap diri mereka orang Afrika, tetapi berdasarkan kelompok etnis yang bertalian darah. Anda bisa lihat kenapa sampai sekarang pun perang mereka berdasarkan kesukuan bukan pada nasionalisme.

KNIL soldier, Jacobus, Recruited by Dutch in the year of 1862 with his daughter and his grandchildren

The KNIL soldiers at the Kota Radja (Aceh), 1874 (black dutch described as oppressors of the Aceh people) it also appear in  Aceh Independence Movement site(GAM / Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) in 2004

Corporal J.D.Leuw African descent, and aides NCO B. Van Weenen in 1875, awarded with honors, Willemsorde Militaire, for his services in Aceh war (Iconografisch Bereau, no. 1015017)

Beberapa veteran generasi pertama sangat rindu akan kampung halaman mereka, tetapi generasi berikutnya sangat nyaman di Hindia Belanda. Setelah menikmati kehidupan mapan mereka (generasi kedua, ketiga) berangkat ke benua baru, Eropa. Di Hindia Belanda mereka hidup sangat mapan dan dikelilingi oleh para "jongos" (pembantu). Para tentara KNIL ini bertempat tinggal selain di Hindia Belanda, juga di Amerika serikat, suriname dan tempat lainnya dimana Belanda menjajah.  

(English Translation)

At the time I read this book, with the title above, that there are African soldiers stationed in Indonesia. The book was very interesting though not yet all I read. I'll summarize a bit by bit. In the book that is written by the author in 1977 found (at college) that Ghana, many - centuries ago established economic and cultural exchanges. It is said that the kingdom was named Ashanti. They also give birth with Indonesian people. Therefore I assume is why the Dutch soccer players of Indonesian descent tend to have more African faces (for example, Patrick Kluivert). In the book it is written that in the Netherlands, those who are from African - Indonesia decents (particularly from African soldier who is married with Indonesian people) every two years held a reunion. This book is also the result of cooperation with the African Studies Centre (ASC) in Leiden (Netherlands), National Archives Jakarta, and the Bamboo Community. In 2003, the author of this book visit the museum Elmina - Java in Ghana, as an insert for the book.

Those in the Netherlands called Zwarte Hollanders / Black Dutch. Starting at the time of King William I (1836) ordered Major General Jan Verveer to go to capital of the kingdom of Ashanti (Ghana was called Elmina) (see at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashanti_Empire), the most powerful Kingdom in Kumasi, to make an agreement with their king, Colonial troops agreement. Their prince and his nephew (Kwasi Boakye & Kwame Poku), submitted as a guarantee in the contract for the European education in the Netherlands. The Prince spent living in the Netherlands and became a mining engineer, and most likely never met with African soldiers in the Dutch East Indies.

In the year 1831 - 1872 Dutch recruited about 3085 men in West Africa (which originally was a freed from slave) to perform military service in the Dutch East Indies (mostly from Ghana & Burkina Faso). They are placed in the colonial expedition in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Timor. One of history also record that they are placed also in Aceh, one of the bloodiest KNIL battles . Many of their descendants follow his father work become KNIL army. After the independence of Indonesia a lot of African returned to the Netherlands (although not all, some return to Guinea Coast, Ghana, or to West Africa). In the archives of the Ministry of the Dutch colony, their recruitment was done by trial. Their development recorded properly. Many also ended with a tragic death. They are also proud of their uniforms and medals. This book is written that they were recruited based on their ethnicity (Mossi, grunshi (Ghana & Burkina Faso), Fanti or dagomba). In the early 19th century they did not consider themselves Africans, but by their ethnic groups blood - relationship. You can see why even now their war based on ethnicity rather than nationalism.

Some veterans of the first generation is longing for their homeland, but the next generation is very comfortable in the Netherlands Indies. After enjoying their well-established lives (second, third generation) went to a new continent, Europe. In the Netherlands Indies they live very and well established and surrounded by the "houseboy" (helper). This KNIL soldiers residing not just in Netherlands Indies, but also in the United States, Suriname and other places where the Dutch colonized.