Continuity
Indonesia’s pre-colonial political structure was a mandala system based on patron-client relationship. The king relied on the support of his followers and his power grew weaker as one moved further away from the capital. The crux to maintaining good support was to use religion and ideology to spread the King’s superiority.
In the areas of more direct Dutch colonial rule, they ‘co-opted’ the traditional hereditary elite who had governed at the provincial and local level in the various pre-colonial states, incorporating them into colonial administration. Up to the level of the ‘Regency’ or kebupaten, therefore, local government was largely in the hands of the hereditary traditional elite. This indigenous layer of administrations was, however, supervised from above by Dutch officials operating at the ‘Residency’ level.
Even though the Dutch government had changed Dutch East Indies to become a centralized state, they carried out two decentralization plans to the Dutch East Indies. These plans helped to increase the efficiency of the political system of the Dutch East Indies, improving administrative efficiency, which had been requested by financial and profitable interests.
Change
Dutch government had changed Dutch East Indies to become a centralised state, with the power originating from the capital Batavia, an efficient system of government and a defense force (police and military) with abilities to uphold social control. In the outer islands, local rulers had been forced to submit in some measure to the will of the Dutch headquartered in Batavia.
The government did not place an advantage on relations and personal ties but was structured to become official, impersonal organisations. The Dutch government established a minimum Western education requirement for those who were to be promoted to the Regent, the top native rank in colonial administration.
A decentralised state to a modern state
The political system of the Dutch East Indies was shaped largely by the Dutch after colonial rule was introduced to Indonesia. It became an improved one with increased efficiency and more organized compared to its pre-colonial political system.
