Hikmah Studies
Vol. 1 No. 4 (2026): December 2026

Douwes Dekker: Perlawanan Seorang Kontrolir Kelas II Terhadap Pemerintah Kolonial Belanda Tahun 1842-1844

Siti Rahmah (Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi)
Dedi Arsa (Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Aug 2026

Abstract

In 1839, Douwes Dekker arrived in Batavia on his father's ship, the Dorothe. In 1842, Douwes Dekker was assigned to the Natal region as a Class II Controller, managing the security and administration of the Natal region. This study aims to describe Douwes Dekker's journey in Natal from 1842 to 1844, serving as a Class II Controller in Natal. The type of research used by the author is a descriptive narrative (qualitative) research method. The research method used is a historical research method with four stages, namely: (1) Heuristic source collection, the primary sources used are archives related to the research title. Meanwhile, secondary sources are books, articles, journals, and websites related to Douwes Dekker. (2) Source criticism (3) Interpretation is carried out to separate between usable and unusable sources, (4) historiography, writing the research results in the form of a thesis with a systematic approach in accordance with the guidelines for writing scientific papers for the History of Islamic Civilization study program. Sjech M. Djamil Djambek State Islamic University Bukittinggi. The research results obtained based on data sources in writing this thesis scientific work contain, first Afdailing Natal which is currently the Natal sub-district and part of the Mandailing Natal district of North Sumatra. This region has a quite interesting history of development since the colonial period, especially in 1842. In 1842-1844, this region was under the influence of the Dutch administration which began to establish its power in the coastal areas of Sumatra. Second In the same period, a young Dutch-blooded man was appointed who was still relatively young at that time to occupy the position of a class II controller, namely Eduard Douwes Dekker or commonly known by the pseudonym Multatuli. Douwes Dekker departed from Batavia and arrived in Padang, before finally being placed in the Natal region. As a class II controller, he was responsible for overseeing colonial administration such as trade, plantations and relations with local communities. Third, Douwes Dekker began to criticize his superiors for oppressive practices such as injustice, starvation, and late payment of wages to pepper plantation workers by the Dutch government in Natal. Finally, in 1844, Douwes Dekker was dismissed from his position as a Class II controller in Natal and returned to the Padang highlands.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

hikmahstudies

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Other

Description

Hikmah Studies: Journal of Religion, Narrative, and Thought publishes original research and critical scholarship on religion, textual and narrative traditions, and intellectual thought within Islamic and broader religious studies. The journal emphasizes interdisciplinary and contextual approaches ...