The Indonesian Middle Ages (of the O C to the XIII E century) are marked by the influence of India, and in particular by the Hinduism and Buddhism. Indeed, two indo-Malayan kingdoms resulting from the dynasty of Çailendra dominate the archipelago: in Java, the kingdom of the Center and, in Sumatra, the kingdom of Çrivijaya, which perhaps extends one moment to Kampuchea, in Siam, in Ceylon and Philippines. When the kingdom of Çrivijaya is with its apogee, of X E to the XIII E century, the maritime relations are in full rise; the ships, which make stopover in the wearing of Asia, come to seek tin, the ivory, spices, camphor, etc

To the XIV E century, the feudal kingdom of Majapahit constitutes a true maritime empire which extends on all the islands from the archipelago. Although the Chinese fleet of Khoubilaï was overcome, the Chinese are established in Java and, by interbreeding, form a group except for, gradually enlarged by the arrival of immigrants. Through Moslem princes of Malacca, and princes of Java become Moslem to the XV E century, Islam penetrates in Indonesia (1520). It activates the commercial relations of Indonesia; egalitarian and tolerant, it prohibits any bulk-heading by the castes, unlike the Indian Hinduism.  

European colonization

Interested by the trade of spices, the Portuguese then the Spanishs are the first, to the XVI E century, to make from the trade agreements with the Indonesian indigenous princes. But they are the come last, the Dutchmen, whose first forwarding takes place in 1595-1596, which, for three centuries and half, will organize the colonization of the archipelago.

To contain competition hispano-Portuguese, they must adopt an overall policy; thus Dutchwomen cities create in 1602 the Dutch Company of the Eastern Indies, which has the responsibility of negotiate and colonize. The Company imposes such or such culture according to the needs for the trade: spices to the XVII E century, coffee to the XVIII E, then canes with sugar, tea, tobacco, cotton, hevea, etc This exploitation does not go without local revolts, always repressed. Batavia lettuce, today Jakarta, become a commercial big city. During the Napoleonean wars, the British bait themselves on the colonies of the Batavian Republic, which will return completely under the dependence Dutchwoman only in 1824.  

To the XIX E century, the exploitation becomes more strict: one adopts the system introduced by the governor Van den Bosch in 1830, who imposes the abandonment, with the profit of the colonial State, of the fifth of the grounds of the village and the fifth of the work of each man (at least 60 days per annum). This system, very advantageous for the metropolis, which thus governs all the agricultural life, directed towards the export of the commercial cultures, reveals serious disadvantages for the local populations: the food crops are neglected and the differences increase between the other islands and Java, jewel colonial of the Dutchmen.  

From 1870, a new evolution is felt: an agrarian law supports the setting in culture of the waste lands.  Thus, large companies with Dutch or foreign capital (especially British) develop to exploit the new richnesses: the hevea and the palm tree with oil; the mining products are systematically exploited. In the country, where the population increases quickly and where industry remains little developed, dissatisfaction is growing, the more so as the crisis of 1929 involves the collapse of the culture of the cane with sugar: the Indonesians know unemployment and riots then. The reforms introduced in the Indies Dutchwomen (representation ensured by the Council of the people, participation of the indigenous elite, statute of overseas territory, in 1922) are insufficient and do not prevent the creation of nationalist movements or revolutionists: Indonesian social union, Indonesian Communist party, Indonesian national Party of Sukarno, created respectively in 1914.1920 and 1927.

In August 1940, the Dutch government in exile defers at the end of the war the problem of the autonomy, claimed in 1939 by the Congress of the people, which the nationalist movements convened. The Japanese occupy the Indies Dutchwomen of 1941 to 1945.

Independent Indonesia

After the formation of an Indonesian Republic, supported by the Japanese in 1945 and directed by Sukarno, the reports remained very tended with the Netherlands. Those intervened militarily on several occasions before the conference of $the Hague does not succeed, in 1949, which recognizes the creation of the United States of Indonesia. Temporarily maintained, the union with the Netherlands is denounced by the new State in 1954.  

Indonesia knew a difficult existence on the economic plan and policy. The disorders hardly ceased, dependant on the ousting of the Dutch nationals or to the revolts, in Moluques (1955), Sumatra and Célèbes (1958), in Sulawesi, Borneo or in New Guinea, against the centralism of Java. While keeping the favors of Moscow and Washington, Sukarno was made the champion of non-alignment (conference of Bandung, 1955); it supported Indonesian nationalism and the influence of Beijing. In 1963, Irian, left to the Netherlanders initially, was joined together in Indonesia.  

A communist coup attempt of State involved a very hard reaction of the army, led by the general Suharto (1965-1966), who eliminated Sukarno gradually. Master of the power, the Suharto general approached the United States and vigorously prevailed against the Communists. Elected for the first time chair in 1968, re-elected in 1973, then in 1978,1983,1988,1993 and 1998, it profits from a vast majority at the Parliament.

The attempts at guerilla in the provinces most recently annexed (Irian Jaya, Eastern Timor) are severely repressed by the army. Thus, in July 1996, of violent riots burst in Jakarta, caused by the partisans of Megawati, the girl of former president Sukarno, who crystallizes around it the opposition forces. Repression continues in the island of Timor, conquered in 1975 and annexed in 1976, at the cost of massacres, and Sumatra knows an Islamic agitation. In spite of the massive victory of the governing party Golkar, the last legislative elections of May 29th, 1997, were the theater of violent riots translating discomfort growing caused by inequalities of incomes of more-in-more important and the rigidity of the mode.

With the beginning of the year 1998, the economic situation of Indonesia is degraded and a rise of the prices, without precedent (30 to 50 %), causes new riots in all the country. President Suharto is constrained to call upon the army. In parallel, the IMF, considering that the fixed macroeconomic conditions, are not observed by the government of Djakarta, delays its program of economic aid. This crisis situation does not prevent the president from seeing his mandate renewed by the Advisory body of the people (on on March 10th). In May, the last austerity measures required by the IMF cause new demonstrations repressed hard by the army. Under the pressure of the Parliament and US government, president Suharto is constrained to give his resignation and names the vice-president, Bacharuddin Yousouf Habibie, in charge of the country. This last brings back temporarily the calm one by announcing a liberalization of the political system and the dismantling of the companies and trusts of the Suharto family. At the same moment, it makes release the political prisoners and promises to organize new legislative elections.

With the beginning of the year 1999, the country always undergoes the by-effects of the brutal collapse of its economy and the policy followed by former president Suharto. High unemployment rate (evaluated to 40 % of the working population in 1998) and which gallops inflation (70 %), combined with a crushing total debt (more than 130 billion dollars), poke the dissatisfaction with a population of which about half of the individuals live below the poverty line. In addition, the hesitations of the power to implement the announced economic measures and policies, throw a veil of skepticism on its legimity, in particular because of its close links with the preceding mode. Become sensitive to the cold, the international agencies of assistance, which however granted a new loan of 1.1 billion dollar, against the promise that the funds are not used before the general elections, remain in the expectancy, just as the foreign investors, who, for the majority, concluded from the agreements with the former regime and very lost during its collapse.

Lastly, the alarm clock of separatisms with Ambon (archipelago of Moluques), where the fatal confrontations between Christians and Moslems are repressed hard by the army, like in Western Kalimantan (Borneo) and in Irian Jaya, but also the throbbing question of the independence of Eastern Timor, place president Habibie in an uncomfortable position at the eyes of the population and international opinion. Sign started change, the countryside for the general elections which begins in May, is marked, in the capital, by demonstrations of support with the Indonesian Democratic party of fight (PDIP) of Megawati Soekanoputri (girl of former president Sukarno), direct rival of the party in power, Golkar.

In parallel, on on May 5th, the governments Indonesian and Portuguese sign an agreement by which they are committed organizing a referendum near the population of theEastern one, allowing him to decide for autonomy within the Indonesian republic or in favor of independence. Organized under the surveillance of civil agents elected by UNO, referendum, which is held in an extreme climate of violence (many people are assassinated by the militia anti-freedom fighters pro-Indonesians, including three members of UNO), leads to the rejection of autonomy by 78.5 % of the voters. This plebiscite in favor of independence starts a new wave of violence, which constrained president Habibie to issue the martial law in the province. A little later the Safety advice of UNO decides to send a multinational force (Interfet), placed under the command of Australia and responsible for “restore peace and safety”.

In parallel, the formation of an international commission of inquiry charged to make the light on the crimes and exactions perpetrated with Timor-Eastern is approved by UNO. Quickly, sudden Interfet of the losses among its troops, badgered by the militiamans pro-Indonesians and must carry out the evacuation of the populations and the threatened foreign visitors.

In October, UNO is charged, on decision of the Safety advice, the civil and military administration of the province and to take care of the respect of the process allowing the latter to reach independence. Sergio Vieira of Mello, general under-secretary to Humanitarian associations, deals with the new transitory Administration of the United Nations to Timor-Eastern (Untaet). Laying out of broad powers, including legal, Untaet is supported by 9000 U.N. peace-keeping force, charged with replacing the forces of Interfet at the beginning of the year 2000.

In addition to the return of the historical leader of resistance be-Timorese, Jose Alexandre “Xanana” Gusmao, this end of the year thus sees the departure of the last Indonesian soldiers, after twenty-four years of occupation. Lastly, on on October 20th, Abdurrahman Wahid says “Gus Dur”, considered as the representative of an Islam moderate and opened, president of the Republic by the Advisory body of the people is elected and Megawati Sukarnoputri, girl of the founder of Indonesia independent and popular, leading of the Indonesian Democratic party (PDI-P), first party of the country, is named with the vice-presidency.

As of their come to power, the new leaders are confronted with a new outburst of violence poked by the freedom fighters, in particular in the province of Atjeh (northern of Sumatra) and in Irian Jaya. Considering that these actions of rebellion threaten the Indonesian unit and constitute a challenge with its authority, the government charges the contingents of police with restoring the order in the provinces. If the talks engaged with the Moslem separatists of the Face of release of Atjeh succeed, on on May 12th, 2000, after two decades of armed struggle and more than five thousand victims, with the signature of an agreement of cease-fire with the Indonesian government, the independence dash always lives mentalities, with the image of Papuan of Irian Jaya which proclaim their independence with regard to Djakarta on on June 4th and organize a new administration of their province.