 | This article's lead section contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article.(September 2022) |
Indonesian nationalism is an ideology that arose during the Dutch colonial era in the Dutch East Indies which called for the colony's independence and unification as an independent and sovereign nation. This period of nationalist development under colonial rule is often called the Indonesian National Awakening. After Indonesia declared independence in 1945 and was recognized as independent of the Netherlands in 1949 following the Indonesian National Revolution, Indonesian nationalism persisted as a set of ideologies supporting the continued independence and development of the newly formed country.
Contents
Indonesian nationalism primarily emerged in urban areas where it subsequently diffused to rural areas. [1] Indonesian nationalism has been described as emerging in the early 20th century, with the establishment of Budi Utomo in 1908. [2] Prince Diponegoro has been considered a forerunner to the Indonesian nationalist movement, owing to his opposition to Dutch colonial rule in the 19th century. [3]
As Indonesia is multiethnic, Indonesian nationalism does not consist of advocacy for a single ethnic group. Indonesian nationalism takes diverse forms [4] and has at times manifested as civic nationalism, religious nationalism, [5] [6] [7] and left-wing nationalism. Some of those forms are exemplified in Indonesia's national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika which means "Unity in Diversity" in Old Javanese, in the country's foundational ideology of Pancasila, or in contemporary laws which guarantee ethnic and religious diversity. [8]
