DATE LINE

| 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 |
| 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
| 1930 |

1912

  • Sarekat Dagang Islamiyah changes name to Sarekat Islam.
  • Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan founds Muhammadiyah in Yogya. The Muhammadiyah remains one of the large, respected Islamic organizations in Indonesia today. It has been known for its "modernist" Islamic viewpoint.
  • Indische Partij founded by Setiabudi (Douwes Dekker), Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo and Ki Hajar Dewantoro. All three are exiled within a year.
  • Portuguese suppress revolt in East Timor.

 

1913

  • Kartini Fonds founded in the Netherlands to support women's education on Java.
  • Gov-Gen Idenburg recognizes Sarekat Islam as legal organization.
  • Indische Partij banned; leaders go to the Netherlands.

 

1914

  • Hollandsch-Inlandsche schools are reorganized, become schools for Indonesian well-to-do.
  • Pasundan organization founded for Sundanese in western Java.
  • Sneevliet founds Indische Sociaal-Democratische Vereeniging, would become PKI (Indonesian Communist Party). In the beginning, the ISDV and PKI would have mostly Dutch members.
  • War in Europe: Dutch government considers local militia for Indonesia.
  • Great Colonial Exhibition in Semarang, attended by Pakubuwono X of Surakarta and entourage.
  • Nias comes under complete Dutch control.

 

1915

  • Haji Agus Salim joins Sarekat Islam, promotes Islamic modernism.
  • Soedirman born.

 

1916

  • Delegation with members from Budi Utomo, Sarekat Islam, etc. tours the Netherlands.
  • December States-General in the Netherlands passes bill to create Volksraad for the Netherlands Indies.
  • Gov-Gen J.P. Count van Limburg Stirum until 1921.
  • Young Sukarno attends school in Surabaya, lives with Tjokroaminoto.
  • Sarekat Islam holds first convention in Bandung; some members and traditional Javanese are unhappy with modernism.
  • Mangkunegara VII takes rule of his house in Surakarta.

 

1917

  • Leftists from Semarang gather in Sarekat Islam under Semaun; Tjokroaminoto does not oppose them.
  • Netherlands considers conscripting Indonesians for military service; leftists in Sarekat Islam oppose this.

 

1918

  • Volksraad meets for the first time: 39% of members are Indonesian, one house, advisory only, elected by local councils from kabupaten, most members are government officials or bupati
  • Gov.-Gen. van Limburg Stirum appoints Tjokroaminoto to Volksraad.
  • ISDV starts to organize soviets in Surabaya.
  • "Sarekat Islam B", secret revolutionary branch, starts organizing, includes Musso, maybe Tjokroaminoto
  • Sarekat Sumatra founded.
  • Jong Minahasa organization founded.
  • Nederlands-Indië government starts to suppress ISDV soviets, exiles Sneevliet, drives Dutch members from communist movement.

 

1919

  • May ISDV changes name to Partai Komunis di India, publishes works by Lenin.
  • May-June shooting in Garut, assassination of Dutch official at Tolitoli, Sulawesi. Dutch use shootings as excuse to suppress Sarekat Islam Section B.
  • Haji Misbach preaches "Islamic Communism" in Surakarta
  • December Sarekat Islam claims 2 million members; holds congress in Yogya.

 

1920

  • Technische Hoogeschool founded at Bandung (today's ITB: Institut Teknologi Bandung).
  • Sarekat Ambon founded.
  • Conflict between PKI and Sarekat Islam grows.

 

1921

  • Tjokroaminoto is arrested and jailed.
  • Fock is Gov.-Gen. of Nederlands-Indië until 1926.
  • Timorsch Verbond founded.
  • October Sarekat Islam congress forbids SI members to belong to other parties, including PKI.
  • Many Sarekat Islam branches split into "Red" (SI-Merah) factions after Semaun and "White" (SI-Putih) factions after Tjokroaminoto. Semaun leaves for Soviet Union. Tan Malaka tries to heal split. PKI denounces Tjokroaminoto.
  • Young Sukarno begins studies at Technische Hoogeschool in Bandung.
  • Soeharto born.

 

1922

  • Tan Malaka exiled; Semaun returns; Tjokroaminoto released.
  • Ki Hadjar Dewantoro founds Taman Siswa in Yogya, independent school with no gov support to promote Javanese arts as well as modern education (anti-modernist); invents term "guided democracy".
  • Indische Vereeniging in the Netherlands changes name to Perhimpunan Indonesia. Mohammed Hatta and Sutan Sjahrir are members, Tan Malaka and Semaun speak to meetings.
  • Marah Roesli publishes "Sitti Noerbaja", first Indonesian novel
  • Strikes continue.
  •  

1923

  • Successful PKI-led railroad strike; many unions become PKI-dominated.
  • Tjokroaminoto sets up Partai Sarekat Islam; "Red" SI branches become Sarekat Rakyat.
  • Semaun exiled.
  • Persatuan Islam, hardline modernist group, founded in Bandung.

 

1924

  • Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Indonesia or Indonesian Students Association is founded by Mohammed Hatta and others. In 1924, the Islamic caliphate ended, an event which caused much debate and concern in Islamic communities.
  • PKI changes to Partai Komunis Indonesia, decides to turn to revolt. Musso joins PKI.

 

1925

  • New constitution: Council of the Indies becomes advisory, Volksraad gets limited legislative powers, Governor-General and bureaucracy are unaffected.
  • PKI-led strikes fail, Tan Malaka is in Singapore.
  • Sukarno founds pro-independence General Studies Club in Bandung, advocates unity.

 

1926

  • Kyai Haji Hasjim Asjari founds Nahdlatul Ulama: schools, charity, economic help.
  • Dutch arrest more PKI members; Musso goes to Singapore.
  • November PKI revolts in Banten, Batavia, Bandung. PKI declares republic. Revolt is crushed by Dutch, who make thousands of arrests.
  • Sukarno gets engineering degree in Bandung.
  • De Graeff is Gov.-Gen. until 1931.

 

1927

  • January PKI revolts in Sumatra are destroyed.
  • February Hatta and others attend anti-colonial convention in Brussels along with many nationalists from Asia and Africa.
  • 4 July Sukarno founds Perserikatan Nasional Indonesia (PNI).
  • September Hatta, Ali Sastroamidjojo and others in Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Indonesia are arrested.
  • Dutch build Boven Digul prison camp in Irian Jaya to house political prisoners. The Dutch usethe communist unrest as an excuse to arrest many Indonesian leaders who are not communists.

 

1928

  • PNI changes name to Partai Nasional Indonesia, adopts merah-putih flag, Bahasa Indonesia as national language, "Indonesia Raya" as national anthem.
  • March Hatta and supporters are acquitted; Hatta's speeches are convincingly anti-Dutch.
  • Youth Congress in Batavia adopts "sumpah pemuda": one nation, one language; Muhammad Yamin writes poems "Indonesia tumpah darahku".

 

1929

  • December Sukarno and followers are arrested.

 

1930

  • Sukarno sent to Bandung for trial. He gives rousing speeches in court, but is convicted and sentenced to four years in prison.


| 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 |
| 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 |