Page 36 - BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indonesian Brands 2015

SECTION 01
INTRODUCTION
HISTORY
CENTURIES
OF TRADING
DELIVER DIVERSITY
OF MODERN
INDONESIA
Spice trade brings new influences
7th century to 17th century
The islands of what is now called Indonesia have been a center of commerce for many centuries, thanks to their proximity to India and China. Traders brought new settlers and new ideas to the area, all gradually absorbed by the islands’ residents. Muslim traders’ legacy makes Indonesia home to the world’s largest Muslim population today. Hindu and Buddhist communities from around Asia have also flourished on the islands, and Christianity was brought by European explorers attracted by the islands’ exotic spices, particularly nutmeg, which was once one of the world’s most valuable commodities.
Dutch colonization
17th century to 1942
While Portuguese traders are thought to have been the first Europeans to have regular contact with the people of Indonesia, it was the Dutch who began to colonize the islands in the early 17th century, gradually consolidating their rule over the next 200 years. The United East India Company amalgamated the many Dutch businesses competing for trade through the islands, and established the city that is now Jakarta as the capital of its Asian trading network. When the company collapsed, the Dutch national government took control, uniting the archipelago as one country, named the Dutch East Indies, in 1900. Many areas of modern Indonesia remained independent of Dutch rule, however, and the colonial era was punctuated by unrest due to areas of strong local resistance to foreign rule.
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