<資料・研究ノート> ジャワ知識人の西欧認識をめぐる諸問題 : 1913-1922年

Abstract

Soewardi Soerjaningrat, a Javanese aristocrat from the Paku Alam House of Yogyakarta, left Jave in September 1913, and stayed in Holland for six years, until 1919. During these years and the three following his return to Java, that is, up to 1922, when he founded the first Taman Siswa school, he was active as a militant anti-colonial writer. The Hindia Poetra (Son of India) under his editorship propagated his ideas towards the colonized motherland and the West. Careful scrutiny of his writings reveals a significant change in his ideas after his arrival in Holland. Previously, his main concern was focussed on the political issues of the East Indies rather than on the question of (Javanese) culture. When in Holland he became interested in his own Javanese culture and began to advocate it to the Dutch whom he considered had neglected the culture and history of his native land. Through this, he became interested in ancient Indian philosophy, which was undergoing a revival at that time in the West. It also revived in Java, where it was known as Theosophy. Wederopbouw (Reconstruction), an organ of "Het Comite voor het Javaansch Nationalisme" (The Committee for Javanese Nationalism), under the editorship of Soetatmo Soerjokoesoemo, was central in advocating this philosophy. Soetatmo, Noto Soeroto, and Soerjopoetro, personal friends of Soewardi from the Paku Alam House, all contributed to the magazine. They claimed Javanese authenticity as a legitimate successor of ancient Indian philosophy and tried to reinterprete it so that it could be relevant to "the spirit of the age" (Democracy). They were all enchanted by Tagore's asrama (traditional dormitory) type of education, and recognized it not only as an advanced trend in education which might resolve "the crisis of Western humanity" but also as something which could legitimize Javanese indigenous social values. The activites of Soewardi in Hindia Poetra and those of his comrades in Wederopbouw were thus ideological preparations for the Taman Siswa educational system, and also paved the way for modern Indonesian political ideology, namely "democracy and leadership" or "guided democracy".