Comment?

[A. G. Maisey]

Jean, sometimes I say something, or write something without thinking through to the results of what I have said or written. In this Forum, if I see something I can comment on I usually jump in and write a comment, mostly I do not think before responding, I just write.

I should have realised that my "Dutch Colonial Politics" comment would generate a request for further explanation, and this explanation is one that I am not prepared to give --- nor for that matter, able to give --- in the form a very abbreviated post in this Forum.

Why?

Because the response should begin with the Javanese cultural revival that began during the Kartosuro period, and Dutch policies that were put in place to crush the resistance of the Central Javanese aristocracy to Dutch overlordship. The effect on the Javanese elites was something that needed to be compensated for. Tangguh played a part in this compensatory process.

I do plan to publish on this subject in the future.