JAVA
a spiritual title, meaning “ object of reverence,” which one of the native princes still
^According to these statements, the work of conversion ran over a period of at
least 130 years. Even at the lapse of this time, however, it does not appear to have
been completed; for according to De Barros, when Hennque Lemd
of the Sundas 1522, forty-four years after the supposed final
nese he found idolatrous temples, nunneries, and the practice of concremation
still’existing. For a century after the overthrow of Majapait, Java appears to have
been split into many independent states. When first visited bythe Portuguese, s
was unquestionably its condition. “ The island of Java, says De Barros, ls d^ ed
into many kingdoms and he 6n>umeratea*iw
notwithstanding much corruption of orthography, can be identified w i t h t h e ex t g
names of provinces. About the year 1578, however, a native chief * ® # » m e r ol
the province of Mataram, on behalf of the king of the neighbouring state, of Pajang,
r a L d Z s e l f to sovereign power, and founded the
the two existing native tributary rulers. In the course ofthe first ^ reign^ofth^
dynasty, most of the proper country of the Javanese, with the island of Madura,
were subiugated, and the princes of the Sunda country made tributary.
It was in the reign of the second prince of this dyhasty, that the Dutch made
their first appearance in Java, under Houtman, in 1595. In 1610 they obtained permission
from the Sunda prince of Jacatra, to build a fort near to the spot on which
now stands the city of Batavia. In 1619 this fort w a s be^eged by the jomt fo^ces
of the princes of Jacatra and Bantam, aided and abetted by the Eng1»*. It was
relieved by a Dntch fleet under Admiral Koen, and the assailants defeated and dnv
off I t was after this event that the name of Batavia first given to the fortress was
given to the town. In 1628, Batavia was besieged by a numerous army »entagamst
it bv the reigning prince of Mataram, with the hope of expelling the Dutch from
the ishrnd but by the skill and courage of the European garrison, the rude and
disorderly host was baffled and routed. From this time the history of Java is pro-
wrvni-vr nf Fiiironean conauerors. No considerable territorial acquisition, how-
ever was made until 1677, when the Dutch obtained a cession of the principality of
Jacatra. From that time up to the year 1830, every war earned on by them wi
the native princes, whether as principals or auxiliaries, invariably ended m a cession
of territory to the former; so that, at present, hardly one-fourteenth part of the island
is in possession of native rulers, and even that is entirely tributary and dependent, s
that the government of the native principalities is, m fact, but a clumsy form of
European rule, similar to that of our own in respect to some states of Hindustan.
From the year 1671 to 1830, the Dutch, as principals or auxiliaries, have been
engaged in no fewer than four great wars, all of long duration. One which beganin
i M i lnstprl for thirtv-four vears. One which began in 1718, lasted for five years,
one whicli began fifteen years; and one which began in 1825, for five
v e a r a - s o th a to f one-thik part at least of a period of 156 years, civil war raged
in the island. The history of Dutch aggression m Java is probably, on the whole,
neither worse or better than that of English aggression in Hindustan. Indeed
although upon very different scales, they bear, in their general features, a very close
resemblance. The English administration of its conquest has however, been at least
for morefortunate than that of the Dutch; for instead of the numerous rebellions
5 2 have sprung up in Java, there has not been a single serious revolt m Be&A
w r ih f o u rw T i t f population, in a period approaching to a century; a.result which,
in fairness must be chiefly ascribed to difference m the character of the sub-
iugated parties. The inhabitants of the British provinces had been accustomed to
foreign domination for many centuries, while those of Java had never been subjected
to foreign rule until the Dutch began their conquests in the 17th centuiy.
The Dutch have divided their possessions in Java into twenty provinces or residencies
each of which is administered by a Resident or Prefect. Six of these belong
to th e ’country of the Sundas, and fourteen to that of the Javanese. The two
remrining natWe states, although administered by their own princes, are, as already
stated, virtually Dutch provinces; and placed under tlm control of an officer, with
fhp same title as those of the provinces under direct Dutch rule.
Attempts have been made, at various times, to estimate the total population of
Java The first of these was by the historian Valentyn, who, in his account of the
island says that down to his time, 1726, it had “ never been described, and that the
notions entertained of it were as vague as those of a man born blind respecting
colours.” His estimate made the population 3,199,750; and including Madura,
3,591,500. This estimate was made shortly after a civil war of five years’ duration.
In 1755, immediately after the finest parts of the island had been the theatre of a
civil war of fifteen years, an estimate was made which gave Java only 1,941,911 ; or
including Madura, 2,001,911. This would seem to show, that in less than thirty years
a decrease had taken place exceeding a million and a quarter. ^ At the^ close of the
last century, estimates of the population were made, which raised the joint population
of Java and Madura to 3,559,611. This was after a continued peace of forty-five
years ; and shows, compared to the last estimate, an increase exceeding a million and
a half. In 1808, another estimate was made; and by this the number was made
3,730,000. In 1815, a census was attempted, during the temporary occupation of
the English, which raised the population of Java to 4,39,661 ; or including Madura
to 4, 615,270.
The Dutch, since the restoration of the island to them in 1816, have made no fewer
than eleven different attempts at a census. The first of these -was made in 1826 ;
and the number it gave was 5,403,786. Ten years later another was made, and this
raised the number to 7,861,551 ; and consequently gave a decennial increase at the
rate of about 44 per cent. The census of 1845, made the joint population of Java
and Madura, 9,530,781 ; or of Java alone, 9,235,033. The last census is that of
1850; and this made the joint population of Java and Madura 9,564,324. This,
compared to previous increases, exhibits but a very trifling augmentation ; and indeed
in seven of the finest provinces there is an absolute decline : while in the provinces
subject to native rule, there is an increase of from 14 to 15 per cent. The decrease
in the Dutch portion is most probably attributable to the highly impolitic practice of
raising revenue by the corvée culture of agricultural products for the markets of
Europe, and the great rise in the price of corn, which has been the consequence of it.
None of these enumerations can be considered as better than approximations; but
it is probable that all of them err rather in omission than exaggeration. The last, as
the most recent, taken with the most care, and with the best means, are the most
reliable. The census of 1845 is considered rather to underrate than overrate the
numbers, which the officers who made it consider ought to make the joint population
of the two islands not less in round numbers than 10,000,000.
Taking the population of Java, exclusive of Madura, as it is given in the census of
1845, at 9,235,033,and its area at 37,556 English miles, its relative population is 248
inhabitants to the square mile ; which would give it about the same density of population
as Great Britain or Ireland ; and consequently show that, with the exception of
these, it is far more populous than any other great island in the world. The
population is very unequally distributed over the different parts of the island. The
mountainous country of the Sundas, including Cheribon, which is partly Javanese,
has an area of 13,944 square miles, but a population of no more than 2,406,097
inhabitants, so that it has only 171 to the square mile. The inland districts, called
Prayangan, or “ fairy lands,” have only 120 to the square mile, and Bantam but 154 ;
while Cheribon, with its mixed population and wide valleys, has 301. The country
of the Javanese has an area of 23,612 square miles, and a population of 6,933,696 ;
which gives a relative population of 293 to the square mile. Even in this more
populous portion of the island the density of population varies greatly. The province
of Surabaya, with a harbour and two large rivers, has 461 to the square mile ;
Samarang, 528 ; and the highly fertile inland province of Kadu, a valley watered by
the streams which pour down from four of the highest mountains of the island, 565.
In the narrow section of the island which fronts Madura, and forms the most easterly
portion of it, the density of population gradually decreases from west to east.
Thus in the province of Pasuruhan it is 188 to the square mile ; and in Besuki,
which includes the extremity of the island opposite to Bali, it is only 121.
The inhabitants of Java, besides Javanese and Sundas, consist also of Madurese ;
for these are not confined to their own island, but form the larger part of the
population of that section of Java which fronts Madura. This portion having been
depopulated by the civil wars of the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th
centuries, the Madurese began to emigrate to it from their own less fertile land ; and
this emigration still goes on, so that the Madurese in Java are probably, at present,
more numerous than in their parent country. For the whole island, including
Madura, the proportions of the three nations, is supposed to be 66 in 100 of the
Javanese ; 26 of the Sundas ; and 8 of the Madurese.
The most numerous class of stranger-settlers are the Chinese ; the census of 1845
making their numbers 106,033, the greater number consisting of a mixed race. Of
these, 31,764 are j n the city of Batavia and its environs, which is fewer than the