Opium to Java (book review)

9. Title :- Opium to Java –Revenue farming and Chinese enterprise in colonial Indonesia 1860-1910.
By :- James. R. Rush
Published :- Equinox Publishing, Singapore, 2007 (250 pages)

Outline :- The colonial developed trade in copra, rubber etc in village areas and later in plantations. The Dutch introduced the concept of money into the colony to pay workers and conduct trade. The Dutch also introduced opium as part of a general Asian wide trade at the time. The very diluted and little amount such poor workers could afford was seen to be a good thing, to cure aches & pains along with the weary nature of life. The Dutch organized district wide official distribution network of store houses to support the opium trade. The industry took off and soon the Dutch auctioned off licenses to manage such district distribution networks. The price for such networks grew and so Chinese families formed groups to bid & hold such licenses. The income for the Dutch colony to repatriated funds to Holland became significant. However the illegal trade also boomed, and soon Dutch ships & coast guard had to be improved. Eventually the Holland parliament passed laws to become a more responsible society and included the outlaw of Opium. The background to many of Indonesia’s trading and business outlooks has its roots here.