Life in The Dutch East Indies
As of 1871, the colonial Governor-General relied on an ‘advisor for indigenous affairs’ to manage these tensions. Due to his expertise in Arabic and Islam, Dr. Snouck Hurgronje served in this capacity between 1889 and 1905. His overall advice was to intervene as little as possible in religious affairs and allow optimal freedom of religion. Only manifestations of political Islam were to be countered. Although his advise was implemented and guided colonial policy for years to come, the emergence of Sarekat Islam in 1912 gave rise to the first East Indies political party based on Islamic principles.
Aspiring to reform Dutch colonial policies, Snouck moved to the Dutch East Indies in 1889. Snouck was originally appointed as researcher of Islamic education in Buitenzorg and professor of Arabic in Batavia in 1890. Although at first he was not allowed to visit Aceh on Sumatra, he rejected offers to return to Europe from the University of Leiden and Cambridge University. In 1890 he married the daughter of an indigenous nobleman in Ciamis, West Java. Due to the controversy this caused in the Netherlands, Snouck called the marriage a "scientific opportunity" to study and analyse Islamic wedding ceremoniwa. Four children were born from this marriage.
Between 1891 to 1892, Snouck—who was by now fluent in Acehnese, Malay and Javanese—finally traveled to Aceh which was devastated by the prolonged Aceh War. Under the name "Haji Abdul Ghaffar", he built a relationship of trust with religious elements of the region's population. In his Report on the religious-political situation in Aceh, Snouck strongly opposed the use of military terror tactics against the Acehnese and instead advocated well-organized systematic espionage and winning the support of aristocratic elites. He however did identify certain radical Muslim scholars (Ulama) that would only succumb to show of force.
In 1898 Snouck became Colonel Van Heutsz's closest advisor in "pacifying" Aceh and his advice was instrumental in reversing Dutch fortune in ending the protracted Aceh War. The relationship between Heutsz and Snouck deteriorated when Heutsz proved unwilling to implement Snouck’s ideal for an ethical and enlightened administration. In 1903, Snouck married another indigenous woman with whom he had a son in 1905. Disappointed with colonial policies, he returned to the Netherlands the next year to continue a successful academic career.
Read more about this topic: Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje
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