In the 7th century AD, the Hindu-Buddhist Sriwijaya kingdom arose in Sumatra as the first Indonesian commercial maritime power capable of controlling most of the trade in Southeast Asia. this was because they were in the Straits of Melaka. The Mataram and Sailendra dynasty was in its happy years. While trade gave Sriwijaya its wealth, Javan island kingdoms such as Mataram had much more human labor in their agricultural societies. At the end of 1900 the kingdom of Mataram mysteriously disappeared. The core moved from Central Java to East Java and it was also a period when Hinduism and Buddhism were syncretized and when Javanese culture began to develop. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayColonial IndonesiaIn the early 1500s the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia, with a huge demand in Europe for spices such as nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and mace. The Portuguese then decided to seize the main source of spices, the Moluccas. Later, in 1511 they captured Melaka, a port city. They also captured the Moluccas. However, in the early 1600s the Dutch stole everything from the Portuguese. In 1602 the Dutch East India Company was founded to handle trade with Indonesia. In 1641 they retook Melaka. However, by 1600 they had withdrawn from Indonesia. Additionally, during the 1700s, the Dutch East India Company fell into deep debt. In 1806 the Dutch and English declared war on Indonesia. The English easily conquered all Dutch territories in Indonesia. During their reign the English abolished slavery. However, in 1816, the British returned Indonesia to the Dutch again. Many Indonesians opposed the return of the mean Dutch. Despite this, the Dutch eventually won and regained control. The Javanese War began in 1829. However, the war soon ended with the Dutch gaining a quick victory in 1830. The Kultuurstelsel, meaning cultural system, was soon introduced by the Dutch. Additionally, Indonesian farmers have been forced to set aside 20% of their land to grow export crops. Indonesians were forced to grow spices popular in Europe such as indigo, tea, pepper, cinnamon, and sugar. Fortunately, in the early 1900s, Indonesians were treated better. Ethics policy was introduced. This meant more money to maximize well-being. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay However the new policy has had almost no change in the lives of most Indonesians. However, it meant fueling demands for independence. Then, in 1942, the Japanese invaded Indonesia. At first Indonesians thought that the Japanese were liberating heroes, but they soon discovered that the Japanese were brutal and greedy. On August 17, Sukarno declared Indonesian independence. He became the first president and Hatta became vice president. However, the Dutch were not in favor of Indonesian independence. In November the Indonesians and Dutch signed the Linggajati Pact. The Dutch honored the new government, but did so only in Java, claiming that the rest of present-day Indonesia was theirs. However, after a failed attempt in 1948, the Dutch attempted to reconquer Indonesia. However, by this point the Indonesians were experienced in guerrilla warfare and were supported by the United States. Shortly afterwards the Dutch withdrew. Finally, on November 2, 1949, the Dutch finally recognized Indonesia as their country.