Plantation and Peasant Economy in Java, Indonesia: A Comparative Perspective on Western and Indigenous Enterprise in Jember and Mangkunegaran during the Colonial Period

Abstract

This study compares the development of plantation production systems and their impacts on the peasant economy in two different regions of Java Island, Mangkunegaran principality and Javanese frontier region of Jember. These regions demonstrated an interesting case to examine because of the existing differences among them, not only in the context of the plantation production systems operated, but also in the context of comparative perspective on western and indigenous plantation enterprises. Drawing upon primary and secondary historical sources, the article seeks to elaborate the development of plantations in Mangkunegaran and Jember regions in meeting the requirements of land and labour, and to examine their impacts on the food crops production. It is argued that the impact of the plantation production systems on the peasant economy was not homogenous across the regions. Their impact either good or bad would depend on the context in which they operated, the type of commodity developed, and the nature of capitalisms set in place.