Bengkulu

Bengkulu is a province of the Republic of Indonesia located on the south-western coast of the island of Sumatra. It is bordered in the west by the Indian Ocean, the south by the province of Lampung, in the east by those of Sumatra of the South and Jambi and in north by that of Western Sumatra. Its capital is also called Bengkulu, located at 3°48' S 102°15' E.

The province also includes the island of Enggano.

The surface of the province is of 19.789 km ². Its population was of 1.567.400 inhabitants in 2000.

History

At the XVIIe century, the area of Lampung in the south of Sumatra, possession of the sultanate of Banten in the west of Java, was an important producer of Poivre. To manage its trade of pepper, the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies opens in 1685 a counter with Bengkulu, located on the west coast of Sumatra but close to Lampung. In 1714, the English build Fort Marlborough there, named according to the duke of the song. The counter was however never financially profit, because of its bad site on the east coast of Sumatra and especially, the difficulty of supplying itself out of pepper.

In 1682, a troop of the VOC ( Vereenigde Oostindische Company or “Dutch Company of the Eastern Indies”) attacks the sultanate of Banten. The crown prince, who had taken the head of the government, submits himself to the Dutchmen, who recognize it like sultan. The Dutchmen expel other Europeans present at Banten. The English withdraw themselves in Bengkulu, their last establishment in the archipelago.

Benefitting from the unloading of the English in Java in 1811, lasting the Napoleonean Wars, the Badaruddin sultan of Palembang attacks the Dutch garrison of its city. In reaction, the English attack Palembang of their base with Bengkulu, put the palate at bag and relieve the sultan. Thomas Stamford Raffles is named lieutenant-governor with Bengkulu, dependant on Lord Minto, governor-general of the the British Indies.

The Treated of London of 1824 , signed between the English and the Dutchmen, grants to the latter control territories asserted by Europeans in the south of Singapore. Bengkulu is thus yielded to the Netherlands and in exchange, the Dutchmen yield Malacca to the English.

After the end of the War of Java against prince Diponegoro of Yogyakarta (1825-30), the Dutchmen made sure the services of its former commander-in-chief, Sentot Prawirodirjo, which accepted the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the colonial army. The schemes of Sentot led the Dutchmen to transfer it to Bengkulu, where it will finish its days. This tradition of exile in Bengkulu will be taken again in 1938, when the Dutch colonial government sends the nationalist leader to it Soekarno.

Population

The population Indigène of Bengkulu are the Rejang, 238.000. Their company is organized around 4 principal clans.

The language rejang is categorized like " not classée" in the Austronesian branch of the Languages austronésiennes. She is written with a clean alphabet of Indian origin.

Culture

Each year, of 1st to the 10 of the Moslem month of Muharam, Bengkulu organizes the ceremony of the Tabot . This two centuries old ritual would have been brought by the craftsmen come from Madras in India for the construction of Strong Marlborough. These craftsmen took stock with Bengkulu. It celebrates the martyrdom of the Imam Shiite Hussein, died at the time of the battle of Kerbala in Iraq.

This description will certainly evoke with the Western reader the images of scourging which one on television shows at the time of this commemoration in the Middle East, in Afghanistan or in Pakistan. The ceremony of Bengkulu has nothing to do with these rather violent scenes. There is besides no shiite with Bengkulu, nor in Indonesia in general. The Tabot is the occasion of a great procession which resembles those that the tourists see with Bali. It is accompanied by songs and dances carried out by young girls who, while belonging obviously to the traditions indonésiennes, show an identity suitable for Bengkulu ( to see external Liens ).

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