description Merle Ricklefs Overview
Merle Ricklefs (1943-2019) was an Australian historian specializing in Indonesia, especially Java and the development of Islamic and political institutions. His textbook A History of Modern Indonesia Since c. 1300, first published in 1981, provides a long historical account of the archipelago from the precolonial period through colonial rule and the formation of the modern Indonesian state. It is intended for readers seeking an overview of Indonesian history.
help Merle Ricklefs FAQ
What is Merle Ricklefs's best-known history book?
His best-known work is A History of Modern Indonesia, first published in 1981. The book provides a broad narrative of Indonesian history from the early modern period through later political developments. [Catalog record for the 1981 edition](https://perpustakaan.kemlu.go.id/index.php?id=3209&keywords=&p=show_detail)
Does Ricklefs's history begin with the modern Indonesian republic?
No. A History of Modern Indonesia begins well before the 1945 proclamation of independence and traces political, religious, and cultural change across earlier centuries. This longer chronology helps explain how Java, Islam, colonial rule, and nationalism shaped modern Indonesia.
What subjects does Merle Ricklefs connect in Indonesian history?
He connects court politics, Islam, European colonialism, Japanese occupation, nationalism, and the postcolonial state. That combination makes the book useful as both a political history and a study of Indonesian society.
Why is Ricklefs's textbook still frequently assigned?
It gives readers a single chronological framework for a large and regionally diverse subject. Its continuing value comes from combining Indonesian political history with religious and social developments rather than treating the republic in isolation.
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