River Transportation Network and the Development of Civilization on the East Coast of Kalimantan at the End of Colonial Era

Abstract

The east coast of Kalimantan tends to be overshadowed by a grand narrative constructed by ethnic groups living around the Makassar Strait with a perspective that tends to negate the capabilities and portray stereotypes of local communities in response to progress and modernity of civilization. Such impression that appears in a number of colonial sources about the eastern part of Kalimantan is strengthened when the picture that adorns its historical record shows the important role of a number of outside actors in helping local rulers (Kutai, Paser and Berau) to protect their sovereignty from threats and disturbances of other groups that fills the vast space of its historiography. Conversely, the struggle of local communities in fighting for rights and the essence of life is obscurely presented as a mere attachment to the various existing dominant elements. The east coast of Kalimantan with its wide and long river channel and relatively constant coastline as well as bustling economic activity make settlements grow and develop rapidly along the Mahakam River Basin, its tributaries and branches. This dynamic made the local authorities and the Dutch colonial government finally issue a policy of “territorial determination” and control of the boundaries of the occupation space. When the shipping company KPM (Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij) operated in the Dutch East Indies in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries the local population faced significant political changes. Local rulers and the colonial government initially tried to impose monopoly on the river and were actively involved in transportation of goods, trade and investment although in the end the local rulers worked side by side with the colonial rulers and other traders. This paper discusses three important issues, namely the establishment of a river transportation network, the persistence of coastal-inland communities to get involved in the transportation service business, and the colonial penetration in water transportation governance that leads to increased business-power competition.