Association in Theory and Practice: The Composition of the Regency Council (ca. 1910–1920)

Abstract

The ideal of association was formulated by the Dutch in the second decade of the 20th century in the context of the Ethical Policy. In the same period, the administrative reforms in preparation focussed on the creation of representative bodies. The public discussion on the regency council, the council for the only other Indonesian administrative unit besides the desa, is a clear example of Indonesian reactions to the ideal of association, which implied on the one hand a growing tie between the Netherlands and the then Netherlands East Indies, and on the other a striving for equality between Europeans and Indonesians within the colony. This article will deal with the content and development of this ideal, with administrative reforms concerning the regency council and with public opinion in this respect.