An Indonesian Frontier: Acehnese and Other Histories of Sumatra

by Anthony Reid

Sumatra is a vast and understudied island with a population of 43 million people divided into a variety of ethnic groups. Apart from William Marsden's great study of 1783, few serious historical works deal with Sumatra's history, and even fewer attempt to describe that history as a coherent whole.

Sumatra's rich resources of land and minerals, and its enterprising people, have made it the prosperous frontier of the Archipelago. But the island's people, most of whom were stateless highlanders until the 20th century, were politically united only by the rule of Dutch Batavia and Indonesian Jakarta. Sumatrans have a tradition of defying central authority, and the Acehnese are once again, as in Dutch times, kept in the nation only by force.

This book is the fruit of 40 years' study of Sumatran history, from the 16th century to the present. While seeking patterns of coherence in this vast island, it focuses on Aceh, which has both the most illustrious past and the most troubled present of any Sumatran region.

Anthony Reid has played a leading role in research into Southeast Asian history for over four decades. His work has systematically explored the political, social and intellectual history of the region generally, but in particular studies of Aceh, South Sulawesi, Sabah (East Malaysia), and 20th century Indonesia. He is currently the Director of the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore.

Genres: History

Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Anthony Reid was a New Zealand-born historian of Southeast Asia. His doctoral work at Cambridge University examined the contest for power in northern Sumatra, Indonesia in the late 19th century, and he extended this study into a book The Blood of the People on the national and social revolutions in that region 1945–49. He is most well known for his two volume book "Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce", developed during his time at the Research School of Pacific (and Asian) Studies, Australian National University in Canberra. His later work includes a return to Sumatra where he explored the historical basis for the separate identity of Aceh; interests in nationalism, Chinese diaspora and economic history, and latterly the relation between geology and deep history.
Professor Reid taught Southeast Asian history at University of Malaya (1965–1970) and Australian National University (1970–1999). He became the founding director of the Southeast Asia Center, University of California, Los Angeles, 1999–2002, and then the founding director of Asia Research Institute (ARI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), 2002–2007. He retired from NUS in 2009. Thereafter he was based in Canberra as Professor (Emeritus) at the Australian National University.
As a writer of fiction he styled himself Tony Reid. He was the son of John S. Reid, a New Zealand diplomat who held postings in Indonesia, Japan and Canada in the 1950s and 1960s.

Reviews

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

151 - 2020

[aldo zirsov]

dapat tanda tangan Anthony Reid saat menghadiri diskusi dimana beliau menjadi salah satu nara sumber.

[Wina S. Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Menuju Sejarah Sumatra, sebuah karya yang ingin mengingatkan saya bahwa sejarah tidak hanya ditulis oleh pemenang, tetapi juga oleh mereka yang masih berjuang untuk mengingatkan kita semua—bahwa meskipun kita mungkin hidup di era modern, kita masih terjebak dalam drama kuno antara penjajah yang malas dan masyarakat yang gigih. Seperti pahlawan film superhero, masyarakat Sumatra berjuang melawan kolonialisme dengan senjata tradisional—cerita rakyat, tari, dan tentu saja, semangat yang tidak akan padam.

Buku ini memberikan wawasan yang mendalam tentang kompleksitas sejarah dan budaya Sumatra. Analisis tentang resistensi dan adaptasi menunjukkan bahwa masyarakat bukanlah entitas pasif yang hanya menerima pengaruh kolonial, tetapi sebaliknya, mereka aktif mengelola dan membentuk identitas mereka sendiri.

Pesan yang dapat diambil dari buku ini adalah pentingnya menghargai dan melestarikan budaya lokal di tengah arus globalisasi dan perubahan yang cepat. Masyarakat harus terus menemukan cara untuk beradaptasi tanpa kehilangan jati diri mereka. Selain itu, buku ini mengingatkan kita bahwa sejarah bukan hanya tentang kekuasaan dan dominasi, tetapi juga tentang perjuangan masyarakat untuk mempertahankan identitas dan nilai-nilai mereka.

Secara keseluruhan, Menuju Sejarah Sumatra adalah pengingat bahwa budaya adalah hasil dari interaksi yang dinamis antara tradisi dan perubahan, dan bahwa ketahanan budaya dapat menjadi sumber kekuatan dalam menghadapi tantangan zaman.

[Puri Kencana Putri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of articles, journals, and the like from Anthony Reid, a prominent historian of Southeast Asia, which has been discussed in detail manner about the history of Sumatra, in particular Aceh of SEA archipelago. It is, indeed, detail, complex, with profound history of Sumatran society. A little bit heavy for beginner like me, but, it just like revisiting your college time.

[Muhammad Ma'mun]

Ada tugas kuliah, harus baca buku ini!

[Azia]

Dari Bang Epi plus tanda tangan Opa Tony Reid ^^