Revolutionary worlds: an introduction

Revolutionary Worlds: Local Perspectives and Dynamics during the Indonesian Independence War 1945-1949 (eds: Bambang Purwanto, Roel Frakking, Abdul Wahid, Gerry van Klinken, Martijn Eijkhoff, Yulianti, Ireen Hoogenboom) was published by Amsterdam University Press and its Indonesian edition Dunia Revolusi, Perspektif dan Dinamika Lokal Pada Masa Perang Kemerdekaan Indonesia, 1945-1949 by Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia in 2023. The books are the result of collaborative research between Indonesian researchers led by Universitas Gadjah Mada and Dutch researchers, under the umbrella of the programme Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950 conducted by NIOD, NIMH and KITLV.
Revolutionary Worlds looks at the Indonesian revolution (1945-1949) from a local and regional perspective. It breaks a new ground by challenging the established narratives of the Dutch historiography on Dutch military violence and the Indonesian state narrative on the Independence war. Built on previous studies, newly opened archives, egodocuments, and oral history - in Indonesia and the Netherlands - this book uncovers the complexity of the Indonesian revolutionary period, and presents the multifaceted realities, experiences, perspectives, and visions of different groups in society in Indonesia. The book focuses on different ideas of independence, survival strategies, minorities, mobilization, contestation of power, and the use of violence against the backdrop of Indonesian and Dutch authorities’ efforts to maintain or gain control.
Revolutionary Worlds shows that multiple factors were at play in shaping the course of the Indonesian revolution and therefore, besides offering a fresh look at this important period, could serve as a model for future research.