Lanfang Republic
Lanfang Republic 蘭芳共和國 (Chinese) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1777–1884 | |||||||
Status | Tributary state of Qing China | ||||||
Capital | Dong Wan Li (東萬律) (now Mandor) | ||||||
Common languages | Hakka Chinese, Malay | ||||||
Demonym(s) | Hakka or Lanfangren | ||||||
Government | Presidential republic Kongsi federation | ||||||
President | |||||||
• 1777–1795 | Low Lan Pak | ||||||
• 1795–1799 | Jiang Wubo | ||||||
• 1799–1804 | Yan Sibo | ||||||
• 1804–1811 | Jiang Wubo | ||||||
• 1811–1823 | Song | ||||||
• 1823–1838 | Liu Taiji | ||||||
• 1838–1842 | Gu Liubo | ||||||
• 1842–1843 | Xie Guifang | ||||||
• 1843–1845 | Ye Tenghui | ||||||
• 1845–1848 | Liu Ganxing | ||||||
• 1848–1876 | Liu Asheng | ||||||
• 1876–1880 | Liu Liang | ||||||
• 1880–1884 | Liu Asheng | ||||||
Historical era | New Imperialism | ||||||
• Founding | 1777 | ||||||
1884 | |||||||
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Today part of | Borneo![]() |
History of Indonesia |
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Timeline |
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The Lanfang Republic (traditional Chinese: 蘭芳共和國; simplified Chinese: 兰芳共和国; pinyin: Lánfāng Gònghéguó, Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Làn-fông Khiung-fò-koet) was a Chinese state and kongsi federation in Western Borneo. It was established by a Hakka Chinese named Low Lan Pak in 1777, until it was ended by Dutch occupation in 1884. It was one of many tributary states of Qing China. The Lanfang Republic was one of the earliest modern republics in the world.
Arrival of the Chinese
The sultans of Western Borneo imported Chinese laborers in the 18th century to work in gold or tin mines. A number of mining companies (kongsi) enjoyed some political autonomy,[1] but Lanfang is the best known thanks to a history written by Yap Siong-yoen, the son-in-law of the last kapitan of the Lanfang kongsi, which was translated into Dutch in 1885.[2][3][4][5][6][7] None of the other Chinese mining settlements in western Kalimantan left written accounts.[8]
Rule of Low Lan Pak
The founding father of the Lanfang Republic was Low Lan Pak, who hailed from Meizhou in Guangdong Province. Chinese settlers have long lived in Borneo island, with most engaging in trading and mining. They formed their own companies, among which was the Southern Company headed by Low.
As Dutch imperialism encroached upon modern-day Indonesia, Low established the Lanfang Republic in 1777 (with its capital in East Wanjin) to protect the Chinese settlers from Dutch oppression.[9][10][11][12][13][14] The settlers subsequently elected Low as their inaugural president. Low implemented many democratic principles, including the idea that all matters of state must involve the consultation of the republic's citizenry. He also created a comprehensive set of executive, legislative, and judicial agencies. The Republic did not have a standing military, but had a defense ministry that administered a national militia based on conscription. During peacetime, the populace mostly engaged in farming, production, trading, and mining. Lanfang's administrative divisions included three tiers (province, prefecture, and county) with the people electing leaders for all levels. Lanfang was allied with Sultan Abdurrahman of the Pontianak Sultanate.[15][16][17][18][19]
Although Low discarded the ancient institutions of monarchism and dynastic succession, he continued to adhere to many Chinese traditions. For example, he established the founding year of the republic as the first year of the calendar. Moreover, he submitted a report to the Chinese emperor notifying him about the Republic's founding and paid tribute to the Chinese Qing Empire.
Low served as head of state until his death in 1795. Afterwards, Lanfang citizens elected Jiang Wubo (江戊伯) as their next president. Lanfang citizens elected a total of twelve leaders, who helped improve agricultural techniques, expand mine production, develop cultural education, and organize military training. These measures allowed Lanfang to increase its wealth and power, which encouraged the non-Chinese indigenous population to pledge their allegiances to Lanfang.
Dutch conquest
In the mid-to-late 19th century, the Chinese Qing Empire weakened substantially and became increasingly unable to support the Lanfang Republic as its vassal state. Thus, Lanfang Republic's vigorous development suffered from the eventual expansion of the Dutch. The Republic's citizenry waged a tenacious resistance, but ultimately failed due to poor weaponry. Lin Ah Sin was the last leader of Lanfang.[20] Many of Lanfang's citizens and their descendants made their way to Sumatra or Singapore. The three campaigns waged by the Dutch East Indies Army against the Chinese kongsi, called the Kongsi Wars, were:
- Expedition to the West Coast of Borneo (1822–24)
- Expedition against the Chinese in Montrado (1850–54)
- Chinese uprising in Mandor, Borneo (1884–85)
This last one resulted in the subjugation of the Chinese and the loss of autonomy.
Wary of Qing intervention, the Dutch did not openly annex the Lanfang Republic, and created another puppet regime. It was not until 1912, when the Qing Dynasty collapsed, that the Dutch proclaimed their occupation.
References
Citations
- ^ "Archived copy" 海外華人創建了世上第一個共和國. culture.singtaonet.com (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 2011-04-24. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Groot, J.J.M. (1885), Het Kongsiwezen van Borneo: eene verhandeling over den grondslag en den aard der chineesche politieke vereenigingen in de koloniën, The Hague: M. Nijhof.
- ^ Lindsey'& Pausacker & Coppel &Institute of Southeast Asian Studies & Monash Asia Institute 2005, p. 105.
- ^ ed. Gerber &Guang 2006, p. 164.
- ^ ed. Reid & Alilunas-Rodgers 1996, p. 169.
- ^ ed. Blussé & Zurndorfer & Zürcher 1993, p. 288.
- ^ Chin 1981, p. 19.
- ^ Heidhues 2001:169
- ^ Gernet 1996, p. 489.
- ^ YUNOS 2011. Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Eurozone as a Lan Fang Republic" 2012
- ^ Zheng 1982, p. 40.
- ^ Wang 1994, p. 87.
- ^ "The Sarawak Museum Journal, Volume 19" 1971, p. 119.
- ^ "The Sarawak Museum Journal" 1959, p. 671.
- ^ Heidhues 2003, p. 65.
- ^ Heidhues 2003, p. 103.
- ^ Luo & Luo 1941,
- ^ 羅 1961,
- ^ Irwin 1955, p. 173.
Sources
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(help) - 羅, 香林 (1961). 西婆羅洲羅芳伯等所建共和國考. 中國學社. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
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(help) - Oelschlägel, Anett C.; Nentwig, Ingo; Taube, Jakob, eds. (2005). "Roter Altai, gib dein Echo!": Festschrift für Erika Taube zum 65. Geburtstag (in German). Contributor: Erika Taube. Leipziger Universitätsverlag. ISBN 3865830625. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
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(help) - Excerpta Indonesica, Issues 58-62. Contributors: Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (Netherlands). Afdeling Documentatie Modern Indonesie, Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (Netherlands). Bibliotheek. Centre for Documentation of Modern Indonesia, Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology. 1998. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
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(help)CS1 maint: others (link) - Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasiens, Volume 75; Volume 77c. Contributors: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasiens, Tokyo. 1979. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
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(help)CS1 maint: others (link) - Revue bibliographique de sinologie, Volumes 6-7 (in French). Contributors: Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Ecole pratique des hautes études (France). Section des sciences économiques et sociales, École pratique des hautes études (France). Section des sciences historiques et philologiques. Editions de l'Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales. 1988. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
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External links