The process of unification of the Indonesian archipelago began in earnest in the mid-19th century, when Dutch colonialists began to realize the potential value of the region. The Dutch East Indies, as the colony was known, was a valuable source of natural resources, and control of the region was seen as key to maintaining Dutch hegemony in the region.
However, the process of unification was not without its challenges. The vast and varied landscape of the Indonesian archipelago, as well …