INDONESIA TIDAK ADA DI PETA KUNO – Mengapa Terlupakan dalam Sejarah Dunia? #petaindonesia

Summary

This video script explores the mysterious absence of Indonesia from early European maps, despite the region's rich history of maritime trade and cultural exchange. It delves into theories that Indonesia was deliberately erased from historical cartography to conceal its wealth and strategic importance in global spice trade routes. The script traces the evolution of this omission from ancient maps to the rise of colonial powers like the Dutch, highlighting how the control of geographical knowledge played a crucial role in global dominance. It questions whether Indonesia was truly ever recognized in Western history or if it was deliberately excluded to maintain colonial control.

Takeaways

• 😀 Indonesia was not depicted on European world maps before the 16th century, despite its historical significance in trade and exploration.
• 😀 Early European maps showed the world ending at India and China, leaving the Southeast Asian archipelago, including Indonesia, off the map.
• 😀 Ancient maritime civilizations like Sriwijaya and Majapahit had global trade relations with regions as far as China, Arabia, and East Africa, long before European exploration.
• 😀 The absence of Indonesia on European maps may have been a deliberate act to conceal the region's power and wealth, particularly its control over the spice trade.
• 😀 Ignatius Donelli's 1882 book, 'Atlantis the Anti Diluvian Worlds', suggested that the lost continent of Atlantis could be located in the Nusantara (Indonesia).
• 😀 Ancient myths of a great flood in Indonesia, similar to the biblical flood, contribute to the theory that the region has a hidden, ancient history.
• 😀 A 1513 Ottoman map by Piri Reis depicted South America with remarkable accuracy but failed to show Indonesia, possibly due to political and commercial secrecy.
• 😀 Portolan charts from the 13th to 15th centuries, used for navigation, notably omitted the region of East India, which included the spice-rich Nusantara.
• 😀 European explorers, like Marco Polo, often wrote about the region in vague or coded terms, possibly to keep the spice trade routes secret from rival nations.
• 😀 The VOC (Dutch East India Company) controlled vast areas in Indonesia and kept maps of the region secret, using them for internal purposes while publicly omitting Indonesia from world maps.
• 😀 Historical maps from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as those by Fernão Vaz Dourado, showed Indonesia's islands but without names, hinting at deliberate concealment of important locations for colonial interests.
• 😀 By the 19th century, Indonesia was still not recognized as a unified entity on the world stage, with European cartographers giving it names like the Malay Archipelago or Indian Archipelago.
• 😀 The name 'Indonesia' was coined by Western scholars in the mid-19th century, without involving the local population, reflecting the imposition of foreign identity on the region.
• 😀 European colonial powers used maps not only for navigation but as tools of control, erasing or manipulating geographical knowledge to maintain dominance over trade routes and territories.

Q & A

Why does the script claim that Indonesia was omitted from early European maps?

The script suggests that Indonesia was deliberately excluded from early European maps due to its vast wealth and strategic importance. The omission was likely a political maneuver to prevent other nations from accessing or claiming the lucrative spice trade routes that ran through the region.

How did the map of Piri Reis in 1513 demonstrate European ignorance of Indonesia?

The map of Piri Reis accurately depicted South America but strangely omitted Indonesia. This suggested either a lack of knowledge or a deliberate effort to conceal the region from the public, despite the fact that European sailors had access to detailed information about it.

What is the significance of the theory regarding Atlantis in relation to Indonesia?

The theory presented in the script links the idea of Atlantis with Indonesia, suggesting that ancient cultures in the region might have experienced catastrophic floods, similar to the biblical story of Noah's flood. This theory implies that Indonesia could have been a significant ancient civilization that was erased or forgotten due to historical catastrophes or deliberate concealment.

What role did the Portolan charts play in the historical omission of Indonesia?

Portolan charts, used for navigation by Mediterranean sailors, depicted detailed coastlines and harbors but often left the East Indies, including Indonesia, vague or even erased. This suggests that the region was intentionally excluded from public knowledge as part of a broader effort to control valuable trade routes.

What does the script mean by 'cartography as a tool of political control'?

The script argues that cartography, particularly in the medieval and early modern periods, was not just a tool for geographical representation but also a means of controlling information. By omitting key regions like Indonesia from maps, European powers could obscure the existence of important trade routes and resources, preventing rival powers from gaining access.

How did the role of maps change during the Age of Exploration?

During the Age of Exploration, maps became critical tools not only for navigation but also for geopolitical dominance. European explorers and merchants used maps to solidify their control over distant territories by selectively revealing or withholding information, thereby controlling access to valuable resources.

What does the script suggest about the role of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in controlling map information?

The VOC is depicted as having used maps to maintain a monopoly over the spice trade in Southeast Asia. The company created highly detailed maps for internal use, but versions intended for the public purpose omitted or distorted information about Indonesia, ensuring that other European powers could not easily access the region.

How did the Dutch practice censorship of geographic information during their colonial era?

The Dutch, through figures like Gubernur Jenderal Jan Peterson Kun, engaged in the strategic destruction and censorship of geographical records. Maps and navigational routes that indicated critical locations in Indonesia were intentionally erased or altered to prevent rival European powers from accessing these valuable trade routes.

What historical evidence suggests Indonesia was deliberately erased from global history?

Historical evidence in the form of mysterious maps, such as those by cartographers like Fernão Vaz Dourado, show that Indonesia was either left off maps entirely or represented without names. These omissions point to a deliberate effort to exclude the region from global awareness, likely to protect the commercial interests of European powers.

Why did European powers prefer to treat Indonesia as a 'mythical' or 'exotic' land?

Europeans preferred to treat Indonesia as an exotic, almost mythical place because its actual existence and immense wealth could have led to competition and conflict. By depicting it as a mysterious or unimportant region, European powers could maintain exclusive control over the spice trade without inviting the intervention of other global actors.