Polarizing Javanese society
Book Description
In the early nineteenth century, the island of Java witnessed a unique spiritual landscape where Islam had become deeply woven into Javanese identity through what scholars call the "mystic synthesis." This fascinating religious framework allowed the Javanese people to maintain their Muslim faith while honoring local spiritual traditions, creating a distinctive form of Islamic practice that embraced both orthodox rituals and indigenous mystical elements.
M. C. Ricklefs traces how this delicate spiritual balance began to fracture under the pressures of colonial rule, growing population demands, and emerging Islamic reform movements. As the nineteenth century progressed, Javanese society found itself pulled in multiple directions. Reform-minded Muslims called for stricter religious observance, while others clung to traditional mystical practices. Some embraced messianic beliefs, and a significant portion of the population began to distance themselves from Islamic identity altogether, becoming known as abangan or nominal Muslims.
Meanwhile, the aristocratic priyayi class gravitated toward European modernity and scientific thinking, with some even questioning Java's historical conversion to Islam. Christian conversion also emerged as a new option for some Javanese. These evolving spiritual and cultural identities eventually became politicized within Indonesia's growing anti-colonial movements, setting the stage for the complex religious and political tensions that would shape twentieth-century Indonesian history.
This scholarly work offers valuable insights into how spiritual communities navigate change, adaptation, and competing worldviews.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 297 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Islam, indonesia
- ✓ Explore Religion
- ✓ Explore Religious life and customs
- ✓ Explore Java (indonesia), social life and customs
- ✓ Explore Islam
- ✓ Explore Social conditions
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Java (indonesia), social conditions
