Origins of Indonesian Nationalism and Early Organizations
📌 Indonesian nationalism traces its roots back to past glories (Sriwijaya and Majapahit) and the unifying role of Islam as a symbol of resistance against Western powers.
🏛️ The establishment of the Volksraad (People's Council) in 1918 fostered a shared sense of destiny among the indigenous elite from various regions.
📜 The early 20th century saw the rise of numerous national organizations, including political, youth, religious, and professional groups, positioning political organizations as the vanguard of independence.

Key Nationalist Organizations (Early 20th Century)
⭐ Budi Utomo (BO), founded on May 20, 1908, by STOVIA students, focused on the harmonious advancement of Javanese and Madurese people and is considered the beginning of the Indonesian awakening.
🛍️ Sarekat Islam (SI), evolving from Sarekat Dagang Islam (SDI), aimed to oppose injustice against indigenous people using a democratic and militant approach under the leadership of Haji Umar Said Cokroaminoto.
✊ Indische Partij (IP), founded on December 25, 1912, by Douwes Dekker, Cipto Mangunkusumo, and Suwardi Suryaningrat, was the first political party advocating for Indies Nationalism and independence from colonial rule.

World War I and its Impact
💥 World War I (1914–1918) resulted in two major impacts on Indonesia’s national movement: the increased popularity of democracy and nationalism, undermining aristocracy, and causing economic crises that hampered export-import activities.

The Youth Congresses and Language Unification
🗣️ The initiative to adopt Bahasa Indonesia as the language of unity originated in the First Youth Congress (1926), where the term "Bahasa Indonesia" was officially agreed upon over "Bahasa Melayu."
📜 The Second Youth Congress (October 28, 1928) formalized the ideals of unity across three key resolutions, including the acceptance of Bahasa Indonesia as the unifying language.

The Women's Congresses
🤝 The First Women's Congress (December 22–25, 1928) in Yogyakarta united 600 participants from 30 women's organizations, leading to the formation of Persatuan Perempuan Indonesia (PPI).
♀️ Key outcomes of the first congress included establishing the PPI, publishing an independent newspaper, preventing child marriage, and urging the government to support widows and orphans of national struggle heroes.
🤱 The concept of Ibu Bangsa (Mother of the Nation) emerged during the Second Women's Congress (1933), emphasizing the duty of women to nurture a new generation loyal to nationalism.

The Role of Press and Literature
📰 Rohana Koeddoes founded Sipago Melayu (published 1912/1921), the first newspaper published by a woman, breaking the stigma that women's thought lagged behind men’s.
📜 Tirto Adhi Soerjo was the first indigenous person to use periodicals for public opinion shaping and nationalist propaganda, founding Sarekat Priyayi (1906) and publishing *Medan Prijaji* using accessible low Malay language.
📚 Anti-colonial sentiment was fueled by literature, notably **Multatuli's *Max Havelaar* (1860) and indigenous novels like Mas Marco Kartodromo’s *Student Hija* (1918)**.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The early nationalist organizations demonstrated that achieving large goals requires organized collective effort and unity across diverse regional and ethnic backgrounds.
➡️ The debate over Bahasa Indonesia during the Youth Congress highlights the crucial strategic role of language in forging a cohesive national identity, making it a powerful tool for unification.
➡️ The establishment of Hari Ibu (Mother's Day) on December 22nd honors the crucial contribution of women's organizations in the struggle for independence, emphasizing their role in shaping national character through education and social reform.
➡️ The use of the press by figures like Tirto Adhi Soerjo proves that independent media is a vital, albeit risky, mechanism for challenging colonial authority and disseminating nationalist ideals to the common populace.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 13, 2025, 06:04 UTC