Eduard Douwes Dekker (born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 2, 1820 - died in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany, February 19, 1887 at age 66 years), better known as Multatuli, is the Dutch writer known for writing the book Max Havelaar (1860), his satirical novel that contains criticism of the abuses of the colonizers against the indigenous people.
Eduard has a brother, named Jan; Eduard has a brother, named Jan, who was the grandfather of the Indonesian independence movement leader, Ernest Douwes Dekker.
Eduard has a brother, named Jan; Eduard has a brother, named Jan, who was the grandfather of the Indonesian independence movement leader, Ernest Douwes Dekker.
Childhood
Eduard was born in Amsterdam. His father was a ship captain who earned enough money so that the family includes well-established and educated family.
Eduard then schooled in the Latin schools which will be continued to a university education. Initially Eduard well performed because Eduard an outstanding student and smart enough. But over time, Eduard was bored, so his performance declined. This makes Eduard's father sent him out of school and he was put to work in a commercial office.
Being a small staff
For Eduard, took him to work in a trading office made him feel excluded from social intercourse with his friends among wealthy families; He even placed in a position which he considered despicable as a helper in a small office textile company. It was there that he felt how to be a poor and being among the community. This work was done for four years and left the impression that will not forget in his life. “From the living among the influential then live among the people make him know that many societies that do not have the influence and protection ", as written Paul van’t Veer Multatuli biographies.
To the Dutch East Indies
When his father came home from his trip, he saw a change in Eduard’s attitude. This caused his father's intention to carry on a trip. At that time, the Dutch East Indies have the opportunity to seek wealth and position, also for the Dutch people are not educated or less educated. In 1838 Eduard went to Java and in 1839 arrived in Batavia as an inexperienced sailor on board his father. With the help of his father's friend, Eduard has a job as a civil servant (ambtenaar) in the office of Financial Supervision of Batavia. Three years later he applied for a job as a civil servant in West Sumatra and by the Governor-General Andreas Victor Michiels he was sent to Bandung, a remote city as a controller.
Get Sack
Eduard feels comfortable living in a remote town. A civilian government employees is fairly high positions there, with age is still young enough, he felt a higher power. In his post he took on the task of government and the courts, and also has financial and administrative duties. But he did not like his duties so that he does not work properly. Eduard boss who then conduct an audit found major losses in government cash. Because of his attitudes ignore the warning and the loss of government cash, Eduard suspended from office by the Governor of West Sumatra General Michiels. During a year he lived in Padang with no income. In September 1844 he obtained permission to return to Batavia. Then he was rehabilitated by the government and gets the “waiting money ".
Get Married
While awaiting placement task, Eduard fell in love with Everdine van Wijnbergen, bankrupt patrician. In April 1846 married Everdine, In that time he worked as a temporary ambtenaar resident assistant in the office of Purwakarta.
Working again
Learning from his experience while on duty in Natal, Eduard work well as government ambtenaar that in 1846 he was appointed as permanent employees. His position was raised to the resident commissioner in the office Purworejo. Because of his achievements made him prefect appointed by Johan George Otto Stuart von Schmidt auf Altenstadt became official secretary to replace the previous resident. But because Eduard does not have a diploma as a condition placed as a high-level government officials, Eduard did not get a real promotion. But the Governor-General to provide recognition of diplomas in the things that are considered special in terms capable of carrying out government duties. Eduard apply to the Governor General, and succeeded in obtaining the position because his work performance. This decision can be understood from his superior, the prefect of Purworejo. Failure while on duty in London is considered as a young employee mistake that can be forgiven.
In subsequent career, Eduard was appointed as secretary resident in Manado, in the end of April 1849 which is the time of Eduard the best career. Eduard feel comfortable with the Resident who became his boss Scherius so he got the attention of officials in Bogor for the progressive opinions on the draft regulations to changes in the colonial legal system. His career rose to assistant resident, who was a career high second-most among the Ambtenaar of the Dutch East Indies. Eduard accepts this position and was assigned in Ambon in February 1851.
The Governor Clash
Despite having a high enough position in the Dutch East Indies ambtenaar, Eduard felt did not fit with the authoritarian governor of Maluku. This situation makes the ambtenaar subordinates can not show initiative. Eduard applies leave on health grounds, so get permission to leave to go Dutch. And on Christmas Day 1852, he and his wife arrived at the port of Hellevoetsluis near Rotterdam.
Move to Lebak
During leave in the Netherlands, Edward was not able to manage finances well; he owed much. Besides that, he often suffered defeat at the gambling table. Although Edward has proposed an extension of leave of absence in the Netherlands, he and his wife eventually returned to Batavia on September 10, 1855. Not long after, Edward was appointed as Assistant Resident of Lebak lies south of the residents of Banten. He was placed in Rangkasbitung in January 1856. Edward doing a job well enough and responsible. But he found the situation in Lebak is very bad even worse than the news he gets.
Blackmail in Lebak
London Regent, which according to the Dutch East Indies colonial system at that time was appointed head of government with a system of inheritance has been in power for 30 years, was experiencing financial difficulties due to severe expenditure greater than revenue earned. Thus, the Regent of Lebak rely solely on income from labor is required to districts based on population habits. Edward Douwes Dekker found that forced labor is imposed on the people has exceeded the limit, even in the practice of extortion that made Regent of Lebak and its officials by asking for tribute (the crop or livestock) to its people. Even if bought with a price must be cheap.
Not yet a month Multatuli work in Lebak, he wrote a letter to his superior, the prefect CP Brest van Kempen of the event. Eduard requested that the regent and his sons were arrested and checked for events that violate the law. Another cause is the news of the regent of Cianjur visit to Lebak, which is a Lebak regent's nephew, who made Edward conclusions, will cause a lot of blackmail to the people. His superiors, Brest van Kempen was shocked by Eduard’s news, so did the investigation, but refused the request. Next Eduard requested that the case be forwarded to the Governor-General AJ Duymaer van Twist, a leader with liberal opinion. But Eduard just gets warnings. Disappointed, Eduard resignation request and his request were granted by his superiors.
Back to Europe
Once again, Eduard lost their jobs due to disputes with his superiors. His efforts to find another job failed. His Successful brother tobacco farming lends money to Eduard for the return to Europe to work there. His family was temporarily abandoned in Batavia.
In Europe, Eduard worked as editor of a newspaper in Brussels, Belgium but not long after he left. Then his attempt to get a job as an interpreter at the French Consulate in Nagasaki also failed. His attempt to become rich at the gambling table just makes it even more destitute.
Began to write books
Other Eduard ideals which are the author successfully realized. When he returned from Holland, he took various manuscript copies of plays and letters when he served as assistant resident in Lebak. In September 1859, when his wife filed for divorce, Eduard shut himself in a hotel room in Brussels and wrote a book Max Havelaar, who later became famous.
The book was published in 1860 in the version edited by the publisher without her knowledge but still caused uproar among the people especially in the area of his own country. In 1875, he published a revised edition of the book. His name as the author has received recognition, which means gradually Eduard can expect revenue from publishing his work.
When published novel Max Havelaar, he uses the pseudonym 'Multatuli'. The name derives from the Latin word for “‘I’ve suffered enough'" or " 'I have suffered much'"; in here, I can mean Multatuli himself or the people who colonized. After the book sold in the whole of Europe, open all the dark reality of the Dutch East Indies, although some of the descriptions mention Dekker as exaggerated.
Between 1862 and 1877, Eduard published Ideën (ideas) that the content description of a collection of his opinions on politics, ethics and philosophy, satire articles and dreams. The play he wrote, among Vortenschool (Kings School), performed with success.
Although the quality of literature much debate, he liked by Carel Vosmaer, the famous Dutch poet. He continued to write and publish books entitled Ideen which consists of seven parts between 1862 and 1877, and also contains a novel by Edward Woutertje Pieterse and Minnebrieven in 1861 Although the title of the novel as usual (not dangerous), but it loud satire.
End of Live
Multatuli eventually get bored living in the Netherlands. At the end of his life, he lived in Germany with a German child who was regarded as his own. Multatuli lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he tried to write a play. One of his plays, Vorstenschool (published in 1875 in the fourth volume Ideën) stating his not holding on to a political, or religious community. During the last twelve years of his life, Eduard did not invent but only write a few letters.
Eduard Douwes Dekker and then moved to the Ingelheim am Rhein near Rhein River until she died February 19, 1887.
Multatuli has inspired not only literary work in Indonesia, such as Generation group, but he has composed the national spirit in Indonesia. This national spirit is not just a rebellion against the system of colonialism and economic exploitation of the Dutch East Indies (eg cultivation) but also to the customary rule and feudalism endless rabble suck. If Multatuli in Max Havelaar can be said to have personified himself as Max's idealistic and ultimately frustrating, Muhammad Yamin more focused on the colonized people, for example in his poem titled Hikajat Saidjah dan Adinda. In the philosophical side of the frustrations faced by Max and Saidjah and Adinda is the same in essence; both desperate and shackled in a chain system that can only be severed by the revolution.
