The sultans of Western Borneo imported Chinese laborers in the 18th century to work in gold or tinmines. A number of mining companies (kongsi) enjoyed some political autonomy,[1] but Lanfang is the best known thanks to a history written by Yap Siong-yoen, the son-in-law of the last kapitan of the Lanfang kongsi, which was translated into Dutch in 1885.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] None of the other Chinese mining settlements in western Kalimantan left written accounts (Heidhues 2001:169).
Rule of Luo Fangbo
The founding father of the Lanfang Republic was Luo Fangbo, who hailed from Meizhou in Guangdong Province. Chinese settlers have long lived in Borneo island, with most engaging in trading and mining. They formed their own companies, among which was the Southern Company headed by Luo.
As Dutch imperialism encroached upon modern-day Indonesia, Luo established the Lanfang Republic in 1777 (with its capital in East Wanjin) to protect the Chinese settlers from Dutch oppression.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] The settlers subsequently elected Luo as their inaugural president. Luo implemented many democratic principles, including the idea that all matters of state must involve the consultation of the republic's citizenry. He also created a comprehensive set of executive, legislative, and judicial agencies. The Republic did not have a standing military, but had a defense ministry that administered a national militia based on conscription. During peacetime, the populace mostly engaged in farming, production, trading, and mining. Lanfang's administrative divisions included three tiers (province, prefecture, and county) with the people electing leaders for all levels. Lanfang was allied with Sultan Abdurrahman of the Pontianak Sultanate.[31][32][33][34][35]
Although Luo discarded the ancient institutions of monarchism and dynastic succession, he continued to adhere to many Chinese traditions. For example, he established the founding year of the republic as the first year of the calendar. Moreover, he submitted a report to the Chinese emperor notifying him about the Republic's founding and paid tribute to the Chinese Qing Empire.
Luo served as head of state until his death in 1795. Afterwards, Lanfang citizens elected Jiang Wubo (江戊伯) as their next president. Lanfang citizens elected a total of twelve leaders, who helped improve agricultural techniques, expand mine production, develop cultural education, and organize military training. These measures allowed Lanfang to increase its wealth and power, which encouraged the non-Chinese indigenous population to pledge their allegiances to Lanfang.
Dutch conquest
In the mid-to-late 19th century, the Chinese Qing Empire weakened substantially and became increasingly unable to support the Lanfang Republic as its vassal state. Thus, Lanfang Republic's vigorous development suffered from the eventual expansion of the Dutch. The Republic's citizenry waged a tenacious resistance, but ultimately failed due to poor weaponry. Lin Ah Sin was the last leader of Lanfang.[36] Many of Lanfang's citizens and their descendants made their way to Sumatra or Singapore. The three campaigns waged by the Dutch East Indies Army against the Chinese kongsi, called the Kongsi Wars, were:
This last one resulted in the subjugation of the Chinese and the loss of autonomy.
Wary of Qing intervention, the Dutch did not openly annex the Lanfang Republic, and created another puppet regime. It was not until 1912, when the Qing Dynasty collapsed, that the Dutch proclaimed their occupation.
^Groot, J.J.M. (1885), Het Kongsiwezen van Borneo: eene verhandeling over den grondslag en den aard der chineesche politieke vereenigingen in de koloniën, The Hague: M. Nijhof.
Reid, Anthony (2008). Reid, Anthony (ed.). The Chinese Diaspora in the Pacific. Vol. Volume 16 of The Pacific World Lands, Peoples and History of the Pacific, 1500–1900. Ashgate. ISBN0754657493. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite book)): |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
YUNOS, ROZAN (May 23, 2011). "Saga of Lanfang Republic". THE BRUNEI TIMES. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite news)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
Zheng, Dekun (1982). Studies in Chinese Archaeology. Vol. Volume 3 of Centre for Chinese Archaeology and Art Hong Kong: Studies series. Chinese University Press. ISBN9622012612. Retrieved 10 March 2014. ((cite book)): |volume= has extra text (help)
The Sarawak Museum Journal. Vol. Volume 9 of The Sarawak Museum Journal: For the Promotion of Scientific Knowledge and Study of the Natives and Natural History of the Island of Borneo, Sarawak Museum. Contributor: Sarawak Museum. Sarawak Museum. 1959. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite book)): |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: others (link)
Contributor: Royal Numismatic Society (Great Britain) (1993). The Numismatic Chronicle, Volume 153. Royal Numismatic Societ. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite book)): |author= has generic name (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Excerpta Indonesica, Issues 58-62. Contributors: Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (Netherlands). Afdeling Documentatie Modern Indonesie, Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (Netherlands). Bibliotheek. Centre for Documentation of Modern Indonesia, Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology. 1998. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite book)): Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: others (link)
China Today, Volume 6. Contributors: China Today Society, Taiwan, Taipei (City). Institute for Chinese Culture, Institute of Chinese Culture, T'ai-pei, Institute for Advanced Chinese studies, Chung-kuo wen hua hsüeh yüan. Chung-Kuo wen hua yen chiu so, Chinese Translation Society, Chung-Kuo wen hua yen chiu so, Tai pei, United Publishing Center, Inc, Chinese Institute of Translation and Research. Institute of Chinese Culture. 1963. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite book)): Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: others (link)
Revue bibliographique de sinologie, Volumes 6-7 (in French). Contributors: Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Ecole pratique des hautes études (France). Section des sciences économiques et sociales, École pratique des hautes études (France). Section des sciences historiques et philologiques. Editions de l'Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales. 1988. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ((cite book)): Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: others (link)
Heidhues, Mary Somers (2001), "Chinese Settlements in Rural Southeast Asia: Unwritten Histories", in Anthony Reid (ed.), Sojourners and Settlers: Histories of Southeast Asia and the Chinese, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.