Trade and Colonial Policies: The Transformation of Agrarian Culture in Priangan in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

The transformation of agrarian culture in Priangan during the 19th century occurred alongside the intervention of Dutch colonial policies and the region’s increasing integration into global trade. These developments not only transformed the economic structure but also affected the social, cultural, and spiritual life of farming communities. This study aims to analyze changes in trade during the colonial period and local communities responses to economic, social, and cultural pressures, with a particular focus on the transformation of agrarian practices, land ownership patterns, social inequality, cultural adaptation, and the role of Islamic values in preserving the identity of Priangan society. This study employs a descriptive-interpretative qualitative approach using the historical method, which consists of heuristics, source verification, interpretation, and historiography. The findings show that, during the 19th century, the Dutch colonial government established commercial plantations in the Priangan region that focused on export commodities such as coffee and tea, thereby contributing to transformations in the agrarian cultural landscape. These changes affected not only the economic sphere but also contributed to the erosion of social and cultural values, such as gotong royong (mutual cooperation) and traditional agrarian rituals. Nevertheless, local communities demonstrated cultural resistance by adapting Islamic values into their agrarian practices, thereby strengthening social solidarity and local identity. This study contributes to highlighting the agrarian cultural characteristics of Indonesian society, which underwent significant transformations as a result of the hegemony of plantation culture oriented primarily toward industrialization and commercialization.