French Interregnum: Periode Kekuasaan Perancis di Hindia Belanda (1806-1811)

Abstract

This article explores the lesser-known yet historically significant presence of France in Indonesia, particularly during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The study investigates France’s attempts to establish trade relations in the archipelago through the Compagnie Française des Indes Orientales and its interactions with local powers such as the Sultanate of Banten. The research focuses on the period of French influence between 1806 and 1811, when the Netherlands became a client state of Napoleon's empire and colonial governance in the Dutch East Indies was indirectly controlled by France. Utilizing a historical-descriptive method through literature analysis, the paper analyzes the political, economic, and administrative impacts of French influence in Indonesia, including the role of Governor General Herman Willem Daendels. Although the French presence was short-lived—formally lasting only fifteen months—it left significant infrastructural and bureaucratic legacies, such as the construction of the Great Post Road and early administrative reforms. The article argues that this period, often overlooked in Indonesian historiography, constitutes a form of colonialism, albeit through indirect rule, and had more lasting effects than previously acknowledged. The study contributes to broader discussions on colonial dynamics and the global reach of French imperial ambitions.