The Black Dutchmen

Hélène Michaud, Radio Netherlands, 06-11-2007

In the 19th century, 3000 West Africans sailed off to the East Indies to serve in the Dutch East Indies colonial army. Most of them were former slaves. Many settled in Central Java, and took native wives. Their sons continued to serve in the colonial army, until Indonesia's independence.

The Belanda Hitam, or Black Dutchmen, as they were called, then sailed off the Netherlands, the homeland they had never seen.

In the early 19th century, the Dutch colonial army needed more soldiers to help crush increasing uprisings in the East Indies. A potential reservoir came from different parts of what we know as Ghana today, on the Guinea Coast. Between 1831 and 1872, about 3000 men were recruited from various places that are part of Ghana today.

Buying Freedom

Probably the largest contingent was recruited in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom.

"The Dutch were not allowed by their government to recruit slaves," remarks Dutch historian, Ineke van Kessel, "but it was inconceivable that any Ashanti would volunteer for army service for foreign powers." So, Dutch agents recruited men enslaved by the Ashanti's, or bought them at different slave markets.

Free men

The slaves were then manumitted - told that they were now free men. They received an advance on their army pay to purchase their own freedom which they then had to work off serving in the East Indies Army.

Elmina Castle From Kumasi, the slave recruits were escorted to Elmina on the coast, and trained in Fort Saint Jago. waiting for the ship that would bring them to Batavia, now Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Just outside Elmina Castle, the men would leave the African continent, most of them never to return.

In colonial Indonesia, these African soldiers were given Dutch nationality, with many of the privileges of the colonial masters.

They were promised the same status and salaries as their European counterparts. "They apparently took this literally," says Van Kessel, "and they didn't accept any infringements on that promise." This gave rise to numerous mutinies.

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Black Dutchman Daan Cordus