An Economic History of Indonesia 1800-2010 [Paperback]

Based on new datasets, this book presents an economic history of Indonesia. It analyses the causes of stagnation of growth during the colonial and independence period, making use of new theoretical insights from institutional economics and new growth theory.

The book looks at the major themes of Indonesian history: colonial exploitation and the successes and limitations of the post 1900 welfare policies, the price of instability after 1945, and the economic miracle after 1967. The book not only discusses economic change and development  or the lack thereof  but also the institutional and socio-political structures that were behind these changes. It also presents a lot of new data on the changing welfare of the Indonesian population, on income distribution, and on the functioning of markets for rice, credit and labour. Concluding with a discussion on whether the poor profited from the economic changes, this book is a useful contribution to Southeast Asian Studies and International Economics.

1. Introduction: Indonesia between Drama and Miracle  2. Exploring the Proximate and Ultimate Causes of Two Hundred Years of eEonomic Growth in Indonesia, 1800-2000  3. Colonial State Formation, 1800-1830  4. The Cultivation System, 1830-1870  5. Liberalism and Ethical Policies, 1870-1914  6. The Constraints of a Colonial Economy, 1914-1942  7. The Lost Decades? From Colony to Nation-State, 1942-1967  8. Success and Failure of the New Order, 1967-1998  9. Crisis, Recovery and the Evolution of Living Standards since Independence

A valuable piece of academic work that will become a great contribution to the field of economic history in Indonesia. It is well written and organized chronologically, covering seven historical episodes of the country's economic development. The book is obviously a useful reference for readers who are interested in obtaining insights into lF