Conclusion

Abstract

Even before Hindu influence reached Insulinde there could be discerned three big regions with a fundamentally different material substructure, a ladang-region comprising the western Big Sunda Islands, a sawah-region practically restricted to Java and Bali, and a sago-region in the eastern part. The ladang region in the West became the source of perennial market crops, especially pepper, and therefore acquired great importance for world trade. The sago region in the eastern archipelago inhabited by fishers and collectors but with permanent kampongs, developed the still more perennial tree cultures of cloves, nutmegs and in modern times of cocos. Their importance for world trade was still greater. Java, the sawah-island, had few perennial crops, but annual market crops were later cultivated in rotation with rice namely, indigo and sugar. Java’s importance lay in the supply of daily food to the producers of pepper, cloves, and nutmegs and to the exclusively mercantile people of the port kingdoms.