The Hadrami question in Java
مسألة الحضارمة في جاوى
Arslan describes how the Dutch restricted Hadrami Arab migrants in the Dutch East Indies, limiting their movement and residence although many had settled and become local. He quotes the orientalist Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, who called the exclusion unjust but favoured limiting Islamic influence, including avoiding Sharia-based legislation and leaving only family law to Muslims. Arslan reads the policy as an attempt to weaken links between Javanese Muslims and the wider Islamic world. This is his reading of Dutch sources, which others may dispute.
At a glance
- Era
- The Colonial Era
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Shakib Arslan presents the question of the migration of the Hadhramis to the islands of the Dutch East Indies. This is a presentation of the author's view and his sources, and others may disagree with it. 1
What Arslan reports
He mentions that the Dutch government harassed them in residence and movement, and restricted their entry, although many of them settled there and became people of the land. 1
He cites the orientalist Snouck Hurgronje as holding that barring the Hadhramis was not just. He also presents the policy of the Dutch administration in curbing the religious and legal influence of Islam, including not enacting laws taken from the Law, and leaving personal status alone to the Muslims. 1
The author's reading
Arslan holds that this policy aimed to weaken the ties between the Muslims of Java and the Islamic world. 1
What needs checking
The matter needs a further source: Snouck Hurgronje's own words in his writings, and the dates and scope of the restrictions in the Dutch colonial records.
Sources
- Stoddard, Hadir al-ʿalam al-islami (Arabic translation with Arslan's commentary)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Hadrami question in Java”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/hadrami-question-in-java/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.