Java is one of the most densely peopled countries of the world. The population in 1905 was 213,604,719. The population of the principal towns in Java, January 1905, was: Other Euro- Orion mans Natives Chinese Arabs tale Total Batavia 8,777 99,320 28,150 2.058 246 138,551 Surabaya 8,063 124,473 14,843 2.482 237 150,198 Surakarta 1,572 109,524 6,532 337 413 118,378 .s=== ===, = = The whole population of Java is legally di vided into Europeans and races assimilated with them, and natives and races assimilated with them. The Europeans and those assim ilated with them are generally living under the laws which prevail in Netherlands, while the natives and those assimilated with them observe the customs and laws of India. The division of the population into the two classes mentioned is in accordance with the code which specifies the limits and conditions for legislation in Dutch East India. The governor-general, together with the council, has power to make individual exceptions to the general rule.
Government and The most im portant feature of Javanese society is the vil lage, which forms a complete body politic, with considerable powers of self-government. Its officers are elected by the people, and are charged with the collection of the taxes and the maintenance of public order. The general .government of the island is entrusted to a gov ernor-general, appointed by the king of Holland. He is commander-in-chief of the army and navy and possesses nearly absolute power. Jus tice is administered to the European inhabitants by a Supreme Court at Batavia, and by three provincial courts at Batavia, Samarang and Surabaya. There are besides these other courts for the Asiatic population. In 1832 Gen. Jo hannes Graaf Van den Bosch introduced into Java a system of government known as the °culture system' In principal, it was based upon the officially superintended labor of the natives, directed so as to produce not only a sufficiency of food for themselves, but a large revenue for the Netherlands. This obligatory labor was applied to the culture of coffee, sugar, indigo, pepper, tea, tobacco and some other products; but at present the labor of the natives is required only for the culture of coffee which is marketed by the government. By the terms of a bill which passed the legislature of the Netherlands in 1870, the obligatory cultivation of the sugar-cane is now totally abolished.
Java, the island of Madura, com prises 17 residencies, each governed by a resi dent, assisted by assistant residents. and other officials. Before receiving government appoint ments, these officials must first have had exam inations. The resident and his assistants, to gether with a number of native officials, exer cise almost absolute control over the province in charge. The native officials are remunerated for their services by salaries or by a percentage on the amount of taxes collected. No law can be enacted or enforced by any governor-general which will conflict with the °Regulations for the Government of Netherlands India' laws passed in 1854 by the king and States-General of the Netherlands.
The revenues are derived from the govern ment monopolies of railroads, salt, opium and from the sale of government products obtained under the °culture system?" Other revenues are obtained from taxes on houses and estates, sale of government lands, custom duties, licenses, personal tax and from a number of in direct taxes. The greatest expenditures are for
the general administration, about c•ne-third, and for the army and navy another third.
The army and navy of Java form a part of the defense of the whole Netherlands India. The army is colonial and the regular army of the Netherlands is not allowed on duty in any part of Dutch East India. The com missioned officers are Europeans, except a few prominent natives to whom honorary offices have been given. One-half the non-commis sioned officers must also be Europeans. There is a school attached to every battalion, and a military academy on the island of Java, at Meester Cornelis, a place near Batavia.
Ancient Javanese history is writ ten in the still existing magnificent remains of temples and other public buildings, which are plentifully scattered over the island. Near Solo are the ruins of the temple at Brambanum, which are supposed to date from the 9th century and are eloquent of the magnificence of the Hindu period in Java. At Boro Buddor there is probably the largest Buddhist temple in the world, perched on the summit of a hill, above which it towers to a height of 120 feet, adorned with 998 bas-reliefs illustrating the life of Buddha, while 441 images of Buddha are still in existence. These and similar remains attest that the worship of Brahma and Buddha once prevailed in the island under the Hindu empire of Modjopahit, the dismemberment of which was consummated by the Arabs 1478 A.D., by the destruction of a vast capital of that name. Islamism had previously supplanted the rival faiths and had driven their last adherents into the neighboring island of Bali. The island then fell under the dominion of numerous petty chiefs, and was found in that state by the Portuguese, the first European settlers on the island, who arrived in 1511. They were fol lowed in 1595 by the Dutch, who soon eclipsed them. Though their views were at first directed wholly to commerce, the Dutch merchants, like the British East India Company, soon found it necessary to assume the position of a governing power, and treated accordingly with the native princes, with whom they were frequently at war. In 1811 Java was taken from the Dutch by the British, who, however, restored it after the Peace of 1816, since which time it has remained in their hands. Up bill 1825 various portions of the island were still under native pnnces, who paid tribute to Holland; but in that year a revolt took place, which resulted in the whole island falling under the Dutch sway; although two provinces have been left, but only nominally, under the government of Javanese princes — Surakarta and Jokjokarta. Both princes have a court, nobles, ministers, etc., but are the mere instruments of the Dutch govern ment, by whom they are allowed handsome pen sions. Since the close of this war the island has been rapidly increasing in population and prosperity, On 20 Sept. 1859 the Dutch legis lature totally abolished slavery in Java. The natives never had slaves and there never were but a few thousand on the island.