Historical document
About the report
In 1823, J. I. van Sevenhoven, a commissioner associated with Palembang, prepared a report concerning the island then commonly written as Billiton. The surviving archival description identifies the document as Rapport over het Eiland Billiton. It belongs to the National Archives of Indonesia (ANRI), collection K.31, Billiton/Belitung (1795–1890), archive no. 93.
The archive catalogue describes two bound units and notes that the surviving material is incomplete. Our working digital copy has been divided into five parts, with 197 pages in total. This article is an editorial introduction, not a complete transcription or translation of those pages.
Belitung before industrial tin mining
The report belongs to a period when Dutch colonial officials were assessing the island's administration, population, territorial connections and economic possibilities. Its historical value lies in the perspective it offers on Belitung before the major mining developments of the second half of the nineteenth century.
As a colonial administrative source, it reflects the questions and priorities of its author. Local voices and community histories may be only partially represented. Its statements should therefore be read critically and, where possible, compared with local traditions and other contemporary records.
The island and its connections
The research conducted so far identifies government, inhabitants, territory and relations with Bangka and Palembang as important themes for further close reading. These are research themes rather than a claim that every individual detail has already been verified against the manuscript.
Working chronology
| Date | Context | Research status |
|---|---|---|
| 13 August 1814 | Anglo-Dutch convention relevant to the wider regional transition. | Historical context; specific connection to the report to be checked. |
| 24 July 1821 | Governor-General's decision No. 1 noted in the earlier research chronology. | Exact role and wording require manuscript verification. |
| 1823 | Van Sevenhoven's report concerning Billiton. | Confirmed by the ANRI archive description. |
| 1850s onward | Expansion of industrial tin mining transformed the island. | Later historical context, not a finding attributed to the 1823 report. |
Appendices and navigation
The earlier working review identifies pages 194–197 as Bijlage B, concerning sailing directions towards Billiton. A map is mentioned in the archival description but recorded as missing (ontbreekt). These details should be checked once more against the five digital parts before publishing a definitive document inventory.
Research status and source note
Provisional archival article. A full page-by-page transcription, verified names of people and places, and a definitive chronology are not yet complete. No unverified names, quotations or numerical data from the manuscript have been inserted here.
Primary source: Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia (ANRI), K.31 Billiton/Belitung (1795–1890), No. 93, J. I. van Sevenhoven, Rapport over het Eiland Billiton (1823); archive description notes incomplete material.
Editorial note: Prepared for Simpur Talang as a historical research overview. The article will be expanded as the original manuscript is verified.