Mythologies of the Mardijker Tribes

The Mardijker tribes refer to an ethnic community in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) made up of descendants of freed slaves who spoke or were culturally Portuguese. They could be found at all major trading posts in the East Indies. They were mostly Christian, of various ethnicities from conquered Portuguese and Spanish territories, Some are of European ethnicity, while some others are natives from various Portuguese controlled territories. They spoke Mardijker Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, which has influenced the modern Indonesian language. The ancestors of the Mardijkers had been mostly made up of slaves of the Portuguese in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula, with a minority being European (usually Portuguese) prisoners of war that were brought to Indonesia by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), especially after the 1641 Dutch conquest of Malacca, whereby Portuguese speakers in the city were taken as captive. Some were also Christian slaves captured by Moro raiders from the Philippines and sold in slave markets in Batavia during the height of the Spanish–Moro conflict and the Sulu Sea piracy. In the Spanish Philippines, they were called "Mardica", as recorded in the Murillo Velarde Map. The term Mardijker is a Dutch corruption of the Malay word Merdeka, which originates from the Sanskrit Maharddhika meaning "rich, prosperous, and powerful". In the Malay archipelago, this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave, and now means "independent". The Mardijkers mostly held on to their Catholic faith and continued to attend Batavia's Portuguese church, although many were eventually baptised by the Dutch Reformed Church. They were legally recognized by the VOC as a separate ethnic group and kept themselves apart from the native Javanese. During the VOC era, there was already considerable intermarriage with the Indos in pre-colonial history, who were often also of Portuguese descent. During the colonial era, the Mardijkers eventually assimilated completely into the Eurasian Indo community and were no longer registered as a separate ethnic group.

The Mardijker people, deriving their name from the Dutch term for "freedmen," constituted an ethnic community in the Dutch East Indies comprising descendants of slaves manumitted by the Dutch East India Company in the mid-17th century. These individuals originated primarily from Portuguese-held territories, including Malacca, Galle, India, and Bengal, where they had been enslaved or served as indentured labor before being transported to Batavia following Dutch conquests in 1641. Upon arrival, many were granted freedom in exchange for converting from Catholicism to Protestantism under the auspices of the Dutch Reformed Church, leading to the establishment of settled communities such as Kampong Tugu outside Batavia, where they formed a loyal Christian enclave. Ethnically diverse and often Eurasian, the Mardijkers spoke a Portuguese-based creole that evolved into forms incorporating Vehicular Malay, and they played key roles in colonial society as soldiers, artisans, clerks, and laborers supporting VOC operations. Their distinct identity persisted through centuries, marked by cultural practices like pantun literature and a historic church in Tugu, though they remain a relatively overlooked group in Indonesian history. The term Mardijker designates a community of freed slaves and their descendants in the Dutch East Indies, particularly in Batavia (modern Jakarta), who were emancipated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during the 17th century. These individuals originated primarily from diverse Asian regions, including Portuguese-held Malacca, and were integrated into colonial society as free burghers upon conversion to the [Dutch Reformed Church](/page/Dutch_Reformed Church) and pledges of loyalty to the VOC. The designation highlighted their distinct legal status, privileges, and roles as intermediaries between European colonizers and local populations.

In 1699 the population of Batavia consisted of 3679 Chinese, 2407 Mardjikers or Portuguese Eurasians, 1,783 Dutch, 670 Dutch Eurasians and the original inhabitants or Orang Betawi. These Portuguese Eurasians had been brought to Batavia as slaves or indentured labour after the Dutch East India Company (VOC) captured Malacca and Galle from the Portuguese in 1640. They became a vital part of the VOC workforce as labourers, artisans, clerks and soldiers. However, the presence of Christian slaves in Batavia became an ethical dilemma for the Dutch Reform Church and in 1661 they were freed and granted land outside Batavia on the condition that they convert from Catholicism and they became known as the Mardijkers or Freedmen. The Mardijkers were granted land at Kampong Tugu (Toegoe) which is now near the port area of Tanjung Priok. At that time 150 Mardijkers moved to this area and after three centuries there is still a community living there. They have retained their original identity over this time and their land contains their own church, graveyard, schools, community centre and cultural centre. A search of the cemetery shows the family names of Michiels, Qiuko, Thomas, Corua and Abrahams are prominent. The most successful of the Mardijkers was Augustin Michiels who became commander of the indigenous militia and a wealthy landlord. After 350 years the Mardijkers of Kampung Tugu are still proud of their identity and the photo shows one of the Michiels family wearing a T-shirt showing the Portuguese shield and the breaking of the chains of slavery in 1661.