The term "Gundik" (concubine) emerged during Dutch colonial rule in Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), reflecting a system of temporary partnerships between Dutch colonial officers and local women.
These relationships, often one sided and exploitative, positioned native women as subordinates, serving male needs without legal protections.
Gundik were frequently abandoned when their Dutch masters returned home, were reassigned, or lost interest. Left vulnerable, they faced social ostracization, branded as "traitors" and subjected to derogatory stigma. Offspring from these unions were also labeled "Gundik," inheriting societal scorn.
Rooted in colonial power imbalances, the term underscores systemic exploitation and racial hierarchies. Dutch authorities dismissed the rights of native women, reinforcing their inferior status. The Gundik system thus epitomizes the intersection of colonialism, gender inequality, and cultural betrayal, leaving lasting scars on Indonesia’s social fabric.
The Apartheid System
Formalized in 1799 under Dutch colonial rule, a racial hierarchy stratified society in the Dutch East Indies into three legal classes: Europeans, Foreign Orientals (mainly Chinese, Arabs, and Indians), and Pribumi (native or indigenous Indonesians).
The native often orchestrated from basic human rights such as, Land rights, Education and Health. The native were often forced to plant trade vegetations such as spices and coffee, most natives were also rejected from formal educations and higher education and poor health management by the Dutch East Indie caused an increase of mortality rate of 10 - 30% during the cultursteel project.
Codified in the 19th century, this apartheid-like system denied Natives basic rights and relegated them to the bottom of the colonial caste structure.
However, the system entrenched systemic racism, disproportionately harming marginalized groups like “Gundik” already vulnerable due to their status as temporary companions to Dutchmen.
As the lowest caste, gundik and other Natives lacked legal recourse to challenge exploitation. Though the term “Gundik” was abolished by the 1880s, apartheid’s legacy persisted, deepening gender and racial inequalities. Its scars endured beyond colonialism, shaping socio-economic disparities and cultural trauma in Indonesia.
The Triple Oppression: Gundik Under Colonial Rule
Women who were forced to become concubines or gundik faced multiple oppressions due to their social status as concubines. Not only was there symbolic violence through the term gundik which had a negative connotation, but also the social violence and oppression they received.
There are at least three layers of oppression that we can recognize. First, gender oppression, because they are women. Second, racial oppression, from the discrimination they received as people of color. And class oppression, as their status as gundik or concubines meant they had no rights to material wealth, no rights to their children, not even to their own bodies.
This oppression stems from patriarchal perspectives that views women as a group that is never equal to men, and as a result, women will always be subordinated.
The class oppression received by gundik can also be seen from the economic background of gundik who mostly came from poor families in Java. They then became servants in European houses or were forced to become concubines.
Gundik were economically bound to their husbands and had no choice or opportunity to determine their lives. The unequal power relations made it difficult for the gundik to be independent without depending on their husbands.
Furthermore, the societal norms at that time that 'forbid’ concubinage made the position of gundik almost equated with prostitutes because different religious relationships were considered religiously invalid. This makes the position of gundik difficult, because even in their own society, women as gundik are alienated.
Mediators Between Eastern and Western Cultures
Life as a gundik during the Dutch colonial era was far from easy. These women faced oppression from the colonizers for being "inlanders" (native or indigenous Indonesians) and were shunned by their own communities as "traitors."
Yet despite the stigma, gundik played a surprising role as cultural bridges between the East and the West.
Gundik knew local traditions inside out. They spoke regional languages, prepared traditional foods, and understood natural medicines—skills that helped their Dutch masters adapt to the tropical environment. Because of this, they were often called “walking dictionaries” by the Dutch.
Living close to Europeans also gave gundik a rare opportunity to learn about European customs, especially the Dutch language. Their ability to speak Dutch made them crucial go-betweens, helping their Dutch masters communicate with baboe (housemaids) and kokki (cooks), most of whom only spoke local languages.
For many women, becoming a gundik was also a way to improve their social status or escape the rigid expectations of a patriarchal and feudal society. Their elevated position was often visible through their clothing, as gundik wore kebaya with white blouses, setting them apart from other native women.
Thus, although often overlooked, gundik played an important role in colonial history by bridging two vastly different cultures—a role that deserves more recognition today.
Gundik’s Role in Colonial Politics and Society
It is hard to argue that gundik had an influence on local policies and opened opportunities for social mobility for “pribumi.” Indeed, some nyai gained a trust from her master like Nyai Dasima who was trusted to hold an important position and even keep the key to her master’s wealth storage. Some of the gundik’s families were even pleased to have connections with the elites.
However, only a few of them were treated that way. Many of them were viewed merely as sexual slaves and were excluded by their families.
From the beginning, women were only defined by their bodies and reproductive functions by the Dutch colonial government. The regulations regarding “pergundikan” or concubinage were made to protect the health of the European men, not for the women. Gundik had to check their health to avoid spreading sexual diseases to their masters.
Some of them might have experienced upward mobility and had a lot of connection with the elites. But, it came with inhumane consequences. Their existence—which was excluded from society because they were considered “traitors”—made it difficult for them to live their life.
Those who were discarded by their masters found it difficult to be accepted again by society. This practice was only carried out for the political interests of the colonials to exploit the indigenous economy. It was a never-ending cycle of exploitation and suffering for women in the Colonial Era.
References
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