September 1, 2026 | 01:46 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Culture has launched the first five volumes of the national history book series titled Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global (Indonesia's History: National Dynamics in the Global Current). This project was initiated at the beginning of Prabowo Subianto's presidency.
During the first phase of the launch, the government published five out of a total of ten volumes of the national history book. These five volumes consist of approximately 5,000 pages.
According to Culture Minister Fadli Zon, the writing for this book series was completed at the end of last year. The Ministry of Culture had initially launched the work in mid-December 2025.
"The text was completed at the end of last year, as scheduled. But it turns out that the text alone is not enough, we also need to proofread and edit the works," he said at the launch event in Jakarta, broadcasted by the Ministry of Culture on Monday, August 31, 2026.
Fadli claimed that the Ministry of Culture served as the facilitator of this project since the drafting process began. The substance, methodology, and narrative were entirely left to the historians in the writing team. The book was compiled by 123 experts from 34 universities and 11 independent institutions.
The first five volumes of the national history book discuss the journey of the archipelago from its civilization roots to the colonial era. The first volume discusses the civilization roots of the archipelago.
Meanwhile, the second volume discusses the historical relationships with India and China. The third volume elaborates on the contact with the Middle East and the process of Islamization.
The fourth volume delves into the early interactions with Western colonial powers in the 16th to 18th centuries. While the fifth volume discusses the socio-political changes from the 18th to the early 20th century, including the growth of national consciousness.
The digital version of the five volumes of the book is accessible to the public. People can download it from the pustakabudaya.id website owned by the Ministry of Culture.
The Ministry of Culture began drafting the book series in early 2025, sparking controversy among the public due to indications of history distortion, especially regarding events surrounding the presidency of President Suharto and the beginning of the Reform era in 1997-1998.
In response to the backlash, Fadli explained that the books would emphasize the positive aspects of each period of governance. The historical content in the book series focuses more on achievements and significant events and does not scrutinize the past mistakes too much.
"During those periods, there are certainly strengths and weaknesses. We want to highlight the achievements, accomplishments, and events during their time," said the Gerindra Party politician on June 6, 2025.
Read: Indonesia's Official History Book Raises Teachers' Concerns Over Narrative Control
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