School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Theses

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The Portuguese colonisation of Timor: the final stage, 1850-1912

Davidson, Katharine G. ( 1994)

The arguments put forward in this work are as follows: there was a major change in the nature of Portuguese colonial policy and practice in the last decades of the nineteenth century and this change was partly responsible for a rapid escalation of interaction and conflict between the colonial power and its colonial subjects as exemplified in Timor. But there were other significant local circumstances in Timor at this time which also influenced this increasing conflict. These included an alteration in the economic basis of the colony, which was perceived to increase the need for political control of the society, the growth of the power of military officers within the bureaucracy and the decision of the Portuguese and the Dutch to specifically define their spheres of interest on the island. The second main argument of this work is that, though indigenous opposition to this increasing colonial encroachment was widespread, as exemplified by the rebellion in 1911 - 1912 and anti-colonial revolts in the years prior to 1911, this opposition did not take a unified and consensual form sufficient to be classified as a nationalist rebellion.