The Indische Partij (Indies Party) was founded in 1912 by journalist E.F.E. Douwes Dekker and Javanese physicians Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo and Soewardi Soerjaningrat. It became one of the earliest political organisations to openly advance Indonesian nationalism and independence from the Netherlands.
Douwes Dekker objected to the racial hierarchy of the Dutch East Indies, where Dutch settlers treated Indo-Europeans as inferior and Indigenous people faced discrimination and exploitation. He argued that Indo people could not change their circumstances alone: they should join with the Indigenous population in a common struggle. The party’s “Indie voor Indiers” ideal envisioned the Indies as a homeland for people of many backgrounds, including Indo-European, Indigenous, Dutch, Chinese, and Arab communities. It opposed racial superiority, social arrogance, religious hostility, and economic policies that disadvantaged local people.
The party spread rapidly. Its founders toured cities, held public meetings, and established branches. Within months it had thousands of members, including people who felt excluded from other organisations. Its black flag carried a green, red, and blue strip, representing prosperity, courage, and loyalty to the homeland.
Colonial authorities rejected the party’s applications for legal recognition in 1913, judging that changes to its formal wording did not alter its independence-minded purpose. The government banned it, and the leadership dissolved it on 31 March. Soon afterward, Tjipto and Soewardi were arrested for writings criticising colonial rule; Douwes Dekker was arrested after protesting their treatment. All three were exiled to the Netherlands.
The organisation’s work continued through Insulinde, and its ideas influenced later political groups. Its leaders remained active: Douwes Dekker and Soewardi founded schools, while Tjipto became a political mentor to the future president Sukarno. Though short-lived, the party helped turn a demand for shared rights into a broader vision of national independence.