Antara Mimbar dan Pemberontakan Peran Ulama dalam Mobilisasi Gerakan Sosial Keagamaan pada Pemberontakan Petani Banten 1888

Abstract

The 1888 Banten Peasants’ Revolt is commonly understood as a response to Dutch colonial economic and political pressure, yet previous studies have not specifically positioned the ulama as primary actors in its mobilization process. This study aims to explain the socio-religious conditions of Banten society before 1888, analyze the ulama’s positions of authority, examine their role in mobilizing the movement, and explain religion’s function as legitimation for resistance against colonialism. The study employs the historical method through heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, historiography, and drawing on Sartono Kartodirdjo’s work as a primary source alongside literature on Nusantara ulama networks and social movement theory as analytical frameworks. The findings show that the ulama functioned as structural mediators linking socio-economic pressures, pesantren and tarekat networks, and the ideological framework of jihad and Perang Sabil, thereby converting material grievances into organized, spiritually meaningful collective action. The study concludes that traditional religious authority, often regarded as conservative, can instead become a transformative force in shaping resistance against oppressive power, with implications for understanding the relationship between religion, authority, and social mobilization in the history of Islamic resistance in Indonesia.