ชาวจีนในดัตช์อีสต์อินดีส: บทบาทชาวจีนในการพัฒนาเมืองเดลี-เมดาน สุมาตราเหนือในศตวรรษที่ 19

In the 19th Century, Deli-Medan received a large number of Chinese migrants. Most of them worked as labourers in Dutch agricultural plantations on the east coast of Sumatra, extending from Deli-Serdang to Medan. The agricultural products, such as tobacco, were intentionally developed and eventually became the most exportedproducts of Sumatra. As these economic activities paved the way for economic growth in North Sumatra, the Dutch established the city of Medan as Sumatra’s main administrative city. The research presented here is a part of larger project, Sites of Memory: The Role of Chinese and Network in Developing the Sister Cities, Georgetown Penang and Deli-Medan North Sumatra. The paper focuses on Chinese migration into the Dutch’s newly developed economic area of North Sumatra, particularly Deli-Medan. It also provides a picture of the Chinese community, illustrating the roles of both merchants and labourers played in developing the 19th Century city.