UCLA Asia Institute
Today in Asian History
June 6
1901 Sukarno, founding president of independent Indonesia, was born in Surabaja, Java. His father was a Javanese schoolteacher and his mother was from Bali. He was a gifted learner of languages, mastering Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and modern Indonesian and attaining competency in Arabic, Dutch, German, French, English, and Japanese. He earned a degree in civil engineering, but devoted himself to political agitation opposed to Dutch rule of Indonesia. Between 1929 and 1942, he was jailed for two years and exiled for eight. He saw the Japanese occupation of Indonesia as liberation from European colonialism. He continued to push for complete independence. His five principles (elucidated in 1945: nationalism, internationalism, democracy, social prosperity, and belief in a single god) remain the official aims of the Republic of Indonesia that he declared independent later that year (the Dutch formally recognized the independence of their colony in 1949). Sukarno served as president of Indonesia until 1966. He was removed from office by a military junta led by Suharto. He died in 1970.
In 1998, Asiaweek published an essay on Sukarno by his daughter Megawati Sukarnoputri. In 1999, Sukarno's daughter was elected vice-president of Indonesia. Asiaweek's corporate sister, Time included Sukarno in its list of the "Time 100 Most Influential Asians of the Century." Peter Dale Scott published an essay, "The United States and the Overthrow of Sukarno, 1965-1967" in Pacific Affairs in 1985.
1916 Yuan Shikai 袁世凯, a key figure in the overthrow of the Manchu Qing dynasty in 1911, and from 1912 the president of the new Republic of China, died at age 56. Yuan was born in 1859 in Henan, a central province. He distinguished himself as a military leader and after China's defeat by Japan in 1895 was entrusted with the modernization of China's armed forces. He served the Qing dynasty led by the Empress Dowager Ci Xi, but in 1911, he sided with those opposed to the Qing. A conservative and autocratic man, Yuan was not interested in building a democratic republic and ruthlessly squashed those who opposed him. Just prior to his death he sought to establish a new dynasty of his own.
1927 The Soviet Union broke diplomatic relations with Chiang Kai-shek's 蒋介石 Guomindang 国民党government. The Soviets, believing that the time was not right for a socialist revolution in China, had encouraged the Chinese Communist Party to collaborate with Chiang's Guomindang (Nationalists), but after the April massacre of Communists and those sympathetic to their cause, Joseph Stalin was compelled to break with Chiang's regime.
1981 In Bihar, India, the world's worst train accident took place when seven cars were blown into the River Kosi. More than 800 people died in the accident.
1984 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered troops to storm the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar to arrest Sikh separatists holed up there. In the ensuing struggle 712 demonstrating Sikhs and 90 soldiers were killed. Separatists and other Sikhs deeply resented the intrusion into their holiest shrine and in October two of Gandhi's bodyguards, themselves Sikhs, assassinated her.
The Golden Temple's official website includes a great deal of information on Sikhism and its shrines. Vinay Lal's Manas website offers a biography of Gandhi. She was included in the India Today list of 100 Who Shaped India.
2001 King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal was killed along with several other family members by his son, the 29 year old Crown Prince Dipendra. Dipendra, supposedly distraught at not being permitted to marry the woman of his choice, also shot himself and died without regaining consciousness a day later. King Birendra's brother, 53 year old Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, technically succeeded Dipendra as king of Nepal.
King Birendra assumed power in 1972. After 1990 demonstrations which he initially sought to quash militarily, the king became a constitutional monarch. The majority of Nepalese are Hindus and believe the king is an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Nepal has a population of about 23 million and is sandwiched between the world's largest two nations: India and China. The Nepalese Washington Embassy website offers information about the country. The CIA World Factbook also provides information on Nepal.
The AI "Today in Asian History" page was compiled by Clayton Dube. He welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send them to <cdube@isop.ucla.edu>.
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