Muhammad Yuanda Zara
Histories of health in colonial Indonesia generally place the colonial government as the main actor. This article focuses on the efforts of an Indonesian Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, in promoting healthy behaviours, especially by providing health advice in its official publications during the colonial period. By exploring various Muhammadiyah publications between 1915 and 1942, this article shows that Muhammadiyah played a key role in health promotion among Indonesians in the colonial period. With various media and campaign techniques, Muhammadiyah held that maintaining a well-rounded health is Allah’s command to every Muslim. Muhammadiyah underlined that healthcare was indispensable and encouraged Muslims to put their trust in the modern healthcare system and reduce their dependence on traditional healers. Nevertheless, Muhammadiyah promoted the combination of Western treatment with Indonesian herbal medicine. It disseminated knowledge about modern healthcare, for example, prenatal and postnatal health, various diseases and domestic hygiene. Muhammadiyah persuaded Indonesians to become involved in medical research and assured them that individual health would result in the prosperity of the Indonesian nation. This study shows that for Muhammadiyah, Islam was a determinant component in health promotion, and that local Muslims also had the knowledge and skills to manage modern healthcare under Dutch colonialism. © 2025 SOAS University of London.
History Study Programme, Yogyakarta State University, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
