Colonial Oversight and Structural Corruption: Misuse of Mosque Treasury Funds in Bojonegoro, Dutch East Indies, 1905–1938

Abstract

This study examines the misuse of mosque funds (Moskee-Kas) in Bojonegoro under Dutch colonial rule from 1905 to 1938. The mosque funds were initially established as a religious financial institution to manage income derived from zakat, almsgiving, and marriage administration fees, with the primary aim of supporting mosque maintenance and improving community welfare. Over time, however, the system increasingly deviated from its original religious and social purposes, as colonial structures co-opted it. The Dutch administration reclassified them as a form of local taxation, subjecting them to oversight by regents, which exposed vulnerabilities to exploitation amid weak bureaucratic controls and entrenched patrimonialism. Employing historical research methods, including heuristic data collection, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography, this study uncovers patterns of financial misconduct conducted by regency officials, particularly Regent R.A.A. Reksokoesoemo and his successor. Their manipulation of mosque funds for personal benefit and political consolidation reflects the patrimonial and corrupt character of colonial governance. The findings reveal that religious institutions were deeply entangled within colonial administrative structures, enabling economic exploitation to persist under the guise of bureaucratic legality. This case highlights the intersection of religion, power, and governance in early twentieth-century Java, demonstrating how colonial bureaucracies institutionalized moral decline and social inequality. In conclusion, the misuse of mosque funds was not incidental but structurally embedded within colonial rule, leaving lasting consequences for religious and social life. This case illuminates broader dynamics of religion, power, and economic control in early 20th-century Java, offering insights into postcolonial legacies of institutional corruption and religious autonomy.