Measurement of Change under the Cultivation System in Java, 1837-1851

This paper is an attempt to determine some of the social and economic impacts of the Cultivation System in Java through the use of statistical information contained in reports prepared by government officers at the time the System operated. Such information has not hitherto been used in this way. This paper is meant as an exploration of the possible uses of this type of information. The nature of this information, and the fashion in which it is used, will be made clear as the paper progresses.