Note 122 — Chapter XII · THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO.

The Sasaks of the neighbouring island of Lombok also owed their conversion to the preaching of the Bugis, who form a large colony here, having either crossed over the strait from Sambawa or come directly from Celebes: at any rate the conversion appears to have taken place in a peaceable manner.122 The population of Lombok falls into two distinct divisions, the Sasaks and the Balinese; the first of these, consisting of the Muhammadan Sasaks, the original inhabitants of the island, far outnumbers the second, but about the middle of the eighteenth century they came under the rule of the Balinese and soon found their island overrun by swarms of the Hindu neighbours.123 The rule of the Balinese was very oppressive, and they made efforts—though with little success—to bring their Muslim subjects over to Hinduism; the Sasaks tried in vain to shake off the yoke of their oppressors, and more than once appealed to the Dutch Government, before the expedition of 1894 brought peace to the island and established an orderly administration under Dutch rule. The new government brought with it a large number of native Muhammadan officials, who throw in their influence on the side of their own faith, and it is thus expected that one of the results of the Dutch conquest of Lombok will be to give a great impetus to Islam in this island.124