A00082 - Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Senegalese Author Who Wrote "Ambiguous Adventure", a Seminal Anticolonial Novel

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Cheikh Hamidou Kane
Cheikh Hamidou Kane in 2008
Born	2 April 1928 Matam, French Senegal, French West Africa
Died	3 October 2026 (aged 98) Dakar, Senegal
Other names	Sheikh Hamidou Kane; Cheik Hamidou Kane
Occupation	Writer
Notable work	L'Aventure ambiguë (1961)
Awards	Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire, 1962: Grand Prix des mécènes, 2019

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Sheikh Hamidou Kane (born April 3, 1928, Matam, River Region, Senegal) is a Senegalese writer best known for his autobiographical novel L’Aventure ambiguë (1961; Ambiguous Adventure), which won the Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire in 1962.

Kane received a traditional Muslim education as a youth before leaving Senegal for Paris to study law at the Sorbonne. He received degrees in law and philosophy from the École Nationale de la France d’Outre-Mer. After his return to his homeland in 1959, he served as commissioner of planning in the government, governor of the region of Thiès and minister of planning and cooperation. He was also an official of UNICEF in Lagos, Nigeria, and in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

The theme of L’Aventure ambiguë involves a young man caught between the traditional Islāmic faith of his ancestors and the soulless and materialistic Western culture to which he has become acculturated. What gives the work strength and individuality is the clarity with which Kane poses the conflicting values: the old school based upon the Qurʿān against the new French school based upon science; the hero’s Qurʿānic master against a French rationalist; and the hero himself against a madman who spurns Western culture.

Kane was admired in France for his mastery of his adopted language.

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Cheikh Hamidou Kane (2 April 1928 – 3 October 2026) was a Senegalese writer best known for his 1961 novel L'Aventure ambiguë (Ambiguous Adventure),^[1] about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a Fulani boy who goes to study in France, where he loses touch with his Islamic faith and his Senegalese roots. The novel was awarded the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1962.^[2]

Life and career

Born in Matam, French Senegal, Kane had a traditional Muslim education, before going to Paris, France, to study law at the Sorbonne, subsequently receiving degrees in law and philosophy from the École Nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer.^[3] In 1959, he returned to Senegal and served in the government. He also worked in Lagos, Nigeria, and in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as an official of UNICEF.

His autobiographical novel L'Aventure ambiguë was published in 1961, winning the Grand Prix Littéraire d'Afrique Noire the following year.^[4] His next novel, Les gardiens du temple, was published in 1995.^[5]

Kane was awarded the 2019 Grand Prix des Mécènes.^[6][2]

Kane died on 3 October 2026, at the age of 98. His death was announced by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on social media.^[7]

References

1. Kante, Boubacar (10 March 2010). "Cheikh Hamidou Kane relève l'importance des griots dans la préservation de la mémoire" (in French). Agence de Presse Sénégalaise. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
2. Oury, Antoine (21 July 2020). "L'écrivain sénégalais Cheikh Hamidou Kane reçoit le Grand Prix des Mécènes". Actualitte.com. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
3. "Sheikh Hamidou Kane". Encyclopedia Britannica. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
4. "Cheik Hamidou Kane". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
5. "Cheikh Hamidou Kane". The Modern Novel. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
6. "AFRIQUE :: African Literature and the Legacy of Cheikh Hamidou Kane". 237 Daily News. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
7. Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane dies aged 98

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L'Aventure ambiguë

Author	Cheikh Hamidou Kane
Language	French
Publication date	1961
Publication place	Senegal

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L'Aventure ambiguë (Ambiguous Adventure) is a novel by Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane, first published in 1961, about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a boy from the Diallobé region of Senegal who goes to study in France. There, he loses touch with his Islamic faith and his Senegalese roots. It won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1962. A 1963 English translation of the novel by Katherine Woods was republished as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series in 1972 and again in 2012 by Melville House.

Characters

Samba Diallo

Main character. Starts off as a young boy receiving an Islamic religious education in Senegal, then moves to Paris in order to continue his studies. In the process, he separates himself from his African roots and does not become fully French either. This book is about his quest for cultural/spiritual identity, and in the end he is torn between the two.

Thierno

Samba Diallo's spiritual teacher in Senegal. Teaches him to recite the Qur'an by the sacred fire in his hut.^[1]

La Grande Royale

The chief's sister and a relative of Samba Diallo, she pushes for him to attend the French school in order to learn "how to conquer without being right."

The Knight

Samba Diallo's father who asks Samba to come home after studying in Paris.

References

1. Title of respect in Pulaar

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Notable Quotes by Cheikh Hamidou Kane

Cheikh Hamidou Kane (1928–2026) was a Senegalese writer and statesman best known for his 1961 novel L’Aventure ambiguë (Ambiguous Adventure), which explores the tensions between African and Western cultures Wikipedia. His works contain rich philosophical and cultural reflections, many of which have been collected in quote compilations Lib Quotes+2.

Selected quotes:

1. On learning and forgetting Lib Quotes

“I should like to ask you: can one learn this without forgetting that, and is what one learns worth what one forgets?”

2. On the purity of the moment Lib Quotes

“At the heart of the moment, behold man as immortal, for the moment is infinite, when it is. The purity of the moment is made from the absence of time. Life of the moment, life without age… man unfurls himself into infinity.”

3. From Ambiguous Adventure en.wikiquote.org+1

“The work of the spirit and the work of the field.”
“Science has revealed truth, which has ultimately liberated humanity from its absurd fears.”
“Sea, the limpidity of your wave is awaiting my gaze. I fix my eyes upon you, and you glitter, without limit. I wish for you, through all eternity.”

4. On the role of education vs. force Goodreads

“The gun holds the school the weapon of war’s effectiveness, but it is better than the gun. The gun compels bodies, but the school shapes minds and souls… Where the gun makes a hole of ash, death, and intense decay, before man wakes and rises, the new school has extended its wing of peace.”

These quotes reflect Kane’s deep engagement with themes of cultural identity, the tension between tradition and modernity, and the transformative power of education. For more, see curated collections on LibQuotes Lib Quotes and Wikiquote en.wikiquote.org.

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Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Author of Seminal Anticolonial Novel, Dies at 98 - The New York Times

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A00081 - Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto, Indonesian Nationalist Who Became One of the Leaders of the Islamic Trade Union Which Became Sarekat Islam

 Tjokroaminoto

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Raden Mas Haji Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto
Born	16 August 1882 Ponorogo, Dutch East Indies
Died	17 December 1934 (aged 52) Yogyakarta, Dutch East Indies
Citizenship	Indonesian
Title	Founder and chairman of Sarekat Islam
Spouse	Suharsikin
Children	5

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Tjokroaminoto (Raden Mas) (Hadji Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto) (b. August 16, 1882, Desa Bakur, Madiun, Java – December 17, 1934, Jogjakarta). Indonesian political leader. Raden Mas Haji Umar Said Tjokroaminoto was born in the village of Bakur, Madiun. After completing his education he was employed as secretary to the patih of Ngawi. In 1906, he moved to Surabaya, where he became chairman of the local Budi Utomo branch. In May 1912, he entered Sarekat Islam, where he soon rose to prominence. He became its deputy chairman and later its president and represented it in the Volksraad (1918-1921). In 1927, he refused a seat in the Volksraad. His charismatic personality and oratory skills made him the most popular Sarekat Islam leader. He attracted large crowds. In their youth a number of nationalistic leaders, among them Sukarno, were influenced by him. In 1926, he represented the Sarekat Islam at a world Islamic conference in Mecca. He served as an editor of severa periodicals, such as Utusan Hindia, Al-Islam, Fadjar Asia, and Al-Djihad.

The Sarekat Dagang Islām (Association of Islāmic Traders), established in 1911 to promote the interests of Indonesian traders faced with growing Chinese competition, was reorganized as Sarekat Islām the following year by Tjokroaminoto. He broadened the focus of the group, greatly expanding its appeal, and organized it along Western lines. There were, however, substantial non-Western elements.

Tjokroaminoto, who had a powerful personality, became widely popular among Javanese peasants. By 1914 he had become the central figure of a messianic movement, and the Sarekat Islām had taken on strong mystical overtones. He was not a strong leader, however, and he failed to reinforce his popular appeal with a clear, consistent policy. His concern for the need for unity against Dutch rule led him to make compromises, while other groups with more coherent programs were politically more effective. In 1918 he became a member of the Volksraad.

In the early years of Sarekat Islām, Tjokroaminoto came into contact with a number of young nationalists, among whom was Sukarno, who became the first president of Indonesia. Tjokroaminoto tutored Sukarno, who also married his daughter. After 1920 Tjokroaminoto’s fortunes declined. He was jailed by the Dutch in 1921 on a charge of perjury but was released in 1922. By 1923 Sukarno, who had ended his marriage, had broken politically with Tjokroaminoto and adopted a more radical position. They were later reconciled, and in 1926 Sukarno wrote for Bandera Islām (“Flag of Islām”), a journal edited by Tjokroaminoto after his release from prison. But his passive and conciliatory positions prevented Tjokroaminoto from ever regaining the power and influence he had held in the early days of Sarekat Islām.

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Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto (EYD: Umar Said Cokroaminoto; 16 August 1882 – 17 December 1934),^[1] better known in Indonesia as H.O.S. Tjokroaminoto, was an Indonesian nationalist. He became one of the leaders of the Islamic Trade Union (Indonesian: Syarekat Dagang Islam), founded by Samanhudi, which became Sarekat Islam, which they both cofounded.^[2][3]

Early life

Tjokroaminoto was born the second of twelve children,^[1]: 12 in the Ponorogo Regency as the son of RM. Tjokroaminoto (district chief of Kleco), grandson of RMA. Tjokronegoro (regent of the Ponorogo Regency), and great-grandson of Kyai Bagus Kasan Besari of Tegalsari pesantren. According to his genealogy, his education was directed towards civil service.

After graduating in 1902 from OSVIA (Dutch: Opleiding School Voor Inlandsche Ambtenaren), a school for indigenous civil servants, in Magelang, the then-highest civil servant education institution, he worked as one in Ngawi for three years from 1902 to 1905).^[1] He moved to Surabaya, where he met Samanhudi, founder and leader of the Islamic Trade Unions (SDI).^[1] At night, he attended Burgerlijke Avond School (BAS) for some years. After graduating, he worked in a sugar refinery (1907–1912). He wrote for the Bintang Soerabaja (Surabaya Star) daily and became a staff assistant.

Known as the "Crownless King of Java" (Dutch: De Ongekroonde van Java) by the Dutch, Tjokroaminoto was one of the pioneers of the trade union movement in Indonesia and was a teacher of some of the most well-known leaders of Indonesia. His political ideas also gave birth to various ideologies of Indonesia at that time, when he tutored students in his household, such as Semaoen, Alimin, Musso, Sukarno, Kartosuwiryo, and even Tan Malaka. He was the first to refuse to submit to the Netherlands. After he died, the colors of the Indonesian movement were developed by his students, the socialists and communists embraced by Semaoen, Musso, and Alimin.

One of his most famous quotes was "Highest education, purest tauhid, smartest of strategies" (Indonesian: Setinggi-tinggi ilmu, semurni-murni tauhid, sepintar-pintar siasat), depicting the atmosphere of Indonesian struggle in its time which required the three aforementioned abilities of a freedom fighter. Of the various students he liked most was Sukarno until he married Sukarno with his daughter Siti Oetari, Sukarno's first wife. His message to his disciples was "If you want to be a great Leader, write like a journalist and talk like an orator". These words influenced his disciples to make Sukarno shout every night to learn the speeches to make his friends, Musso, Alimin, SM Kartosuwiryo, Darsono, and others wake up and laugh to watch it.

Formation of Islamic unions

Sarekat Dagang Islam

Samanhudi had founded Sarekat Dagang Islam (SDI) or the Islamic Trade Union, in late 1905, in Surakarta. Tjokroaminoto was asked to prepare the needed regulations for the organization and to handle the management. The statute was prepared and notarized in Surabaya on 10 September 1906.

Sarekat Islam

At Tjokroaminoto's suggestion, the word trade (Indonesian: dagang) in the organization's name was removed and SDI became Sarekat Islam (SI) or the Islamic Union.^[1] Its chairman was H. Samanhudi, while Tjokroaminoto became chairman. A few days later, its statute was sent to the Governor-General to be legalized as a legal institution.

A central committee was formed with Samanhudi as chairman and Tjokroaminoto as vice-chairman. In explaining the organization's aim, Tjokroaminoto stated that SI would not oppose the Dutch East Indies government. For the organization's interest, he and other managers went to the then Governor-General Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg on 29 March 1913. Idenburg stated that for public importance (Dutch: algemeen belang), SI's legalization couldn't be granted, but local Islamic unions can be granted corporate-body status.

The membership of SI rapidly increased, to about two and a half million.^[1]

Centraal Sarekat Islam

Because of the rapid development of local Islamic unions, it was necessary to establish a central Islamic union coordinating them. In 1915, the Central Islamic Union, or Centraal Sarekat Islam (CSI) was founded with Tjokroaminoto as its chairman, Abdoel Moeis as vice-chairman, and Samanhoedi as honorary chairman. Since then, Tjokroaminoto was continuously chairman or a member of the SI board of administration until his death.

The first CSI national congress, simultaneously being the third SI congress, during his chairmanship was held in Bandung in June 1916. The usage of the word national signified the issue Tjokroaminoto had voiced, which was the necessity of unity of all Indonesians. SI gained acknowledgment of its power with the inauguration of Tjokroaminoto and Abdoel Moeis as members of the newly opened Volksraad in 1918.

SI under Tjokroaminoto progressed, but inner opposition arose, while the colonial government's trust decreased. The hardest challenge came from the Marxist/Leninist faction led by Semaun, who faced off against Tjokroaminoto. Eventually, the Marxist–Leninist faction broke off and formed SI-Merah ("Red-SI"), which later joined the Communist Party of Indonesia.

In 1921, Tjokroaminoto was arrested for the charge of assassination by SI-afd. B^{[clarification needed]} in Cimareme, Garut, West Java. He was released around 9 months later without trial in August 1922.^[4]

Partai Sarekat Islam

CSI became weak, and its name was changed to Partai Sarekat Islam (PSI) or the Islamic Union Party in February 1923. Tjokroaminoto made an effort to unite the outer Javanese groups.^{[clarification needed]} After propaganda attacks were sent, insurgency broke out wherever, until he and Abdoel Moeis were forbidden to visit some areas. At that time, Pan-Islamism was launched. Tjokroaminoto and Mas Mansoer performed Hajj.

The political suggestion of hijra or "migration" with the non-cooperative attitude toward the colonial government was eventually accepted by Congress, which caused Tjokroaminoto's refusal when he was elected as Volksraad's member in 1927. The Ulema Committee was founded to discuss Tjokroaminoto's controversial Qur'anic interpretations in 1928.

Partai Syarikat Islam Indonesia

Later the PSI was changed to the Indonesian Islamic Union Party or Partai Syarikat Islam Indonesia (PSII) in early 1929. There was a confrontation between the nationalist Soekiman and the religious Tjokroaminoto that led to Soekiman's departure to form a new party, the Indonesian Islamic Party or Partai Islam Indonesia.

Death

After the 20th PSII Congress in Banjarmasin in May 1934, Tjokroaminoto became sick and died in Yogyakarta on 17 December 1934. His position in PSII was succeeded by his brother Abikusno Tjokrosujoso.

In popular culture

A film titled Teacher of the Nation: Tjokroaminoto (Indonesian: Guru Bangsa: Tjokroaminoto) was made about Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto. The film, produced in 2015, was directed by Garin Nugroho, with the main character as Reza Rahardian.^[5]

References

1.  Mahawira, Pranadipa (2013-01-01). Cinta Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia: Terlengkap & Terupdate (in Indonesian). WahyuMedia. pp. 12–13. ISBN 9789797957513.
2.  Tarling, Nicholas (2000-01-28). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0521663717.
3.  Ooi, Keat Gin (2004-10-13). Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. Vol. 3. ABC-CLIO. pp. 1180, 1226, 1334. ISBN 978-1576077702.
4.  "Museum HOS Tjokroaminoto: Jejak Sejarah dan Inspirasi bagi Generasi Muda". aadtoday.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-12-17.
5.  "Coming Soon Guru Bangsa Tjokroaminoto". Tjokro Movie (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2018-07-16.

Further reading

• Mirnawat (2012). Kumpulan Pahlawan Indonesia Terlengkap (in Indonesian). Cerdas Interaktif, 2012. ISBN 9789797883430.