The Council of the Indies (Dutch; Flemish: Raad van Indië; Indonesian: Dewan Hindia) was a body established in 1610 to advise and limit the powers of the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. Following administrative reforms of 1836, the council was later renamed as the Council of the Dutch East Indies (Dutch; Flemish: Raad van Nederlandsch-Indië).
Initially the council had four members and a chairman, all Dutch nationals. In 1930, this was increased to six people, with citizens of the Dutch East Indies eligible for membership. The council was chaired by the governor-general. The Dutch monarch had the authority to make a final decision in the event of a disagreement between the governor-general and the council.
Prior to 1836, the council had the same standing as the governor-general, but that year, its role was reduced to that of an advisory body. It regained some of its powers in 1854, when an act was passed obliging the governor-general to consult it before taking major measures, but he was still under no obligation to heed its advice. Its powers were reduced again in 1925, but the governor-general still had to consult it before taking certain actions, including making announcements or sending proposals to the semi-legislative Volksraad.
In a report sent to Governor-General Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer in 1938, the council recommended rejection of the Soetardjo Petition, which had been signed by a number of members of the Volksraad and that asked for a conference to be organised to discuss the autonomy for the Dutch East Indies as part of a Dutch commonwealth. The council took the view that the demands of the petition were at odds with the Dutch constitution and that Indonesia was not ready to become a dominion.
| 1922 | 1931 | 1941 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice-president | H. N. A. Swart, appointed 2 Sep 1918 | J.I.M. Welter, appointed 10 Oct 1929 | H. J. Spit, appointed 21 Nov 1938. | |
| Members | P. De Roo De La Faille, appointed 3 Feb 1919 Mr. L. J. Dukstra, appointed 9 Dec 1919 W. Frijling, appointed 2 Mar 1921 Mr H. A. Kinderman, appointed 28 April 2921 | W. P. Hillen, appointed 15 May 1929 C. W. Bodenhausen, appointed 10 Oct 1929 Achmad Djajadiningrat, appointed 1 Jan 1930 Adipati Ario Soejono, appointed 1 Jan 1930 A. H. M. J. Van Kan, appointed 6 Mar 1930 L. H. W. Van Sandwick, appointed 18 Jul 1930 | F. H. Visman, appointed 23 Jun 1936 J. H. B. Kuneman, appointed 23 Jun 1936 G. F. de Bruyn Kops, appointed 21 Nov 1938 Adipati Ario Soejono, appointed 29 Feb 1940 | |
| Secretary | W. G. Stroband, appointed 2 Nov 1921 | W.G. Peekema (ad interim), appointed 2 Dec 1929 | L. F. Jansen, appointed 25 Oct 1939. | |
| Source | Regeeringsalmanak voor Nederlandsch-Indië 1922 | Regeeringsalmanak voor Nederlandsch-Indië 1931 | Regeeringsalmanak voor Nederlandsch-Indië 1941 |