What did Java used to be like in early 1800s?

It's for S+E assignment. We have to pretend to be convitcs in Australia and we are escaping to Java. We have to have a few reasons for why we want to escape there. Do you know why they would want to escape there?


P.S. Forget about the fact that a convict in those days probably had no idea of what or where java was, it's just a silly assignment

What did Java used to be like in early 1800s?
Java in the early 1800s:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_War





This is for general Indonesian history:


http://www.gimonca.com/sejarah/sejarah04...