Sarekat Islam, formerly Islamists Trade Union (Indonesian: Sarekat Dagang Islam), was a cooperative of Javanese batik traders in the Dutch East Indies and a predecessor of independent Indonesia. The group was founded by Haji Samanhudi, a dealer of batik, in 1905 in Surakarta or 1912. Sarekat Dagang Islam, or Union of Islamic Traders, had as its goal the empowerment of local merchants, especially in the batik industry. The establishment of the organization was inspired by the Jamiat Kheir organization.