Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, better known as simply Hamka, was the Sumatran-born son of a devout Muslim who viewed local traditions as hindering the progress of religion - his father's opinions influenced his.
At the time Tuan Direktur was written, Surabaya was one of the richer cities in the Dutch East Indies, serving as both a port into the colony and as a stopping point for trade traffic headed to Australia.