Portuguese Moluccas

MAKASSAR AND THE PORTUGUESE

Written by Marco Ramerini
The Kingdom of Makassar at time of Portuguese expansion in the Asian seas comprised the two kingdom of Gowa and Tallo. Portuguese merchants frequented Makassar intermittently during 16th century, but was only after the Islamization of the Makassar's Kingdom (1600s.) that their presence growth.
The Portuguese during the 17th century used Makassar as a commercial center for the silk, the cloves, the textiles, the sandalwood and the diamonds. In 1620s. there were regularly as many as 500 Portuguese merchants that frequented the port of Makassar, they traded here in safety and the Sultans, that were fluent in Portuguese, gave aid and confort to them. The friendly relations between Makassar and Portugal were strenghtened by their common attempts to stop the Dutch power in the Moluccas and Sunda islands.
The prosperity of Makassar greatly incresed after the fall of Malacca in Dutch hands (1641), when many Portuguese merchants emigrated to Makassar. In 1650s. the Dominicans founded a church in Makassar. In 1660, there were about 2.000 Portuguese residents in the town, they lived in their own residential area called Portuguese quarter.
In June 1660, a strong Dutch fleet comprising 31 ships and 2.600 men attacked Makassar and stormed the fort of Panakkukang in the port, the main Dutch aim for this attack was to expel the Portuguese from Makassar and they asked so. A treaty, between the Dutch and the Makassars, was signed and finally ratified on 2 December 1660, the terms were: that the Portuguese should be expelled from Makassar within a year.


The Portuguese departure, would be the complete ruins of the Kingdom, for this the Sultan openly attempted to delay their departure. The terms of the treaty, were not respected and the Portuguese stayed at Makassar for several years, but slowly some of them going to Flores (Larantuka), Solor, Macao, Timor, Siam and Batavia. And at the end, in 1665, due to the Dutch pressures, the last Portuguese merchants were forced to leave.


Makassar and the Portuguese, Indonesia

THE PORTUGUESE IN THE MOLUCCAS: TERNATE AND TIDORE

Written by Marco Ramerini

TERNATE AND TIDORE
The first Portuguese expedition to the Moluccas, under the command of Antonio de Abreu, arrived in Amboina and in the Banda islands in 1512. After an adventurous voyage he went back at Malacca. Francisco Serrao and other members of this expedition wrecked on a reef off Lucopino island (Nusa Penju) not far from Ambon island, but somehow managed to reach first Ambon and then Ternate.
There the Sultan of Ternate adopted Serrao as his personal councilor and made him and his companions prominent figures of his royal court. From 1513, the Portuguese sent an annual trading fleet to the Spice islands. The first, under Captain Antonio de Miranda de Azevedo, opened two small "feitorias" one in Ternate and one in Batjan.
On Febraury 1522, the Portuguese captain Antonio de Brito came to the Banda islands and strengthened the friendship with the King of these islands. To mark this event, they erected a stone "padrao" with the arms of the King of Portugal. Antonio de Brito arrived in Ternate in May of 1522, where he built the fortress of Sao Joao Baptista de Ternate. The first stone of the fortress was laid on June 1522. The Jesuits started a school in Ternate in its earlier days.
The Portuguese rule in these islands was always weak. This was due to the remoteness of the islands and to the small number of the Portuguese that arrived there; the Europeans were never more than a few thousand.


everal Spanish expeditions arrived at Tidore, the first was that of Magalhaes. The Spaniards settled in Tidore and annoyed the Portuguese for many years.
On 25 October 1536, the Portuguese governor, Antonio Galvao arrived at Ternate. He was a good governor, reconciling, organizing and evangelizing the Moluccas. He was also the builder of the Portuguese town of Ternate, he built a school and an hospital and had a stone wall built all around the town. Antonio Galvao is worshiped as the apostle of the Moluccas.
On 15 July 1575, the Portuguese surrendered the fort to the Ternatese.

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The old city of Ternate in the XVII century

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The Moluccas, from the "Livro das Plantas das Fortalezas, Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental 1600s

Ternate and Tidore: The Portuguese in the Moluccas, Indonesia

THE PORTUGUESE IN THE MOLUCCAS: AMBON

Written by Marco Ramerini

AMBON
Ambon is an island located in the south of the Spice Islands in what is today the Indonesian archipelago.
In the year 1569, the Portuguese Gonçalo Pereira Marramaque erected a wooden fort on the northern coast of the Ambon island. In 1572, the fort was moved to the southern side of the bay. Subsequently, Sancho de Vasconcelos built a temporary fort at Gelala and another at Batumarah, both of wood; and finally built a stone fortress where the town of Ambon is situated today.
The first stone was laid on 25 March 1576 and the fortress was named "Nossa Senhora da Anunciada". In July 1576, the new fortress was inaugurated. Inside the square construction crowned with four towers, one at each corner, there were the captain residence, a meeting room, some storehouses and dwellings for the military officials.
The town was built around the fortress and was divided in several quarters, all inhabited by Christians. The Portuguese town was not walled, only the Jesuits (in Ambon since 1578) had a stone wall around their garden to protect themselves against attacks of enemy villages. Near their residence was the church of "Sant’ Iago" (1581) covered by a thatched roof.
The Jesuits also served in the church of São Tomé (1581). They used their residence in Ambon like a pastoral center for Ambon and the three Lease Islands: Haruku, Saparua, Nusalaut. The Ambon residence was for some years (1575-1578) the center of the Moluccas Jesuit mission.



Along the shore was situated the oldest church of Ambon called "Sao Paulo" a fortress church. Near the southeastern side of the fort were the hospital and the church of "Misericordia". This brotherhood "Confraria da Misericordia" was founded in 1579.
The town of Ambon was besieged many times. Its history is a history of war. In 1591 and in 1593 it was besieged by the Ternatans; in 1598 by the Javanese; in 1600 by the Dutch; finally on 23 February 1605 the Portuguese fortress surrendered to the Dutch.

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Ambon (1724-26)

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The Portuguese settlements in the Lesser Sunda islands and in the Moluccas (1500-1600)

Ambon: The Portuguese in the Moluccas, Indonesia

THE PORTUGUESE IN SOLOR AND IN THE LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS

Written by Marco Ramerini

SOLOR AND THE LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS
The early Portuguese contact with these islands was in the years about 1520s. They frequented these islands mainly to purchase sandalwood. The early traders established only temporary warehouses. They did not built permanent trading posts, farms or fortresses, as this task was left to the Dominican missionaries. In 1561, four Dominican friars under the orders of Brother Antonio da Cruz left Malacca to preach the Gospel in those islands. They settled in Solor. The friars had a noticeable success in the conversions. In order to protect their spiritual work from the enemies, in 1566 they built a stone fortress at Solor.
Within the fort were built the friars’ dormitory, a seminary (in 1600 it contained 50 pupils) and the church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade reserved to the Portuguese. The Portuguese captain resided in a tower. On the left side of the fort, a native village was built adjacent to the church of São João Baptista. A few years later, outside the fort, near the sea, was built the church of Misericórdia. New conversions were also done in the nearby islands of Adonara and Flores.
In the island of Ende Minor the friar built a fort (1595), and, within its walls, was built the church of São Domingos. The converted indigenous peoples settled in the vicinity of the fort, where three native villages were founded. Numbas, close to the fortress; Currolalas on the left side, with the church of Santa Catarina de Sena; and Charaboro on the right side, with the church of Santa Maria Maddalena. The first commander of the fortress of Ende was capitão (captain) Pero Carvalhais.



By 1599 the Dominicans had built as many as 18 churches in the Solor islands:
SOLOR: - Nossa Senhora da Piedade, inside the fortress. - São João Baptista, on the left of the fort, was the native’s church. - Misericordia, in the village of Laboiana. - São João Evangelista, in the village of Lamaqueira; it was destroyed in 1598. - Madre de Deus, in the village of Guno.
ENDE: - São Domingos, inside the fort. - Santa Catarina de Sena, in the village of Currolalas. - Santa Maria Madalena, in the village of Charaboro.
FLORES: - São Lourenço, in the village of Lavunama. - Nossa Senhora de Esperança, in the village of Boibalo. - Nossa Senhora, in the village of Larantuca. - Santa Luzia, in the village of Sicà. - name unknown, in the village of Pagà. - Nossa Senhora de Assunção, in the village of Quevà. - São Pedro Martir, in the village of Lena. - Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, on the beach of Dondo, but it was neglected a short time after being built.
ADONARA: - Espírito Santo, in the village of Cramà. - name unknown, in the village of Lamala, destroyed a short time after during a rebellion.
On 27 January 1613, a Dutch fleet appeared off Solor. The Portuguese captain Manuel Alvares depended on 30 Portuguese and 1000 natives to defend the place. After nearly 3 month of siege, the Dutch conquered the Solor fortress on 18 April 1613. They renamed it the Fort Henricus.
In 1615 (?) the Dutch fled from the fort, but in 1618 they reoccupied it. Again in 1629-30, as the Dutch left Solor, the Portuguese wasted no time and, in 1630, occupied again Solor. However, in 1636, they left Solor and it remained deserted till the Dutch returned again in 1646.
The Dominicans, from 1613 moved their headquarters to Larantuka (Flores). This was the center of the Portuguese in the Lesser Sunda island up to 1662 when the headquarters were moved to Lifau (today Ocussi in Timor).

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The fort of Solor, from the "Livro das Plantas das Fortalezas, Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental 1600s

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The Portuguese settlements in the Lesser Sunda islands and in the Moluccas (1500-1600)

Solor: The Portuguese in Solor and in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

VISIT TO THE RUINS OF THE PORTUGUESE FORT ON SOLOR ISLAND

Written by Mark Schellekens. Photos by Mark Schellekens and Greg Wyncoll
On January 7th, I paid a visit to the island of Solor off Flores’ North/East coast. My main goal was to have a birdwatching trip on an virtually unknown island combined with a visit to the ruins of the fort.
Solor is easily reached from both Flores and nearby Adonara. Direct small boats go early mornings from both Larantuka on Flores and Wairwerang on Adonara to Menanga and Lemakera on Solor.
The fort is located in the village of Lohayong (about 3km West of Menanga) on the Eastern part of the island. The site of the fort is sadly overgrown with vegetation and villagers have built houses on the foundations of the fort.
Still, several walls are still standing up and the entrance can still be found as well as 2 abandoned cannon. Foundations can easily be traced and some of the walls facing the sea are still standing up.
The soil at the site is littered with debris from the fort and pieces of glass with VOC-logo and pieces of Dutch pottery were also found.
Before visiting the fort, visitors are asked to sign the guestbook of the mayor of Lohayong and donate a small fee.
In the village of Lemakera on the Eastern tip of Solor, there is a collection of 13 Portuguese guns that were left behind. Some women guard the guns and a small fee will be asked if one wants to take pictures of the guns.
If you know or you have photos of colonial remain around the world, send it to me, I'll be happy to publish it in the web site. Thank you. Marco. My e-mail is on the Home page.

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Ruins of Solor fort, Lohayong, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Ruins of Solor fort, Lohayong, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun of Solor fort, Lohayong, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun of Solor fort, Lohayong, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun with a Portuguese coats of arm, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Guns, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Guns, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

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Gun with a Portuguese coats of arm, Lamakera, Solor Island, Indonesia

Portuguese Fort in Solor Island, Indonesia

VISIT TO THE RUINS OF THE PORTUGUESE FORT ON ENDE ISLAND

Written by Mark Schellekens. Photos by Mark Schellekens and Greg Wyncoll
The ruins of the Portuguese fort on Ende island (Ende Minor) are nothing more then a collection of coralrocks. Just a single wall remains standing up and for the rest there are some floor parts and foundations visible.
The site is used nowadays by local farmers to farm Tapioca and corn and little remains as most of the stones from the fort have been used to build houses in the village of Kemo (pronounced as “K’mo”).
This village is easily reached from mainland Flores, from the town of Ende from where 4-5 boats daily sail to Kemo, where the ruins are located.
If you know or you have photos of colonial remain around the world, send it to me, I'll be happy to publish it in the web site. Thank you. Marco. My e-mail is on the Home page.

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Remains of Ende fort, Ende Island, Indonesia

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Remains of Ende fort, Ende Island, Indonesia

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Remains of Ende fort, Ende Island, Indonesia

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Remains of Ende fort, Ende Island, Indonesia

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Remains of Ende fort, Ende Island, Indonesia

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The Portuguese settlements in the Lesser Sunda islands and in the Moluccas (1500-1600)

Portuguese Fort in Ende Island, Indonesia