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