The Sultanate of Bacan - Historical Attractions in BACAN ISLAND - South Halmahera

The Sultanate of Bacan is one of historical attractions in Bacan Island, South Halmahera regency, North Maluku province. This palace has a typical colonial green roofs which becomes the residence of Sultan Bacan . One of the reasons that attract tourists to visit this palace is to see historical objects. 

If you are lucky, then you have a chance to see the crown of Sultan Bacan called Lakare. Lakare is made of velvet fabric that never goes out, lakare is also embellished with precious genuine stones. Lakare, Sultanate umbrellas and a dagger can be seen when Sultan Bacan is in his residence. The Sultanate of Bacan is located at Jalan Oesman Shah, Amasing Kota Village, Bacan Sub-district.

History

According to the saga of Bacan, which was published in 1923 by W. Ph. Coolhaas in Tijdschrift van het Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschap (vol LXIII, the second publication), it was mentioned that in ancient times, the island of Ternate, Tidore, Moti, Makian, and Bacan are fused in a peninsula, which is called Tanah Gapi. Then a merchant once a preacher of the Arabian Peninsula comes, whose name Jafar Sadek, to Tanah Gapi. Jafar Sadek has four boys and four girls. When the children have grown up, Jafar Sadek prays to God so that his children would be kings in different places, and then thunder, lightning, rain and wind noise come out at a pitch black night. As a result, Tanah Gupi are fragmented into islands. The first son, Buka, then heads to Makian and becomes the forerunner of Bacan Kingdom. The second son, Darajat, heads to Moti and becomes the forerunner of Jailolo Kingdom. The third son, Sahajat, goes to Tidore and becomes the forerunner of Tidore Kingdom. The fourth son, Mashur Malamo, sails to Ternate and becomes the forerunner of Ternate Kingdom, while his four daughters go to Banggai and settle there. The Sultanate of Bacan is one of the four Sultanate of Moloku Kie Raha (Sultanate of Four Mountains in Maluku) in North Maluku.

The early position of the Kingdom of Bacan began in East Makian, then was moved to Kasiruta because of the threat of volcanic Kie Besi. Most Bacan people were Makian people who were evacuated along its king. It is estimated, Bacan kingdom was established in 1322.

The first king of Bacan is Said Muhammad Bakir, or Said Husin, who ruled in Mount Makian with the title "Maharaja Yang Bertahta Kerajaan Moloku Astana Bacan, Negeri Komala Besi Limau Dolik". The first king ruled for 10 years, and died in Makian. At 1343, Kolano Sida Hasan was reigned in the Kingdom Bacan. By cooperating with Tidore, Sida Hasan regained Makian Island and several villages around Bacan Island from the hands of the King of Ternate, Tulu Malamo.

Sida Hasan ascended the throne replacing his father, Muhammad Hasan, in 1343. During Sida Hasan reign, the evacuation to Bacan happened. Makian people were evacuated to Bacan, occupying Dolik, Talimau and Imbu-imbu. The king reigned in 1522 is Zainal Abidin.

Bacan, in the local language means "read" or "one's conscious effort to put something into the brain to become knowledge". The Sultanate of Bacan had an important role at that time as a supplier of food ingredients for the entire region of North Maluku. During its heyday, the territory of the Sultanate of Bacan is quite wide, from some areas in the northern part of Sulawesi, to the southern Philippines region, to west Papua. More than that, Bacan Island became the center of the Sultanate of Bacan which has a wealth of natural products, even enthused by international world at that time for its spices, such as cloves and nutmegs.

Photo of the Sultanate of Bacan (1924)

The first influence of the Europeans in Bacan Island began with the arrival of the Portuguese to seek spices which has high economic value in the European market at that time. Starting from this, Bacan Island in turns became a colony of a number of European countries, such as Portugal, Spain, and finally Netherlands. Because of the scramble of spices monopoly in 1889, the Sultanate of Bacan monarchy was replaced with a system of governance under the control of the Dutch East Indies.

Source: Kekunaan