Cross-cultural alliance-making and local resistance in Maluku during the revolt of Prince Nuku, c. 1780-1810

Widjojo, M.S.

This dissertation revolves around a long struggle of Malukan and Papuan rebels led by Prince Nuku of Tidore against the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) and its indigenous allies c.a. 1780-1810. Assisted by the English, his Malukan-Papuan troops managed to conquer the Dutch-protected Sultanates of Bacan and Tidore in 1797 and the Dutch fort on Ternate in 1801. Widjojo elaborates the dynamics of alliance-making, the interests involved, and the actors (grandees of Tidorans, East Seramese traders, Papuans of Raja Ampat, and the fighters of Gamrange). This dissertation also shows intensity of the English involvement in the rebellion which was not discussed before in previous studies. Among others, the dissertation concludes that the success of the rebellion was not driven by prominent Malukan ideological constructs supposedly shared among Nuku and his adherents. The success was mainly because Nuku to a maximum extent successfully combined the strength...Show moreThis dissertation revolves around a long struggle of Malukan and Papuan rebels led by Prince Nuku of Tidore against the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) and its indigenous allies c.a. 1780-1810. Assisted by the English, his Malukan-Papuan troops managed to conquer the Dutch-protected Sultanates of Bacan and Tidore in 1797 and the Dutch fort on Ternate in 1801. Widjojo elaborates the dynamics of alliance-making, the interests involved, and the actors (grandees of Tidorans, East Seramese traders, Papuans of Raja Ampat, and the fighters of Gamrange). This dissertation also shows intensity of the English involvement in the rebellion which was not discussed before in previous studies. Among others, the dissertation concludes that the success of the rebellion was not driven by prominent Malukan ideological constructs supposedly shared among Nuku and his adherents. The success was mainly because Nuku to a maximum extent successfully combined the strength of Papuan and Gamrange raiders as his warriors and East Seramese traders as the sources of the logistics for his campaign. Moreover Nuku also managed to keep attached to the English and exploit the presence of its country traders.Show less

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Cross-cultural alliance-making and local resistance in Maluku during the revolt of Prince Nuku, c. 1780-1810

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