Sultanate of Gowa

The Sultanate of Gowa was a powerful and highly successful kingdom in Indonesia. It was located in the South Sulawesi region of the island. The people of this kingdom were the Makassarese. They lived along the south end and the west coast of southern Sulawesi.

The history of Gowa is divided into two main eras. The first era was the pre-Islamic kingdom period. The second era began when the kingdom became an Islamic sultanate.

In its early history, the region was known as Makassar. The epic poem Nagarakretagama mentions Makassar as a tributary in 1365. The first queen of Gowa was named Tomanurung Baine. During the reign of the sixth king, Tonatangka Kopi, the land split into two. One part was the Kingdom of Gowa, led by Batara Gowa. The other was the Kingdom of Tallo, led by Karaeng Loe ri Sero. These two kingdoms fought wars for many years until Tallo was defeated.

During the reign of King Tunipalangga from 1512 to 1546, the kingdoms reunified. They formed a bond called Rua Kareng se're ata. This meant they were dual kings but one single people. From then on, every king of Tallo also became the king of Gowa.

Religion changed the structure of the sultanate in the early 1600s. Islam had been present in the region since the 1320s. On September 22, 1605, the 14th king converted to Islam. His name was Karaeng Matowaya Tumamenaga Ri Agamanna, but he became Sultan Alauddin. He ruled the kingdom from 1591 to 1629. Three religious teachers, known as ulama, helped bring Islam to the area. These men were named Datuk Ri Bandang, Datuk Ri Tiro, and Datuk Ri Pattimang.

The sultanate used its religious influence to grow. They launched campaigns in 1611 to bring neighboring areas into the faith. This included the conquest of southwest Sulawesi and the island of Sumbawa in 1618.

As Gowa grew, it sought to expand its political and economic power. This led to conflicts with nearby states like the Bugis kingdoms. Some scholars believe Gowa fought to protect its authority. Others say they followed an old treaty to share goodness, which Gowa defined as Islam. When Gowa conquered other states, they established a social hierarchy. Defeated rulers often had to profess the shahadah to show submission. This system of hierarchy was an ancient tradition in the region. Defeated populations were not usually forced to change their religion. Instead, Gowa sent preachers to teach Islam and build institutions.

In the 1600s, global trade brought new tensions to Makassar. The sultanate welcomed foreign traders, and an English factory was built in 1613. This attracted the attention of the Dutch East India Company, or VOC. Conflict increased as the VOC tried to control the region. In 1666, a major war began between the VOC and Gowa. The Dutch were led by Admiral Cornelis Speelman.

Speelman led a massive fleet of twenty vessels. This fleet carried about 1,860 people, including Dutch sailors and soldiers. They were also joined by native troops from Ambon and Bugis allies.

Sultan Hasanuddin, the 16th sultan, led the resistance against the Dutch. He tried to unite small kingdoms in eastern Indonesia to fight the VOC. The war was long and difficult. A treaty called the Treaty of Bungaya was signed in 1667, but Hasanuddin resumed fighting. The VOC eventually brought more troops from Batavia to help. On June 12, 1669, the Dutch broke the strong fortress at Somba Opu. This victory marked the end of the war. Sultan Hasanuddin resigned from his throne and died one year later.

The fall of the sultanate changed the landscape of Sulawesi. Admiral Speelman destroyed the Somba Opu fortress. He built Fort Rotterdam in its place as a Dutch headquarters. Over time, the area around the fort grew into the city of Makassar. In 1911, the Dutch colonial government officially took control of the sultanate. After Indonesia gained independence in 1945, the sultanate dissolved. Today, the former territory is part of the Gowa Regency in the Republic of Indonesia.