Amanuban
Encyclopedia
Amanuban was a traditional princedom in West Timor
, Indonesia
. It is nowadays included in the regency (kabupaten) Timor Tengah Selatan. In the late colonial period, according to an estimate in 1930, Amanuban covered 2,075 square kilometers. The centre of the princedom since the nineteenth century was Niki-Niki. The population belongs to the Atoni
group. Today they are predominantly Protestants, with a significant Catholic
minority and some Muslims.
island, west of Timor. Amanuban is mentioned in Dutch
sources as early as 1613, when the Dutch East India Company
(Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) first approached Timor
. Amanuban had resources of sandalwood
, which was the main Western interest on the island. The Dutch concluded a contract with the King of Amanuban in 1616, but the princedom came under the influence of the Portuguese
, political and commercial rivals of the Dutch. This influence lasted up to 1748. During this period there was intermittent warfare with the VOC enclave around Kupang
in westernmost Timor. A political crisis in 1748 turned a number of Atoni princedoms, including Amanuban, against the Topasses
or Portuguese Eurasians
on Timor. After the Topass defeat at the hand of the VOC in November 1749, the territory of Amanuban was included in the Dutch political alliance network.
The last independent king, Bil Nope alias Hau Sufa Leu (c. 1870-1910) befriended the encroaching Dutch colonial authorities in the early years of the twentieth century. However, the arrogant stance of the local Dutch officer caused anti-colonial resistance. Finally Bil Nope died in the flames of his residence in Niki-Niki in October 1910. In modern Indonesia he is regarded as an anti-colonial hero.
, Amanuban and Amanatun
. In 1962-63 the swapraja, and with it the last remnants of traditional governance, was abrogated by official decree. Members of the old ruling family, Nope, still have an amount of local informal influence.
West Timor
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is nowadays included in the regency (kabupaten) Timor Tengah Selatan. In the late colonial period, according to an estimate in 1930, Amanuban covered 2,075 square kilometers. The centre of the princedom since the nineteenth century was Niki-Niki. The population belongs to the Atoni
Atoni
The Atoni are an ethnic group on Timor, in Indonesian West Timor and the East Timorese enclave of Oecussi-Ambeno. They number around 600,000. Their language is Uab Meto....
group. Today they are predominantly Protestants, with a significant Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
minority and some Muslims.
Early history
The ancestor of the royal line is said to have come from RotiRoti
Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and...
island, west of Timor. Amanuban is mentioned in Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sources as early as 1613, when the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
(Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) first approached Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
. Amanuban had resources of sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
, which was the main Western interest on the island. The Dutch concluded a contract with the King of Amanuban in 1616, but the princedom came under the influence of the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, political and commercial rivals of the Dutch. This influence lasted up to 1748. During this period there was intermittent warfare with the VOC enclave around Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
in westernmost Timor. A political crisis in 1748 turned a number of Atoni princedoms, including Amanuban, against the Topasses
Topasses
Topasses were a group of people in maritime Asia in the early modern period, who claimed Portuguese ancestry or had taken up Portuguese culture and language. Topasses were found in the various places of South Asia and Southeast Asia which were frequented by the Portuguese, such as Goa, Malacca and...
or Portuguese Eurasians
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
on Timor. After the Topass defeat at the hand of the VOC in November 1749, the territory of Amanuban was included in the Dutch political alliance network.
Anti-Dutch resistance
After 1770 dynastic disputes led to a split. The larger part of Amanuban joined the prince Tobani who ruled independently of the Dutch. His son Louis (c. 1808-c. 1824) led a violently anti-Dutch policy and trained a large mounted corps of warriors with firearms. The Dutch (and the British during the 1812-1816 interregnum) sent a number of armed expeditions against Louis, without much success. In later tradition Louis is pointed out as the founder of the royal seat (sonaf) Niki-Niki. After his death the coherence of Amanuban declined.The last independent king, Bil Nope alias Hau Sufa Leu (c. 1870-1910) befriended the encroaching Dutch colonial authorities in the early years of the twentieth century. However, the arrogant stance of the local Dutch officer caused anti-colonial resistance. Finally Bil Nope died in the flames of his residence in Niki-Niki in October 1910. In modern Indonesia he is regarded as an anti-colonial hero.
Under colonial rule
Another branch of the dynasty was enthroned, and Amanuban continued as a 'zelfbesturende landschap' (self-ruling territory) under colonial surveillance until the departure of the Dutch (1942 and 1949). In 1952, a few years after the formation of a unitary Indonesian republic, the princedom was turned into a so-called 'swapraja', still with the old ruler as headman (kepala daerah swapraja). In 1959 a new administrative region (Daerah Tingkat II), Timor Tengah Selatan was formed, and included the old swaprajas MolloMolló
Molló is a town and municipality in the comarca of Ripollès in Catalonia, Spain, located in the Pyrenees, by the French border. Molló borders to the north with Prats de Molló Molló is a town and municipality in the comarca of Ripollès in Catalonia, Spain, located in the Pyrenees, by the French...
, Amanuban and Amanatun
Amanatun
Amanatun was an Atoni princedom situated in what is today Indonesian West Timor, which existed up to 1962. It was also known as the princedom of Onam...
. In 1962-63 the swapraja, and with it the last remnants of traditional governance, was abrogated by official decree. Members of the old ruling family, Nope, still have an amount of local informal influence.
List of rulers
- Don Michel before 1749-1751
- Don Louis 1751-1770 (brother)
- Don Jacobus Albertus 1770-1786 (son)
- Tobani 1786-c. 1808 (cousin)
- Louis c. 1808-c. 1824 (son)
- Baki c. 1824-1862 (son)
- Sanu 1862-c. 1870 (son)
- Bil Nope c. 1870-1910 (son)
- Noni Nope 1910-1920 (brother)
- Pae Nope 1920-1946 (son)
- Paulus Nope 1946-1949 (son)
- Kusa Nope 1946-1958 (brother)
Further reading
- Andrew McWilliam (2002), Paths of Origin, Gates of Life: A Study of Place and Precedence in Southwest Timor. Leiden: KITLV Press.
- Arend de Roever (2002), De jacht op sandelhout: De VOC en de tweedeling van Timor in de zeventiende eeuw. Zutphen: Walburg Pers.
- H. G. Schulte Nordholt (1971), The Political System of the Atoni of Timor. The Hague: M. Nijhoff.
- Jacob Wadu et al. (2003), Sejarah Pemerintahan Kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan. Penfui: Lembaga Penelitian Universitas Nusa Cendana.