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Ambon, Maluku

Capital and largest city of Maluku, Indonesia

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  • 10 chapters
Beberapa markah tanah Kota Ambon.
Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Pembangunan Manusia dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Dinas Komunikasi, Informatika, dan Persandian Kota Ambon KPDE Kota Ambon Pu · Public domain

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History

Origin of the name

The origin of the term "Ambon" is not easily determined. According to local accounts, the term is derived from the word embun (mist/dew). The mountain peaks on Ambon Island are frequently covered by thick mist. The term Laha was also once used to name the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Anunciada, which became the precursor of the settlement. In the local language, laha is translated as "harbor."

Although the term "Ambon" now refers to Ambon City, Ambon Island, or the Ambonese people, throughout history (especially in the 20th century), it referred to the inhabitants of Central Maluku. The phrase "Ambonese people" (Ambonezen) itself referred to the residents of Central Maluku, even though it was originally only used for the inhabitants of Ambon City who possessed a mestizo culture.

Fort Victoria

Ambon City began to develop following the arrival of the Portuguese in 1513. Later, around 1575, Portuguese authorities mobilized the local population to build the Kota Laha Fort (also known as the Ferangi Fort), which was originally named Nossa Senhora da Anunciada, located on the Honipopu Plain. During its construction, the workers established village-like organizations such as Soya, which became the foundation of Ambon City. This was because, in its subsequent development, these groups evolved into an organized territorial genealogical society.

Dutch period

After the Dutch successfully seized the Maluku Islands and specifically Ambon from Portuguese control, the Nossa Senhora de Anunciada fort was captured in 1605 and turned into the center of colonial administration under the name Victoria. Following a severe earthquake that caused heavy damage, the fort was renovated and renamed Nieuw Victoria, though it remained better known among locals as Fort Victoria. This fort is historically significant as the site where the national hero Pattimura was executed by hanging on 16 December 1817.

Ambon Island was conquered by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on 23 February 1605, with military assistance from Ternate, Luhu, Hitu and Gowa. During the early VOC era, several governors held power, including the authoritarian Adrian Martensz Block, who utilized forced labor to expand Fort Victoria, and Herman van Speult, who oppressed the people through spice trade monopolies.

On 17 February 1796, the VOC surrendered to British Admiral Pieter Ramier, making Ambon part of British territory until 1803. Afterward, control was handed back to the Dutch government (rather than the VOC, which had gone bankrupt in 1799). During the Dutch East Indies era, Ambon underwent modernization. Fort Victoria became the capital of the Government of Amboina, part of the Government der Molukken established in 1817. On 7 September 1921, the people of Ambon were granted equal rights to the colonial government, marking a political victory for the local struggle and allowing them to play a role in governance.

Japanese occupation

Japanese troops landed in Ambon on 1 February 1942. They defeated the Dutch and their allies in the Battle of Ambon to seize the city, which served as a strategic naval and air base. During this occupation, citizens suffered from poverty and famine due to the war. Remnants of this era can still be found today, such as the Ambon War Cemetery for Allied soldiers and Japanese torpedoes discovered at the bottom of Ambon Bay.

Indonesian independence

The anniversary of Ambon City was officially set as 7 September 1575. This date was determined during a 1972 seminar involving Pattimura University. The year 1575 commemorates the start of the construction of Fort Kota Laha, while the date 7 September honors the day in 1921 when Ambon citizens achieved equal political rights. The city's anniversary was first celebrated on 7 September 1973.

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