Siege of Jailolo (1550)
| Siege of Jailolo (1550–1551) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of Jailolo Island | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Portuguese Empire Sultanate of Ternate Sultanate of Bacan | Sultanate of Jailolo | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Bernaldim de Sousa Balthasar Velloso Prince of Bacan |
Sultan of Jailolo Prince of Jailolo | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
180 Portuguese soldiers 5,000 allied men from Ternate and Bacan |
1,200 soldiers Large quantity of cannons | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 18 Portuguese killed |
300 killed Many wounded | ||||||
The siege of Jailolo (1550–1551) was a successful military expedition launched by Bernaldim de Sousa, a Portuguese commander, against the Sultan of Jailolo, supported by the Sultan of Ternate and the Prince of Batjan, lasting three months.[1][2][3][4]
Background
[edit]Conflicts between the leaders of Ternate and Jailolo drew the Portuguese and missionaries into insular warfare during 1550-51. Jailolo, situated seven leagues (28 miles) from the Portuguese fortress at Ternate on the island of Halmahera, had held its own stronghold for seventeen years, dating back to around 1533. During this time, the sultan of Jailolo had seized guns and artillery from the local Christians, using them against the Portuguese and their converts. Known as a great tyrant, he caused many of the converts to suffer martyrdom. Hostilities between Ternate and Jailolo, which had previously been intermittent, became regular starting in 1549.[5]
Bernaldim de Sousa, a Portuguese commander, led an expedition to Jailolo with 180 soldiers, supported by the Sultan of Ternate and the Prince of Batjan, with 5,000 men to the effort.[1][2] Their objective was to destroy a fortress being built by the Sultan of Jailolo, which posed a threat to Portuguese interests in the region.[5][6]
Ambush
[edit]As Bernaldim de Sousa's forces approached Jailolo, they encountered strong resistance. Balthasar Velloso, leading the vanguard, was ambushed by a force under the Prince of Jailolo, who had concealed his men in a carefully laid trap. Despite the surprise attack, Velloso managed to rally his troops and defend his position with remarkable courage. His forces inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, forcing the attackers to retreat. Meanwhile, Bernaldim de Sousa was also engaged by the forces of Jailolo but succeeded in driving them back into the fortress.[6]
The siege
[edit]Following these clashes, Bernaldim de Sousa laid siege to the fortress of Jailolo. He cut off the water supply and blockaded the stronghold, preventing any resupply. The siege lasted for three months, with both sides suffering significant losses. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the defenders of Jailolo held out with remarkable tenacity, enduring starvation and a lack of resources. Finally, their provisions exhausted, the defenders were forced to capitulate. The Portuguese entered the fortress in the presence of the Sultan, committing numerous atrocities during the sacking of the stronghold, killing 300 of them, and 18 of their own, with the number of wounded being greater still. The fortress itself was razed to the ground.[5][6]
Aftermath
[edit]After the siege, the Jailolo were forced to capitulate and agree on harsh treaty for peace, with such hard terms that the Sultan of Jailolo was compelled to give up his royal title and accept himself as a vassal to Ternate, and pay tribute to the Portuguese.[1][2][5]
The Sultan was later said to have committed suicide by poison due to grief, and was succeeded by his son, Cachilguzarate.[5][6]
References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- 1 2 3 A History of Christianity in Indonesia. Netherlands: Brill. 2008. p. 55. ISBN 9789004170261.
The unlikely Portuguese-Ternatean alliance brought Jailolo down in 1551 and its sultan was reduced to a vassal of Ternate.
- 1 2 3 Haire, J. (1981). The Character and Theological Struggle of the Church in Halmahera, Indonesia, 1941-1979. Germany: Lang. p. 101. ISBN 9783820458886.
In 1551 the Ternatenese and Portuguese together subjugated Jailolo into becoming a vassal of Ternate.
- ↑ Lobato, Manuel (1995-01-01). "The Moluccan Archipelago and Eastern Indonesia in the Second Half of the 16th Century in the Light of Portuguese and Spanish Accounts". Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical.
Defeated by the Portuguese in 1550-51, Jailolo responded by attacking Moro in 1558 [...]
- ↑ Villiers, John (1988). "Las Yslas de Esperar en Dios: The Jesuit Mission in Moro 1546-1571". Modern Asian Studies. 22 (3): 594. ISSN 0026-749X.
From this intermittent but savage warfare the Portuguese, after their capture of Tolo in 1550 and of Jailolo itself in 1551 after a three-month siege, emerged victorious.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Lach & Van Kley 1965, p. 613.
- 1 2 3 4 Denvers 1894, p. 493–494.
Bibliography
[edit]- Lach, D. F.; Van Kley, E. J. (1965). Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume I: The Century of Discovery. Book 1. United Kingdom: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226467085.
- Denvers, Frederick Charles (1894). History of the Portuguese in India.