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54-670: The Aru Islands are the easternmost archipelago in Maluku province, and are located in the Arafura Sea south of West Papua (province) , New Guinea and north of Australia . The total area of the islands is 6,426.77 km (2,481.39 sq mi). The largest island is Tanahbesar (also called Wokam ); Dobo, the chief port of the islands, is on Wamar, just off Tanahbesar. The other five main islands are Kola , Kobroor , Maikoor , Koba , and Trangan . The main islands rise to low hills, and are separated by meandering channels. Geologically, unlike

108-409: A charismatic leader able to establish Koreri, an utopian realm that would arise after toppling the existing order. For many Tidorese and other Malukans, Nuku was a champion for all of Maluku, since the local rulers were little more than Dutch puppets. The VOC undertook a number of naval expeditions to quell the movement with varying success. After an overwhelming victory against them in 1783, Nuku forced

162-572: A local base, he was proclaimed King of the Papuans and planned to seek aid from Spanish and English ships. The communities of south-eastern Halmahera and the Papuan Islands had a tradition of raiding over long distances and were co-opted by Nuku in the fight against colonial rule. Thus began a movement to restore Maluku to its old peace and prosperity. For the Papuans, Nuku appeared as

216-482: A major source of income for the islands. The Aru pearl industry has been criticized in the national media for allegedly maintaining exploitative debt structures that bind the local men who dive for pearls to outside boat owners and traders in an unequal relationship. Other export products include sago , coconuts , tobacco , mother of pearl , trepang (an edible sea cucumber , which is dried and cured), tortoiseshell, and bird-of-paradise plumes. In November 2011,

270-521: A number of agreements with local chiefs. In 1857 the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace visited the islands. His visit later made him realize that the Aru Islands must have been connected by a land bridge to mainland New Guinea during the ice age. In the nineteenth century, Dobo, Aru's largest town, temporarily became an important regional trading center, serving as a meeting point for Dutch, Makasarese, Chinese, and other traders. The period from

324-450: A socio-political system found in many parts of Maluku. Such alliances were connected to pre-European trade networks. The islands were sighted and also possibly visited by some Portuguese navigators, such as Martim Afonso de Melo, in 1522–24, who sighted the islands and wintered on a nearby island or of the Aru archipelago itself, and possibly by Gomes de Sequeira , in 1526, as is pointed out in

378-656: A sojourn in the interior of south-west New Guinea in 1835, referred to the tribespeople there as the "Horrafora", and had the impression that Papuans and Horraforans were two distinct groups in New Guinea. AJ van der Aa's 1939 Toponymic Dictionary, recently rediscovered in the Dutch National Archives , has this explanation for the name of the sea: "The inhabitants of the Moluccas called themselves 'haraforas', translating 'Anak anak gunung' as 'children of

432-423: A strongly Muslim aspect, which did not prevent alliances with animists and Christian British, or, for that matter, Nuku's preference for strong arrack . Personally he is described as a man of very active disposition, having "the greatest good humour and uprightness". Unlike other Sultans in this era, he only had one wife, known as Geboca, a sensible and caring woman who was an important advisor to her husband. Nuku

486-799: Is best known for leading the Nuku Rebellion in the Maluku Islands and Papua against the Dutch colonial empire from 1780 until his death. Being a leader with great charisma, he gathered discontents from several ethnic groups and strove to restore Maluku to its pre-colonial division into four autonomous kingdoms. Nuku allied with the British against the Dutch and helped them conquer the Dutch stronghold in Ternate in 1801. In modern Indonesia he

540-694: Is commemorated as a pahlawan nasional (national hero). Prince Nuku was born around 1738 into one of the four branches of the royal family of Tidore. Not much is known of his early years, but his father became Sultan of Tidore in 1757 under the name Jamaluddin. At this time the Dutch East India Company (VOC) had dominated the Tidore Sultanate for a century though it was still formally autonomous. Apart from Tidore Island it encompassed parts of Halmahera and New Guinea , which yielded foodstuff, forest and sea products that gave

594-644: Is included in the figures for the districts from which it was split. Arafura Sea The Arafura Sea (or Arafuru Sea ) lies west of the Pacific Ocean , overlying the continental shelf between Australia and Western New Guinea (also called Papua), which is the Indonesian part of the Island of New Guinea . The Arafura Sea is bordered by the Gulf of Carpentaria and the continent of Australia to

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648-671: The Banda Islands fell to Nuku with the assistance of two British ships in 1796, and by 1797 all VOC outposts in Moluccas had fallen, except Ternate which remained in Dutch hands. With a considerable fleet, Nuku paid a visit to the new British governor in Ambon. The governor found Nuku to be a dignified gentleman who was well aware of European manners. Though he did not promise substantial assistance for an attack in North Maluku ,

702-578: The Central Malayo-Polynesian languages , and are related to the other languages of Maluku , Nusa Tenggara , and Timor . Ambonese Malay is also spoken on Wamar. All are members of the Austronesian language family . The population is mostly Christian with a small Muslim minority. Figures cited by Glenn Dolcemascolo for 1993 were approximately 90% Protestant, 6% Catholic, and 4% Muslim. A more recent report from 2007 suggested that

756-532: The Portuguese word "Alfours", meaning "free men", it seems more likely that sea is named after the Harrafora, the indigenous name for "the people of mountains" in the Moluccas (part of Indonesia), which was the explanation recorded by Lieutenants Kolff and Modera in the 1830s. Thomas Forrest sailed through the Moluccas ( Maluku Islands ) in 1775, and documented that there were people who called themselves

810-594: The Southeast Maluku Regency . The Aru Islands have a long history as a part of extensive trading networks throughout what is now eastern Indonesia. Precolonial links were especially strong to the Banda Islands , and Bugis and Makasarese traders also visited regularly. The traditional society was not pronounced hierarchical, being based on lineage-based clans where the members shared duties of hospitality and cooperation. These island communities were divided into two ritual bonds called Ursia and Urlima,

864-608: The ice ages . The flora and fauna of Aru are part of the Australasian realm , and closely related to that of New Guinea. Aru is part, together with much of western New Guinea, of the Vogelkop-Aru lowland rain forests terrestrial ecoregion . As part of the political and administrative decentralization of Indonesia since Suharto stepped down in 1998, the Aru Islands were created as a separate regency ( kabupaten ) on 18 December 2003, headquartered at Dobo, and split off from

918-534: The "Harafora" living in the western end of New Guinea , in subordination to the "Papuas". He also reported their presence in Magindano ( Mindanao ). The geographer Conrad Malte-Brun repeated Forrest's reports of a race of "Haraforas" in 1804, and added Borneo to the list of places this group inhabited. The ethnologist James C. Prichard described the Haraforas as head-hunters. John Coulter, in his account of

972-508: The 1650s. Discontent with the commercial monopolies imposed by the VOC came to a boiling point in the late 18th century. The anti-Dutch rebellion of the Tidore prince Nuku (d. 1805), which engulfed much of Maluku, also affected Aru. The Muslim population of Ujir Island accepted Nuku's brother Jou Mangofa as their king, exterminated the Dutch garrison in 1787, and were able to dominate large parts of

1026-482: The 1880s to 1917 saw a backlash against this outside influence, by a spiritually-based movement among local residents to rid the islands of outsiders. Throughout its history, the Aru Islands exported luxury natural products like birds-of-paradise, turtle shells, and pearls to Asia and later Europe. While the islands were positioned within the global trade network, local Aru society was able to preserve its independence and egalitarianism. Pearl farming continues to provide

1080-422: The 4% Muslim figure may only relate to the indigenous population and that the actual percentage of Muslims may be significantly higher. In 2010 census, religion population consists Protestant (59.84%), Catholic (9.32%), Muslim (29.97%), Hinduism (0.05%), Buddhist (0.03%), Confucianism (0.02%), Other (0.01%), and not asked (0.75%). Islam is thought to have been introduced to the islands in the late 15th century. By

1134-796: The Arafura Sea as one of the bodies of water of the East Indian Archipelago . The IHO defines its limits as follows: On the North. The Southeastern limit of the Ceram Sea [A line from Karoefa, New Guinea, to the Southeastern extreme of Adi Island , thence to Tg. Borang, the Northern point of Noehoe Tjoet [ Kai Besar ] ( 5°17′S 133°09′E  /  5.283°S 133.150°E  / -5.283; 133.150 )] and

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1188-681: The Arafura Shelf, which is a section of the Sahul Shelf . When sea levels were low during the last glacial maximum , the Arafura Shelf, the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Strait formed a large, flat, land bridge that connected Australia and New Guinea and eased the migration of humans from Asia into Australia. The combined landmass formed the continent of Sahul . The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) categorizes

1242-542: The Batavians, who believed that the old Sultan could not live much longer. Earlier in 1801, the British had described him as "perfectly decrepid from persecution and continual hardships". The relations steadily worsened, especially since Sultan Jailolo repeatedly raided Ternatan territory. Eventually Nuku died on 14 November 1805, with his kingdom on the brink of war. Thanks to his persistency and charisma, Nuku had become

1296-628: The British did not have significant results until the EIC built a fort at Dorei on the coast of New Guinea in 1793, which brought it close to Nuku's domains. The French occupation of the Dutch Republic in 1795 had global consequences, since British forces were dispatched to occupy VOC possessions in Asia. The British based some of their ships in Gebe, which at the time was Nuku's headquarters. Ambon and

1350-758: The Dutch overseas possessions to the French-dominated Batavian Republic , and the British left in May 1803. Nuku persisted in flying the Union Jack from his residence, and the Batavian governor in Ternate opened negotiations to settle the position of Tidore. Nuku demanded that the restored Jailolo kingdom should be recognized and that his status vis-à-vis the Batavians should be "brother" rather than "child". The negotiations were delayed by

1404-688: The Eastern limit of the Banda Sea [From Tg Borang, the Northern point of Noehoe Tjoet, through this island to its Southern point, thence a line to the Northeast point of Fordata, through this island and across to the Northeast point of Larat, Tanimbar Islands ( 7°06′S 131°55′E  /  7.100°S 131.917°E  / -7.100; 131.917 ), down the East coast of Jamdena [ Yamdena ] Island to its Southern point, thence through Anggarmasa to

1458-458: The Government of Indonesia awarded two oil-and-gas production-sharing contracts (PSC) about two hundred km (124 mi) west of the Aru Islands to BP . The two adjacent offshore exploration PSCs, West Aru I and II, cover an area of about 16,400 km (6,300 sq mi) with water depths ranging from 200 to 2,500 m (660 to 8,200 ft). BP plans to acquire seismic data over

1512-623: The North point of Selaroe and through this island to Tg Aro Oesoe its Southern point ( 8°21′S 130°45′E  /  8.350°S 130.750°E  / -8.350; 130.750 )]. On the East. The Southwest coast of New Guinea from Karoefa (133°27'E) to the entrance to the Bensbak River (141°01'E), and thence a line to the Northwest extreme of York Peninsula , Australia ( 11°05′S 142°03′E  /  11.083°S 142.050°E  / -11.083; 142.050 ). On

1566-579: The South. By the North coast of Australia from the Northwest extreme of York Peninsula to Cape Don ( 11°19′S 131°46′E  /  11.317°S 131.767°E  / -11.317; 131.767 ). On the West. A line from Cape Don to Tanjong Aro Oesoe, the Southern point of Selaroe ( Tanimbar Islands ). European use of the name "Arafura Sea" dates back to at least 1663, when Joan Blaeu recorded in

1620-645: The Sultanate a certain economic significance. However, its prestige was declining since the VOC increasingly imposed its will on Tidore and its neighbour, the Sultanate of Ternate . This was aggravated by a rebellion in the Papuan island Salawati and incursions by the Iranun people of southern Philippines . In 1768, the Dutch forced Sultan Jamaluddin to cede his rights to Ceram , which enraged Nuku. His hatred of

1674-612: The VOC arose further in 1779 when his father and two brothers were arrested and exiled by the Dutch, on suspicions of misrule and conspiring with the British East India Company (EIC) and the rulers of Bacan and Maguindanao . This was followed by a new treaty in 1780 where Tidore was reduced from a Dutch ally to a vassal state . Nuku refused to accept the new order, and left Tidore Island in 1780, sailing with his followers to Patani in Halmahera. Establishing

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1728-533: The actual ruler for four years. Britain subsequently signed a treaty with Tidore where the former stood as protectors and the Sultan received an annual subsidy of 6,000 Spanish dollars in return for delivering cloves . The former Dutch policy of regularly extirpating spice trees in most areas was abandoned. Political events in Europe put a quick end to the relationship, however. The Peace of Amiens restored most of

1782-400: The cartography of the time. The Spanish navigator Álvaro de Saavedra sighted the islands on 12 June 1528, when trying to return from Tidore to New Spain . The islands were colonized by the Dutch , beginning with a contract with the west coast villages in 1623, though initially the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was one of several trading groups in the area, with limited influence over

1836-462: The coming years, the British began to cooperate closer with Nuku, dropping the previous non-interference policy with regard to North Maluku. The governor of Ambon, William Farquhar , combined forces with Nuku to lead a series on assaults on Ternate, whose Dutch defenders finally surrendered in June 1801. Immediately afterward, Farquhar officially proclaimed Nuku Sultan of Tidore, though he had already been

1890-400: The current Sultan Patra Alam to declare war on the Dutch. Nuku sailed over to Tidore where he was received enthusiastically, but his position did not last long. Tidore was in turn invaded by a substantial Dutch-Ternatan force and completely defeated, more than a thousand Tidorese were killed, and Nuku had to flee. Patra Alam was deposed and exiled, and a prince from another branch, Kamaluddin,

1944-437: The district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 80 rural desa and 2 urban kelurahan ), and its postal code. Notes: (a) including 2 kelurahan – Galai Dubu and Siwa Lima. (b) the 2010 population of Aru Utara Timur Batuley and Sir-Sir Districts are included in the figure for Aru Utara District, from which they were split. (c) the 2010 population of Aru Selatan Utara District

1998-483: The early 17th century, it was reported by the Dutch that Makassarese seafarers had converted some locals and constructed mosques. However, it only took root in the mid-17th century, primarily in the Ujir-speaking territory on the western side. The Dutch brought Christianity in the 17th and 18th centuries but much of the conversion of the population to Christianity did not take place until the 20th century. At

2052-486: The governor expressed support for Nuku's rights to the throne of Tidore. Nuku proceeded to occupy Jailolo in Halmahera with British support. Jailolo was, until its sacking in 1551 by Ternatian and Portuguese forces following a combined Tidore, Jailolo and Spanish attempt to oust the Portuguese, one of the four Moluccan kingdoms together with Ternate, Tidore and Bacan , and a restoration of the original quadripartition

2106-472: The islands' internal affairs. Aru was monitored by the VOC establishment in the Banda Islands , and yielded a variety of products including trepang , birds-of-paradise , parrots , pearls, sago , turtle-shell, and slaves. A Dutch post was established on Wokam Island in 1659, and a small fort was subsequently constructed there. Islam as well as Reformed Protestantism began to make small numbers of converts in

2160-481: The islands. After several failed attempts, the Dutch of Banda managed to suppress the rebels in 1791. However, they soon ran into new trouble with the coastal populations in the east, and their control of Aru affairs was disrupted by British intervention in the East Indies after 1795. After being left to its own devices for many years, Aru was again visited in 1824 by the Dutch naval officer A.J. Bik, who concluded

2214-401: The leading political figure in Maluku and Papua by the early 19th century. His nickname Jou Barakati, "Lord of Fortune" shows how he was perceived by people: a man of prowess imbued with a certain spiritual aura that would restore the shattered Malukan world. He was able to attract people from a wide range of ethnicities and cultures: Tidorese, Ceramese, Papuans, Arunese, etc. Nuku's movement had

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2268-418: The mountains'." The Arafura Sea is a rich fishery resource, particularly for shrimp and demersal fish. Economically important species include Barramundi , grouper , Penaeid shrimp, and Nemipteridae fishes, among others. At a time when many marine ecosystems and fish stocks around the world are diminished or collapsing, the Arafura Sea stands out as among the richest marine fisheries on Earth. However,

2322-527: The natural resources of the Arafura have been under increased pressure from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities. The Arafura and Timor Seas Expert Forum (ATSEF) was established in 2002 to promote the economically and environmentally sustainable management of those seas. Nuku of Tidore Nuku ( c.  1738 – 14 November 1805) was the Sultan of Tidore from 1797 to 1805. He

2376-513: The rebel fleet finally reached Tidore, whose Sultan Kamaluddin had already fled to safety in Ternate. Nuku tried to attack the Dutch main fortress in Ternate, but it proved to be too strong. Instead, he put Ternate under blockade, consolidated his position and became the de facto Sultan of Tidore. As such he was called Muhammad al-Mabus Amiruddin. According to a Makassarese eyewitness, "he was surrounded by twelve bodyguards armed with swords and shields, because he had little trust in all Tidorese". In

2430-405: The rebellious areas seriously weakened Nuku's position up to the early 1790s. After 1791 the movement somehow gained in strength. The exact reasons for this are unclear, but an increasing number of people in Maluku and Papua decided to throw in their lot with Nuku. This coincided with the establishment of relations with the EIC, which had started visiting Maluku since the 1760s. Early contacts with

2484-603: The rest of Maluku, the group is part of the Australian continent , along with New Guinea , Tasmania , Waigeo , and Raja Ampat on the Australian Plate . Aru is covered by a mix of tropical moist broadleaf forests , savanna , and mangroves . The islands lie on the Australia-New Guinea continental shelf , and were connected to Australia and New Guinea by land when sea levels were lower during

2538-641: The south, the Timor Sea to the west, the Banda and Seram seas to the northwest, and the Torres Strait to the east. (Just across the strait, farther to the east, lies the Coral Sea ). The Arafura Sea is 1,290 kilometres (800 mi) long and 560 kilometres (350 mi) wide. The depth of the sea is 50–80 m (160–260 ft) in most places, with the depth increasing to the west. The sea lies over

2592-567: The text on his wall map of the East Indies ("Archipelagus Orientalis, sive Asiaticus") that the inland inhabitants of the Moluccas call themselves "Alfores". The name also appeared in George Windsor Earl 's 1837 Sailing Directions for the Arafura Sea , which he compiled from the narratives of Lieutenants Kolff and Modera of the Royal Netherlands Navy . Although it has been suggested that Arafura derives from

2646-406: The time of the 2010 Census, the regency was divided into seven districts ( kecamatan ), but subsequently an additional three districts have been created by the splitting of existing districts. The districts are tabulated below with their areas (in km) and their populations at the 2010 Census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes the locations of

2700-466: The two blocks. The islands had a population of 84,138 at the 2010 Census;> the 2020 Census produced a total of 102,237, and the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 108,834. Most indigenous islanders are of mixed Austronesian and Papuan descent. Fourteen languages – Barakai , Batuley , Dobel , Karey , Koba , Kola , Kompane , Lola , Lorang , Manombai , Mariri , East Tarangan , West Tarangan , and Ujir – are indigenous to Aru. They belong to

2754-604: Was among the very few Indonesian leaders up to the 20th century who had the best of a major contest with European colonizers. The realm constructed by him did not long survive him, however, which shows the great importance of his personality. A new Dutch attack drove out his brother and successor Sultan Zainal Abidin from Tidore in 1806 and Maluku remained steadily in European hands until 1942. Nuku had nine half-brothers and half-sisters, whose loyalty to his cause shifted. One of them, Prince Hassan, schemed to topple Nuku as Sultan but

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2808-494: Was establishing as a Dutch vassal. The VOC thus showed that it still had muscles to quell rebellions in the center. By contrast, the rebellion continued in the periphery, led by Nuku from the Raja Ampat islands and Ceram. The Kei and Aru Islands were also drawn into the struggle as discontented groups joined the movement and attacked Dutch forces. On balance, the attacks of the Dutch and their appointed Sultan Kamaluddin on

2862-459: Was murdered under obscure circumstances in 1800. Another, Prince Zainal Abidin , held a vacillating position by was finally appointed to succeed his brother. A purported brother known by the title Jou Mangofa made himself king in the Aru Islands in 1787 but was killed in about 1790. With his wife Geboca (or Habiba Sinobe), Nuku sired two sons and a daughter: None of these ever succeeded to

2916-531: Was seen as a step in reestablishing precolonial harmony. Nuku therefore took care to enthrone a descendant of the old Jailolo dynasty, Muhammad Arif Bila, who had previously been a jojau (first minister) in Tidore. In the next year 1797 Nuku proceeded against the Dutch positions. Bacan was occupied with the assistance of English country traders, who prevented the rebels to kill the Christian villagers. In April

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