In part as a result of its trade-dependent culture, Ternate was one of the earliest places in the region, which Islam spread, probably coming from Java in the late fifteenth century. Initially, the faith was restricted to Ternate's small ruling family, and spread only slowly to the rest of the population. The first Europeans who stay on Ternate were part of the Portuguese expedition of Francisco Serrao out of Melake, which was shipwrecked near Seram and rescued by local residents. Sultan Abu Lais of Ternate heard of their stranding, and, seeing a chance to ally himself with a powerful foreign nation he had heard about, he had brought them to Ternate in 1512. The Portuguese were permitted to build a fort on the island, but the relations were strained from the start. Portuguese inhabitants of the fort and felt free to appropriate supplies from the Ternate population without payment, and responded violently when the local population objected. Portugal was finally expelled in 1575 amid Ternate anger with zealous Christian missionaries, and Portuguese meddling with the Ternate throne. At the time, European power in the region was very weak; after the expulsion of the Portuguese, Ternate was able to substantially increase its military reach across the region for a time.

Spanish forces to capture the former Portuguese fort in 1606 deported the Ternate Sultan and his entourage to Manila. In 1607 the Dutch came back in Ternate with Ternateans help built a fort in Malayo. The island was divided between two powers: the Spaniards were allied with Tidore and the Dutch with their Ternaten allies. For the Ternaten rulers, the Dutch were a useful, if not particularly welcome, presence that gave them military advantages against Tidore and the Spanish. Particularly under Sultan Hamzah (r. 1627-1648), Ternate expanded its territory and strengthened its control over the periphery. Dutch influence over the kingdom was limited, though Hamzah and his son and successor, Sultan Mandar Syah (r. 1648-1675) did concede some regions to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in exchange for help the controlling rebellions there. The Spaniards remained in Ternate and Tidore until 1663. In the eighteenth century Ternate was the site of a VOC governorship, which attempted to control all trade in the northern Moluccas.

By the nineteenth century, the spice trade had declined substantially. Hence, the region was less central to the Netherlands colonial state, but the Dutch maintained a presence in the region in order to prevent another colonial power from occupying it. After the Dutch government in 1800 nationalized the VOC, Ternate became the part of Moluccas Government (Gouvernement der Molukken). British were forces to occupied Ternate in 1810 before being returned to Dutch control in 1817. In 1824 became the capital of a residency (administrative region) covering Halmahera, the entire west coast of New Guinea, and Sulawesi central east coast. By 1867 all of Dutch-occupied New Guinea had been added to the residency, but then its region was gradually transferred to Ambon (Amboina) before being dissolved into that residency in 1922.

Like the rest of Indonesia, Japanese forces occupied Ternate during World War II; the Navy governed eastern Indonesia. After Japan surrendered in August 1945 and Indonesia declared independence, Ternate was reoccupied in early November 1945 by Allied forces intending to return Indonesia to Dutch control. It became part of Maluku province when Indonesia became independent.

•oo0oo•

<<<••• Prev