Tabariji of Ternate facts for kids

Tabariji (born around 1518, died 1545) was a ruler, known as the Sultan of Ternate. Ternate is an island in the Maluku region of Indonesia. His kingdom also included other islands like Makian. He was Sultan from 1533 to 1535. The powerful Portuguese removed him from power and sent him far away to India. Later, he changed his religion and became a Catholic, taking the name Dom Manuel.

Becoming Sultan of Ternate

Tabariji was the son of Sultan Bayan Sirrullah and his main wife, Nyaicili Boki Raja. His mother, Nyaicili, was the daughter of the King of Tidore. Her brother, Mir, became the ruler of Tidore after their father died in 1526. This gave Nyaicili more power in the royal family.

The Portuguese had arrived from Melaka to control the important spice trade. They built a fort on Ternate in 1522-1523. Soon, they started to control the Ternatan court and influenced who would become the next Sultan. Many people in Ternate did not like this.

The Portuguese captain, Vincente de Fonseca, and the Ternatan regent, Pati Sarangi, planned to remove the young king, Dayal. Dayal managed to escape to Tidore. After Dayal left, his half-brother Tabariji was made Sultan by Fonseca. Since Tabariji was only about 15 years old, his step-father Pati Sarangi acted as his regent, meaning he ruled for him.

Losing the Throne

After two years, something happened that angered the Portuguese. Ternatan forces, who did not like the Portuguese, attacked a village on Halmahera. This village had recently become Christian. Because of this, the new Portuguese captain, Tristão de Ataide, decided to remove Tabariji from power. In 1535, Ataide made another half-brother, Hairun, the new Sultan.

Tabariji, the former Sultan, was sent away to Goa. Goa was a very important center for the Portuguese in Asia.

Life in Exile and Death

While in Goa, Tabariji became friends with a Portuguese official named Jordão de Freitas. Freitas helped Tabariji learn about and convert to Catholic Christianity. After his baptism, Tabariji was known as Dom Manuel.

In 1544, Freitas was chosen to be the new Portuguese captain in Ternate. When he sailed to Southeast Asia for his new job, he brought Tabariji with him. The plan was to remove Sultan Hairun and make Tabariji Sultan again. The Portuguese hoped that having a Christian ruler in Ternate would help more people in Maluku become Christian.

Freitas left Tabariji in Melaka and went to Ternate. There, he put Sultan Hairun and the sea commander (Kapita Laut) Samarau in prison. He convinced the important people of Ternate to accept Tabariji as their ruler again. Hairun was then sent to Melaka.

However, just as Hairun was arriving in Melaka, Tabariji suddenly died on October 20, 1545. Some people rumored that Hairun had poisoned him. In his will, Tabariji gave his kingdom to the King of Portugal. This included Ternate and other islands like Moti, Makian, Kayoa, and Moro. The Portuguese later used this will to claim that the rulers of Ternate were their lawful subjects.

Images for kids

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  Portuguese Goa in the mid-16th century.

Sultans of Ternate