المساعد الشخصي الرقمي

مشاهدة النسخة كاملة : Portuguese occupation of Indonesia


aammar
21-01-2013, 04:48 AM
The Indonesian islands occupy an excellent and strategic location and enjoy special significance. Indonesia is richly endowed with natural resources, and this whetted the colonizers’ appetite for subduing Indonesia. All the imperial powers coveted Indonesia. The Portuguese, Dutch, English, Spanish, and American colonial aspirations to seize Indonesia were rejuvenated.

When the Muslims began to consolidate their deep-seated existence in Indonesia, the Europeans were driving their sharp imperial claws deeper than ever into the heart of the Indonesian islands. These colonial powers strove to solidify their power and establish a stable base in this region. Their religious-driven hatred and crusading spite bore an economic flavor. In their quest to dominate the source of the lucrative spice trade due to their need for expensive spices in Europe, they sought to dominate the sources of valuable spices in Indonesia.

Portugal was the first imperial country to occupy Indonesia. Many fierce battles and clashes took place between the Indonesians on one hand and the Portuguese on the other. These wars were similar to the Crusades; because of the proximity of the Portuguese crusades, persecution, and annihilation wars against Muslims in Andalusia.

The most important motives that urged Portugal to conduct their so called “exploration” – according to them - were to damage the economies of the Muslims, control their businesses, and proselytize and spread Christianity with the help of Christian Ethiopians. The Portuguese colonizers harbored deep hatred against Islam; they resorted to all imaginable means of terror, torture and brutal subjugation and repression of Muslims in Indonesia.

A series of Portuguese campaigns on Indonesia took place and the Portuguese colonizers succeeded in gaining followers and supporters for their colonial agenda in Indonesia. From that time on, the presence of many European traders in Indonesia became more evident.
Indonesian Muslims resisted the brutal Portuguese occupation and staged several revolutions against Christian missionaries, especially after the treacherous murder of one of the Indonesian kings in 978 AH/1570 AD., Sultan Haaroon, king of Ternate, whose rule extended to the Philippines.