By: Prabowo Subianto [taken from the Book: Military Leadership Notes from Experience Chapter I]
In its hundreds of years of history, Indonesia has had tough leaders, defenders of the people and justice warriors who bravely resisted colonisation and domination by other nations. From Eastern Indonesia, history recorded the struggles of Sultan Hasanuddin. During his reign, Sultan Hasanuddin succeeded in thwarting the Dutch’s plan to control the Sultanate of Gowa. Sultan Hasanuddin united the small kingdoms against the colonial invaders.
Sometimes, as time goes by, we tend to forget the stories of our predecessors. Sometimes we forget our history and question our own identities.
From Eastern Indonesia, history recorded the struggles of Sultan Hasanuddin. Sultan Hasanuddin was born in Makassar in 1631. He was the second son of Sultan Malikussaid. He was also nicknamed De Haantjes van Het Osten by the Dutch for his bravery, meaning the Rooster of the East.
Since his childhood, it was evident that he had the soul of a leader. Besides being smart, he was also good at trading. Thus, he had an extensive trade network. He was also often invited by his father to attend important meetings in the hope of steeping him in the knowledge and art of diplomacy and warfare. His father trusted him several times to be an ambassador to send messages to various kingdoms.
When he had just turned 21 years old, Hasanuddin was appointed as Gowa’s minister of defence. After being appointed King, Sultan Hasanuddin created some problems for the Dutch. Sultan Hasanuddin’s tenacity can be seen in his steadfast rejection of VOC’s trade monopolies.
During his reign, Sultan Hasanuddin succeeded in thwarting the Dutch’s plan to control the Sultanate of Gowa. Sultan Hasanuddin united the small kingdoms around Gowa against the colonial power. This disrupted the Dutch plan to monopolise trade in eastern Indonesia. Sultan Hasanuddin remembered and upheld the principles of his ancestors that he should use resources and seas to ensure the people’s prosperity.
During his reign, the Sultanate of Gowa had an important role in trade activities throughout Nusantara, especially eastern Nusantara. Gowa’s economy back then relied on sea-borne commerce. The Sultanate became the trading centre of Nusantara and the international community such as the Portuguese, English, and Danish.
Observing such progress, the Dutch were interested in seizing control of the Sultanate. This eventually led to a feud between Sultan Hasanuddin and the Dutch troops.
This feud then led to wars around South Sulawesi. In 1667, the wars ended with the Bongaya treaty. However, this agreement resulted in several decisions that put Sultan Hasanuddin and his people at a disadvantage.
The treaty enabled the VOC to force Gowa-Tallo to accept the monopoly rights in trade in the Eastern Nusantara. All western nations had to leave Gowa except the Dutch, and Gowa was obliged to pay war reparations.
Sultan Hasanuddin fought back in the following years, but no satisfying result was achieved, and the VOC continued to dominate Makassar. It is claimed that the main reason for the collapse of Gowa-Tallo was the treaty, especially after Sultan Hasanuddin died in 1670.