Jouke S. WIGBOLDUS

A History of the Minahasa c. 1615-1680

This article forms the major part of 'A promising land. Rural history of the Minahasa, about 1615-1680', unpublished paper presented to the 2nd Indonesian-Dutch Historical Conference, held at Ujung Pandang, 26th to 30th June, 1978. The text of the paper, being unrevised, has been adapted technically to design of this Archipel issue. The last paragraph of the conclusions is new. Mrs. M.C. Rigg-Lyall improved the English of this article. After 1978 I began to make a study in depht of the unpublished as well as the published sources on the Minahasa before the mid-19th century, but it is not yet time to publish a revised and extended version of my paper.

Introduction

This is a preliminary study of the 17th century Minahasa, interpreted a little in the light of later history and based only on published sources including recorded oral traditions.

For a good understanding of this study, one should take account of the main geographic features of the area, dealt with elsewhere in this issue of Archipel. Suffice it to say here that the Minahasa is distinguished by two lowlands areas, running from the northwest to the southeast. One stre- ches from the Bay of Manado to the Bay of Kema, and one from the Bay of Amurang to the Bay of Belang. These lowlands divide the Minahasa into three parts. It is the Middle Minahasa, about 2 000 km2, that is the historical heartland.

An elementary knowledge of the historical backgrounds is indispensable to the reader of this article. Two outstanding periods can be distinguished within the dim past of the Minahasa; the known occupation of the area, and its semi-history after the mid-15th century. Let me summarize that early history as follows.