Maluku province is one of the oldest in the history of independent Indonesia, known as the thousand Islands area as well as having a socio-cultural diversity and natural wealth. Historically the Maluku islands consist of Islamic kingdoms that ruled the Islands. Therefore, given the name Maluku are derived from the word Al Mulk which means land of the Kings. This area was declared a province along with seven other areas; Lesser Sunda, Kalimantan, East Java, Central Java, West Java and Sumatera – just two days after the nation of Indonesia proclaimed its independence at 17 August 1945. But officially the establishment of Maluku province area level I RI recently occurred 12 years later, based on the Emergency Law number 22 year 1957 which was later replaced by Act No. 20 of the year 1958.

The Path Of History

Like other areas in Indonesia, Maluku islands have a long history and can not be removed from the history of Indonesia as a whole. The area of the Islands is rich with spices is already known in the international world since ancient times. In the early 7th century sailors from mainland China, especially in the days of the Tang dynasty, often visited the Moluccas to look for spices. Yet they deliberately keep it a secret in order to prevent the influx of other peoples kedaerah.
In the 9th century Arab traders managed to find Maluku after wading through the Indian Ocean. These merchants then conquered the European market through the port cities such as Constantinople. The 14th century is the period of the spice trade that brings Middle Eastern Islam entry to the Spice Islands via the ports of Aceh, Malacca, and Gresik, between 1300 to 1400. In the 12th century Kingdom of Sriwijaya territory includes the Islands of Maluku. In the early 14th century Majapahit Kingdom controlled the whole area of the sea of South-East Asia. At that time the traders from Java monopolized the spice trade in Maluku.

In the service of the Ming (1368 – 1643) the spices from the Moluccas were introduced in various works of art and history. In a painting by W.P. Groeneveldt titled mountain of Incense, is described as a green and mountainous area filled with trees of cloves – an oasis in the middle of the ocean to the Southeast. Marco Polo also describes the trading of cloves in the Moluccas in his visit in Sumatra.

Portuguese Era

The first Europeans to discover the Moluccas is the Portuguese in 1512. At that time two Portuguese fleets, each under the direction of Anthony d'Abreu and Francisco Serau, landed in the Banda Islands and the islands of the sea turtle. After their friendship with residents and the local Kings – such as with the Kingdom of Ternate on the island of Ternate, the Portuguese were given permission to set up forts in Pikaoli, neither Country Hitu lama, and Mamala in Ambon island. But the relationship This spice trade did not last long, because the Portuguese monopoly system applying at the same time do the spread of Christianity.

One of the famous missionary Francis Xavier. Arrived in Ambon February 14, 1546, and then continue the journey to Ternate, arrived in 1547, and tirelessly conducting visits to the Islands in the Maluku islands to do the spread of religion. Portuguese friendship and Ternate ends in the year 1570. War with Sultan Babullah for 5 years (1570-1575), making the Portuguese had to lift the foot from Ternate and Tidore and Ambon were driven to.

The Era Of The Netherlands

The Maluku people's resistance against the Portuguese, utilized for the Netherlands set his foot in the Moluccas. In 1605, the Netherlands managed to force the Portuguese to submit its defence in Ambon to Steven van der Hagen and at Tidore to Cornelisz Sebastiansz. Similarly, the fortress of United Kingdom in Kambelo, Seram island, destroyed by the Netherlands. Since that time the Netherlands successfully conquered large parts of Maluku.

The position of the Netherlands in Maluku the stronger with the establishment of the VOC in 1602, and since that time the Netherlands became sole ruler in Maluku. Under the leadership of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the head of the VOC trading Operations the cloves in the Moluccas sepunuh under the control of VOC for almost 350 years. For the purposes of this VOC do not hesitate oust its competitors; Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Even tens of thousands of people became victims of the brutality of the Maluku VOC. At the beginning of the year 1800 United Kingdom began to invade and take control of the territory in the Netherlands such as Banda and Ternate. And, in the year 1810 United Kingdom controlled the Moluccas by placing a regiment of General named Martin Bryant. But according to the Convention of London the year 1814 decided United Kingdom should submit back the entire Netherlands possessions to the Netherlands Government, then starting in 1817 Netherlands set back his power in the Moluccas.

Hero

The return of the Netherlands in the year 1817 colonial gets a hard challenge from the people. This is because the condition of the political, economic, and societal relations are bad for two centuries. The Maluku people finally rose up in arms under the leadership of Thomas Matulessy who was given the title Kapitan Pattimura, a former Sergeant major army of the United Kingdom. On May 15, 1817 attacks waged against the Netherlands fortress "Duurstede" on the island of Saparua. Resident van den Berg was killed. Pattimura in the resistance is aided by his friends; Philip Latumahina, Anthony Ribok, and Said orders. This first victory news uplifting the people's resistance in the whole of Maluku. Paul and his daughter Christina Martha Tiahahu Tiahahu struggles on the island, the troops, and Kapitan Ulupaha in Ambon. But the people's Resistance was finally with great Guile and cunning may have doomed the powers of the Netherlands. Pattimura and friends on December 16 1817 was sentenced to death on the gallows, at Fort Victoria Niew, Ambon. While Christina Martha Tiahahu died on Board of the cruise in his exile to the island of Java, and his body was released into the Banda Sea.

The era of the second world war to the outbreak of the Pacific war on December 7, 1941 as part of World War II records the new era in the history of colonial rule in Indonesia. The Governor General of the Netherlands A.W.L. Tjarda van Starkenborgh, via radio, stating that the Netherlands Indies Government in a State of war with Japan. Japan's army is not much trouble seizing Islands in Indonesia. In the Maluku islands, Japan's forces entered from the North via the Morotai island and from the East via the Misool. In a short time the entire Maluku islands can be controlled by Japan. It should be noted that in World War II, Australia had troops fighting against the army of Japan in the village of Tawiri. And, to commemorate the monument built in the villages of Tawiri Australia (not far from the Pattimura Airport).

Two days after the proclamation of independence of the Republic of Indonesia, the Moluccas is expressed as one of the provinces of the Republic of Indonesia. But the establishment and the position of the Maluku Province when it was forced to do in Jakarta, because soon after Japan surrendered, the Netherlands (NICA) directly entered Maluku and relive the colonial system of Government in the Moluccas. Netherlands kept trying to overwhelm areas that are rich with spices – even until after the discharge of the recognition of sovereignty in 1949 – by sponsoring the formation of the "Republic of the South Moluccas" (RMS).

Culture

Socio-cultural values which have been rooted in the life of society is one of the Maluku capital basis for increased unity and unity including uplifting the community in carrying out development in this area. Indigenous kinship relations and cultures should continue to be encouraged so as to create a powerful synergy for joint efforts to build New Maluku in the future. Supporting culture in the Moluccas consist of hundreds of sub tribes, which can be indicated from the known local language user still active is used as much as 117 from a number of local language ever there are approximately 130. Although the communities in this area reflect the characteristics of the multi culture society, but basically have commonalities cultural value as a representation of the collective. One of them is the philosophy that had been Siwalima work as a world view or perspective about life together in diversity. In this philosophy, contained various institution that has common values and can be found in the entire territory of Maluku. Sebutlah cultural institution like masohi, maren, sweri, sasi, hawear, pela gandong, etc. As for the philosophy of Siwalima question has become a symbol of regional identities, because during this already dipaterikan as and became the logo of the regional Government of the Moluccas. In the context of regional development, local cultural values that still existed among the public, can be viewed as social capital that needs to be harnessed for the benefit of regional development.

In anthropological, indigenous peoples of Central Maluku comes from two large islands, namely Pulau Buru and Seram, which later migrated to small islands in the vicinity. Migrants from Seram island spread to the islands of the Lease (the island of Saparua, Haruku Island, the troops) and the island of Ambon. This migration gave effect to the role of the Islands Lease as new diintrodusir Culture Center by colonial Netherlands so assimilation between the new culture is the culture of the Spooky got influences from culture surrounding areas, namely the Melanesian culture (Kakean tradition) and Malay, as well as the power of Ternate and Tidore. In the course of scrutiny of the peoples of the colonial Government of the Netherlands, lowering the population from the mountains to the coast, so that communities with the territory called the Red Sea or safe, renamed the country, created by colonial.

In the process of sosio-historis, these countries clumped in certain religious communities, so arise two groups of people based on religion, which was then known as Ambon Ambon Sarani and Greetings. The formation of the land such as this shows the existence of a cosmic totality that thicken the solidarity groups, but essentially vulnerable to possible conflicts. Thus, dikembangkanlah a pattern of traditional conflict management as a reflection of the wisdom of local knowledge in order to address the vulnerability of conflict referred to as Pela Gandong, and instructing others.

This new territory-territory (country) set the structure of his Government which is similar to the structure of Government in the Netherlands. With the structure of Government, then the lands to be "countries" with the Government, the people and the territory, ruled by the King who appointed from certain klen-klen ruled orally, and power in the the country is divided for the entire community in the country. klen

In the process of structuring governance structure of the State, social institutions, changes such as Saniri land that was formerly the judiciary functions, changed into a kind of people's representative body.

In the development of sosio-historis Furthermore, social contacts occur either between indigenous peoples of Central Maluku as well as between indigenous communities with newcomers. Thus in Central Maluku community is known for two groups or social categories, even the son of the country and the People. Called the Children of the country is a native of Central Maluku in the land (Indigenous Villages).

The children of this country, consisting of two groups of religions, namely Country Sarani to Christians, who inhabit the land (Adat Village) Sarani, and Child Country greeting to a Muslim, who inhabit the land (Indigenous Villages). Both of these community groups generally live in communal-communal (Country), except in some villages like Hila, Larike on Ambon island and Tial.

Reff : http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maluku