Al-Mansur of Tidore

During his reign the first visits by Portuguese and Spanish seafarers took place, which led to grave political and economic consequences for the societies of eastern Indonesia.

[2] An early impression of his kingdom, before the onset of European influence, is given by Tomé Pires's geographical work Suma Oriental (c. 1515).

Magellan had been killed in the Philippines some months earlier and the expedition was headed by João Lopes de Carvalho and Juan Sebastián Elcano.

His dress consisted of a white shirt with gold-embroidered sleeves, a sarong reaching almost to the ground, and a silk headdress with a garland of flowers.

The remaining vessel Victoria made it back to Spain where the Tidorese spices yielded a profit that more than covered the costs for the expedition.

Enjoined by the Sangaji, Gurabesi travelled with his men to Tidore where he was cordially greeted by the Sultan and performed outstanding feats in war against Ternate.

[8] A chief Gurabesi, coming out of Papua and acting on behalf of Sultan Tidore is moreover documented in 1649, suggesting that historical persons and events might have been mixed up by the legend.

Ternate was usually the strongest power, though Tidore held a ritual precedence since Tidorese princesses were regularly married to Ternatan rulers and princes.

When Bayan Sirrullah died in 1521, his successors Boheyat, Dayal and Tabariji were grandsons of al-Mansur, and their mothers had a political role at the Ternate court.

[12] Two years later al-Mansur was able to conclude peace with Captain Garcia Henriques on the condition that artillery pieces that the Tidorese had captured should be returned.

However, Portuguese suspicions were raised by al-Mansur's offer to give a daughter to the Ternatan regent Kaicili Darwis, which might be detrimental to the European positions.

As the Sultan lay sick at the time, Garcia Henriques sent a physician to the Tidore court, whose medicine hastened the demise of the ruler.

[13] He was succeeded by his adolescent son Mir (Amiruddin Iskandar Dulkarna'in), but his death immediately triggered new trouble with the Portuguese.