Thursday 12 September 2013

Nuku Muhammad Amiruddin (Sultan Nuku), National Hero of Indonesia

Nuku Muhammad Amiruddin

Nuku Muhammad Amiruddin


Nuku Muhammad Amiruddin, also known as Prince Nuku or Sultan Nuku, was a sultan of Tidore. He is also a National Hero of Indonesia.
Amiruddin was born in Soa Siu, Tidore, in 1738. His father was Sultan Jamaluddin, a ruler of the Sultanate of Tidore, who was arrested and exiled to Batavia by the Dutch colonials in 1776. His younger brother was Kamaluddin.
After the exile of his father, the Dutch appointed Kaicil Gay Jira as sultan, who was later replaced by his son, Patra Alam; Amiruddin and Kamaluddin opposed this replacement. Amiruddin then built a kora-kora armada around Seram Island and Papua, indicating Kamaluddin as the true sultan.
In 1781, Amiruddin declared that he bore the title "Sri Maha Tuan Sultan Amir Muhammad Saifuddin Syah". Responding to this, the Dutch attacked and defeated Amiruddin's army; however, Amiruddin wasn't caught. In 1783, the Dutch attacked Amiruddin's army again. The Dutch commander and most of his men were killed, and the survivors were captured.
In October 1783, the Dutch post on Tidore was attacked by Amiruddin's force, and all the Europeans were killed. This was heating up the rivalry between the kingdom of Ternate and Tidore. In November of the same year, Ternate helped the Dutch attack Tidore. The Dutch then, in December, enforced an agreement and appointed Sultan Hairul Alam Kamaluddin Kaicili Asgar, a prince exiled to Ceylon, as the new puppet sultan.
Amiruddin was awarded the title National Hero of Indonesia 1995 through Presidential Decree number 071/TK/1995.

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