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Rabu, 09 September 2009

Loloda - the 5th principality of the North-Moluccans


Normally we speak of 4 kingdoms in the North-Moluccans :Ternate, Tidore, Bacan and Jailolo.
But there is a 5th principality, about which not very much people know about. It is the on the west-part of the island of Halmahera lying principality of Loloda.
About this there are several legends:the first raja descended from a sultan of Bacan, founded by a Prince/descendant of a sultan of Ternate, etc.
Western historains say, that in the very old time,when the principalities in the N-Moluccans were founded, there were more little stateletts. Besides the 4 later sultanates, not one of them survived, only Loloda did.
Before it must have been a quite powerfull principality, but later lost power to Jailolo, who then became the 1st ruler of the N-Moluccans.
But up until the Dutch time the rajas of Loloda were recognized as semi-independent rajas under Ternate. It is not known,when exactly they came under the rule of Ternate.
In 1908 the Dutch East-Indish Government found it better to more centralize the rule here, so Raja Syamsuddin (died 1915) then lost his semi-independent position and became just a districtchief with he title Sengaji. Also you can call them later Jogugu's.
The last ruling member of the dynasty was Jongofa, or Jogugu Haji Djami Bin Syamsuddin; 2nd son of the last raja, who had from 1945 a bit a restored position as local ruler. He stayed on as traditional leader of his people until his death in 1977. Nothing special was than done in the dynasty, until the time,that the dynasties in Indonesia were allowed to retake their cultural place in the society.
In 1999 his son Jogugu Bayan Bin Syamsuddin was installed. He died in 2004.
He was succeeded by the in 1959 born son Jogugu Kaicil Lutfi Muhammad Syamsuddin, who was officially installed as monarch of Loloda in the palace of the sultan of Ternate 30-8-2009.
The present jogugu of Loloda is a specialist on agriculture in the local government.
The dynasty maintains a very interesting website at "Loloda Kerajaan Facebook". Click on the name Loloda Kerajaan there and then on notes, or pictures, video, etc. and you will see many interesting information.

Finally the world can be witness,that the rajadynasty of Loloda can take his place in the world of traditional ruling families again.
Also the sultan of Ternate is a help to restore old traditional institutes, so that the local people have a good focuspoint for their own cultural identity.

D.P. Tick gRMK
I. Festivana