Prabowo Subianto wrote in Chapter I of his book, “Military Leadership Notes from Experience,” about the courageous leaders in Indonesia’s history who fought against colonization and foreign domination. One such leader was Sultan Hasanuddin from Eastern Indonesia, who successfully resisted the Dutch attempts to control the Sultanate of Gowa by uniting the small kingdoms against the colonial invaders.
Sultan Hasanuddin, born in 1631 in Makassar, was known for his bravery and leadership skills. He had a strong trade network and was groomed by his father, Sultan Malikussaid, to become a skilled diplomat and warrior. At 21, Hasanuddin was appointed as Gowa’s minister of defence and later became the Sultan, challenging the Dutch’s trade monopolies and defending his people’s prosperity.
Under Sultan Hasanuddin’s reign, the Sultanate of Gowa thrived as a trading center in Nusantara, attracting the interest of international powers like the Portuguese, English, and Danish. However, the Dutch’s greed for control led to conflicts with Sultan Hasanuddin, culminating in the Bongaya treaty in 1667, which disadvantaged Gowa-Tallo and allowed the VOC to dominate Makassar.
Despite his efforts to resist, Sultan Hasanuddin’s death in 1670 marked the decline of Gowa-Tallo, ultimately attributed to the unfavorable terms of the treaty. His legacy as a brave defender of his people and a shrewd leader in trade and diplomacy lives on in Indonesia’s history.
