For the Kompeni or VOC or Kompeni, the Battle of Diponegoro is the most damaging war they have ever fought. The battle itself only lasted for five years, from 1825 to 1830, but costed the Kompeni a huge fortune, both money and troops. It is by far the biggest loss in the history of Kompeni colonization in the Indonesian archipelago. Battle of Diponegoro killed about 200,000 Javanese, but als…
Bangka was a peaceful, beautiful, and prosperous country surrounded by forests and jungles inhabited by all sorts of flora and fauna. The land was ruled by a wise king who was loved by his people. His name was King Mahmud Malim Demawan. He had a very beautiful queen, Queen Malika Seri Purnama. During his reign, the King had established a peaceful, prosperous, and rich Bangka with abundant na…
It is told that the earth was once filled with mountains and mountain ranges. Some reached dizzying heights while others looked no bigger than a hillock. It was a peaceful and quiet time and all living beings were living together happily without disturbing each other. They lived in harmony and the nature was well cared for. The land of Minahasa was no different. It was a fertile area surroun…
His name was Nirarta. He was a Brahmin descendant, the brother of Dhanghyang Angsoka, and a son to Dhangyang Asmaranatha. Like any other children who were born to Brahmin families, Nirarta spent his childhood and adolescence learning so many different things from several masters. As a student, Nirarta always based his actions and behaviors on certain moral principles: always worshipping and set…
It was called Nusa Penida, a small island to the south of Bali Island. In order to reach this island from Kusamba, Klungkung, any mainlanders of Bali would need to pass through two more islands, namely Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The northernmost reaches of Nusa Penida were marked by coastal slopes that grew higher, wavier, and hillier as it went south, with Mundi Hill as the highes…
Bontang City, that is located in East Kalimantan, was once only a small village. At the time, villagers of Bontang Village mainly lived as fishermen. Those who were not fishermen worked the fields as farmers; planting rice, banana, vegetables, and a variety of secondary crops. They all lived comfortably and peacefully, with all the fields that produced crops and rivers that provided fish. Th…
A very diligent young man lived in a thick and eerie forest in the region of Bangka. Every day, he caught fish in the Kepoh River using the fishing rods or scoops. He did that to meet his daily ends. In addition to catching the fish, he also put traps to catch the deer, rabbits, and birds. He did such all activities every day by himself since he had been an orphan since he was only a child. …
Long ago in Lampung, in a village at the edge of a forest, there lived a very poor family with seven stunningly beautiful daughters. The seven sisters lived with their parents in a humble little house. Though it was a far cry from luxury, their tiny abode lay at the edge of a forest on the breathtaking slopes of the Bukit Barisan Mountains. The forest was lush and green and the air was fresh. …
The long dry season had come. The rain had not fallen in Batu Sangkar for a very long time. The well water had totally run out and river water had subsided. Field earth cracked and rice plants withered. Most plants in dry fields had withered too and leaves had totally dried and fallen off. In Limo Kaum village, in the region of Batu Sangkar Minangkabau (currently is included in the Province o…
Once upon a time, in a remote village of Tanjung Lalung in West Kutai in the hinterland of Kalimantan lived a woman and his son named Kerongo. The woman just lived with her only son Kerongo, since Kerongo's father had passed away when Kerongo was only a little child. Kerongo's mother was a humble woman who made a living for her and her son Kerongo by cultivating a field. Kerongo was a dull bo…