← Explore on the interactive map

Makassar's Maritime Trade

Type Event Region Asia Time 1520–1530

In the 1520s, the port of Makassar under the Gowa-Tallo kingdom of South Sulawesi rapidly rose as a major Southeast Asian trade hub after the Portugu…

Timeline

  1. 1520–1525Moluccas · MoluccasAfter the Portuguese imposed a spice monopoly in the Moluccas, traditional traders sought alternative ports. Makassar in South Sulawesi, with its advantageous geographic position and freedom from direct Portuguese control, gradually became a key candidate for spice transshipment.
  2. 1525–1528Makassar · SulawesiThe kingdoms of Gowa and Tallo formed a joint rule in South Sulawesi, jointly administering the port of Makassar. Local rulers adopted a relatively open trade policy, welcoming merchants of all peoples, collecting customs duties, and profiting from them.
  3. 1528–1530Port of Makassar · SulawesiBy around 1528, Makassar had attracted large numbers of Malay, Javanese, Chinese, and Arab merchant ships, becoming a key transshipment port for Moluccan spices bound for Java, the Strait of Malacca, and East Asian markets, second in status only to a few Portuguese-held strongholds.

Sources