Larantuka
Larantuka is a kecamatan (district) and seat capital of East Flores Regency, on the eastern end of Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Like much of the region, Larantuka has a strong colonial Portuguese influence. The town had 37,348 inhabitants at the 2010 Census; the recent official estimate (for mid-2017) is 43,770. This overwhelmingly (95.4%) Roman Catholic area enjoys some international renown for its Holy Week celebrations.
History
Briefly, before 1600 Portuguese traders left Solor and settled in Larantuka. The traders were in conflict with the Dominicans in Solor because they were more interested in trade than in Christianization. In 1613 the Dutch occupied Solor and the Dominicans moved to Larantuka, too.
Larantuka was a nexus for the trade of sandalwood from Timor and became the Portuguese trading center of southeast Indonesia. It was also a refuge for deserters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
Two waves of immigration brought additional population. As the Dutch conquered Malacca in 1641, many Portuguese moved to Larantuka. Two villages, Wureh and Konga, accommodated the new arrivals. As the Dutch attacked Makassar in 1660, most of the Portuguese from there also came to Larantuka.
The Portuguese took indigenous wives, but they always wrote down the Portuguese ancestry. This new population group was called Topasses, but they called themselves Larantuqueiros (inhabitants of Larantuka). The Dutch called them also Zwarte Portugeesen ("black Portuguese").
The Larantuqueiros turned out a loose, but mighty power in the region, which influence reached far beyond the settlement. The core cell was the federation of Larantuka, Wureh and Konga. Theoretically, they were subordinated to Portugal. But in practice they were free. They had no Portuguese administration and they did not pay taxes. Letters of the Lisbon government were ignored. For long years there was a bloody struggle for power between the families da Costa and de Hornay. In the end, they shared the power.
The Larantuqueiros made "alliances" with the indigenous people of Flores and Timor. They followed a certain strategy; the most notable raja was converted to Catholicism by military pressure. He had to take an oath of allegiance to the king of Portugal and thereon the title Dom was granted to him. The raja was allowed to rule his folk autonomously, but in war, he had to supply auxiliary forces.
The Larantuqueiros were the rulers and established Portuguese as the official language to distance themselves from the natives. The language of commerce was the Malay language, which was understood on the surrounding islands.
In 1640 the Larantuqueiros settled in Lifau on Timor to gain control over the sandalwood of Timor. From Lifau they expanded to the island's hinterland where sandalwood grows. With strong forces the sovereigns there were compelled to enter into negotiations. For the delivery of musketry, the Larantuqueiros gained control over most of the sandalwood production and were able to control the price.
Trade was flourishing when the “White Portuguese” came by order of the king of Portugal to exert influence on Timor. But they were besieged by the Larantuqueiros and left empty-handed in 1769. In 1854 the Portuguese offered the Dutch the sovereign rights for sale. The contract was ratified in 1859.
The Dutch sent military and administrative officers, who took residence in a small fort. But they do not really take influence on the population.
Larantuka offered little promise, after the downturn of the sandalwood trade. The Larantuqueiros resorted to farming. Not much was left of the former profitable foreign trade.
Formally the Larantuqueiros were Catholics, but the control of the belief was devolved to laymen organizations, which gave the belief a new direction. In Larantuka the most powerful organization was A Confraria da Rainha do Rosário, the brotherhood of the rosary queen, which exists still this day.
The contract between the Portuguese and the Dutch respected religious freedom. Thus Dutch Calvinism did not take root. However, Dutch Jesuits engaged in missionary work. Starting in Larantuka with building the first rectory and reintroduced the orthodox form of Catholicism again. Monogamy was reinforced due to their influence. The missionaries even built Catholic schools and brought health care.
With the independence of Indonesia, the Larantuqueiros gained new influence. They were able to reach leading positions because they had a more high level of education than the natives. Even the Indonesian language, which became the new official language, was easy for them because it is very similar to the Malay language.