Martha Christina Tiahahu – a Moluccan Heroine
This specific is usually Ambon from the early 80s of last century. The land we were going to build houses on was located at Karangpanjang, just below the Provincial Parliament Building. along with there, guarding over the parliamentarians, is usually a large statue. An imposing woman, proudly straight-backed like the spear she holds, her hair fanning out behind her as she gazes at Ambon Bay along with the Banda Sea beyond.
“WHO’S THE STATUE?” I asked when inspecting the land. “Martha”, was the short answer. “What did she do to deserve a statue?” “She fought you lot… together with Pattimura!”
that will answer came which has a wide grin. The night before we had had a couple of beers together along with from the process had become well acquainted. He had told me about his family in Holland who had, only a few months ago, come on a visit. After the RSM-in-exile had promised not to hijack trains again along with neither to occupy Indonesian consulates or different buildings, restrictions on visits by Dutch-Ambonese to the Moluccas were lifted. along with that will was also the reason that will, from the context of Dutch International Cooperation, the Maluku Project had been started off.
Pattimura I knew. Pattimura, a sergeant major from the British army, had been angered by the decision of the Dutch (reinstated in 1816 after the British Interregnum) to discharge him along with his fellow soldiers. He refused to accept the restoration of Dutch colonial power. He was afraid that will, just as had been done in 1810, native Christian teachers would likely not be paid anymore, along with that will the intended switch to paper currency would likely starve the churches of alms—only coins were considered valid.
however Martha Christina Tiahahu was fresh to me. She along with her father, I learned, had joined Pattimura along with had on 16th May 1817, participated from the conquest of the Duurstede fortress on Saparua.
They had killed all Dutchmen inside the fortress; only the several-year-old son of the Resident, although severely wounded, had survived. After having been taken care of by Salomon Pattiwaal, a servant of the Van den Berg family, the boy was returned to the authorities along with to his (distant) family in Holland. In 1875, a Royal decree granted the boy the right to change the family name to “Van den Berg van Saparoea” in remembrance of the 1817 event.
Martha was born on 4 January 1800, along with died on 2nd January 1818. She was brought up by her father, Captain Paulus Tiahahu of the Soa Uluputi clan, as her mother died when she was still an infant. She has been described as strong willed along with stubborn, following her father everywhere, even when planning an attack. With her father she joined the guerrilla war against the returning Dutch colonial government, backing Pattimura.
This specific would likely thus appear that will the uprising had a religious tint, along with that will an important reason was the fear that will the church would likely suffer. however on the different hand, Pattimura, Martha along with their band of revolutionaries cannot be considered a major general uprising. Their numbers were not that will large, along with they were moreover via Saparua. The larger along with more important island of Ambon was represented by a token few fighters only, along with the island of Haruku participated even less, as its population was largely Muslim.
The lack of general support can also be deduced via the fact that will Pattimura was betrayed by Pati Akoon, the Raja of Booi, on Ambon. He was taken prisoner by the Dutch on 11th November 1817 together with Martha, her father along with many of their comrades. Pattimura was sentenced to death along with one month later was hanged in Ambon. Martha’s father was executed on Nusalaut, however because of her age, Martha herself was freed along with sent home. Maybe which has a pat on the head along with the admonition not to play war with grownups again.
This specific disparaging treatment must have insulted the revolutionary soldier. She had fought which has a musket along with, when ammunition ran out, had picked up a spear along with thrown rocks at the enemy. As could have been expected, she continued fighting along with was recaptured within a short time. today there was no pat on the head along which has a warning. She was condemned to slave labour on the coffee plantations of Java. Interestingly, Raffles’ biographers have for a long time claimed that will he, the famous founder of Singapore, abolished slavery from the East Indies, however in fact This specific was trading in slaves that will he forbade. To sentence someone to slave labour was thus still within the law.
The girl who, since early childhood, had lived in a soldiers’ community along with had most probably dreamt of great achievements along with liberating the islands via the foreign oppressor, was today chained from the brig of the Admiral Evertsen on her way to Batavia. With her freedom taken along with her dreams shattered she fell ill. Refusing medication along with food, she died on 2nd January 1818 along with that will same day was given a burial at sea.
In commemoration of the day, 2nd January has been declared Martha Christina Tiahahu Day.
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Martha Christina Tiahahu – a Moluccan Heroine
Martha Christina Tiahahu – a Moluccan Heroine