Page 19 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

the face-to-face moment with the immigrants, the traders and the missionary from the
Western world with complete weapons supported by well tested shipping systems.
Hence, it may be said that since the 16th century when the Nusantara world was
entered, it became an open competition area. In such a situation was the relationship
between the kingdoms to take place as an ally or an enemy—two possibilities which may
come and go consecutively. An old “enemy” can now become an “ally” or be slipped into
the opposite dynamics of history. At this moment is another kind of relationship to be
developed—between the overlord kingdom and the vassal kingdom. However, similar to
the dynamics of ally-and-enemy, overlord and vassal are also a kind of relationship which
is not stable. What is also important is that since the fall of Malaka, the region of Nusantara
looked like slipping into a race of religions—Islam and Christian. Therefore it could be
understood as well if the 17th century was not just the century when the accelerating
process of Islamization took place but also the beginning of Christianization process. If
only our view were centralized at the historical dynamics of the Eastern part of Nusantara
islands then the statement from B. Schrieke (Indonesian Sociological Studies, 2nd edition)
that the major factor of Islamic distribution was a “race with Christianity”—somehow
would be true.
In the socio-political situations of imagining the three types of instability—the first,
the flare of overlord-vassal relationships; the second, ally-enemy relationships which
came and went easily; and the third, the start of Islam-Christian competition—then all of
the friendly situations sung by Nagarakrtagama seemed to just disappear in an instant.
But in a situation of imagining “a stable instability” between the centers of power then
the historical friendliness from various centers of power got more developed. Another
important thing was the tendency how in this period some newly grown centers of power
started to also show the meaning of their existence in the dynamics of historical journey.
So, in an “instability” situation when the socio-economic and political turmoils were
flowing, then the political power from the Eastern part of Nusantara got more to record.
When Goa-Tallo had succeeded in persuading Bone, the biggest Bugis kingdom,
and other kingdoms in South Sulawesi to embrace Islam, then this kingdom of Makasar
people also started to expand its political and religion influences to the islands located in
the Eastern part such as Buton island and others. When these twin kingdoms of Goa-Tallo
succeeded in helping Bima’s heir to regain its reign which once was taken by the uncle,
then this kingdom of Makasar was also successful in taking Bima to go back to Islam.

Introduction 19

MELANESIA BOOK FA LAYOUT 051216.indd 19 2/10/17 2:10 PM