Maluku Tourism: Ambon History

Portugal colonized Ambon in 1526. The Dutch was drove out Portuguese in 1609. Except for brief periods of British rule, the island remained under Dutch control until Indonesia's independence in 1945. During the Dutch period, Ambon City was the seat of the Dutch resident and military Moluccas commander. Fort Victoria protected the town, and a 1911 encyclopedia characterized it as "a clean little town with wide streets, well planted". The population was divided into two classes: orang burger (citizens), and orang negri (villagers), the former being a class of native origin enjoying certain privileges conferred on their ancestors by the old Dutch East India Company. Besides the Dutch, there were also, some Arabs, Chinese and a few Portuguese settlers.

Ambon City was the site of a major Dutch naval base, captured by Japanese in 1942. Ambon was a center of Christian missionary activity; Ambon and the surrounding islands have many Christians as well as the Muslims that predominate in most of Indonesia. In 1950, Ambon City was the center of an uprising against Indonesian rule, caused by the rebellion of Republic of South Moluccas. Indonesia reasserted control just in few weeks.