Manggarai

The Manggarai, who call themselves Ata Manggarai, are the Austronesian people of western Flores, speaking Tombo Manggarai across five dialect groups. Their highlands were claimed by the Makassarese of Gowa and the Bima Sultanate of neighbouring Sumbawa.

In the 1600s the tribal kingdom of Todo arose under Mashur, a prince of Minangkabau descent sent from Gowa. In 1727 the region passed to Bima as the dowry of the Makassarese princess Daeng Tamima, and Bima placed governors over the coastal towns of Reo and Pota.

An agreement of 1783 with Sultan Abdulkadim confined Muslim settlers to the coast, leaving the inland Manggarai to their ancestor cult of the creator Mori Karaeng, celebrated with buffalo sacrifices.