Mekongga

Mekongga was a kingdom of the Tolaki people in what is now the Kolaka region on the southeastern arm of Sulawesi. Its name comes from kongga, meaning eagle in the Tolaki language; local legend traces it to a giant eagle killed by Sangia Larumbalangi, the first leader, who united seven hill settlements and took the royal title Bokeo.

The court first sat at Bende and later moved to Wundulako. Mekongga kept close ties with Luwu, whose merchants helped it build an earthen fort in 1676 against coastal raiders.

Mekongga kept its traditional beliefs until 1699, when the eighth ruler, Bokeo Laduma, made Islam the religion of the kingdom with teachers sent from Luwu; he became known as Sangia Nibandera, the king who holds the flag, after a banner given him by Luwu's ruler for service in the war against Suppa.