Butung

Buton is an island off southeastern Sulawesi, commanding passages between the seas of Makassar and Maluku. Its fortified centre at Wolio overlooked coastal approaches, while the sultanate ruled communities on the island and its neighbours. The position that brought ships and trade also exposed Buton to rivals seeking control of the region's maritime routes. In the late sixteenth century Buton acknowledged Ternate as its protector. Makassar attacked repeatedly and conquered the island in 1626, but in 1667 Buton joined the Dutch East India Company and Ternate against Makassar. Its rulers also cultivated a written tradition: in the early nineteenth century Sultan Muhammad Aydarūs composed works in Arabic and Wolio, while poets addressed religious and historical themes.