Gowa

Gowa grew from a kingdom in southwestern Sulawesi into a major maritime power centred on Makassar. Together with neighbouring Tallo, its rulers controlled a port visited by merchants from across the Indonesian archipelago and beyond. The partnership gave the two kingdoms a commanding position on the routes between western Indonesia and the spice islands of Maluku.

During the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries Gowa extended its authority over many neighbouring polities, while Portuguese merchants became regular visitors to Makassar. Its power brought it into conflict with the Dutch East India Company and the Bugis kingdom of Bone. The Treaty of Bongaya was signed in 1667 during the war, but fighting continued until 1669, when Gowa was defeated. The kingdom survived, though its control over the port and the wider maritime trade was sharply reduced.