Koba

Koba lies on Bangka, the tin-bearing island off southeastern Sumatra. In the eighteenth century the sultans of Palembang established a network of centres to supervise the island's mines and the movement of tin. Pangkal Koba was among them. Officials appointed by the sultan oversaw mining workers, including people brought from China and other parts of Southeast Asia, and arranged the dispatch of tin to Palembang. The workings tied the island closely to the fortunes of the court across the strait.