This is a list of rulers of Maluku from proto-historical times until the present. The four sultanates of Ternate, Tidore, Jailolo and Bacan were considered descendants of a legendary figure called Jafar Sadik and formed a ritual quadripartition. Drawing wealth from the spice production and trade with other parts of Asia, Ternate and Tidore lorded over extensive realms which stretched from Sulawesi to Papua, while Jailolo and Bacan merely had local significance. They fell under Portuguese or Spanish influence in the sixteenth century, superseded by Dutch impact in the seventeenth century. The sultanates were subordinated to the Dutch colonial state until 1942 when the Japanese occupied Indonesia. After the outbreak of the Indonesian revolution they belonged to the Dutch-approved quasi-state East Indonesia from 1946 to 1950 when they were incorporated in the unitary Indonesian state.
Sultans of Bacan
Muhammad Bakir (c. 1465) [son of Jafar Sadik]
Zainal Abidin (late 15th century or early 16th century) [son]
Yusuf (before 1512-c. 1520) Alauddin I (c. 1520-1557) Dom João (Hairun) (1557-1577) [son] Dom Henrique (1577-1581) [son] Alauddin II (1581-c. 1609) [son of Dom João] Nurusalat (c. 1609-1649) [son] Muhammad Ali (1649-1655) [son] Alauddin III (1655-1701) [son] Dutch protectorate 1667-1942/1946 Musa Malikuddin (1701-1715) [brother] Kie Nasiruddin (1715-1732) [son of Alauddin II] Hamza Tarafan Nur (1732-1741) [nephew] Muhammad Sahaddin (1741-1780) [grandson of Musa Malikuddin] Skandar Alam (1780-1788) [nephew] Muhammad Badaruddin (1788-1797) [son of Kie Nasiruddin] Kamarullah (1797-1826) [nephew] Muhammad Hayatuddin Kornabé (1826-1861) [son] Muhammad Sadik (1862-1889) [son] Muhammad Usman (1900-1935) [son] Muhammad Muhsin (1935-1983) [son] Incorporation in Indonesian unitary state 1950 Muhammad Gahral (titular sultan 1983-2009) [son] Muhammad Abdurrahim (titular sultan 2009–present) [son]
Sultans of Jailolo
Legendary list
Darajati
Fataruba
Tarakabun
Niru
Yusuf I
Dias
Bantari
Sugi
Hasanuddin
Husain
Yusuf II
Doa (oldest son of Yusuf I; brother of Prince Printah and Prince Gugu Alam) Gugu Alam (male offspring Yusuf I) Syah Mardan Sahunsa Talabuddin
Historically documented list
Sultan Yusuf I (before 1514-1530) [descendant of Darajati]
Kaicil Firuz Alauddin alias Tahubo (1532-1536) [son]
Sultan Tarkibun alias Katarabumi (1536-1552) [nephew of Yusuf]
Kaicili Guzarate alias Niru (1552-c. 1560) [son]
Sultan Kodrat alias Kolano Yusuf II (?-c. 1605) Sultan Doa (c. 1606-1613) [son] Kaicili Saiuddin Raja Buka (?) (1613?-1656) [son] Kaicil Alam (Jogugu [regent] c. 1679-1684) [son; married Princess of Ternate] Rule of Ternate 1656-1797 Muhammad Arif Bila (1797-1806) [descendant of brother of Sultan Doa; Prince Gugu Alam] British occupation 1799-1802 Muhammad Asgar (1806-1811) [son; rule of Ternate] Muhammad Hajuddin Syah (1818-1825; died 1843) [brother] Muhammad Asgar ('Sultan Ceram' 1825-1832; died 1839) Dano Baba Hasan (1876-1877) [grandnephew] Rule of Ternate 1803-1950 Abdulah Harjanto Sjah (titular sultan 2003-2010) [descendant of Dano Baba Hasan; rule of Ternate]
Rulers of Ternate
Pre-Sultanate rulers
Cico (king [kolano] 1257-1277) Poit (1277-1284) [son] Siale (1284-1298) [son] Kalabata (1298-1304) [son] Komalo (1304-1317) [son] Patsaranga-ma-lamo (1317-1322) [brother] Siding Arif (1322-1331) [nephew] Paji-ma-lamo (1331-1332) [brother] Syah Alam (1332-1343) [son of Patsaranga-ma-lamo] Tolu-ma-lamo (1343-1347) [brother] Boheyat I (1347-1350) [son of Siding Arif] Ngolo-ma-Caya (1350-1357) [brother] Momole (1357-1359) [brother] Gapi-ma-lamo (1359-1372) [brother] Gapi Baguna I (1372-1377) [brother] Komalo Pulu (1377-1432) [son of Tolu-ma-lamo] Gapi Baguna II (1432-1465) [son] Marhum (1465-1486) [son]
Sultan
The first known Kolano (ruler) of Ternate to convert to Islam was Marhum. According to François Valentijn's account, Marhum was the son and successor of the seventeenth King Gapi Baguna II (r. 1432-1465), a pre-Islamic ruler of Ternate. His island kingdom was one of the four realms that traditionally existed in North Maluku, the others being Tidore, Bacan, and Jailolo. Reports were told by Javanese traders who came to the island, that native Ternateans were able to read out words from the letters of the Qur'an, it proves that the first tenets of Islam had entered North Molluccan society.