Pre-Islamic rulers of Ternate
Kingdom of Gapi Pre-Islamic Ternate Ma-Kolano Gapi Uli Lima | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1257–1486 | |||||||
| Capital | Ternate | ||||||
| Common languages | Ternatean | ||||||
| Religion | Native animistic Moluccan beliefs, to a lesser extent Hinduism and Buddhism | ||||||
| Government | Chiefdom; vassal state of Majapahit (1300s) | ||||||
| Kolano | |||||||
• 1257-1277 | Cico | ||||||
• 1460s–1486 | Marhum | ||||||
• 1486 | Zainal Abidin | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 1257 | ||||||
• Sultanate Established | 1486 | ||||||
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The pre-Islamic rulers of Ternate lorded over the leading spice-producing kingdom in the Maluku Islands in present-day Indonesia. They are known from several partly different historical traditions. One version commences with Cico, a chief of the coastal village Sampalu who obtained a mystical golden mortar and pestle and was elected king (Kolano) by the chiefs of the islands. Other versions start with Mashur-ma-lamo, son of the Arab immigrant Jafar Sadik and a heavenly nymph. Ternate was part of a ritual quadripartition together with the kingdoms of Tidore, Jailolo and Bacan. After many generations, King Tidore Wonge converted to Islam and became Sultan under the name Zainal Abidin (1486?-1500?).