Sultanate of Buton

The islands that comprised the sultanate's territory were called "Liwuto Pataanguna", meaning Four Islands. People from the Buton Islands were called "tukang besi", literally meaning blacksmith.[3] There are several versions of how people there were named this way, one from an oral story of a Dutch man who arrived on the islands and was surprised to find almost everyone using iron tools, hence he named it Toekang Besi Eilanden. Another version suggests that it was from another kingdom within the region named the kingdom of Tukabessi.[3]

The Islands of Buton were mentioned in Nagarakretagama and palapa oath, suggesting that the islands were once under the influence of Majapahit. The kingdom was established around the 1300s by a queen named Wa Kaa Kaa. Before the kingdom converted to Islam, most of the rulers were female. The first king that converted to Islam was King Murhun, later renamed Sultan Murhum Kaimuddin Khalifatul Khamis after his conversion.[2] The Kingdom of Buton officially converted to Islam under his reign with help of a scholar from Johor Sultanate.[2]

The islands that comprised the sultanate's territory were called "Liwuto Pataanguna", meaning Four Islands. People from the Buton Islands were called "tukang besi", literally meaning blacksmith.[3] There are several versions of how people there were named this way, one from an oral story of a Dutch man who arrived on the islands and was surprised to find almost everyone using iron tools, hence he named it Toekang Besi Eilanden. Another version suggests that it was from another kingdom within the region named the kingdom of Tukabessi.[3]

The Islands of Buton were well integrated into the Indonesian Hindu world, and had frequent contact with the Majapahit. The first Queen Wakaakaa married price Sibatara of the Majapahit, and the fourth monarch Tuarade visited the Majapahit and brought back four regalia that later became known as the syara Jawa.

The kingdom was established around the 1300s by a queen named Waakaakaa. The lineage of rulers is as follows: Queen Wakaakaa, Bulawambona, her son Bataraguru, Tuarade,and Mulae.[4] The first conversion to islam was on the island of Wangi-Wangi. Tradition says that the monarch of this island converted to Islam, and on his death his body was buried, rather than cremated, a great upset to the Hindus of the land. The sixth raja, Sultan Marhun converted to Islam and took the name Sultan Murhum Kaimuddin Khalifatul Khamis.[2] and obliged his citizenry to follow suit. A systematic attempt was made by him to convert the populace to Islam. One such case was a population of Majapahit refugees who had fled forced conversion under the Demak Sultanate and settled in Hindu Buton. However, when Murhun converted he attempted to force them to convert to Islam, but preferring death to Islam they dug a mass grace and descended into it. This grave is though to be on the south coast of Buton, near Betauga.[5]

Unlike other kingdoms and sultanates in the region, the Sultanate of Buton was a constitutional monarchy. The constitution was written and named Murtabat Tujuh.[1][2] This constitution was formalized by Sultan La Elangi (1597-1631) and did not change much until sultanate was abolished.[1]

During the 16th century, the city of Baubau had heavy fortifications which today is the Buton Palace Fortress, a popular tourist attraction in the region.[6]