SOUTHWEST PAPUA– Salawati Kingdom is an Islamic kingdom that once stood on Salawati Island, Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua. The center of Salawati Kingdom is located in Samate village which is currently located in North Salawati sub-district, so it is also called Samate Kingdom. The Salawati Kingdom was founded by a king from Waigeo, Fun Malaban or Fun Tusan, who was the ancestor of the Arfan gelet (small clan) and it is said that when Fun from Waigeo came, there was already a local ruler on Salawati Island with the title rejao or jaja (“landlord” in Ma’ya language), who then agreed to grant king-level rights and authority to the Waigeo ruler after winning the fasyukul pampon (eating competition).
According to Abdullah Arfan’s family story, the ancestor of the Arfan dynasty named Kalewan married the muballighah Siti Hawa Farouk who came from Cirebon, and changed his name to Bayajid and he is believed to be the first Papuan Muslim and it is estimated that this incident occurred in the 16th century, he is also believed to be the 4th king of Salawati.
Salawati was also a vassal kingdom of the Sultanate of Tidore so the King of Salawati, like his ancestor Gurabesi, provided some of the tribute or tax for the Sultanate of Tidore. In addition, the King of Salawati was also believed to be a tax collector for other areas for the Sultanate of Tidore with hongi voyages, such as the 1705 record that the Sultan of Tidore obtained tribute from the north of Papua to Teluk Cendrawasih which was collected by the King of Salawati. In the same year, Raja Salawati is also recorded as visiting a village in Doreri Bay near Manokwari, presumably to collect tribute.
The activities of the Raja Ampat kingdoms were trade and piracy and in 1653, an expedition of 15 ships from Waigeo and Salawati attacked Hitu on the north coast of Ambon Island for gold and slaves, although the same incident happened to the Raja Ampat kingdom in 1710, when Raja Salawati was in Teluk Cendrawasih, pirates from Tidore Island took his wife and children and 150 of his followers and freed them by paying 104 slaves.
The entry of Islam in Misool Island and Raja Ampat Islands in general cannot be separated from the role of the Salawati Kingdom, when the king in the Salawati Kingdom held an event and invited all residents including Misool residents who at that time Misool residents had not embraced Islam and while the King of Salawati had already embraced Islam, after the event was over all residents returned to their respective villages, there was one Misool resident at the time who fell asleep so he did not realize that all his friends had returned, this person woke up when people in the Salawati Kingdom cleaned the place by pouring water. After hearing his friend’s story, some of them were angry and wanted to attack the King of Salawati because they thought the King of Salawati considered them dirty so they had to clean their bed with water, After talking for a while, an agreement was reached that all Misool residents who participated in the event would go to Banda to study the teachings of King Salawati, and a few days later the group left for Banda by boat, they were determined to study the teachings that had been adopted by King Salawati, Arriving in Banda, the group arrived at a place where there was a hut, the group arrived at this place at dawn, and from a distance the sound of adhan was heard from inside a hut, slowly the group approached the hut and peeked at what the people were doing in the hut, They saw a couple who were praying then they peeked at what the couple were doing while they thought about how to learn from the two people and after the couple finished praying then the group entered the house and surrounded the two, this group kidnapped the couple and brought them to Misool to teach their religion, proof of the existence of the couple can be witnessed by the existence of the tomb of the two found in Tifale Cave.
The territory of the Salawati Kingdom includes areas partly found in the coastal areas of the Great Land (Papua), northern Salawati Island between Kampung Walian to Kampung Kalawal, east of Batanta Island from Suy River to Dayan Island, and surrounding small islands such as Doom Island, Jefman Island, and Senapan Island. Some areas on Waigeo Island west of Wawiyai Village to Salyo Village are also called the territory of the Salawati king. In the big land, the power of the Salawati Kingdom includes the Asbaken area, Makbon in the west to the coast of Katimin which is located south of the current Sorong City.