Bacan is the largest and southernmost of the clove islands, big enough to feed itself, with a sheltered west-coast bay at Labuha that is the natural first stop for a ship coming up from Obi and the Sula chain (board).
In the later tradition Bacan carries one of the four recognised Maluku kingships, but nothing attests it at this date and no chief can be named.
Who he is
- Title
- Heads of the island villages (no title known; no king yet)
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No source names a chief of this place for 1200. Every title in this record (datu, to manurung, kolano, momole, orang kaya) comes from traditions or reports written down centuries after 1200. No source names any chief of this place for 1 January 1200.
What it holds
- The west-coast bay at Labuha
- The island's food ground
- The first landfall for ships from Obi and the Sula chain
Allies and rivals
The other clove islands; Obi and the Sula chain to the south.
How things stand that morning
Not described for 1200.
Wealth
Cloves and food; no figures.
Military
Not known; boats, spears and shields in the later record. No numbers.
Threats
- Raiders from the next coast
- Volcanic eruption, earthquake or storm
- A change in the trade that comes by sea
Places of note
- Labuha (Bacan): Sheltered west-coast bay.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The campaign board and the geography only. The campaign board marks it 'likely'.
"The campaign board" is OMNIA's working map. These notes record where its earlier claims were checked against the sources.
On the map: Near land of the villages, drawn as seeded blocks.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia, 'Sultanate of Ternate' (read in this pass): the momole of the four villages, the 1257 start of the king list, all dates up to 1500 traditional
- The OMNIA board (September 2026) note for this place: a lead only, not a source
- Background knowledge of Southeast Asian history (Wolters; Hall; Bellwood; Scott; Junker; Reid), recalled and not re-read in this pass
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.