Islands off the end of Sulawesi's east arm, halfway between the Gulf of Tomini and the Maluku sea, with iron working, sea products and a position that makes them a natural stage (board).
Banggai is named among the eastern places in the Javanese court poem of 1365 (board). The English page 'Kediri Kingdom' lists Ping-ya-i, read as Banggai, among the places the Zhufan zhi (about 1225) calls Java's dependencies; that is shipmasters' hearsay of twenty-five years after the date, a name and not a ruler or a January position.
Who holds it
- Title
- Headmen of the place (no one named)
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No source names anyone who holds this place for 1200.
Lord in 1200
No chief is named for 1200. Java's 'dependency' of the Zhufan zhi is a Chinese informants' view of about 1225, not a governor.
What the town holds
- The island landings
- Iron working (board)
Allies and rivals
Nothing is recorded; neighbours are the villages and ports along the same coast.
How things stand that morning
Not described for 1200.
Wealth
Iron working, sea products and provisions for ships.
Threats
- A poor monsoon or a failed season
- Raiders from the next coast
Council
No council or court is recorded; headmen and elders decide (inference).
Fairs and markets
Not known; the trade follows the monsoons.
Militia
Not known. No numbers.
Walls and castle
No wall or fort is recorded.
Trade and crafts
Iron working, sea products and provisions for ships.
Places of note
- Luwuk: Mainland port on the Banggai coast (a later name).
- Banggai: Island of the Banggai group (position approximate).
- Peleng (Salakan): Chief town of Peleng island (position approximate).
Where the sources disagree
- Whether Kediri's claim reaches Banggai: no source shows it for 1200; the Zhufan zhi name is about 1225.
- Luwuk (the mainland port) is also a candidate for the 'Luwuk' of the Nagarakretagama (1365); see the Luwu record.
Evidence: A 1225 and a 1365 name, the campaign board and the geography. 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: A place marker; the ground round it, if any, is drawn in the lord and province records.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia, 'Kediri Kingdom' (read in this pass): the Zhufan zhi list of Java's dependencies (Tan-jung-wu-lo, Ti-wu, Ping-ya-i, Wu-nu-ku and others)
- Wikipedia, 'Nagarakretagama' (read in this pass): the cantos 13 and 14 lists of Borneo and the eastern islands, written 1365
- 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.