The populous north end of Halmahera is a shore of villages behind a crater lake, with more people on it than the clove islands have (board).
The people later called Tobelo and Galela built the big plank war canoes that later terrorised half of eastern Indonesia; how far that had gone by 1200 is not known (board). Morotai lies just off the north cape and is the first land a boat coming down from Mindanao sees (board). The ethnic names are later labels, and no chief or text is dated to 1200.
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; the villages govern themselves.
What the town holds
- The shore villages and the lake
- Boat building
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
Food, sago and boats; people and goods for the clove islands (inference).
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
Food, sago and boats; people and goods for the clove islands (inference).
Places of note
- Tobelo: Shore town of the north (a later name).
- Galela: Crater-lake shore (a later name).
- Morotai (Daruba): Island off the north cape (a later name).
Where the sources disagree
- The campaign board entry id galela-and-tobelo (1.78, 127.92) is a territory; the war canoes of the campaign board's note are of later centuries.
Evidence: Geography and the campaign board 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: A place marker; the ground round it, if any, is drawn in the lord and province records.
Sources and studies
- 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.