- Bantam
-
/ban"teuhm/; Du. /bahn tahm"/, n.a village in W Java, in S Indonesia: first Dutch settlement in the East Indies.
* * *
Former city and sultanate, Java.It was located at the western end of Java between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean. In the early 16th century it became a powerful Muslim sultanate, which extended its control over parts of Sumatra and Borneo. Invaded by the Dutch, Portuguese, and British, it ultimately recognized Dutch sovereignty in 1684. The city was Java's most important port for the European spice trade until its harbour silted up in the late 18th century. It suffered severely from the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883.* * *
▪ former city, IndonesiaBahasa Indonesia Bantenformer city and sultanate of Java, Indonesia. It lay near the site of present-day Banten, on Banten Bay, at the extreme northwest of the island, just north of Serang. Now in ruins, Bantam was the most important Javanese port for the spice trade with Europe from the 16th century until the end of the 18th, when its harbour silted up. Its site is now more than 1 mile (1.6 km) from the sea. Ruined buildings include the Pakuwonan palace (1680), Fort Speelwijk, and several mosques, the oldest of which dates from 1562. Under Dutch occupation Bantam was the westernmost residency of Java, comprising the districts of Pandeglang, Serang, and Lebak. The people of the region are still known for their fervid devotion to Islām. Bantam fowl were erroneously thought to have originated there.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
