sultanate · Maritime Southeast Asia

Banjar Sultanate

1526 CE – 1860 CE · capital Banjarmasin (later Martapura)

The Muslim sultanate of southern Borneo, a major pepper exporter, abolished by the Dutch in 1860 after the Banjarmasin War began.

Origins

In 1526 Raden Samudra, a prince of Negara Daha, won a civil war with help from Demak, accepted Islam and took the name Sultan Suriansyah. He founded his capital at Banjarmasin near the mouth of the Barito River. The royal chronicle, the Hikayat Banjar, tells the story.

Rule and society

Banjar grew rich on pepper, exported to Chinese, English and Dutch traders in the 17th century, as well as gold and diamonds. After a Dutch attack in 1612 the court moved upriver to Martapura. Islamic scholarship flourished, notably under Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari in the 18th century, and Sultan Adam issued a law code in 1835.

Decline and legacy

The Dutch gained increasing control through treaties. A succession dispute after Sultan Adam's death led to the Banjarmasin War from 1859, led by Pangeran Antasari, and the Dutch abolished the sultanate in 1860, though resistance continued until 1905.

Lineage

Negara Daha 1495 CE – 1526 CEBanjar Sultanate

Connections (3)

Banjar Sultanate was a vassal of Demak Sultanate1526 CE – 1546 CE
Kotawaringin Sultanate split from Banjar Sultanate1615 CE
Banjar Sultanate was conquered by Dutch East Indies1860 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Banjar Sultanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banjar-sultanate
MLA: “Banjar Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banjar-sultanate. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Banjar Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banjar-sultanate.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Banjar Sultanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banjar-sultanate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻