sultanate · Maritime Southeast Asia
Banten Sultanate
Origins
Around 1527 forces from Demak and Cirebon, led by Sunan Gunung Jati and his son Maulana Hasanuddin, took the port of Banten from the Sunda Kingdom. Hasanuddin became its first ruler. In 1579 his son Maulana Yusuf captured Pakuan Pajajaran, ending the Sunda Kingdom.
Rule and society
Banten became one of Southeast Asia's great pepper markets, drawing Chinese, Indian, English and Danish merchants; the first Dutch fleet arrived in 1596, and the English opened a factory in 1602. Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, from 1651, built canals and a navy and challenged Dutch Batavia. The Surosowan palace and Great Mosque date from the 16th century.
Decline and legacy
In 1682 Ageng's son, Sultan Haji, sought Dutch help against his father, and the Company won control of Banten's trade. Herman Willem Daendels destroyed the palace in 1808, and Thomas Stamford Raffles abolished the sultanate in 1813.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (4)
- Banten Sultanate was a vassal of Demak Sultanate1527 CE – 1552 CE
- Sunda Kingdom was conquered by Banten Sultanate1579 CE
- Banten Sultanate was a vassal of Dutch East India Company territories1684 CE – 1799 CE
- Banten Sultanate was conquered by Dutch East Indies1808 CE
More states of Maritime Southeast Asia →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Banten Sultanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banten-sultanate
- MLA
- “Banten Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banten-sultanate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Banten Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banten-sultanate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Banten Sultanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/banten-sultanate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻