sultanate · Maritime Southeast Asia

Jailolo Sultanate

1250 CE – 1551 CE (approx.) · capital Jailolo

One of the four kingdoms of the North Moluccas, on the island of Halmahera, absorbed by its rival Ternate in 1551.

Origins

Jailolo on the west coast of Halmahera was one of the four Moluccan kingdoms, with Ternate, Tidore and Bacan, known as the Moloku Kie Raha. Local tradition held it to be the oldest of the four. Its rulers accepted Islam in the late 15th century, as Muslim traders brought the clove trade under their influence.

Rule and society

Jailolo controlled parts of Halmahera, a source of sago and food for the clove-growing islands, and took part in the clove trade with Javanese and Malay merchants. Its sultans were often in conflict with Ternate and sometimes looked to Tidore and the Spanish for support.

Decline and legacy

Ternate, backed by the Portuguese, attacked Jailolo in the 1530s and 1550s, and in 1551 its sultan Katarabumi was forced to submit. Jailolo became part of the Ternate Sultanate. Its title was revived briefly in the 19th century by rebels against Dutch rule.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻