Adonara Island

Adonara is an island located east of the larger island of Flores in the Solor Archipelago. It is the highest of the islands of the archipelago, at 1659 metres, and has an area of 497 km2. It is in the East Nusa Tenggara province.

The history on Adonara is documented from the sixteenth century, when Portuguese traders and missionaries established a post on the nearby Island of Solor. Adonara divided between a population of coastal dwellers known as Paji, and a population mainly settling the mountainous inland called Demon. The Paji were susceptible to Islam, while the Demon tended to fall under Portuguese influence. In the course of the nineteenth century, the ruler of Adonara (proper) in the north strengthened his position in the Solor Archipelago; by then, he was also the overlord of parts of eastern Flores and Lembata. The Demon areas stood under the suzerainty of the principality of Larantuka, which in turn was under Portuguese rule until 1859, when it was ceded to the Netherlands. The principalities of Larantuka and Adonara (proper) were abolished by the Indonesian government in 1962. Some post-independence local officials trace their roots to past rulers, called raja, of Adonara (proper). These include:
Foramma, c. 1650
Boli I , c. 1671-1684
Eke 1684-1688 (killed by mountain people)
Gogok, c. 1702
Wuring (brother of Eke), 1688-1719
Boli II (son of Wuring), 1719-after 1756
Lakabella Jo, c. 1832
Begu, d. July 28, 1850 (killed)
Pela(ng) (son of Begu), 1850-1857
Jou (brother of Pela), 1857-1868
Kamba Begu (brother of Lakabella), 1868-1893
Bapa Tuan (son of Kamba Begu), temporary Raja in 1893 for 6 months
Arkiang Kamba (Arakang; brother of Bapa Tuan, b. 1866), 1893 or 1894 - abdicated December 18, 1930
Bapa Ana (son of a sister of Kamba Begu), Regent with the title of Kapitan 1930 - December 1, 1935, condemned to life imprisonment 1935 and sent to Kupang
Bapa Nuhur, (son of Gela, a son of Bapa Tuan, b. 1915), 1941-1947
Bapa Kaya, (son of Bapa Ana, d. 12/1/1954), Regent 1947-1951
Mohamad Eke (great-grandson of Raja Jo, 1929 - c. 1985), 1951-1962, first referred as Government Asst during Bapa Kaya's rule and also Kapitan of Adonara