page_title: Kupang
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Kupang / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The habour of Kupang - Timor Nederlands: Repronegatief. Op 27 Augustus komt de Gouvernementsstomer Edi, met op sleeptouw het marineschip Arend, aan in Koepang op Timor om kolen te laden. Botanist Pulle schrijft in zijn expeditieverslag van de Derde Zuid-Nieuw-Guinea Expeditie van 1912-1913 hierover: Een grootse indruk maakte deze niet, een aanlegplaats ontbreekt ten eenenmale en klauterende over roeibootjes en visschersvaartuigen lukt het ons aan den wal te komen. Grootere schepen blijven op de reede liggen en bij fellen Westmoesson, die op de kust staat, kan dan ook vaak de communicatie met Koepang geheel verbroken zijn". . Haven van Kupang
context_page_description: Kupang is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, and had an estimated population in 2019 of 434,972. It is the biggest city and port on the island of Timor. Kupang is a part of the Timor Leste–Indonesia–Australia Growth Triangle free trade zone.
context_section_description: Kupang was an important port and trading point during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial eras. There are ruins and remnant signs of the colonial presence in the city.
  Representatives of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) approached Kupang in 1613 after having conquered the Portuguese fort on Solor. At this time the place and its hinterland was governed by a raja of the Helong tribe which claimed descent from Ceram in Maluku. Kupang was well situated for strategic control over parts of Timor, since it was possible to monitor shipping activities to the south coast of the island. Moreover, the Koinino River provided fresh water for the inhabitants. A VOC-Helong agreement was made, but due to the lack of VOC commitment on Timor, Kupang was later influenced by the Portuguese mestizo population of Flores, the Topasses. A Portuguese stronghold was established by the 1640s. However, the VOC was firmly established on Solor in 1646, and renewed contacts with the local raja. In January 1653 a Dutch fortification, Fort Concordia, was built on a height to the left of the river estuary. Kupang became the base of the Dutch struggle against the Portuguese. After a series of Dutch defeats in 1655, 1656 and 1657, large refugee groups from the VOC allies Sonbai and Amabi settled in the vicinity of Kupang in 1658 and formed small kingdoms on land that traditionally belonged to the Helong. They were followed by two other groups, Amfoan (1683) and Taebenu (1688). The Helong raja remained the "lord of the land" (tuan tanah) but was closely dependent on the VOC authorities. Apart from the old Helong territory, Timor was largely dominated by the Portuguese up to 1749.
  The Dutch set up a European administration with a chief executive (opperhoofd) and a council. Affairs with the indigenous populations were regulated through regular meetings (vergaderingen). The Kupang administration handled affairs with the VOC-allied islands Rote, Savu and Solor. Chinese traders and artisans settled by the early 18th century and soon became indispensable for the economic life. The town area was also settled by various indigenous groups from the region, and by mardijkers who were non-whites under Dutch jurisdiction. In 1752 the population was 827 Christians and an unspecified number of non-Christians. The political importance of Kupang on a Timor-wide level increased greatly in 1749 when the Topasses were decisively defeated by the Dutch and their allies, which led to the extension of VOC influence over wide areas of western and central Timor. Nevertheless, some of this influence contracted after 1761 due to incompetence and inaction on the part of the colonial administration.
  Kupang was the final destination of William Bligh who was set adrift in an open boat following the Mutiny on the Bounty (1789). The mutiny took place about 30 nautical miles (56 km) from Tofua in the Tonga islands. Lt William Bligh navigated the overcrowded 23 foot (7 m) open launch on an epic 41-day voyage first to Tofua and then to the West Timor city of Kupang equipped only with a quadrant, pocket watch and a compass — but no charts to navigate from. He recorded the distance as 3,618 nautical miles (6710 km). He passed through the difficult Torres Strait along the way and landed on 14 June. The only casualty of his voyage was a crewman named John Norton who was stoned to death by the natives of Tofua, the first island they tried to land on. News of the journey of Captain Bligh inspired the escape of a party of convicts from the penal colony at Sydney Cove, Australia. A group of nine convicts and two children, led by William Bryant, stole a small uncovered government boat and escaped from Port Jackson, Australia. Ten weeks later, they arrived at Kupang, having covered 3,254 nautical miles (6,026 km).
  As a consequence of the occupation of the Netherlands at the hands of the French revolutionary armies in 1795, the VOC possessions in East India were attacked by British forces. Kupang was assaulted in 1797. The British were eventually expelled although the town was reduced to rubble. A new Bri
caption: The harbor of Kupang in the early 20th century.
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