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Home >>History >>Tondano Before Manalang

Tondano Before Manalang

The Family Tree Of The Ratulangi Family Explained.

By: - 24 Feb 2000

The following happened according to popular belief:

Raja Singal was head of the Tou Singal tribe (Tou:people). He and his men arrived in the Minahasa at the second half of the l6th century from overseas the same era as the Portuguese and the Spanish.

The Tou Singal established themselves on the shore of a lake that was named after them the lake of Tou Dano (Tou: people Dano: water) later became Tondano, They were good agriculturists especially for wet rice fields (sawah). They became the supplier of rice to the Spanish, The Spanish needed rice for their colony in the Philippines. Their barter trade was booming.

In l602 the Dutch set up The Dutch East Indies Company, They wanted the monopoly of the rice trade, The Tondanese did not accept it, Gradually the situation became worse and in l66l the First Tondano War broke out.

The Spanish provided cannons and other weapons to the Tondanese but had to leave to protect their colony from Chinese pirates. However, they left an instructor behind. The Tondanese had lost their trade partner and there was still quite some rice to be sold. After consulting with each other they chose to arrange a peace treaty with the Dutch.
The First Tondano War ended in l663.

I Remember that in the 20's a remaining cannon was used at the funeral of the head of a district. The coffin was laid on a black cart pulled by 2 black horses. During the funeral procession to the grave yard the cannon was fired about every l0 minutes.

Meanwhile the Dutch appointed Kepala Walak Supit, Paat and Lonto as "Majoor", which was considered an honor. On Januari l0th l679 the three "Majoors" signed a treaty of mutual assistance with the Dutch in Ternate.

In l699 the treaty was confirmed. According to the treaty of l679 and l699:

The Minahasa has, until today. always been an “ally” and never been a “subject” of the dutch.

The Dutch took control over deliveries of rice; in return the Tondanese would receive material compensation.

In l808 Daendels became Governor General. He abolished the treaty. Matulandi was then Kepala Walak of Touliang the West side of the river Tondano. Jacob Supit was Kepala Walak of Toulimambot the East side of the river.

The Tondanese did not accept the abolishing of the treaty. In l808 the Second Tondano War broke out. This time however the Tondanese had not enough rice supply for a long resistance. The men had to fight and there was no time for planting.

Matulandi and Supit fought beside their men. Houses were burned down, women and children killed, the people were hungry.

Not withstanding the hunger the Tondanese fought bravely (from: Geschiedenis van de Minahasa by Godee van Molsbergen. ) Jacob Supit realized that further fighting was senseless. He sought a way to negotiate and succeeded wonderfully.

However he had a difficult task of keeping the Tondanese together since they had no more confidence in the Dutch. The Tondanese blamed him for trusting the unreliable Dutch amd even called him a traitor.

Despite contradictive opinions the Tondanese with bleeding heart had to submit to the Dutch. Tondano was in ruins. The war ended in l809.

In l8l0 the region came under English control due to the Napoleonic War in Europe. Raffles became the Governor General.

Tondano was rebuilt in l8l2 under Kepala Walak Matulandi, Kepala Walak Jacob Supit and Nelson, a high ranking English official. The streets were straight as if drawn with a ruler and no windings. (Find out by yourself in Tondano.) The Dutch administration were reestablished in 1817.

At approximately this time Manalang “appeared on the scene”. It is said that he came from a country North of the Minahasa. He must have been the son of the head of a tribe from that country. With some of his followers he went looking for a hunting ground. He arrived at the West side of the Tondano lake. The place is now named Urongo.

A few miles from Urongo is the Tampusu mountain range inhabited by deers and boars. There was plenty of rice and fish and above all he was a good hunter. So, Manalang decided to stay got married and lived happily ever after.

Manalang's grave is in Urongo at the edge of the lake. A red Tewaang (cordiline) was planted on it. Omar Samuel Ichwan at the Urongo grave.

In the 20's my mother pointed it out to me. Could I still find the spot? Most likely yes, because Tewaang grows back even when they were mowed down. The root stock keeps on growing. That was why the Minahasers used to plant Tewaang on the borders of their lands.
By the way, recently I met a Filipino. I asked him if he recognizes the name Manalang? He said the name is well known in Mindanao. So, our great great great grand papa must have been a Mindanaoer?Manalang's son is Paulus Ratulangi.
Did Manalang gave his son the name Ratulangi? I asked my Filipino friend if Ratulangi was well known in the Philippines? He shook his head.
Well, some day I will find the answer hopefully. In the mean time I am happy with the name Manalang.

Manalang's grandson in contrast to his grand papa was a very clever furniture maker. He used Ebony to make tables, chairs, beds, cupboards etc. The only furniture made by him left in the house where Kayes, Wulan and Sam were raised is a bed.

Where did all the tables and chairs go? The answer is blowing in the wind.

This very clever carpenter's name is Saul Ratulangi. Manalang's great grandson is Josias Ratulangi. Josias was a teacher graduated in Holland. He was appointed teacher to the Hoofden School in Tondano .

It was a school for sons of chiefs (Hoofden) and other notables. The subjects were among others surveying, map drawing, construction drawing, agriculture, cattle breading etc. I quote a writing of Alexander Supit, my papa in Indonesian:

“Pada bulan Maret l878 Pemerintah Belanda mengutus pemuda- pemuda J. Ratulangi, E. Kandouw dari Minahasa dan Raden Kamil, Raden Sujul dari Tanah Djawa ke Amsterdam akan bersekolah. (In March 1878 the Dutch government sent the young men: J. Ratulangi, E. Kandouw from Minahasa and Raden Kamil, Raden Sujul from Java to Amsterdam to study.)

Pada bulan September tertanggal 21, l880 mereka menempuh udjian untuk mendapat Acte van Bekwaamheid als Hulp-onderwijzer bersama banjak pemuda Belanda di Haarlem.( On September 21st, 1880 they made their examination to obtain : "Acte van Bekwaamheid" as Assistant Teacher together with many Dutch young men in Haarlem.)

Raden Kamil, J. Ratulangi dan E. Kandouw lulus dalam examen itu. (Raden Kamil, J. Ratulangi and E. Kandouw passed the examination) J. Ratulangi di tempatkan di Hoofden School di Tondano sebagai Guru Bantu dalam bahasa Belanda bergelar Onderwijzer van den eersten rang.( J. Ratulangi was stationed at the Hoofden School in Tondano as Assistant Teacher in the Dutch language with the qualification: "Onderwijzer van den eersten rang)

E. Kandouw ditempatkan di Kweek School di Tondano jang kemudian sekolah itu dipindahkan ke Amboina. (E. Kandouw was stationed at the Teachers School in Tondano and later stationed at Amboina)

Raden Kamil ditempatkan di sekolah Merak? (Tulisan tidak jelas) di Tanah Djawa.(Raden Kamil was stationed at Merak? (the writing is not clear)in Java

Kemudian ia beroleh Adjunct Inspecteur van Onderwijs di Tanah Djawa.(He later was promoted to "Adjunct Inspecteur van Onderwijs" in Java)”

Manalang's great great grandson is Dr, G.S.S.J.Ratulangi, His story is well known.

Note:

* means female
-- means married to

Raja Singal -- * Werek (Second daughter)

* Mawingkut --- Tangkere

* Ikei --- Tambahani

* Lingkan ---Pangemanan

* Linengker --- Mamait

* Panuluan --- Sakul (second marriage)

* Tambahani --- Lumaluindung

* Wulankaes --- Rampengan (second marriage)

* Augustina Rampengan --- Paulus Ratulangi

Saul Ratulangi --- * Rachel Wagei

Josias Ratulangi --- *Augustina Gerungan

Samuel Ratulangi --- * Suzanne Houtman (first marriage)
* Marie Tambajong (second marriage)

 


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