User:Mhatopzz/Spanish colonial presence in the Indonesian Archipelago

The Spanish Empire occupied numerous forts in the Maluku Islands from 1606 to 1663 to dominate the spice trade as well as securing the Iberian presence in the region from the growing influence of the Dutch East India Company.

Spanish presence in the Maluku Islands began in 1521 when the Voyage of Magellan-Elcano expedition reached the island of Tidore, they were greeted by the Sultan of Tidore Al-Mansur (Spanish accounts named him Almanzor), the spice rich island made the Spanish interested in trading and practicing monopoly in Maluku, however, the Portuguese were already present in the region and had allied with local rulers in the region. In the late 16th century, a conflict between the Portuguese and Ternateans was erupting, in the middle of the conflict, the Spanish Empire frequently intervened the conflict as they sent numerous fleets to conquer the islands in Maluku in a series of seaborne expeditions from Manila were launched in 1582, 1584, 1585, 1593 and 1603, none of these were successful. On 15 March 1606 the Philippine governor Pedro Bravo de Acuña, sent an expedition to capture the fort of Gammalamma and other forts occupied by Ternateans and Dutch in Ternate, the fort of Gammalamma was captured on 1 April 1606 and Spain left a garrison of 500 men in the island. Ternate was governed by the Spanish from Manila and remained there until its abandonment in 1663.