Kapitan Pattimura was an Indonesian hero, famous for his battles against Dutch colonizers. Born in 1783, Pattimura was of Ambonese origin from the Maluku region of Indonesia. The Dutch have a brutal and oppressive legacy in the Indonesian islands; Pattimura’s home island was no exception to these injustices, and racism. Although the island was predominately Christian, the Dutch did not allow Maluku clergymen to receive a salary. After the Dutch re-captured Maluku from the British, Pattimura forged an armed rebellion against the Dutch, fearing that they would continue to limit resources and opportunities to his people. On May 16, 1817, he led a band of rebels and overtook Fort Duurstede, the center of Dutch rule on the island. Pattimura and his army, which included women, killed the residents and fought off Dutch reinforcement. He is held as a Maluku legend and a national Indonesian freedom fighter.
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