An American scientist and cultural expert in his book, Tambora: The Eruption That Changed the World, estimates that around 1 million people died at that time. _Gillen D'Arcy Wood[1]
Hearing the word Tambora, we will be transported to a vast memory of the enormity of a Merapi eruption. Experts say the Tambora eruption was the largest in history. It's estimated to be the longest lasting tragedy in 10,000 years. That's how historians describe the Tambora tragedy.
With an explosive force of approximately 1,000 megatons of TNT, the Tambora explosion is estimated to be four times more powerful than the eruption of Mount Karakaatau and six million times more powerful than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The Tambora eruption was so powerful that it was heard as far as 2,500 kilometers away, and volcanic ash fell as far as 1,300 kilometers.
Not only that, historians note that its eruption reached as far as Africa. Darkness was visible as far as 600 kilometers from the summit. With such force, Tambora changed the world's climate.[2] It's not an exaggerated metaphor to echo the eruption of Mount Tambora. However, that's the fact and reality as historians record it.
However, when we talk about Tambora, it's not only famous for its eruption that changed the world's climate. There are fragments puzzle Another equally important piece of history is the history of the Tambora Kingdom. This section briefly describes the Tambora Kingdom, a kingdom thought to have been founded in the 16th century.
A Glimpse of Tambora (Kingdom)
This article is quoted from the book “Facts About Lombok and Sumbawa” work Manggaukang Raba and Asnawati. This book was published in 2002 and was first published by the Yayasan Pembangunan Insan Cita (NTB) Foundation. It serves as an important reference on the history of the kingdoms of West Nusa Tenggara. Here's a brief overview of the Tambora Kingdom.
The Tambora Kingdom is located on a peninsula whose three corners are bordered by the sea. The entire territory of the kingdom is in the Mount Tambora area (Mount Arun).
The exact date of this kingdom's founding is unknown. However, existing records indicate that when Majapahit collapsed, Tambora was already well-known. Tambora also participated in the Buton War against the VOC, which led to its king's exile to Maluku in 1665.
Different accounts state that Tambora once seized a VOC ship in 1675. As a result, Holsteijn punished King Tambora, Kalongkong, and the royal officials by handing over the heirloom keris to the Dutch. To counter Tambora's power, the Dutch established Pekat as a sovereign kingdom under the leadership of King Insshied.
In 1687, King Jamaluddin of Tambora died and was succeeded by his son, Nita-Anuddin. In 1726, King Abdurrachman died and was succeeded by his son, Abdurrachman, who was sworn in on December 27, 1726.
In 1687, a war broke out over the border between Dompu and Tembora, which resulted in Tambora having to hand over its royal territory to Dompu.
After Abdurrachman's death, his son, Raja Kadinding, was installed. This king was expelled by the King of Makasar, who recognized him as Abdul Said and proclaimed himself King of Tambora. In 1750, a war broke out between Tambora and Pekat, which resumed in 1757.
In 1799, a dispute occurred between Dompu and Tambora, which resulted in the Company having to order Dompu to comply with the 1748 decision. Namely, Dompu had to hand over a third of the disputed land to Tambora.
In 1799, the King of Tambora, Abdul Rasyid, died and was replaced by Abdul Said's adopted son, who later became the King of Tambora with the title Abdul Gafur.
The Tambora Kingdom was a prosperous kingdom. Many agricultural products and livestock, especially horses, were imported from Tambora between 1806 and 1807. Tambora's population in 1808 was 4,000, and by 1815, it had increased to 8,000.
When Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, approximately 30 people died. The rest were killed by a lava flood in 1816. From then on, the former Tambora area became part of the Dompu Kingdom.
That's a brief history of the Tambora Kingdom and all the stories surrounding it. There's much speculation about Tambora, and it will never fade with time.
And Allah knows best
[1]Please refer to, https://www.dw.com/id/apa-hubungan-letusan-tambora-cerita-frankenstein-dan-penemuan-sepeda/a-18365068
[2] Read, Agung Pribadi, Because of Indonesia: From History We Learn for the Future. (Depok: AsmaNadia Publishing House, 2013), pp. 23-25.
