Brilio.net/en - The central bank will soon be rolling out new designs of Indonesia's Rupiah banknotes. While we can't wait to get our hands on the crisp notes and fresh colors coming our way, the thought of bidding farewell to the familiar faces printed on the current ones is leaving us just a tad sentimental. We thought now would be the perfect time to look back on these heroes.
1. Kapitan Pattimura (Rp 1,000)
Pattimura on the Rp1,000 banknote. (Photo via delcampe)
The Pattimura statue in Ambon City. (Photo via nau-kibo)
Born Thomas Matulessy on June 8, 1783, Kapitan Pattimura is a symbol of the Moluccans' struggle against Dutch colonialists, leading skilled guerilla troops in battles against their armies. He is most notorious for the War of Pattimura on May 5, 1817, during which he crushed the Dutch in their own Duurstede Fort. The enemy, however, managed to capture Pattimura and he died at the gallows on December 16, 1817 after refusing to negotiate. His last words were, “Old Pattimura may be hung to death, but young Pattimuras will soon arise!” He was 34.
The Pattimura International Airport in Ambon, Maluku, is named after him.
2) Pangeran Antasari (Rp 2,000)
Prince Antasari on the Rp2,000 banknote. (Photo via allnumis)
The siege of Gunung Tongka fort - one of Antasari's bases - by the Dutch. (Photo via sairarasyaddi)
Pangeran (Prince) Antasari or Panembahan Amiruddin Khalifatul Mukminin was a ruler of Banjar Sultanate in Borneo or Kalimantan. He was a king, a warlord, and a religious leader who spent his life fighting against Dutch colonialism in Borneo. He led armies to crush Dutch’s outposts in Martapura, Riam Kanan, Hulu Sungai, Tabalong, Tanah Laut, as well as the banks of the Barito River, all the way to Puruk Cahu.
Despite all the modern armaments and additional troops from Batavia (Jakarta), the Dutch had a hard time capturing Antasari. 10,000 guldens was offered for the prince's head, but no one dared to take the bounty. Antasari passed away at the age of 75 due to smallpox and lung disease after the Bukit Bagantung war, without ever being captured.
3. Tuanku Imam Bonjol (Rp 5,000)
Tuanku Imam Bonjol on the Rp5,000 banknote. (Photo via Duitkuno)
The Statue of Tuanku Imam Bonjol in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. (Photo via ahlulbaitnabisaw)
Tuanku (Lord) Imam Bonjol or Muhammad Shahab (born 1772) was a ulema, a leader, and a warrior. He was a warlord during the Padri War, leading the Minang, Batak, and Mandailing tribes in Sumatra against the Dutch. Captured on October 1837 by the Dutch in what was supposed to be a negotiation, he was then exiled to Cianjur, West Java, and later on to Ambon, Maluku, and Minahasa in South Sulawesi, where he passed way on November 8, 1864.
4. Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II (Rp 10,000)
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II on the Rp10,000 banknote. (Photo via allnumis)
The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum in Palembang. (Photo via Panduanwisata)
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II or Raden Hasan Pangeran Ratu was the last sultan of Palembang-Darussalam in 1803 – 1821. He led several wars against the Dutch and Great Britain, the most famous being the War of Menteng, where from 1819 to 1821, a strong defense strategy managed to keep the Dutch out of their territory until a sudden attack during the month of Ramadan caught them off guard.
The Sultan and his family were exiled to Ternate, Maluku, in 1821, until he passed away on September 26, 1852. The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang is named after him.
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