Etymology "Banjarmasin" is thought to be a corrupted version of "Bandar Masih" (Port Masih), which was named for Patih Masih, who ruled the port and the surrounding villages. Patih Masih's name may have been a nickname.
Masih originates from the
Ngaju language.
Oloh Masi refers to the coastal-dwelling Malay population in the language of the
Dayaks, who lived in the interior and visited the port regularly to trade. Some of the Dayaks eventually settled in the port. They eventually contributed to the culture of the
Banjar people, along with the
Javanese and
Malays.
Early history European archeologist H. Kupper discovered several prehistoric sites around the region in 1939 and found implements such as
choppers and other stone tools. Most of the artifacts found around the region and the province show signs of
Neolithic culture. Migration from mainland Asia to Borneo may have been common while they were connected by the
Sunda Shelf. Many stone tools have been found in Awang Bangkal, from the city. Until the early 15th century, there were few written records found from the region. Outside records indicate it was home to several kingdoms such as
Tanjungpuri—theorized to have been founded by Malay people from
Srivijaya—and
Negara Daha and
Dipa, which were founded by Javanese people from
Majapahit.
Hinduism and
Buddhism entered the region between the first and 15th centuries. There are two
candis (temples) left in the region, Candi Laras and Candi Agung. The
Ma'anyan people may have ruled the oldest kingdom in the archipelago,
Nan Sarunai. Its existence is disputed; speculated by archeologists based on several carved stone tombs and a Ma'anyan folk song called "Usak Jawa", which is thought to tell the story of the Majapahit conquest of the kingdom. Nevertheless, Banjarmasin is one of two countries located in the present-day Indonesia which depicted in the
Qing dynasty era monumental painting,
Ten Thousand Nations Coming to Pay Tribute (萬國來朝圖
Wànguó láicháo tú); the other is
Sunda Kelapa. The monumental painting depicts foreign delegations visiting and bringing presents and tributes to the Qianlong Emperor in the Forbidden city in Beijing during the late 1750s.
Colonial era (floating fortress) against Dutch steam ship
Celebes, 6 August 1859 The first contact between Europeans and the Banjar people in the region came through trade. Starting in 1596, this mostly took place in
Banten. European traders, largely
Dutch, did not bother visiting the port until Banten's rulers banned them. The traders resorted to attacking ships from other countries, including ships under the Banjar Sultanate, to steal
nutmeg. The Sultan took revenge against a Dutch ship visiting Banjarmasin on 17 July 1607 by hijacking it and massacring the crew. Similar incidents occurred several times between 1603 and 1636, ending when the sultanate reached a trade agreement that put the
Dutch East India Company in control of the nutmeg trade from the sultanate and gave it a monopoly over trade in Banjarmasin. The company was expelled in 1638, however, after the sultan waged a war against the Dutch and burned much of the company's possessions around the port. This issue was navigated by the then Governor of Java,
John Fendall, who argued that the 1812 treaty’s conditions were still valid. Sovereignty was therefore effectively transferred from the British East India Company to the Sultan in late 1816, and not directly to the Dutch. As a result of the war, many Banjar people from Borneo migrated to
Sumatra,
Singapore, and
Malaysia and formed communities there. Frequent flooding led to a plan to relocate the provincial capital city to
Banjarbaru. The process continued until 2011, and the provincial parliament remains in Banjarmasin. Banjarmasin was granted city status by the Indonesian government in 1959 under Law Number 27 of 1959. On 23 May 1997, the city witnessed
a riot caused by friction between supporters of the
United Development Party and
Golkar. The riot later developed into looting, which targeted Chinese and Christian minorities and several shopping malls. At least 137 people were killed during the riots. The riot today is known by locals as
Jumat Kelabu or Grey Friday. On 15 February 2022, the capital of South Kalimantan province was legally moved to Banjarbaru. ==Geography==