Pre-colonial rule As part of
Srivijaya, Pangkalpinang was inhabited by Hindus. In addition to being a territory of Sriwijaya, it was also a territory of
Majapahit and the
Mataram Kingdom. In all three kingdoms, Pangkalpinang received little attention despite its proximity to international shipping routes and became a hideout for pirates preying on ships in the
South China Sea To secure the shipping routes around the
Strait of Malacca, the
Johor Sultanate sent troops to Pangkalpinang, establishing a garrison and began spreading
Islam in the region. However, the pirates soon returned. Years later, in another attempt to rid the area of piracy, the
Sultan of Banten sent a
regent of the Indonesian archipelago to eradicate the pirates. The regent established control and ruled Bangka until his death, when his authority passed to his only daughter.
Colonial rule Around 1709,
tin was found on the banks of the Olin River in Toboali District. With the discovery of tin, merchants from China and elsewhere flocked to the region; the Sultan of Palembang sent representatives to China in search of tin experts. In 1717, the
Palembang Sultanate began developing trade relationships with the
Dutch East India Company (VOC). With the company's help, the sultan attempted to eradicate piracy and tin smuggling. The Netherlands was occupied by France at the height of the
Napoleonic Wars, and the British seized all areas in
Nusantara under Dutch governance. In accordance with the Tuntang Agreement, on 18 September 1811 the Dutch handed over the island of Java, Timor, Makassar, and Palembang to the British; Pangkalpinang become a British colony.
Stamford Raffles sent emissaries to Palembang to take over the Dutch fort in Sungai Aur, but they were rejected by Sultan
Mahmud Badaruddin II. Raffles also demanded the tin mines in Pangkalpinang from Badaruddin. Raffles sent an expedition to Palembang, led by
Rollo Gillespie, on 20 March 1812. Gillespie replaced Mahmud Badaruddin II with Prince Adipati, giving him the title of Sultan Ahmad Najamuddin II, and the new sultan handed over the islands of
Belitung and
Bangka Islands to the British. In accordance with the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the Netherlands regained areas occupied in 1803 by the British (including Pangkalpinang). The native people were subjected to fraud, extortion, and forced labor by the Dutch and the British. The Dutch exploited the tin reserves; guerrilla warfare was fought in
Musi Rawas, and Pangkalpinang fought to expel the Dutch. During
World War II, Bangka Island was
occupied by
Japanese troops. Although the occupation of Pangkalpinang was brief, shortages of food and clothing were severe.
Independent Indonesia After Japan surrendered to the
Allies and the
Indonesia proclaimed its independence, Pangkalpinang became part of Indonesia. (initially as part of the province of
South Sumatra). After the country's political landscape changed, Bangka Belitung Islands were separated from South Sumatra and
combined as a province with Pangkalpinang its capital. ==Demographics==