The Sumbawa people inhabit the western part of the
Sumbawa Island and about another 38 smaller islands. In the eastern borders, the Sumbawa people are closely related to the Bima people. The Sumbawa people descended from the ancient
Austronesian people that came to the island thousands of years ago. In the 14th century, the western part of the
Sumbawa Island is regarded as a territory dependent on the Javanese
Majapahit kingdom. Later the formation of the
West Sumbawa government became dependent on the
Bali Kingdom. In 1650–1750, the West Sumbawa sultans themselves became possessors of lands at the nearby
Lombok Island. In the 17th century,
Islam was spread among the Sumbawa people. However this influence only gained significant importance in the 19th century in relation to the reforms that were carried out by the local monarch to strengthen their power after the catastrophic
Tambora eruption. Thus, they have also contributed to the cultural unification of the local population. As early as the 16th century, the Sumbawa people have been known to be suppliers of valuable fragrant wood, honey, rice and horses to other countries within the Southeast Asian region. Since 1605, they were already actively trading with the Dutch. Thanks to the Dutch traders in the
Sumbawa Island, the locals began to grow coffee; which then became the main export produce. In the 19th century, the governing of the Sumbawa people came under the Dutch colonies. In 1949,
West Sumbawa became part of
Indonesia. ==Religion==