Mentioning the heritage of British colonialism in Southeast Asia, our minds can immediately turn to Malaysia, Singapore or Brunei Darussalam. However, Indonesia – especially Bengkul – was once a part of the British imperial ambitions.
Although they ruled for about 140 years (1685–1825), they left a historic heritage, which remains to be strong: Marlborough Fort.
This fortress with an area of 44,000 m² is the most important built by the British in Southeast Asia. Located on the west coast of Sumatra, directed to the Indian Ocean, its position recorded its role in each defense and a spice trade guard – goods to the products within the seventeenth century.
Fort York: Forgotten precursor
Before establishing Marlborough, the British for the primary time built Fort York in 1701 along the Serut River. This location was chosen to supervise business ships transporting Bengkul pepper – a goods called “black gold”.
According to The Jakarta Post: Traces of British colonization in Bengkul (2014), Fort was designed to repel the attacks of the ACEH and Banten sultanates, in addition to colonial rivals similar to the Dutch. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, because malaria claimed that many soldiers led to the abandonment of Fort York.
This defeat prompted Joseph Colletta, deputy governor East India Company (EIC), to construct a brand new fortress in a more strategic place: artificial hill with a view of the Indian Ocean.
The name “Marlborough” was elected in honor of John Churchill, 1. Prince Marlborough, the legendary British military commander who triumphed within the battle of Blenheim (1704). The name symbolized the legal glory of Great Britain in Bengkul.
Built as a defensive fortress
The construction of the Marlborough fortress began in 1713 under the command of Joseph Colletta. Hundreds of local employees and convicts were mobilized to smooth 1.8 meters thick bricks – almost matching the partitions of European fortresses. During this era, civilian officials and military garrisons divided into old and recent forts.
The construction stopped temporarily. On March 17, 1719 – only months after the tip of the phase I – the inhabitants of Bengkul rebelled against the British rule. The rebellion caused compulsory force and using pepper resources. Dutch (lzo-United East India Company) used the opportunity of recovering the region.
The British could return to Bengkul in 1720 after intensive negotiations. In 1793, the fortress stood within the face of one other attack of local residents, which caused the death of Robert Hamilton, an officer EIC (East India Company).
Determined to take care of control, the British armed the fortress with 72 cannons and dug dry moats crammed with wood spikes to face up to artillery attacks. His pattern just like the turtle (with pointed bastions in every corner) made him almost not lived.
As cited in Indonesian fortMarlborough Fortress is certainly one of the strongest British fortresses within the east, the second only Fort St. George in Madras, India.
From Great Britain to Indonesia: a turbulent property history
The dominance of Great Britain in Bengkul ended with a treaty from London from 1824 (Anglo-Dutch treaty). According to this agreement, the United Kingdom gave Bengkulu to the Dutch in exchange for the Malaccania and Singapore she controlled.
Then Marlborough served as a Dutch military base until 1942. During the occupation in Japan in Indonesia, the fortress was modified as a logistics center.
After independence (1945), he briefly became a police quarters for the Republic of Indonesia. However, the Dutch repeated him in the course of the second military aggression (1948–1949). He was fully taken over by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in 1950. In 1977, the Indonesian government appointed him a spot of cultural heritage, restored and transformed right into a historic landmark.
Architectural functions
It covers 2.7 hectares, the Marlborough fortress combines military and administrative functions. Its predominant gate on the south -west side is protected by Ravelin (triangular defensive structure) and a hidden wood bridge.
The fortress is surrounded by a dry moat two meters wide, crammed with traps and a depth of 2-3 meters. Meanwhile, underground tunnels – attached to connecting to the coast – left secret.
Inside, guests find military barracks, an underground prison (through which Pungg Karno was banished by the Dutch in 1939), a feet of gunpowder and even a small chapel. In particular, its winding corridors were designed to decelerate the progress of the enemy in the event that they are violated. Each arrow -shaped bastion allowed soldiers to shoot in all directions without blind places.
Untangling History: Duration of Colonization in Southeast Asian Countries
Today, the Marlborough fortress has transformed from a colonial symbol right into a charming historical destination. This is certainly one of the historic Bengkulu icons, celebrated on account of their exceptional architecture. Tourists cannot only admire its beauty, but in addition traces the traces of British colonial management in Bengkul.
