rupt ▁this ▁trade . ▁ ▁Al lying ▁himself ▁with ▁T ern ate ' s ▁r uler , ▁Ser r ão ▁constructed ▁a ▁for tr ess ▁on ▁that ▁tiny ▁island ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁mer cen ary ▁band ▁of ▁Portuguese ▁se amen ▁under ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁local ▁fe ud ing ▁s ult ans ▁who ▁controlled ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁sp ice ▁trade . ▁Both ▁Ser r ão ▁and ▁Ferdinand ▁Mag ellan , ▁however , ▁per ished ▁before ▁they ▁could ▁meet ▁one ▁another . ▁ ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁first ▁land ed ▁in ▁Am bon ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 3 , ▁but ▁it ▁only ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁centre ▁for ▁their ▁activities ▁in ▁Mal u ku ▁following ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁from ▁T ern ate . ▁European ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁weak ▁and ▁T ern ate ▁became ▁an ▁expand ing , ▁fier c ely ▁Islam ic ▁and ▁anti - Europe an ▁state ▁under ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁Sultan ▁Ba ab ▁Ul lah ▁( r . ▁ 1 5 7 0 – 1 5 8 3 ) ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁Sultan ▁Sa idi ▁Ber k at . ▁ ▁Following ▁Portuguese ▁mission ary ▁work , ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁large ▁Christian ▁communities ▁in ▁eastern ▁Indones ia ▁through ▁to ▁contemporary ▁times , ▁which ▁has ▁contributed ▁to ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁shared ▁interest ▁with ▁Europe ans , ▁particularly ▁among ▁the ▁Am bon ese . ▁ ▁Dutch ▁ ▁The ▁Dutch ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 9 ▁and ▁competed ▁with ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁for ▁trade . ▁During