▁head ▁of ▁a ▁b ull " ▁or ▁" the ▁head ▁of ▁something ▁large ". ▁ ▁Administr ative ▁divisions ▁The ▁Mal u ku ▁Islands ▁were ▁a ▁single ▁province ▁from ▁Indones ian ▁independence ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁split ▁into ▁North ▁Mal u ku ▁and ▁Mal u ku . ▁ ▁North ▁Mal u ku ▁province ▁includes ▁T ern ate ▁( the ▁former ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁provincial ▁capital ), ▁T id ore , ▁Bac an ▁and ▁Hal ma h era ▁( the ▁largest ▁of ▁the ▁Mal u ku ▁Islands ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁ ▁Arab ▁mer ch ants ▁began ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁the ▁four teenth ▁century , ▁bringing ▁Islam . ▁The ▁conversion ▁to ▁Islam ▁occurred ▁in ▁many ▁islands , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁cent res ▁of ▁trade , ▁while ▁ab original ▁anim ism ▁pers isted ▁in ▁the ▁hinter lands ▁and ▁more ▁isolated ▁islands . ▁Arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁here ▁re lies ▁largely ▁on ▁the ▁occurrence ▁of ▁p igs ' ▁teeth , ▁as ▁evidence ▁of ▁p ork ▁e ating ▁or ▁ab st in ence ▁there from . ▁ ▁Portuguese ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁significant ▁last ing ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁presence ▁were ▁the ▁dis ruption ▁and ▁re organ ization ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast ▁Asian ▁trade , ▁and ▁in ▁eastern ▁Indones ia — including ▁Mal u ku — the ▁introduction ▁of ▁Christian ity . ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁had ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁city - state ▁of ▁Mal ac ca ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁six teenth ▁century ▁and ▁their ▁influence ▁was ▁most ▁strongly ▁felt ▁in ▁Mal u