Francisco Serrão
Francisco Serrão (in Spanish, Francisco Serrano) (died 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. A cousin of Ferdinand Magellan, Serrão served as captain of one of three vessels sent from Malacca by Afonso de Albuquerque to explore the 'Spice Islands' of Maluku in 1511.[1] When Serrão's ship berthed at Gresik on Java island, he took a Javanese woman as his wife, who then accompanied him on his further journey to Maluku.[2] D'Abreu sailed through Ambon Island while Serrão went ahead towards Maluku islands.
In 1512 his ship was shipwrecked but managed to reach Luco-Pino island (Hitu), north of Ambon. His attempt to rejoin D'Abreu ship was hampered by storm and Serrão's ship landed on Ternate island.[3] He established ties with the local ruler who was impressed with his martial skills. The rulers of the competing island states of Ternate and Tidore both sought Portuguese assistance. The Portuguese were also welcomed in the area as buyers of food and spices during a lull in the spice trade due to a temporary disruption to Javanese and Malay sailings to the area following the 1511 conflicts in Malacca.[1]
Allying himself with Ternate, Serrão served as the head of a mercenary band of Portuguese warriors under the service of the island's Sultan Bayan Sirrullah, one of two feuding powerful sultans who controlled the spice trade. They became close friends and the Sultan appointed Serrão as his personal adviser for all matters, including military (Portuguese document purport) and family issues. Having been well received by the Sultan, Francisco Serrão decided to remain there, not making any efforts to return to Malacca.[3]
Franscisco Serrão urged Ferdinand Magellan to join him in Maluku, and gave the explorer information about the 'Spice Islands'. Serrão, however, was killed in Ternate at almost the same time when Magellan was killed in Philipines.[3] His family ties with Juan Serrano is remain unclear from the historiography of Portuguese expeditions to Southeast Asia. The only written document is a list of captain names in the fleet of Magellan's.[3]
References
See also
- ↑ a b M.C. Ricklefs: A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300, 2nd Edition. MacMillan, London 1991, ISBN 0-333-57689-6, S. 24.
- ↑ Paramita R. Abdurachman: 'Niachile Pokaraga' A Sad Story of a Moluccan Queen. In: Modern Asian Studies. 22. Jahrgang, Nr. 3, 1988, S. 571–592 (jstor.org).
- ↑ a b c d Duarte Barbosa; Mansel Longworth Dames; Fernão de Magalhães: The book of Duarte Barbosa : an account of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants. Asian Educational Services, New Delhi 1989, ISBN 8120604512.