Luhu

Luhu was traditionally the residence of the kimelaha, the ruler of Hoamoal (Western Seram), who officially ruled the area in the name of Ternate. As such, the VOC had a fraught relationship with Luhu: in times of peace there was a fortified trading post. However, due to shifting VOC policy and the regular tensions and conflicts with the kimelaha, it was often abandoned. During the Great Ambon War, there was ample fighting around Luhu, for example in 1654, when the VOC wanted to destroy the sago groves growing near the river Kahouli. At the end of the war, the entire peninsula was depopulated, and the people living there forced to relocate.