Hugo Hermenegildo da Costa

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Hugo Hermenegildo da Costa († around 1950 ) was a traditional ruler ( Usif ) of the empire of Oecussi in northwest Timor . The empire was part of the Portuguese Timor colony and is now part of the East Timor state as an exclave . Hugo belonged to one of the leading families of the Topasse , who had rulers in the region since the 17th century.

Life

Map of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and the surrounding areas (1914)

Costa ruled from 1911 to 1948 and was considered particularly loyal to the colonial power Portugal . In contrast to the population, he even wore European clothing.

When the neighboring ruler João da Cruz of Ambeno rebelled in May 1912, Costa had to flee by boat until the Portuguese put down the rebellion. Cruz fled to the neighboring Dutch possessions in West Timor and his empire was subordinated to Oecussi, which is why the exclave was named with the double name Oe-Cusse Ambeno. Costa was also able to legitimize his claims by marrying his second wife Anita da Cruz , the daughter of João.

In 1916 the boundaries between the colonial powers were finally set by treaty. They largely correspond to today's borders between East Timor and Indonesia . The Topasse Empire of Noimuti went to the Dutch, Oe-Cusse Ambeno remained in Portuguese hands. Two disputed areas in the east had been left to the Dutch in 1904.

Costa's loyalty to Portugal went so far that he even continued to collect taxes during the Japanese occupation of Timor (1942 to 1945). Thanks to his popularity among the population and his skill, he was able to stay in office during this time.

Hugo da Costa ruled until 1948. From 1949 he was followed by José Hermenegildo da Costa .

supporting documents

  • Geoffrey C. Gunn: History of Timor. ( PDF file available from Centro de Estudos sobre África, Ásia e América Latina , CEsA of the TU Lisbon ; 805 kB; accessed on June 18, 2014).
  • Laura Suzanne Meitzner Yoder: Custom, Codification, Collaboration: Integrating the Legacies of Land and Forest Authorities in Oecusse Enclave, East Timor. Dissertation, Yale University, 2005 ( PDF file; 1.46 MB ( memento of March 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive )).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Laura SM Yoder: Custom, Codification, Collaboration:…. 2005, p. 88.
  2. ↑ a b Regnal Chronologies: Southeast Asia: the Islands
  3. ↑ Laura SM Yoder: Custom, Codification, Collaboration:…. 2005, p. 100.
  4. ↑ Laura SM Yoder: Custom, Codification, Collaboration:…. 2005, p. 97 ff.
  5. ^ Geoffrey C. Gunn: History of Timor , p. 77.
personal data
SURNAME Costa, Hugo Hermenegildo there
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Leader of the Topasse and ruler of Oecussi
DATE OF BIRTH 19th century
DATE OF DEATH around 1950