The Kingdom of Bolaang Mongondow, previously known as Kingdom of Bola'ang, was a state that ruled over majority of area of the present-day Bola'ang-Mongondow regencies in the North Celebes province of Indonesia, excluding Bola'ang Mongondow Utara regency, which was a territory that was ruled by smaller kingdoms of Bintauna and Kaidipang. The kingdom was founded in 1670 AD by a Mongondow prince Datu Loloda Mokoagow. He was the son of the paramount chief of Mongondow, Tadohe, seated in Kotobangon in the heartland of Mongondow plateau, while the prince established himself at the port settlement of Bola'ang and went to conquer many of the northern shores and inland settlements of present-day Minahasa regencies of northern Celebes peninsula. When he succeeded his father in 1670, he titled himself datu instead of the traditional Mongondow title of punu. This marked the beginning of Kingdom of Bola'ang. At its peak, the kingdom covered Bola'ang, Mongondow plateau, Kotabunan, Mandolang port, the banks of Ranoyapo river including Tumpa'an, Tareran, Tanawangko, and Tateli, Umuda, Manarow, and Wenang. However, on September 21, 1694, a contractual agreement to establish new territorial borders was signed between the Kingdom of Bola'ang and the newly unified federation of Minahasan tribes, backed by the Dutch. The borders were established along Poigar river as the northern border and along Buyat river as its southerly counterpart. The border thus divided the westside territory for Bola'ang and the eastside territory for Minahasan people, which made the kingdom of Bola'ang lose all of its territories and subjects on the east side of the borders. Thus, it left only Mongondow plateau and the adjacent Kotabunan as the territory of the Bola'ang, hence the name Kingdom of Bola'ang-Mongondow was used thereafter.
Etymology
The name "Bola'ang" came from the name of the settlement where the Datus ruled the realm from. Bola'ang alternatively spelled Gola'ang is an Old-Mongondow word meaning "enlightened due to a glimpse of sunlight pierce through the canopy of dense forest". "Mongondow" came from the name used to refer to the various groups of people living in the plateau of the same name. The people of the plateau got their name from their custom of momondow, which is "shouting signal words to communicate to peers in the jungle, or shouting a victorious battlecry".
History
Pre-establishment
Early of 15th century, the Mongondow people, mainly lived in the Mongondow plateau northern Celebes peninsula interior, had long were ruled by a succession of paramount chiefs titled Punuˀ.
The most basic class system of Mongondow society formed at the time of chief Damopoli'i. It consist of two classes, bounded by the most sacred vows : Rulers
Class of chiefs and their relatives. They had the right of absolute obedience from the commoners, while they are required to improve all aspects of the commoners' welfare. Commoners The commoners were required to give absolute obedience to the ruling class, while they had the right that their welfare be improved.
