Sonbai Kecil

Sonbai Kecil or Lesser Sonbai was an Atoni princedom in West Timor, now included in Indonesia. It existed from 1658 to 1917, when it merged into a colonial creation, the zelfbesturend landschap Kupang.

Sonbai Kecil was originally a breakaway group from the united Sonbai (Sonba'i, Sonnebay) realm that dominated large parts of West Timor. The creation of the princedom was connected with the colonial rivalries of 17th century Indonesia. Sonbai allied with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) against the Portuguese in 1655. The VOC had a post in Kupang in the far west since 1653 and was engaged in warfare with Portugal, whose dominions included Larantuka on Flores and Lifau on the north coast of Timor.

Part of the conflict was rivalry over the white sandalwood (santalum album), a precious item that grew in certain quantities on Timor. After a series of defeats at the hands of the Portuguese in 1657-1658, a part of the Sonbai congregation migrated to the Dutch stronghold in Kupang together with another VOC-allied group, Amabi. Another part remained in the inland under Portuguese surveillance, and became the Sonbai Besar princedom. The Kupang area was inhabited by the Helong people, but the newcomers were settled close to the Dutch fort without serious conflict with the original inhabitants.

The Sonbai Kecil, Helong and Amabi groups were later joined by two further groups from north-western Timor, Amfoan (1683) and Taebenu (1688). These five congregations posed as loyal allies to the VOC, while the rest of Timor largely fell under the influence of the Portuguese Eurasians or Topasses. Up to 1749, the five allies lived in a state of low-scale hostility with the neighboring clients of the Topasses, in particular the princedom Amarasi.

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