Panglima Awang Hitam

Panglima Awang Hitam

Panglima Awang Hitam ( in some resouces he was mentioned as “henry the black” or “Enrique de Malacca”) was originally from Malay Archipelago, but was enslaved by a Portugaese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan during his expedition to Melaka in 1511. The story of Panglima Awang Hitam or Henry the black started when Malacca fall to the hand of Portugese. After the conquer of Malacca, lot of men include Awang Hitam being slaved and forcefully be a crew of the ship. With his good knowledge of navigation about the sea and ability to communicate in Malay language, Awang Hitam became a useful person for Magellan as he in need navigator and translator to communicate with the cremates to continue the journey to other parts of souhtest Asia after their conquer of Malacca.

The long journey that take about long time finally make the captain of the ship Magellan being close to Awang Hitam. A few of Portugese really attracted to character Awang Hitam until he gave special treat with released from the handcuff. Awang Hitam being told to be a slave on the ship along the journey with condition that Awang Hitam not rebel against captain. At that time, Magellan change his Malay name Awang Hitam to Enrique, so that would avoid race discrimination and religion within the Portugese community and crewmates of the ship with Awang Hitam.

The history of around the world start when Magellan escape from Spain with Awang Hitam because being slandered from the jealous of him. The greatness of skills and experience as a sailors made the king of Portugal aprreciate Magellan but it also make the other people jealous and from the enemy that finally slandered the captain of the ship. However, Magellan and Awang Hitam welcomed to Spain as the leader of the country, Charles 1, because of the reputation that Magellan holds as the best sailorman Portugal being known and amazed by the Spain people.

At Spain, the skills and great experiences of Magellan as the sailors benefited the King Charles 1 ask the Portugese man to set sail to loot treasure and conquer the land for the Spain goverment. A few years being prepared for the making of the big ship called “Victoria” for another journey until another ship succesfully created to join the journey. The Spain cruise  recommendation finally get to the highest authority leader of christian for the whole world at that time at the Pope, Rome. Pope requires that, if the Spain want to set sail, they cant go to the east because it being specific for the Portugese. So, the Spain must go to the west if they want to go set sail.

This journey makes the crewmates anxiety in among of them, because the journey to the west still not being explore fully by others sailors. The crewmates decide not go with Magellan and leave the ship before it can go to the sea. Finally, without crewmates, Magellan forced to tkae the prisoner as crewamates with offer of freedom and wealthy awaits them if they followed the journey to the west. Another person besides Awang Hitam, right person of Magellan are Sebastian del Cano and the writer of the journey, Pigafetta. On 1519, the big ship set out to push the harbour of Seville go to West horizon. The journey too mainstream because lack of the experience crewmates and some of the crewmates sick and died on the ship. A lot of Crew rebel and ask the captain to turn back the Seville port.

However the rebel created and conflict occur on the ship alongside the journey dissolved when the journey meet land in west, the ship step on the new area at the west America. A year passed, the journey meet Magalles straits named as the name Magallen. Not satisfied with the new found of the area, Magallen want to explore more to the westuntil theres a conflict accur again among the crewmates where they think that, earth was flat and not round that makes them worried the journey to the west make them fall to the bottom of the earth and died. However the rebel going , Magellan keep the journey on track with the support of Awang Hitam and a few of the crewmates. The journey go to the Pacific Ocean create a lot of problems. A few of the ship disappear from the storm and the food crisis happen which the amount of food reduced day by day make the crewmates forced to hunt for mice and cocroach as food supply for them.