As the result of this agreement, the Moluccas saw relatively peaceful times of over the next twenty years, and trade flourished. In about 1322, Arif Malamo initiated the Moti Agreement, which was a result of discussions between the rulers in Moluccas about trade and standardization of government structures. Some of the foreign traders eventually created the foundations of the Chinese and Arab communities in the city today. Ternate became a major port city and center of the spice trade in Moluccas region, competing with its rival, Tidore. During this time, Ternate started to have commercial contacts with Chinese and Arab traders, especially from Malacca and Java. :5 Ngara Malamo was succeeded by Patsyarangan Malamo (1317-1322) and later Sidang Arif Malamo (1322-1331). :4 Under Kaicil Ngara Malamo (1304-1317), Ternate expanded its influence and conquered neighbouring islands. :4 The capital of the kingdom was fixed at Sampalu village, but moved to Formadiahi during the reign of Kaicil Siale (1284-1298). Cico replaced his title with Kolano, which means "king". This political four-division had a great symbolic role.
Legend points out this Jafar Sadik as the father of the founding kings of Ternate, Tidore, Bacan and Jailolo. Cico may correspond to Kaicil Mashur Malamo, who was the first ruler according to other traditions and was a son of the Arab Jafar Sadik. In 1257, according to traditional chronology, Tobona gathered all the Momole from other villages for a meeting, with the result that all Momole from the various villages agreed to choose Cico, the chief of Sampalu village, as collective ruler of Ternate. These settlements also had their own Momole and were nominally independent from each other. Of other early settlements, Foramadiahi was established further downhill, while Sampalu, and Gamlamo were founded along the coast, unlike Tobona village. :4 This period was characterized by several smaller tribal settlements around the Gamalama mountain which were founded later on. During this time, the settlement was ruled by a tribal chief with title Momole. :4 The settlement founded by people from Halmahera was first situated close on the hillside of the Gamalama mountain, and named Tobona. Moluccan tradition has it that there was an exodus of people moving out of Halmahera island around 1250 because of political conflicts there. The Ternate Kingdom was previously known as Kingdom of Gapi. The term originally denoted the spice-producing islands of North Maluku, of which Ternate evolved as the dominant one.
Maluku is mentioned in Nagarakretagama (1365) which was written by Mpu Tantular from the Majapahit Empire. Historically the capital of powerful Sultanate of Ternate in 15th and 16th centuries, it fought a bitter rivalry with the Tidore Sultanate over control of spice trade in the Moluccas and became a main interest of the competing European powers. The biggest and most densely populated city in the province, it is the economic, cultural, and education center of North Maluku as well as hub to neighbouring regions. In total, the city has a land area of 162.17 square kilometres and had a total population of 185,705 according to the 2010 census, and 205,001 according to the 2020 census, with a density of 1,264 per square kilometre. It is composed of eight islands Ternate, the biggest and main island of the city, as well as seven smaller islands of Moti, Hiri, Tifure, Mayau, Makka, Mano, and Gurida.
It is off the west coast of the much larger island of Halmahera. It was de facto provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010.
Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands.