Former city and sultanate, Java .
It was located at the western end of Java between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean. In the early 16th century it became a powerful Muslim sultanate, which extended its control over parts of Sumatra and Borneo . Invaded by the Dutch, Portuguese, and British, it ultimately recognized Dutch sovereignty in 1684. The city was Java's most important port for the European spice trade until its harbour silted up in the late 18th century. It suffered severely from the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883.