Initially they were seen as less desirable to the locals of Tulang Bawang due to their tendency to avoid local conflicts. In 1751 a Dutch post was assaulted and captured by a local prince.[5] It was not until themid-1800s when the Dutch East Indies managed to subjugate the locals and established formal administration over the banks. At the turn of the twentieth century, the banks of Tulang Bawang and its tributaries were settled by about 30,000 people, in comparison to the relatively unpopulated regions further away from the rivers.