A historical name for Bengkulu, a port city on the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, used especially in colonial-era texts.
From Bengkulu (Malay/Indonesian name) with English colonial spelling variation. Reflects the transliteration practices of 18th-19th century British colonial writers.
Benkulen was a crucial British trading post in the spice wars, and learning how colonial powers spelled Indonesian place names teaches you how English absorbed Asian geography through conquest and commerce.
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