Blah is a subject named in General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh (1943) by M. H. du Croo, in connection with the history of Atjeh and the governorship of H. N. A. Swart.
Account in du Croo’s Generaal Swart (1943)
From W. Muurling
In May 1911 the Kedjoerön Petiambang and fourteen prominent chiefs visited, under Muurling’s leadership, the jaarmarkttentoonstelling at Koeta Radja; the administration was temporarily conducted by lieutenant Snell, who while acting brought in eight more uitgewekenen and four muzzle-loaders. During that visit Rödjö Tjoet Pasér with his panglimas and the blah-heads of Pasér and Reröbö solemnly begged the Governor’s forgiveness.
From Koeta Radja
In 1910 a Normaalcursus for the training of village schoolteachers was founded at Koeta Radja, which brought the necessary improvement in the quality of volksonderwijs. In 1915 Swart laid the first stone of the building of the Javasche Bank. In 1911 the jaarmarkttentoonstelling (annual fair exhibition) at Koeta Radja was visited under Muurling’s leadership by the Kedjoerön Petiambang and fourteen prominent chiefs of the Gajò Loeös, during which Rödjö Tjoet Pasér with his panglimas and the blah-heads of Pasér and Reröbö solemnly begged the Governor’s forgiveness. In December 1916 a meeting of progressive young oelèëbalangs and Acehnese officials was held at Koeta Radja in Swart’s presence, out of which the Sarekat Atjeh arose.
From Gajòlanden
“The foundation of Gajò society is the tribal bond; mutual deliberation within the blah (clan) is the only source of authority. Those who have gone over to the resistance do not break the bond with the clan; they take part in the common deliberation and are more or less bound by its outcome. Since those in resistance from each clan belong together, there ought to be as many bands as there are clans with men in resistance, which at the beginning of the year was virtually the case. When the bands became too weak to lead an independent existence, those of different clans belonging to the same clan headship joined together. Since the tribal bond is predominant, every clan that counts men in resistance is in its majority hostile to us. Whether the centre of gravity of the clan lies in the village or in the mountains depends on the number and character of the clansmen in resistance, from which it follows that in the Gajò Loeös the first step on the road to pacification must be to bring the centre of gravity of all the clans within reach of the administration, that is, within the villages.”
See Also
Account from Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu
Kinship group in Gajo society — the genealogical unit. Members belong to their original blahwherever they go, creating administrative headaches (comparable to a man from Zundert moving to Krommenie and refusing to deal with the local burgemeester because he has no family there).Gajo lands, headed by a rëdjö or penghoeloe. Smallest administrative unit (rather than the gampong as in proper Atjeh). Comprises the saudörö’s (brothers) plus the rëdjö, toeö, and imöm.
Source: J. Jongejans, Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 114, 119, 345.
Source
Generaal Swart, Pacificator van Atjeh (“General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh”), by M. H. du Croo, Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with the collaboration of H. J. Schmidt, Titular Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with a foreword by His Excellency Lieutenant-General K.N.I.L. (retired) G. K. Dijkstra (Maastricht: N.V. Leiter-Nypels, 1943), passim.
Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu, by J. Jongejans, Oud-Resident van het Gewest Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, with a foreword by Dr. H. Colijn (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 114, 119, 345.