The abandonment of the Simpang Olim residence occurred in 1877, when the local radja of Simpang Olim fled or was driven from his dwelling, leaving behind a substantial assemblage of personal ornaments that subsequently entered the collection of the Batavian Society.
Circumstances
The 1928 treasure-room guide describes the event concisely: the objects were “aangetroffen in diens verlaten woning in 1877” — “found in his abandoned dwelling in 1877.” The use of the word verlaten (abandoned, deserted) combined with gewezen (former) to describe the radja indicates a forced departure. The radja had already been stripped of his status by the time the catalogue was compiled, suggesting that his abandonment of the residence was a definitive rupture — either he was killed, captured, or permanently exiled.
Context of the Aceh War in 1877
The year 1877 fell within the first phase of the Aceh War. The Dutch had first attacked the palace at Kutaraja in 1873, and by 1874 had occupied the royal capital, proclaiming the sultanate dissolved. However, the Acehnese resistance continued under the leadership of regional commanders and religious figures, and the Dutch found themselves locked in a protracted guerrilla conflict. In this phase, Dutch columns regularly penetrated into the interior, attacking and burning villages and forcing local rulers either to submit or flee.
The abandonment of the radja’s house at Simpang Olim is consistent with this pattern of displacement. The rich collection of ornaments left behind — including gold and silver jewellery, amulets, daggers, and the remarkable gold spectacles — suggests a hasty departure in which the radja was unable or chose not to take his most precious possessions.
The recovered objects
The full assemblage is catalogued in the Batavian Society’s Cabinet 3 (Atjeh), items 2–42, and is described in detail under Radja of Simpang Olim.
See Also
- Radja of Simpang Olim
- Simpang Olim
- 1877
- Aceh War
- Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen
Source
Gids voor den bezoeker van de schatkamer, Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, Batavia, 1928. Druk: Ruygrok & Co., Batavia. Cabinet 3 (Atjeh), items 2–42.