Enlargement of the Meuseugit Raja (between 1899 and c. 1938) was an event in the history of Aceh recorded by Jongejan in Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu. In 1899 Prof.
Date and Context
The event is dated to between 1899 and c. 1938.
Account
In 1899 Prof. Snouck Hurgronje called the Meuseugit Raja at Koeta Radja ‘een ledig monument onzer dwaasheid’ and condemned its construction as one of the many expensive mistakes that marked the beginning of Dutch Aceh involvement. Almost 40 years later (c. 1938), the meuseugit had been enlarged with two wings, and on high days the space was still too small to hold all who came to fulfil their religious duties — a sign, the author argues, of how times have changed.
Significance
The event is recorded by Jongejan as part of the broader historical narrative of Aceh and the Atjeh conflict period. It illustrates the complex interplay of local Atjehers politics, Dutch colonial administration, and the religious and military leadership that shaped the region’s history.
See Also
Source
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. 101.