The first Dutch expedition to Atjeh in 1873 was the initial military attempt by the Dutch East Indies to subjugate the Sultanate of Aceh. The expedition ended in failure, but it established the pattern of resistance—particularly from the XXII Moekims—that would characterise the entire thirty-year conflict.
The expedition and its failure
The first expedition, launched in 1873, was unsuccessful. Although Dutch troops did not enter the XXII Moekims, the inhabitants of that sagi played a major role in resisting the “kaffirs”—the Christian Dutch, described as enemies of the Koran. This demonstrated from the very beginning that resistance was not limited to direct confrontation but extended to all areas where Dutch forces sought to establish authority.
The second expedition and the kraton (late 1873-1874)
In the latter part of the same year, a second expedition—under Generaal Van Swieten—achieved greater success. The Dutch forces eventually captured the kraton on 24 January 1874. The impression of this success was considerable: significant chiefs from the XXV and XXVI Moekims came to pay their respects to Van Swieten, and the population of those sagi’s gave signs of being tired of further struggle.
However, among the chiefs who refused any approach—who were not deterred by Dutch success and who prevented the population that desired peace from expressing it—Panglima Polim (then Sri Moeda Perkasa) stood at the forefront. He made his territory a gathering place for all who wished to continue the war, and his influence radiated over all the landscapes of Groot-Atjeh.
The beginning of prolonged resistance
Although the capture of the kraton and the death of the young sultan two days later (26 January 1874) seemed to improve the prospects for rapid pacification, the resistance led by Panglima Polim demonstrated that the Dutch could not rely on the disappearance of the sultanate to end the conflict. The resistance would continue—organised from the XXII Moekims, sustained by spiritual leaders in Keumala, and guided by the persistent family line of the Polims—for the next three decades.
See Also
Source
Het einde van den Atjeh Oorlog (Overprintken uit de Evening Post van 25, 26 en 27 Augustus 1903, pp. 3-5); Somer, Dr. J. M. Het Atjeh-probleem van 1890-1900 (Overprint uit Journal / Organ van de Netherlands-Indies Officers Association, [1935], pp. 4-5).