Golden Age of Atjeh (1550-1650) (1550-1650) was an event in the history of Aceh recorded by Jongejan in Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu. The known Atjeh-history’s golden age.
Date and Context
The event is dated to 1550-1650.
Account
The known Atjeh-history’s golden age. Trade and traffic brought great wealth, especially to the court, which lived luxuriously. Scholars and artists from foreign lands (Egypte, Syrië, Arabië) settled here. Important translations, encyclopedic works, and fiqh books date from this period. Sultan Iskandar Moeda is the central figure. After his death, a brief successor reign brought a Sultana (female ruler) to the government - and three more female sultanas ruled in succession in the 17th century, evidence of the post-Iskandar crisis. The conflict between ‘family’ and ‘nation’ was brought to its highest degree under Iskandar.
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. 28, 34.