The Murder of Toekoe Moeda Angkasa on 11 December 11 December 1876 was the treacherous murder of the radja of Merbau, an ally of the Dutch in their conflict with the hostile coast-states of Simpang Olim and Tandjong Semantoh, by a handlangers of the radja of Simpang Olim. The murder was committed on the eve of the Dutch ultimatum to the radja of Simpang Olim and was followed on 13 December 13 December by a feast at Teping Sirin at which the radja of Simpang Olim invited his adherents and allies to plan an attack on the Dutch positions.
Background
The Dutch government wished in this period to act vigorously against two states on the east coast that had remained hostile — Simpang Olim and Tandjong Semantoh. A favourable opportunity presented itself to do damage to those states, because another prince in that region, Toekoe Moeda Angkasa, had been driven from his country, Merbau, by these two, and wished nothing more than to take revenge and, with Dutch help, to recover what he had lost. The government held that he should be strongly supported, and gave the commander in Atjeh to understand “that the government as little wished that Toekoe Moeda Angkasa should be defeated, as that he should conquer without our assistance; if possible, troops should therefore be sent to the Arakoendoer-rivier.”
The commander, General Wiggers van Kerchem, was little inclined to reduce further the troop strength at Atjeh, and on a new application, in November, for 350 to 400 men, he made objection to granting that application, “both with a view to the complete unusability of the auxiliary troops, and to the approaching favourable monsoon, which would soon make the continuation of operations in Great Acheh possible. Moreover, he argued, the consequences of aggressive action against Simpang Olim were incalculable, and it deserved the preference to employ all available forces for the time being against Great Acheh.” This disagreement led to his resignation; his successor, General Diemont, at once took up the expedition against Simpang Olim with vigour.
The Murder
Diemont sent on 7 November 7 November 1876 the necessary troops to combine with the navy, which had already taken an active part in the operations, to conquer the two hostile states. After the storming of Tandjong Semantoh on 14 November 14 November and the submission of the radja of Simpang Olim, the radja’s continued evasions of the conditions imposed — that Dutch troops should be admitted into the gedei of Simpang Olim, that a post should be established there or in the neighbourhood, and that the radja should present himself personally at Kota Radja — led to the issue of an ultimatum on 10 December 10 December 1876. When on 12 December 12 December the chiefs reported that the radja had fled to the interior, a proclamation declared him deprived of his authority and excluded for ever, together with his lineage, from the government of Simpang Olim.
“That he had remained hostile to us appeared from the fact that on 11 December 11 December our ally Toekoe Moeda Angkasa was treacherously murdered by one of his handlangers, and that on 13 December 13 December in the evening he had invited his adherents and allies to a feast at Teping Sirin, in order to devise plans for an attack on our positions.”
Significance
The murder of Toekoe Moeda Angkasa closed the Dutch alliance with Merbau in its original form, and required the appointment of his son as radja of Merbau and Tandjong Semantho. Before the Dutch troops returned, the affairs were first regulated: the son of Toekoe Moeda Angkasa was appointed radja of Merbau and Tandjong Semantho, and by the chiefs a new radja of Simpang Olim was chosen, who on 5 February 5 February 1877 solemnly swore the conditions imposed by the government, whereupon the Dutch flag was given to him. In various places further garrison was laid, and thereupon the other troops returned under Major Burgers to Atjeh on 17 January 17 January [1877]. “The submission of Simpang Olim made a great impression everywhere and confirmed our authority also in the other Onderhoorigheden.”
See Also
- Toekoe Moeda Angkasa
- A. J. E. Diemont
- G. B. T. Wiggers van Kerchem
- Simpang Olim
- Tandjong Semantoh
- Merbau
- Arakoendoer
- Teping Sirin
- Aceh War
Source
De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 79-83.