The Imam of Lamtoba was the religious and political head — the Iman — of the eight kampongs of the valley of Lamtoba, at the foot of the Goudberg behind the north coast of Groot-Atjeh, during the Dutch occupation of the valley in July–August 1879, as recorded in W. Cool and G. B. Hooijer’s Eene schoone bladzijde uit Atjeh’s geschiedenis (1889). Beside the Imam stood a Rijksbestierder (secular administrator), Panglima Banten, and four wakils who governed two kampongs each.
The envoys of 29 July 1879
About an hour’s march from the valley, on 29 July 1879, a wakil with two followers presented himself to the column-commander, Luitenant-Kolonel Gerlach, sent by the Imam with word that the chiefs and population of the XXVI Moekims had fled to Selimoen, and that the population of Lamtoba was as well-disposed as that of Lampanas. The envoy was answered that the commander wished to receive no emissaries of the Imam — the Imam must present himself in person — and that the column would meanwhile march on. Half an hour later a second embassy of the Imam appeared with the same errand; these were detained to point out the best road to Lamtoba, the guides being in doubt, since the first envoys could carry back the answer. When the column reached the valley, white flags were seen at every kampong.
The interview at the Lambada bivak
Shortly after the troops reached their bivak site at the kampong Lambada, the Imam appeared with several chiefs. The column-commander addressed him very severely — first for coming so late (he excused himself by the great distance), and above all for his conduct towards the chiefs and population of the XXVI Moekims, whom he had received in his kampongs. He was told that the Militaire Bevelhebber of Atjeh was highly angered at this and had ordered that all the kampongs of the valley should be burnt, but that a change might yet come if he obeyed all orders exactly. He was thereupon commanded to deliver at once all firearms, powder and cartridges of his kampongs and to bring in the materials for the building of the huts of the column; and as a pledge for the execution he was told it was better that he should remain constantly with the column-commander — to which, after initial objections, he consented.
Hostage to Kota Radja
It soon became clear that even with the best will he could not properly fulfil the orders, the greater part of his population having fled the kampongs. In the following days he remained the channel of the commander’s demands; on 21 August 1879, after the heads of the valley had declared themselves unable to pay the waarborgsom imposed in lieu of the punishment by fire, it was determined that the Imam and the Rijksbestierder, with half of the wakils and kampong-heads, should follow the column to Kota Radja as hostages. The hostages passed the day and night of 21–22 August in the bivak, and on 22 August they marched out with the troops — all save Panglima Banten, who fled in the morning of the departure and whose eventual return, on 1 September, is recorded in the account of the Lampanas quarantine. With the embarkation of 4 September 1879 the hostages were carried over to the Graaf van Bijland for Oleh-leh.
See Also
- Lamtoba
- Panglima Banten
- Occupation of the Lamtoba valley (July–August 1879)
- Evacuation of the Lamtoba valley (21–23 August 1879)
- Hok gantjing
- 1879
Source
Eene schoone bladzijde uit Atjeh’s geschiedenis, door W. Cool en G. B. Hooijer (‘s-Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff, 1889), pp. 20, 22-23, 25, 30-31, 64-66, 76. OCR-filename: 20260720_115822_DLP-135-Eene_schoone_bladzijde_uit_Atjeh_s_geschiedenis_Nemotron_OCR_v2_OCR.txt.