Si Doelah was the son of a simple oelama who came to play the role of T. Radja Sabi and was accepted and brought up as future oelèëbalang at Koeta Radja.
Why countless Acehnese recognised the substitute as T. Radja Sabi, showed him respect and submission, and even appeared before him deeply moved, “could never be answered by anyone, not even by Swart. Did they hope by the substitution to keep the real T. Radja Sabi safely out of the line of fire? Did those who made the substitution count on a high reward? Who shall say…? Atjeh remains Atjeh.” Reports soon reached the bivouacs that the real T. Radja Sabi was still at large. When the true heir at last submitted on 13 March 1919, “the ‘false’ one disappeared and ended as a wegmandoer (road foreman).”
See Also
Source
Generaal Swart, Pacificator van Atjeh (“General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh”), by M. H. du Croo, Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with the collaboration of H. J. Schmidt, Titular Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with a foreword by His Excellency Lieutenant-General K.N.I.L. (retired) G. K. Dijkstra (Maastricht: N.V. Leiter-Nypels, 1943), Chapter X.