Teuku Nja was the chieftain (Uleebalang) of Marassa who adopted a neutral and cooperative stance toward Dutch forces during the First Aceh Expedition and Second Aceh Expedition.
Role During the Conflict
In March 1873, Teuku Nja offered his mediation services to Dutch Commissioner Frederik Nieuwenhuijzen through his father-in-law, the ruler of Trumon. During the Second Aceh Expedition, he provided critical intelligence to General Jan van Swieten regarding Acehnese troop movements, the location of fortifications, and the death of Sultan Alauddin Mahmud Syah IX.
Due to his neutral position, Marassa villages were subjected to retaliatory attacks by Acehnese patriotic forces under Teuku Nanta in February 1874, forcing Dutch troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Karel van der Heijden to execute the Battle of Bital to protect his territory.
See Also
Source
De expeditiën naar Atjeh 1873-1874, W.W.F. Herfkens, Koninklijke Militaire Academie, 1900, pp. 11, 24, 28, 39, 43, 45, 55, 62, 63.