Ana’ Galong — written in Dutch variously as Ana’ Galong, Anak Galoeng, Anas Galoeng, Ana Galong, and Anao Galong — was a Dutch outpost and fort in the sagi of the XXII Moekims, described by Kruisheer in ATJEH ‘96 as the place “Door de Atjehers steeds beschouwd als het hart van Groot-Atjeh” (“considered by the Atjehers as the heart of Great Aceh”). As the buitenposten of the buitenlinie went, Ana’ Galong was the most exposed and most fought-over, the former main residence of Teungkoe di Tiroe (who died there), and the scene of the famous patrol of Captain Van Blokland of 7 March 1896. Ana’ Galong was conquered by Oemar’s legioen on 30 November 1893, was the eastern boundary of the Lamkrak complex, and was lifted (evacuated) by the Dutch on 17 April 1896.
Description and Location
Ana’ Galong lay in the sagi of the XXII Moekims at the eastern edge of the Lamkrak complex, at the head of the road from Lambaroe (with a bridge approximately 1100 metres from Lambaroe that was broken by the Dutch on evacuation). The benteng sat on the strategic high ground that the Achehnese considered the symbolic heart of Groot-Atjeh, and from it the Dutch could dominate the Lamkrak and the country southward toward Biloel and the gebergte. The garrison in 1895 consisted of 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, 120 bayonets from the 15e Bataljon, 1 medical officer, 1 hospital attendant, an ambulance, and 16 men of the siege artillery. The entrance to the benteng in early 1896 was under fire so that a privy on the north side could not be used. Toeankoe Machmoed and Toeankoe Brahim settled here in late May 1896 after the pretender sultan’s move.
Historical Background
Ana’ Galong had been the former main residence of Teungkoe di Tiroe, the great Achehnese religious-war leader, who died there. After Tiroe’s death the post remained a symbolic centre of Achehnese resistance. The Dutch occupation of Ana’ Galong was intended in part to keep “T. Baid” of the VII Moekims Baid in line. The post was conquered by Oemar’s native legioen on 30 November 1893 in the course of his operations as Panglima Prang Besar against the Lamkrak mukims. Thereafter it was continuously shot at by the enemy, and the buitenposten of Lambaroe and Blang Tjoet were built in part to support its operations. Kapitein Bodemeijer was the “vindingrijke postcommandant” (inventive post-commander) who used gin bottles with messages floated down the Atjehrivier to communicate with Lambaroe.
Role in the 1896 Operations
Ana’ Galong was the scene of the famous patrol of 7 March 1896 in which Kapitein Van Blokland led a patrol of 1e luit. Stakman, adjudant-onderofficier Krüger, medical officer Dr. v. d. Meer, and 72 bajonetten along the kampong edges of Ana’ Batée, Klieng, and the sawah toward Sibreh, engaging for five hours a superior enemy of approximately 250 men under T. Mad Amin, Habib Lhong, and Panglima Hassan. Kapitein Van Blokland personally fought with sabre (“het gelukte hem persoonlijk met de sabel twee tegenstanders neer te slaan, of which een nagenoeg in tweeën gedeeld werd”). The relief by Kapitein Kronouer’s detachment of 40 bayonets from Lamsoet/Lambaroe under luit. Westendorp and luit. Ketjen allowed withdrawal. On 13 March 1896 Kapitein Bodemeijer talso command. On 30 March 1896 the post came under fire from Koeta Karang, and on 31 March 1896 from the missigit Lamdjampoe. On 17 April 1896 the post was lifted by the second colonne under Kolonel Stemfoort; the bridge was blown by the Dutch engineers, and the blokhuizen of Bak Tjerlak and Oedjong Boekloet were burned by their postcommandants. In late May 1896 Toeankoe Machmoed and Toeankoe Brahim settled at Ana’ Galong after the pretender sultan’s arrival in the region. Ana’ Galong is also mentioned in Teuku Umar’s second letter of 12 April 1896 as a place to receive “benting te Ana’ Galong”.
Significance
Ana’ Galong was the symbolic and strategic heart of the Dutch buitenlinie in the XXII Moekims, and its evacuation on 17 April 1896 marked the effective end of the outer-line policy that had governed the Dutch enterprise since 1890. The patrol of 7 March 1896 was the largest single engagement on the buitenlinie in the spring of 1896 and a precursor of the defection crisis. The settlement of Toeankoe Machmoed and Toeankoe Brahim at Ana’ Galong in late May 1896 indicated the post’s continued political importance in the Achehnese imagination.
See Also
- H. F. T. van Blokland
- Patrol of Captain Van Blokland (7 March 1896)
- Conquest of Ana’ Galong (30 November 1893)
- Evacuation of Ana’ Galong, Lam-Barih, Lam-Soet, Senelop (17 April 1896)
- Teungkoe di Tiro
- Toeankoe Machmoed
- Toeankoe Brahim
- Pretender Sultan
- Lambarih
- Blang Tjoet
- Lamkrak Moekims
- buitenlinie
Source
ATJEH ‘96, door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 2 kaarten en 4 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_2_kaarten_en4_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt, pp. 20–22, 24, 26–42, 48, 50–52, 55, 57, 59–62, 75–76, 83, 92–100, 118, 149, 172–174, 275, 335, 341, 344.