Djerir was a Dutch military post at the eastern end of the communication line through the XXII Moekims of Groot-Atjeh. The post was evacuated on 13 January 1885 as part of the concentration strategy.
Location
Djerir was situated at the far eastern end of the 121-palen communication line extending from Lambaroe through the XXII Moekims. The position was one of the most distant points of Dutch expansion.
Military Significance
Pre-Concentration Era
Djerir was established during the expeditions of General van der Heyden in 1878–1879. It served as:
- The terminal point of the communication line
- A forward position against the interior
- A staging area for potential further operations
Strategic Assessment
By 1884, the author observed that the possession of the Djerir line had proven a major disadvantage. Once the Dutch had completely abandoned offensive movements, the line’s utility ceased—it enclosed no territory and only provided the enemy with advantages.
Evacuation
Djerir was evacuated on 13 January 1885 along with Indrapoori, Glé-Kamping, Long-Lemoh, Tjot-Basetoel, Samagani, and Lepong-Ara.
Post-Evacuation
Following evacuation, the eastern approach routes to the abandoned area were no longer monitored by the Dutch. The territory returned to Acehnese control.
Significance
Djerir’s evacuation marked the practical end of Dutch offensive ambitions in the eastern XXII Moekims. The post had symbolized the reach of Dutch power; its abandonment acknowledged the limits of that power.
Account from Verstege’s Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk (1886)
Verstege adds, to the later history of the post, its call at the concentration: Djerir was one of the outer posts first evacuated, between 5 and 14 January 1885, and the most southerly abandoned point named in his comparison — from Djerir to Lambaroe the Dutch line came back “niet minder dan bijna 13 kilometers afstand” (“not less than nearly thirteen kilometres”) nearer; at the time of the Campaign against the XXII Moekims (1879), Sihong (Djerir) was numbered with Gleieng among the principal districts and focal points of resistance attacked in May and June 1879 (see Completion of the concentrated position (March 1885)).
See Also
- XXII Moekims
- Withdrawal from XXII Moekims Outposts (January 1885)
- General van der Heyden
- Indrapoori
- Aceh War
Source
De Geconcentreerde Stelling in Groot-Atjeh, ‘s-Gravenhage: De Gebroeders Van Cleef, 1885, pp. 10–11, 26.
Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk in zake het Atjeh-vraagstuk, door J. J. W. E. Verstege (Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy, 1886), pp. 60, 80, 81. OCR: DLP-158.