Idi

Idi (also spelled Edi) was a district on the East Coast of Acheh, mentioned by C. Snouck Hurgronje in the context of regional saints and the kramat tradition. The recently deceased raja of Idi — the first pioneer of that district — was identified as the father of a Habib of the famous ʿAidarus Sayyid family, described as a half-crazy young man, the son of Teungku di Bukét.

The father had also enjoyed a reputation for sanctity, in conjunction with the lately deceased raja of Idi. His daughter was held to be so holy that her husband — after co-habiting with her once — became very ill and had not since ventured to renew his marital rights.

Idi represents the type of small coastal district that fell under nominal Acehnese sultanate suzerainty while maintaining its own local chief (raja) and distinct identity.

Expanded account from The Achehnese, Vol. I — Idi

Idi (Achehnese Idi, vulgarly Edi) is a district on the East Coast of Acheh mentioned by Snouck Hurgronje in connection with the settlement of Hadrami sayyids on that coast, and especially with the pioneering activities of the late raja of Idi in conjunction with the saint Teungku di Buket. Idi (vulgarly Edi) is a district on the East Coast of Acheh, mentioned in The Achehnese Vol. I as the scene of the pioneering activity of a deceased raja who, together with the father of a celebrated living Habib kramat, first opened the district to settlement and influence. The raja, whose recent death is recorded by Snouck Hurgronje at the time of his writing, is referred to as “the lately deceased raja of Idi”; his profile is preserved among the people of the present wiki as Raja of Idi.

The Raja of Idi and the Saint of Buket

In the chapter on the sayyids of Acheh — the descendants of the Prophet, whose sacred descent gave them an “impregnable basis of action” in the religious and political life of the country — Snouck mentions among the living a Habib kramat of the famous family of ʿAidarus, “a half-crazy young man, the son of Teungku di Buket.” The father, who also enjoyed a reputation for sanctity, “was in conjunction with the lately deceased raja of Idi (vulg. Edi) the first pioneer of that district.” The mention is brief, but it places Idi in the same category of newly opened or reclaimed districts of the East Coast whose settlement was, in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the work of coastal chiefs acting in conjunction with holy men.

The East Coast of Acheh

The East Coast of Acheh — the long stretch of low-lying shore between Tamiang in the south-east and the mouth of the Aceh River in the north — was, in Snouck’s account, one of the chief theatres of Achehnese commercial and political expansion. Its districts, of which Idi was one, lay along the route by which the pepper and the betel-nut of the interior were carried down to the port at Banda-Acheh and to the roadstead at Krueng Raya. The settlement of such districts, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, was often the work of an enterprising chief who, in conjunction with a holy man, opened the country to cultivation and to Islam.

The Hadrami Sayyids and the Pioneering of the Coast

The conjunction of the raja of Idi with the saint Teungku di Buket is a typical instance of the partnership between secular and religious authority in the pioneering of the East Coast. The Hadrami sayyids — immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Hadramaut in southern Arabia — were especially active in the religious life of the Achehnese coast in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The ʿAidarus family, named in Snouck’s account, was one of the most famous of these; members of it had settled in Pidie and other parts of Acheh, and the saint of the Idi connection — Teungku di Buket — appears to have been one of the local representatives of the family.

The Idi District in Later Times

The raja of Idi whose death is recorded by Snouck was the late nineteenth-century chief of the district, and his pioneering activity, in conjunction with Teungku di Buket, must be referred to the earlier part of the century. The district was, at the time of Snouck’s writing, one of the recognized chiefdoms of the East Coast dependencies of the Sultanate; after the abolition of the royal authority and the death of the last sultan, the Netherlands India Government claimed the allegiance of its chief as the successor of the sultan. The Idi chief was one of those who formally submitted in order to protect their commerce, and his district passed, in the late nineteenth century, under the colonial administration.

Account from De Buitenbezittingen (1917) — Idi

Idi is a region and former harbour town on the East Coast of the Gouvernement Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, situated between Langsa to the south and the afdeeling Noordkust to the north, whose pre-eminence as a pepper port in the late nineteenth century was gradually eclipsed, in the colonial period, by the rise of Langsa and Lhôseumawè, but whose territory became, with the discovery of petroleum, one of the principal oil-producing districts of Atjeh. De Buitenbezittingen treats Idi as a place whose economic history encapsulates the larger shift from native pepper cultivation to European plantation agriculture and extractive industry.

The onderafdeeling

The onderafdeeling Idi was composed of eight landschappen:

1. Tandjong Seumatang and Meureubôh
2. Simpang Olém
3. Djoelèq Tjoet
4. Djoelèq Rajeu
5. Boegèng and Bagië
6. Idi Tjoet
7. Idi Rajeu
8. Peudawa Rajeu

These landschappen originated, like those of the surrounding East Coast, as colonies of pepper planters whose tuinhoofden — the peutoeha seuneubô — gradually acquired territorial authority over the lands they had cleared. The institutional structure was the same as that of Peureulak: the toeha’ peuët (four elders) and toeha’ lapan (eight-heads) stood between the landschapshoofd and the village heads, with the peutoeha rajeu and peutoeha tjoet administering the meunasa’s below.

The decline of the pepper port

In the pre-colonial and early colonial period, Idi was “een der belangrijke havens der Oostkust” — one of the important harbours of the East Coast. With the construction of the Atjeh-tram (which reached Koeala Simpang in 1910–1912 and was extended to Besitang in 1913) and the rise of Langsa as the principal East Coast harbour, Idi “bijna alle beteekenis als zoodanig verloren” — lost almost all significance as such — and its trade was diverted, partly to Langsa and partly to Lhôseumawè, the next importante harbour to the north. By the time of the handbook, Idi was “nog slechts beteekenis heeft als centrum voor den kleinhandel” — still only of significance as a centre for the small trade.

Petroleum

The territory of Idi became, in the colonial period, one of the principal petroleum-producing districts of Atjeh. Of the five petroleum concession terrains that had been brought into exploitation by the time of the handbook, two were in Idi: Peudawa (split into the inactive Peudawa proper and the active Oost-Peudawa, exploited by the Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij) and Paja-Bilik (no longer exploited). The crude oil from these fields was piped, through a 5-inch pipeline of more than 120 kilometres, to the BPM refinery at Pangkalan Brandan on the Oostkust van Sumatra. The declining production of the Idi fields — from 1,609 K.G.-tons in 1913 to 220 K.G.-tons in 1915 at Oost-Peudawa — was a concern of the handbook’s compilers.

Account from Verkenningen in Atjeh (1923)

Idi — also written Edi — is the chief place (hoofdplaats) of the onderafdeeling Idi in the afdeeling Oostkust van Atjeh, situated on the great road and on the Atjeh-tram line that runs along the eastern coast. The onderafdeeling with its seven landschappen has an attractive interior wholly Atjehnese, even though here too the population originated from pepper-colonies of Groot-Atjeh and Pasé.

The Hoofdplaats

Although Idi declined — perhaps in connection with the general diminution of pepper-cultivation and certainly through the closing of the garrison — the place has a pleasant air when one stands before the house of the controleur or the pasanggrahan next door, looking across the mown open grass-plain, bordered on three sides by high avenue-trees. They say it is drier there than at Langsa. Everywhere there are signs of upkeep and neatness; fine roads in the shade of stout trees near the settlement of Idi make up for what one may miss in trade. A road along the cemetery — every burial-place in Atjeh has historical significance — leads to the beach, where one has a walk over the grey-yellow sand along the living surf of the sea.

The keude (market-street) is wholly taken up by the little shops of Chinese, and beside them stands a Chinese temple which, judged by the sculpture on its forecourt and front, is of somewhat more importance than one usually sees of such houses of worship on Sumatra. More than half a century ago many Chinese from Malakka sought settlement in Idi, and a kongsie then farmed the import-duties of the radja for fifty thousand dollars. The trade and importance of Idi have doubtless shrunk while those of other harbours grew. The ships of the Kon. Paketvaart, which maintain the service between Penang and North-Sumatra, call at Idi. The export was, in 1918 and 1921: bark 622.914 and 413.894 kg; pepper 613.121 and 340.725 kg; copra 18.228 and 150.622 kg; rattan 2.077 and 2.969 kg; pinang 1.073.416 and 843.675 kg.

The Gemeentefonds

Idi has a gemeentefonds — a municipal fund — like several chief places. These are useful institutions and they work easily. The head of the local government, here the controleur, is chairman of the committee of four members which manages the fund. It looks after the interests of local traffic, health, and street-lighting. The proceeds are payments for street-lighting, the yield of rent on the market-sheds. It maintains a slaughterhouse, a tennis-court, a cinema. Some municipal funds maintain a bathing-place at sea. There are people who would rather live under the management of an Atjehnese municipal fund than under the care of a town-council on Java.

The Landschappen

The road to Blang Sekotji in the landschap Idi rajeu runs between the rice-fields and brings one into surroundings of cheerful garden-land round a great rice-field. Coming from the south, one can see the characteristic Atjehnese settlement here for the first time: the great rice-field, and round it the kampongs which have possessions in it. That is a useful and tasteful way of settling, testifying to good humour, which we would not attribute to the Atjehnese were we too used to seeing them in a moody disposition of resistance.

There are blangs of 100 to 200 bouw by estimation; here and there in the blang stands a tree with a heavy crown, as a tall guardian over many fields, and under that tree one brings the cut padi of the day. Sometimes one treads out the grains from the ears beside that tree, and part of the harvest is temporarily stacked there. The blang of an Atjehnese landschap knows many lovely days. The kampongs round the blang look like those of Middle Java: dwellings with a yard, kampong-paths with enclosure, and enclosure of the whole kampong. One speaks of kampong (the truly Atjehnese word is gampong), but the name desa would, given the arrangement and the nearness of the rice-fields, better indicate the character for one who knows the desa of Java. More than the Javanese desa, the Atjehnese gampong has the yards laid out as gardens, where coco- and pinang-palms, sometimes rubber-trees, grow beside fruit-trees.

Significance

Idi is the type of the quiet, dried hoofdplaats of the eastern coast — a place once important for its pepper-trade and its Chinese kongsie, now reduced by the closing of the garrison and the general shrinkage of pepper, but still attractive by its trees, its roads and its gemeentefonds. The principal oeléebalangs of the onderafdeeling are Teukoe moeda Oesoch of Simpang Olim and Toeankoe Machmoed of Idi rajeu.

Account from Verkenningen in Atjeh (1923)

Idi rajeu — Greater Idi, rajeu meaning great — is the upper landschap of the onderafdeeling Idi in the afdeeling Oostkust van Atjeh, stretching inland from the chief place. The higher part of the landschap borders inland on Gajo-land and is less populated than the lowland. The northern border is the Kroeeng Djamboe Aje, a river whose flooding causes enough trouble to require a firm dyke along it.

The Oeléebalang

The principal chief of the landschap at the time of Broersma’s visit was Toeankoe Machmoed, the ‘nog jonge toeankoe’ — still young toeankoe — whose fine dwelling lies near the chief place of Idi and is connected with it by a fine avenue. Formerly the building must have stood as a fortress amid fortified terrain, since transformed into a garden. The old fortress, now a peaceful house, holds a great treasure of gold-work, partly of Atjehnese make, and precious stones, which are the delight of the eyes of the toeankoe’s wife, the tjoet nja, sister of the previous oeléebalang and keeper of many histories of Greater Idi.

The Northern Border and the Djamboe Aje

The northern border of the landschap is the Kroeeng Djamboe Aje, a river whose overflowing causes enough trouble to require a firm dyke along it. From the dyke the beautiful kampong Lho Nibong profits with its many dwellings and gardens full of palms. The prevention of swamp-formation by river-water and the effective use of it for agriculture may also in the onderafdeeling Idi be worked upon. Thus there was once begun in the landschap Idi rajeu an irrigation-work, which the river itself unfortunately destroyed. They say that there are well a thousand hectares irrigable in the landschap.

Account in du Croo’s Generaal Swart (1943)

The attack of 11 June 1890 on the enemy positions on the left bank of the Idi-rivier was the action in which 2e luitenant H. N. A. Swart was first into the summit fortification and was wounded; the column returned to Idi at 4.30 p.m. and occupied the bivouacs. In March 1913 the controleur of Idi and an accompanying official were attacked with a parang and both wounded, one of the Atjeh murders. Idi was among the sub-divisions where a controleur already conducted the administration under the division of 1908.

Sources

De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 29, 96-97.

De Atjeh-Oorlog: Kort Overzicht van Oorsprong, Verloop en Gevolg, door J. A. Kruijt. ‘s-Gravenhage: Loman & Funke, 1896. Chapters II, IX, XII. pp. 11–12, 47, 66. De onderwerping van Atjeh, door J. B. van Heutsz, Majoor der Infanterie, gewezen Chef van den Staf in Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden. ‘s-Gravenhage: De Gebroeders van Cleef; Batavia: G. Kolff en Co., 1893, esp. pp. 10, 11, 15, 21, 25, 31, 35, 39. OCR-filename: 20260718_105749_DLP-107-De_onderwerping_van_Atjeh_Nemotron-OCR-v2_OCR.txt. De Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Korps Mariniers van 1665-1945, by C. J. O. Dorren, 1948, pp. 112–113 (page 16 of the OCR source).

Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu, by J. Jongejans, Oud-Resident van het Gewest Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, with a foreword by Dr. H. Colijn (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 25, 88, 184, 194, 291, 295, 323, 329, 331.

Account from Vijftig jaren economische staatkunde in Atjeh (1923)

Idi was the trading harbour of the East Coast of Atjeh and one of the first seats of an assistant-resident (1878), which under a well-disposed landscape chief attained “a state more favourable than that in any of the other dependencies”, and which under the shipping regulation of 1892 was brought to greater bloom as the only East Coast harbour open to general trade.

Trade and administration

At the civil formation of the end of 1878 the third assistant-resident was placed at Idi, charged with the administration of the East Coast, with a controller beside him. The regulated steam service along the west coast lines, extended in 1877, called regularly at Idi; Dutch trade relations with the East Coast dated from the acting consul of the Netherlands at Penang’s publication in the Staatscourant of 17/18 March 1878 of extensive data on the trade traffic of that part of Atjeh. When in 1882 the compulsory visitation of vessels at Oelèë Lheue was abolished, traffic and trade at Idi increased again rapidly; the landscape itself, also through the influence of the landscape chief well-disposed toward the Dutch, gradually came into a state more favourable than that of any other dependency. The pepper trade developed ever more, and the Chinese population grew to such an extent that the need of a temple soon made itself felt: with the cooperation of the Government and with the support of the landscape chief, who of his own accord contributed 500 dollars to the building costs, a Chinese temple soon arose.

The shipping regulation

The shipping regulation brought the harbour of Idi to greater bloom above all: of the harbours along the East Coast of Atjeh only Idi was opened for general trade, the others being declared accessible merely to the coasting trade — and then only to vessels under 25 register tons. All products of the East Coast were shipped out only from the harbour of Idi, while conversely the articles destined for the East Coast and brought from the Straits were carried via Idi to the several landscapes. Agricultural enterprises established in Idi, like those in neighbouring Langkat, suffered repeatedly from the attacks of the Gajoes inhabiting the hinterland. Under Governor Van Heutsz petroleum wells were bored at Idi in 1903, and the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij kept an office or agency in the harbour among its Atjehnese ports of call.

Account from Atjeh als land voor handel en bedrijf (1925)

Idi (Edi) was hoofdplaats of equally named underafdeeling on east coast of Atjeh, once flourishing pepper port, later quiet after garrison abolition and harbour closure.

Description

Author notes friendly Idi still pleasant, though diminished compared to general pepper decline and garrison lifting. Standing before dwelling of controller or neighbouring pasanggrahan looking over beautiful open grass plain at three sides framed by high avenue trees. Said drier than Langsa. Everywhere evidence maintenance neatness, fine roads in shade of sturdy trees near kom of Idi compensate what may miss in traffic. Road along cemetery — each burial place in Atjeh has historic significance — leads to beach, walk over grey-yellow sand along living spray sea.

Keude (market street) entirely occupied by small shops Chinese and temple with more meritorious sculpture than usual Sumatra such houses of worship. Over half century ago many Chinese from Malaka settled Idi and kongsie managed to lease import rights of radja for 50 thousand dollars. Twenty years ago government closed harbour and although five years later reopened, traffic shrunk, other harbours increased.

Boats Kon. Paketvaart maintaining service Penang - north Sumatra call Idi. Export: 1918 vs 1921 boomschors 622,914 KG vs 413,894 KG, pepper 613,121 vs 340,725, copra 18,228 vs 150,622, rottan 2,077 vs 2,969, pinang 1,073,416 vs 843,675. Ships anchor roads; prauws bring goods to and from jetty. Part import-export via Lho Seumawe.

Idi has gemeentefonds like several hoofdplaatsen. Useful institutions easy workings. Head local bestuur here controller is chairman commission 4 members managing gemeentefonds. Cares local traffic, health, street lighting. Incomes payments street lighting, rent pasar sheds. Maintains slaughterhouse, tennis court, cinema. Some maintain bathing facility sea. Some people prefer living under Atjeh gemeentefonds than under gemeenteraad Java.

Hinterland

Underafdeeling with 7 landscapes attractive interior wholly Atjehsch, though population emerged from pepper colonies Groot-Atjeh and Pasei. Road to Blang Sekotji in landscape Idi Rajeu between padifields brings environment cheerful garden land around blang big rice field. Characteristic Atjeh settlement: big padi field and around kampongs owning it, useful tasteful settlement. Blangs 100-200 baoe estimate, here there in blang tree with heavy crown as towering guard over many fields where cut padi of day brought. Sometimes thresh grains from ears and portion harvest temporarily stacked. Blang of Atjeh landscape knows many lovely days.

Kampongs around blang resemble middle-Java; dwellings with yard, kampong paths fencing and enclosure whole kampong. Speaking now of kampong (real Atjeh gampong) but name desa would better characterize for who knows desa Java. More than Javanese desa Atjeh gampong yards formed garden where cocos- and pinang-palms sometimes rubber trees grow beside fruit trees. Blang Sekotji lovely place. Name said derived from schuitje small vessels that earlier from sea the kroeëng (river) Idi up to that point. Perhaps derivation correct but author doubts; notes J. A. Kruyt repeatedly speaks of Sekoetji.

Early entrepreneur tobacco Theresia Estate between Blang Sekotji and Kemoening taking over Englishman’s already abandoned enterprise, etc. Story of band attack klewangs shed Kemoening first drama before end 1876, second spring 1877 people murdered buildings burnt seedbeds trampled. Entrepreneur left to Java asking government permanent reinforcement, finally acknowledged venture daring premature. See article Theresia Estate.

Further: school at Keude Geuroba beyond Blang Sekotji two classes 40 children boys 6-9. Notes neat writing.

Roads through Djoeloh Rajeu and tjoet into blooming Simpang Olim where pepper about century ago caused Atjeh settlement and wasteland coastal area into reclamation.

Higher part landscape borders inland Gajo-land less populated than lowland. Northern border Kroeëng Djamboe Aje river flooding enough to lay sturdy dike benefiting kampong Lho Niboeng. Measure against swamp formation river water and effective use farmland can be worked as earlier in landscape Idi Rajeu started irrigation work destroyed by river itself; says 1000 hectares irrigable.

Principal bestuurder young Toeankoe Machmoed whose beautiful residence near hoofdplaats Idi.

Mention granted permits wood (zeehout), mining (petroleum) and agriculture showing spirit enterprise not leaving north coast undesired. Some agriculture permits withdrawn because holder did not begin nor pay.

See Also

• 1873
• 1910
• 1912
• 1913
• 1915
• 1923
• Aceh River
• Aceh Sultanate
• Acheh
• Atjeh-tram
• Banda Acheh
• Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij
• Blang Sekotji
• East Coast
• Gajo-land
• Gemeentefonds in Atjeh
• Great Acheh
• Habib kramat of ‘Aidarus family
• Idi
• Idi rajeu
• Kon. Paketvaart
• Kroeeng Djamboe Aje
• Krueng Raya
• Langsa
• Lho Nibong
• Lho Seumawe
• Lhôseumawè
• Netherlands India
• Oeléebalang
• Oostkust van Atjeh
• Pangkalan Brandan
• Pepper cultivation in Atjeh
• Peureulak
• Pidie
• Raja of Idi
• Sayyid
• Simpang Olim
• Sultanate of Acheh
• Tamiang
• Teukoe moeda Oesoch
• Teungku
• Teungku di Buket
• Toeankoe Machmoed
• Verkenningen in Atjeh (1923)
• H. N. A. Swart
• General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh (1943)
• Pacificatie van Atjeh
• Atjeh
• C. H. Bogaert
• Edi-Tjoet
• Gedong
• Langsar
• Pedawa Tjoet
• Paseirivier
• Blang Pria
• K. van der Heyden
• Aceh War
• Onderhoorigheden
• Oostkust
• Olehleh
• Pasangan
• Segli
• Pedir
• Van der Heijden
• Scherer
• Laging Tobias
• Demmeni
• Van Teijn
• Joannes Benedictus van Heutsz
• Scheepvaartregeling
• Blokkade
• Habib Abdoel Rachman
• XXII Moekims
• Dutch Marine Corps
• 1875
• 1877
• 1878
• 1879
• 1883
• 1884
• 1890
• 1893
• 1898
• Expedition to Edi (1890)
• Lho Seumawè
• Pepper cultivation and trade in Atjeh
• Peureula
• Koeala Langsa
• Atjeh Tram

Account from Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu

Town more attractive than Lho’Soekon; small place with only the controleurs-huis, zelfbestuurder’s house, pasanggrahan and a Chinese temple on the pasarMost easterlyonderafdeeling of Aceh; opened for landbouw-concessies. Upper reaches of rivers fall within this onderafdeeling.Onderafdeeling on Oostkust; rubber cultivation; tidal forest exploitation (roundwood poles, firewood, charcoal, bakau bark, tengar bark).Assistent-Resident from 1878. Site of the BPM landing field constructed in 1934 in collaboration with the zelfbestuur of Peudawa.

Source: J. Jongejans, Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 25, 88, 184, 194, 291, 295, 323, 329, 331.

Source

The Achehnese, Vol. I, by Dr. C. Snouck Hurgronje, translated by A.W.S. O’Sullivan, indexed by R.J. Wilkinson. Leyden: E.J. Brill, 1906. Chapter I, § 9, p. 156. De Buitenbezittingen, Deel II, Aflevering 2: Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, bewerkt door het Encyclopaedisch Bureau, Mededeelingen van het Bureau voor de Bestuurszaken der Buitenbezittingen (Weltevreden: Landsdrukkerij, 1917), pp. 76–77, 213–216, 248–251. Verkenningen in Atjeh, by Dr. R. Broersma (De Locomotief, October 1923), chapter VII, ‘Vriendelijk Idi’, pp. 45–51. Verkenningen in Atjeh, by Dr. R. Broersma (De Locomotief, October 1923), chapter VII, ‘Vriendelijk Idi’, pp. 50–51. 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 II, XII, XIII. Vijftig jaren economische staatkunde in Atjeh, by Joh. Langhout (The Hague: N.V. Boekhandel v/h W. P. van Stockum & Zoon, 1923), pp. 37, 40–41, 48, 64–65, 85, 157, 179. Atjeh als land voor handel en bedrijf, by Dr. R. Broersma, Gebrs. Cohen, Utrecht, 1925, pp. 40-47.