Lamkrak Moekims — written in Dutch as also 4 Lamkraksche Moekims for the core four, or the 7-mukim complex of Lam-Krak for the broader cluster — was a region of Groot-Atjeh comprising the four core mukims of Lam-Krak, Lam-Lheuë, Ateuh (including Ateuh Tjoet, Ateuh Raja, Groot Ateuh), and Kroeng Mak, together with the three adjacent mukims of Ana Batee (also Anak Baté), Sibreh, and Ana Glé (also Ana’ Galé). As described in Kruisheer’s ATJEH ‘96, the Lamkrak Moekims were situated “streek tusschen Biloel en Ana Galoeng en benoorden het gebergte gelegen” (the region between Biloel and Ana Galoeng, north of the mountains), and were the persistent haunt of hostile benden that had defied Dutch authority since 1878. The Lamkrak Moekims were the principal object of the tuchtiging (chastisement) of 9–10 June 1896, the second-largest operation of the first semester of 1896.
Description and Location
The Lamkrak Moekims lay in the southern part of Groot-Atjeh between the Dutch post of Biloel on the south-west and the post of Ana’ Galong on the north-east, and north of the mountain wall. The four “eigentliche” Lamkrak Moekims were Lam-Krak (with the kampong Lam-Djamé on its northern edge and the fortified mosque of Lam-Krak), Lam-Lheuë (with the fortification of Kling / Mon Selassa / Mon Seulassa on the border with Ana Batee), Ateuh (with the sub-kampongs of Ateuh Tjoet, Ateuh Raja, and Groot Ateuh), and Kroeng Mak (with the fortified mosque of Kroeng Mak and the Koeta Lam-Poe-Poe near the Kroeng Loeng Aloeë river). The three adjacent mukims were Ana Batee (also Anak Baté, with the kampong Lam-Bada), Sibreh (with the fortified Masdjid Dja Oedjoen near the pasar), and Ana Glé (also Ana’ Galé, distinct from Ana’ Galong). The Tjot Gloempang versterking stood in the middle of the large sawah of Lam-Krak, recognisable by a tree of the same name.
Historical Background
The Lamkrak Moekims had been the principal southern refuge of Achehnese resistance since 1878, when Generaal van der Heiden conducted operations there and built a road from Sibreh to Biloel. The last Dutch activity before 1896 had been in 1878. The four Lamkrak mukims had been the explicit object of the 1893 policy of Teuku Umar as Panglima Prang Besar of the Government, and Umar had been lent war materieel “voor een krijgstocht in het Lamkraksche” (for a campaign in the Lamkrak country). The proposed 30 March 1896 operation of Luitenant-Kolonel Van Vliet — cancelled by the defection of 29 March 1896 — had targeted the four Lamkrak Moekims directly. The mukims were the principal recruiting ground for the Pedireezen mercenaries of T. Hoesin Long Bata and other war-leaders.
Role in the 1896 Operations
The Lamkrak Moekims were the principal object of the tuchtiging of 9–10 June 1896. On 9 June 1896 two Dutch colonnes moved against the Lamkrak: the 1e colonne under luit.-kol. Veeren advancing from Biloel against Ateuh Raja (where the 9e Bataljon attacked in one continuous aanval, with kapitein H. T. de Moulin’s 1e compagnie hitting the borstwering behind the Kroeng Ateuh, and Eur. fus. v. Dongen first on the borstwering but receiving a fatal chest shot from the last Atjeher), against Baha (where luit. S. v. Hulstijn’s 3e compagnie of 3e Bataljon advanced with maréchaussée and luit. M. Campioni’s right peloton stormed the benting Baha, after which the Koeta Baha garrison of 5 Atjehers fled into the hands of the maréchaussée), and against Lam-Djamé (where two redoutes near the N. rand were attacked by von Schauroth’s compagnie, both bentings taken by Blankenstein and Kuipers, and the fortified mosque of Lam-Krak was a listed target). The 2e colonne advanced from Lam-Djamoe against the Tjot Gloempang versterking in the middle of the large sawah of Lam-Krak, against Lam-Manjang (where a koeta with 3-metre-thick and 1.5-metre-high walls was blown up with springmiddelen), and against Lam-Isi. On 10 June 1896 operations continued with the destruction of remaining versterkingen, the building of a bridge over the Loeng Gadjah by genietroepen, and the eventual withdrawal of the colonnes to Biloel and Lam-Djamoe.
Significance
The Lamkrak Moekims were the most persistent thorn in the side of the Dutch buitenlinie policy, and their tuchtiging in June 1896 was the symbolic climax of the post-defection counter-offensive. The operation demonstrated that the Dutch could now strike into the deepest Achehnese refuges, and the destruction of the fortified mosque of Lam-Krak and the bentings of Ateuh, Baha, and Lam-Djamé broke the back of organised Achehnese defence in the southern mukims. The Lamkrak Moekims remained, however, a recruiting ground for Achehnese resistance throughout the remainder of the Atjeh-oorlog.
See Also
- Ateuh Raja
- Baha
- Lam-Djamé
- Masdjid Lam-Krak
- Tjot Gloempang
- Biloel
- Ana’ Galong
- Tuchtiging of Lam-Krak Moekims (9–10 June 1896)
- J. F. Th. Veeren
- H. T. de Moulin
- W. A. Engelbrecht
- 1896
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. 13, 20, 28, 42, 219, 242–266.