Marassa

Properties2
tagsplace, kampong, acehnese, aceh-war
aliasesMarasa, Marassa Atjeh, Kampong Marassa

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Marassa was a kampong at the mouth of the Atjeh river to the east of the Dutch landing-place of the second Aceh expedition, whose head, Toekoe Nek Radja Moeda Setia, had repeatedly offered his services to the Dutch and was the principal native ally of the Dutch during the fall of the Kraton in January 1874. The sparing of Marassa was one of the reasons for the choice of the eastern landing-place in the second expedition; the kampong was connected with Kota Radja by the Westerlinie in May-June 1874.

The Dutch Alliance

When the second Aceh expedition was being planned, it was decided that the landing should take place east of the Atjeh river rather than west of it as in the first expedition, “firstly because there was less resistance to be expected there, and secondly because one wished to spare the kampong Marassa, which was well-disposed to us and whose head, Toekoe Nek Radja Moeda Setia, had repeatedly offered us his services.” After the landing at the Kwala Loë on 9 December 9 December 1873, Toekoe Nek maintained his good offices, sending word of enemy movements and offering to act as guide. He had already before then “promised his intervention in the recovery of the robbed corpse of the general Nino Bixio who had died of cholera,” then commander of a transport ship.

The Westerlinie, May-June 1874

After the departure of Van Swieten on 26 April 26 April 1874 the war continued under General Pel. In May-June 1874 the enemy resumed the struggle “with the greatest possible boldness and perseverance,” evidently in the hope of overwhelming the weakened garrison. To protect Toekoe Nek adequately, Pel occupied the Westerlinie — a series of posts west of Kota Radja to connect it with Marassa and Lampassei. The principal post on this line was Oleh-leh.

See Also

Source

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. 20-26, 33-37.

Account from Een Vaderlandsch Belang by H. Borel (1878)

Marassa was the coastal district south-east of the Kraton ruled by the pro-Dutch chief Toekoe Nek, the only Atjehnees headman to submit to the Netherlands during the early years of the war. Its geographic position — between the Dutch base at K. Radja and the sea at Oeleh Leh — made its friendship essential to the Dutch strategische driehoek (strategic triangle), and its repeated punishment by the enemy is treated by Borel as a direct consequence of van Swieten’s passive afwachtende houding. Marassa was attacked by the Atjehneezen on 26–27 April 1874 and again on 19 May 1874.

Toekoe Nek’s alliance

Toekoe Nek’s willingness to accept the Dutch flag flowed from his rivalry with the hostile chiefs of the neighbouring VI Moekims under Toekoe Nanta and of Bital and Ketapang Doewa. He repeatedly asked the Dutch for armed help against these buren (neighbours), which is what produced the expedition to Bital of 12 February 1874 and the expedition to Ketapang Doewa of 15 February 1874. Both kampongs were captured and immediately abandoned, and Toekoe Nek’s faith in Dutch protection was sorely tested. On 4 May 1874 kolonel Pel visited Toekoe Nek at his home; the conference “liep zeer bevredigend af,” and the Dutch were permitted to bezet Merdoewati, Lampasej, Blang Oe (headquarters) and Oeleh Leh with a batterij at Oedjoeng Planggan. Borel clarifies that the so-called strategische driehoek van den generaal van Swieten is misnamed — the triangle Kwala Atjeh–K. Radja–Oeleh Leh was Pel’s work, not van Swieten’s.

Attacks and Dutch aid

In the night of 26–27 April 1874, within hours of van Swieten’s departure from Atjeh, the Atjehneezen attacked Marassa to punish Toekoe Nek for his submission and “ons, door het bezetten van Marassa, aan die zijde van de zee af te snijden” — to cut us off from the sea on that side. Seven kampongs with about 80 huizen were burned, but the Marassanen resisted dapper and the enemy failed to take Marassa. On 19 May 1874 the enemy returned; “talrijke benden” invaded Toekoe Nek’s gebied, burning more houses, while Merdoewatie and Blang Oe were “gealarmeerd en beziggehouden.” The Oeleh Leh bezetting stood an “ernstigen aanval” but “sloeg dien wakker af.” Borel’s verdict: “Wij zijn dan ook de meeste dankbaarheid aan Toekoe Nek schuldig.” The burning of the Merdoewatie post on 15–16 May further exposed the fragility of the alliance.

See Also

Source

Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. pp. 55, 57, 65, 75, 85, 93–95, 103–104, 115, 119–120, 124, 132, 135, 141, 143.

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