Tjot Tjako — written in Dutch as also Toean Tjot Tjako — was a mountain in the southern sector of the IV and VI Moekims theatre, the main objective of the mountain column under Van Heutsz on 23 May 1896 and the site of a holy grave — a simple stone grave at the top. As described in Kruisheer’s ATJEH ‘96, Tjot Tjako required a climb of approximately +300 metres, was the bivak of the 3e Bataljon after its capture, and was in signal communication with Ketapan Doea. The mountain was connected by a western height to Glé Genting (with its own heilig graf and wachtposten), and overlalsoed the valley of Beradin to the east. The bergcolonne’s capture of Tjot Tjako on 23 May 1896 was one of the most-celebrated actions of the three-day Dutch offensive.
Description and Location
Tjot Tjako lay in the southern sector of the IV and VI Moekims theatre, dominating the valley of Beradin to the east and the road toward Lam-Pisang and Lam-Asan to the north. The mountain required a climb of approximately +300 metres, and at its top stood a holy grave — a simple stone grave, presumably of a local Achehnese saint. The mountain was connected by a western height to Glé Genting (also Glé Genting Poetih / Glé Poetih), whose top also bore a heilig graf and guard-posts. The Glétaroenpas and Glé Taroen (Kloof Glé Taroen) — a gorge with a versterking at its entrance, where a light was seen on the 23 May 1896 morning — lay to the south. The Goh-Batee Tamon mountain-top from which the Dutch were fired upon during the ascent of Tjot Tjako lay to the north. The mountain was bounded on the east by the valley of Beradin and on the west by the range Glé Genting–Glétaroenpas.
Historical Background
Tjot Tjako had been a religious site of Achehnese pilgrimage by virtue of its heilig graf — a simple stone grave presumably of a local saint. The mountain had been integrated into Teuku Umar’s defensive stelling across the IV en VI Moekims as the southern anchor of his right wing, with the heights of Glé Genting and the valley of Beradin forming a natural bastion. The bergcolonne’s ascent of Tjot Tjako on 23 May 1896 was the first Dutch military operation on the mountain, and the establishment of a bivak on its top gave the Dutch their first observation post over Umar’s stellingen in the IV and VI Moekims.
Role in the 1896 Operations
Tjot Tjako was the main objective of the mountain column under Van Heutsz on 23 May 1896 — the opening day of the three-day Dutch offensive. The bergcolonne departed from Ketapan Doea and Blang, ascended the mountain under fire from the Goh-Batee Tamon bergtop, and established a bivak on the top. Signal communication was maintained between the bivak on Tjot Tjako and Ketapan Doea. The 3e Bataljon was stationed at the bivak on Tjot Tjako. From Tjot Tjako the Dutch could observe the valley of Beradin to the east, where the 5e compagnie of the 12e Bataljon fought on 23 May 1896 and where the 9e Bataljon covered the Dutch retreat on 25 May 1896. The mountain was connected by its western hoogte to Glé Genting (with its heilig graf and wachtposten). On 25 May 1896 the bivak on Tjot Tjako was retained as a forward observation post. On 4 June 1896 the maréchaussée operation into the IV and VI Moekims was supported from Tjot Tjako.
Significance
Tjot Tjako was the principal Dutch observation post of the 1896 counter-offensive and the symbolic climax of the three-day offensive. The capture of the heilig graf mountain was the Dutch response to the religious dimension of Achehnese resistance, and the establishment of a bivak on its top demonstrated the Dutch intent to hold the high ground over Umar’s stellingen. The mountain’s religious significance as a site of Achehnese pilgrimage gave its capture an importance beyond the strictly military.
See Also
- Three-day Dutch offensive of 23–25 May 1896
- Slag bij Tjot Tjako (23 May 1896)
- heilig graf
- J. B. van Heutsz
- H. M. Vis
- Glé Genting
- Kloof van Beradin
- Ketapan Doea
- Blang
- IV en VI Moekims
- 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. 182, 186–194, 227, 337.