The XXII Moekims (also referred to as the Sagi of the XXII Moekims) was the territorial unit ruled by Panglima Polim—the principal resistance leader in Groot-Atjeh during the Aceh War (1873–1903). Comprising twenty-two moekims (districts) originally, it formed one of the three sagi that encompassed the territory around Koeta Radja where the sultan of Atjeh exercised direct authority.
Structure and leadership
The XXII Moekims was ruled by a hereditary chief bearing the title panglima. At the beginning of the Dutch conflict in 1873, the head was Sri Moeda Perkasa, who died in 1879. His successor Toekoe Moeda Ibrahim died in 1891; the next heir was the young Toekoe Radja Daoed, initially under the guardianship of three toekoes. The family line—referred to collectively as “Panglima Polim”—persisted throughout the war, making the territory a continuous centre of resistance regardless of individual deaths.
The main place of the XXII Moekims was Misigit Indrapoeri (also called Indrapoeri or Indrapuri), which served as the administrative and strategic centre. Dutch forces penetrated to Indrapoeri in 1878 and 1879, but this did not bring Polim to submission; instead, it was claimed that he became more combative than ever, even attempting to recapture the lost centre.
Role in the resistance
The XXII Moekims was the core of resistance throughout the war. From the very first expedition in 1873, its inhabitants played a dominant role in resisting Dutch forces, even before Dutch troops entered the territory. After the capture of the kraton in 1874, Panglima Polim made his territory a gathering place for all who wished to continue the war, and his influence radiated over all landscapes of Groot-Atjeh.
During the revival of resistance in the early 1880s, the XXII Moekims gave rise to a closely united priestly party that united for the holy war and made common cause with fanatical chiefs and existing war bands. Even within the Dutch Concentrated Line established in 1886, the bands from the XXII Moekims—particularly those led by Panglima Polim and Teungkoe di Tiro—penetrated and fought fierce battles in 1887.
The Dutch government itself acknowledged in the 1890s that the XXII Moekims had always been the focal point of resistance since the war began, and that a favourable situation comparable to that in the XXV and XXVI Moekims could not be achieved quickly in this sagi.
The Dutch campaigns (1893-1903)
Under Deykerhoff’s alliance policy, Toekoe Djohan (the defector T. Oema) managed to penetrate to Senelop in 1893 and 1894, but encountered strong resistance and ultimately defected back to the hostile side in 1896. The supreme authority then sent Generaal Vetter with three battalions, and part of the XXII Moekims was treated—though not entirely subdued.
Under Van Heutsz—appointed in March 1898—the XXII Moekims became the primary target. The Pidië Expedition began at Segli in Pedir and advanced over the mountains toward Polim’s land. The Dutch secured the VII Moekims—the mountain district between Pedir and the XXII Moekims—and gradually pushed Polim out of his ancestral territory. Over five years of relentless pursuit, the resistance in the XXII Moekims was broken, and in 1903 Panglima Polim submitted unconditionally.
Following the submission, Dutch civil authorities established regular administration in the XXII Moekims, completing the pacification of Groot-Atjeh and laying the foundation for the modern administrative structure of Atjeh.
See Also
- Panglima Polim
- Sagi
- Moekim
- Misigit Indrapoeri
- Groot-Atjeh
- Pidië Expedition
- Joannes Benedictus van Heutsz
- Dr. C. Snouck Hurgronje
- Toekoe Oemar
Source
Het einde van den Atjeh Oorlog (Overprintken uit de Evening Post van 25, 26 en 27 Augustus 1903, pp. 3-16); Somer, Dr. J. M. Het Atjeh-probleem van 1890-1900 (Overprint uit Journal / Organ van de Netherlands-Indies Officers Association, [1935], pp. 4-7); Damste, H. T. “Atjeh-historie,” Koloniaal Tijdschrift 1916.