Traces of Aceh in the Land of Tano Niha - Nias

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For most of the Acehnese I met, remember Nias (Aceh: Nieh) is remembering the history of slavery. Nias's attachment to the practice of slavery was of great imprint to most Acehnese.

Indeed, based on Dutch records from 1669 AD 1678, it mentions one of the ports in Nias-Somabawa as a slave trade center, traded by the people of Aceh and the Netherlands with a barter system (exchange of goods with slaves). In addition to Somabawa, Teluk Dalam port (now the capital of South Nias District), also became a place for Acehnese to practice slave exports.

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In fact, until 1820 this practice was still going on, bringing to Aceh and Malasyia (Pulau Penang). Therefore, the British opposed the slave trade practiced by the Atjehnese, then built a contract with Nias (See Dutch Troop book in Kampung Para Butcher (terj) (2013)) with its own mission. The irony is that this practice, continued to be continued by the Dutch, by bringing Nias people as brog (guarantee) to Padang, they are termed Pandelingen (Dutch: Pand).

In a few other notes, the term Pandelingen is mentioned as Raffles' policy when abolishing the slavery system, by tightening legal certainty for slaves (See Thosibo, 2003).

In the Dutch Forces record in Kampung Para Butcher (terj) (2013), mentioned there were three of the most famous slave trade centers in Nias in the 17th century up to 19 AD, among them Somabawa (European role in the most dominant slave trade), Lolowa 'u (the most dominant role of Acehnese descendants), and the mouth of the Muzoi river (the most dominant role of Acehnese).

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This practice, beginning to stop entering the beginning of the 20th century AD of Aceh itself, stopped the practice of this slave trade, after the Dutch declared war with Aceh. Sutherland (1983, in Thosibo, 2003) mentions the need for different slaves, especially how to use them, between the Dutch and Indonesians. The Netherlands, using their slaves as laborers in warehouses and ships, helping households, and symbols raise the status.

While the Indonesians, using slaves to overcome the limitations of labor in agricultural products, forests and the sea. In addition, slaves for Indonesians also have ceremonial functions, and performances, or are used to provide armed men in the context of loyalty, especially for domestic production and survival.

Aceh's involvement in the slave trade, especially in Nias, appears to be strongly influenced by superior attitudes, and cultural insistence, always wanting to be in a high position (refused equivalent) due to Aceh's current power, which is claimed to be a nation of great power.

In fact, Lombard (1991) in his much-quoted narrative Beulieu, deeply calls Aceh's hegemony and influence over much of East Sumatra. Looking at the list of important events occurring in Aceh, Lombard listed the attack on Nias in 1624 AD

Snouck himself, in the book The Achehnese (1906) shares a narrative about the involvement of the Acehnese in the case of barter slaves (belian) in Nias.

"... The crucial factor in the development of the Acehnese tribes is the question of slave-servants, many of whom are from Nias Island, which until several years before was brought in by abduction in the number of hundreds or in smaller quantities can be purchased in its place." (Hurgronje , 1985: 23).

From the socio-economic point of view, the high demand for laborers outside of Nias Island, especially the colonial mainland of Sumatra, became an economic reason, this practice took place. In Snouck's notes, it also displays Acehnese terms against Nias people with slightly abusive terms, such as Nieh kumudee, bee buy ure, bee asee night, and Nieh kumudee, hana malee biek. These phrases, affiliated with social class emphasis, attempt to place some of the lower groups of humans, labeled "slaves."

Also, the effect of the phenomenon of the high purchase of slaves in Aceh, the paradox with the establishment of the Acehnese who is based on his superior cultural attitudes, has caused many Acehnese to avoid descent through connections with Snouck's slaves.

The presence of workers, or slaves from Nias to Aceh, for Snouck indicates that the Acehnese are slow in agricultural work, the rice must be imported. Almost all slaves in Nias were then employed to work on agricultural land or to plant pepper. In fact, some of them were soldiers in small warfare among Acehnese. However, there is a sociological reason, the reason the Acehnese take slaves from Nias, because Nias people are considered better than other tribes in the same region.

From some studies, this less humanist phenomenon does not only occur in Aceh, as described by Anwar Thosibo (2002), in his Historiography of Slavery; The History of Slavery in South Sulawesi The XIX century, quoted from Djuliati Suroyo who wrote Slavery in Indonesia in the 19th Century (thesis, 1969), that there are at least some areas that have long known the form of slavery institution in Nusantara, Nias, Sulawesi, Bali and Sulu.

Fertile practices of slavery in Indonesia, is inseparable from the politics played by Europeans (read: Dutch and English) in the archipelago. The demand for labor and the height of pirate action, the cause of the slave trade. Although, on the other hand, the Dutch through the Regulation of 1818 had banned slavery.

In the level of human history, the phenomenon of slavery, not only occurs in the archipelago, this portrait is understood in other parts of the continent, given the current political and cultural situation (pre-modern). In the ideal setting and historical interpretation, these dark historical records, it is possible to be sued, especially regarding the contemptuous attitude of the Acehnese mentioned in the old Dutch records.
Through the evidence of oral history, and some documentation (which I continue to collect).

Therefore, I prefer to use the term slavery written by the Dutch record, with the term "hiring" (not enslaving) the Nias people, as a more euphemistic word. Also, the connotation of slaves tends to lead to oppression. Moreover, very little local records, especially the text of the condition at that time (other than foreign) related to the phenomenon of workers who came and present in Aceh in the century in question. []

Photo source: Explorer Indonesia

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