Draft:Battles of Nias

Battles of Nias
Date	1838–1863
Location	Nias, Sultanate of Aceh
Result	Aceh and Nias victory; (before 1863) Nias people and Acehnese soldiers successfully defend Nias Island; The Netherlands victory; (after 1863) The Netherlands managed to take full control of Nias Island; Sultanate of Aceh was forced to let go of Nias and recognize Dutch sovereignty there;
Belligerents
Sultanate of Aceh; Nias people	Netherlands
Commanders and leaders
Abdurrahman Az-Zahir; Mahmud Syah II	Controleur Krayenhoff; Lieutenant Donleben †; Lieutenant Colonel Van der Hart; Major Schwenk †; Major J.H. Crena
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battles of Nias were a series of battles that took place from 1838 to 1863 in Nias Island, west of Sumatra. This happened initially because the Sultanate of Aceh refused negotiations with the Netherlands.

Background

Controller Krayenhoff stated that the Netherlands wanted to get trade guarantees, wanted their ships to be free to enter and leave ports in the Aceh region. So for this purpose he wants to place his own employees in places where they are needed.^[1]

Abdurrahman Az-Zahir, a prominent figure in Aceh, firmly rejected the Netherlands wishes, which were conveyed in the form of emphasis on the Netherlands at that time. It was explained that based on what had already happened, it was clear that the freedom to trade and enter and leave the Netherlands ships was similar, the same meaning as paving the way for the Netherlands to colonize and control the Aceh region. Abdurrahman Az-Zahir in these negotiations pointed to the Aceh government's notes regarding the encroachment of the region, including starting from Sibolga, Barus, Singkil, Nias, and recently East Sumatra.

Series of battles

Battle of Nias (1836)

Nias which for centuries had been the de facto territory of Aceh, can be explained by the fact that in 1836 Aceh had expelled the Netherlands, but then the Netherlands came back. Because of this, the Nias people fought the Netherlands loudly. Because they experienced defeat in that battle, the Netherlands were forced to carry out brutal raids, burnings, and so on.

First Lagundi Expedition (1846)

The Dutch intended to cut off reinforcements from Aceh to Nias. Because of this, the Netherlands were able to run rampant in Nias, but they faced persistent resistance from the Nias people, to the point where Lieutenant Donleben was killed in battle.

Second Lagundi Expedition (1856)

As a result of the Netherlands defeat, a much larger expedition was sent, containing a larger landing force. They also brought large cannons that would be fired from the sea by the warships Koerier, Banka, and Banda. Under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel van der Hart, the Netherlands landed in Lagundi and burned the village to the ground.

The Nias people continued their struggle with determination. In 1856, the Netherlands suffered a major defeat when landing their expedition there, their leader, Major Schwenk, was killed.

Third Lagundi Expedition

Then followed another larger Dutch expedition under Major J.H. Crena. But the results did not have a big impact, in fact in the end the Dutch post in Lagundi was forced to be evacuated again due to attacks by the Nias people.

Leulawaue Expedition

Another expedition that landed in Leulawaue met with failure.

Hilibobo Expedition (1863)

The following, larger, expedition was continued by the Netherlands by terrorizing Hilibobo and burning the village to the ground. The great resistance of the Nias people was proven again by the colonialists, on 23 July 1863 the Dutch held a large-scale strafexpeditie to Orahili, Hiliboho, Botohisi, and Leulawaue. Until finally effectively ending the great resistance there and ensuring the strong position of the Netherlands in Nias.

Minor rebellions after 1863

Small resistances by the Nias people continued into the future. However, there was no major influence that could disrupt the stability of the Netherlands position there. The rebellion of the Nias people, who are famous for their war culture, occurred again when they were under Dutch East Indies rule, from 1908 to 1913.^[2]

References

^ Said, H. Mohammad (1981). Aceh Sepanjang Abad: Mengungkapkan Perkembangan Dari Masa Permulaan Sejarahnya Hingga Kekalahan Belanda April 1873 (in Indonesian). Vol. 1. Medan, Indonesia: Percetakan dan Penerbitan Waspada.
^ Matanasi, Petrik (25 December 2023). "Orang Nias Berontak Kepada Belanda". historia.id (in Indonesian). Historia. Retrieved 25 December 2024.

[1] Said, H. Mohammad (1981). Aceh Sepanjang Abad: Mengungkapkan Perkembangan Dari Masa Permulaan Sejarahnya Hingga Kekalahan Belanda April 1873 (in Indonesian). Vol. 1. Medan, Indonesia: Percetakan dan Penerbitan Waspada.

[2] Matanasi, Petrik (25 December 2023). "Orang Nias Berontak Kepada Belanda". historia.id (in Indonesian). Historia. Retrieved 25 December 2024.

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