Borobudur

Borobudur, Candi Budha Terbesar di Abad ke-9

Siapa tak kenal Candi Borobudur? Candi Budha ini memiliki 1460 relief dan 504 stupa Budha di kompleksnya. Jutaan orang mendamba untuk mengunjungi bangunan yang termasuk dalam World Wonder Heritages ini. Tak mengherankan, sebab secara arsitektural maupun fungsinya sebagai tempat ibadah, Borobudur memang memikat hati.

Borobudur dibangun oleh Raja Samaratungga, salah satu raja kerajaan Mataram Kuno, keturunan Wangsa Syailendra. Berdasarkan prasasti Kayumwungan, seorang Indonesia bernama Hudaya Kandahjaya mengungkapkan bahwa Borobudur adalah sebuah tempat ibadah yang selesai dibangun 26 Mei 824, hampir seratus tahun sejak masa awal dibangun. Nama Borobudur sendiri menurut beberapa orang berarti sebuah gunung yang berteras-teras (budhara), sementara beberapa yang lain mengatakan Borobudur berarti biara yang terletak di tempat tinggi.

Bangunan Borobudur berbentuk punden berundak terdiri dari 10 tingkat. Tingginya 42 meter sebelum direnovasi dan 34,5 meter setelah direnovasi karena tingkat paling bawah digunakan sebagai penahan. Enam tingkat paling bawah berbentuk bujur sangkar dan tiga tingkat di atasnya berbentuk lingkaran dan satu tingkat tertinggi yang berupa stupa Budha yang menghadap ke arah barat. Setiap tingkatan melambangkan tahapan kehidupan manusia. Sesuai mahzab Budha Mahayana, setiap orang yang ingin mencapai tingkat sebagai Budha mesti melalui setiap tingkatan kehidupan tersebut.

Bagian dasar Borobudur, disebut Kamadhatu, melambangkan manusia yang masih terikat nafsu. Empat tingkat di atasnya disebut Rupadhatu melambangkan manusia yang telah dapat membebaskan diri dari nafsu namun masih terikat rupa dan bentuk. Pada tingkat tersebut, patung Budha diletakkan terbuka. Sementara, tiga tingkat di atasnya dimana Budha diletakkan di dalam stupa yang berlubang-lubang disebut Arupadhatu, melambangkan manusia yang telah terbebas dari nafsu, rupa, dan bentuk. Bagian paling atas yang disebut Arupa melambangkan nirwana, tempat Budha bersemayam.

Setiap tingkatan memiliki relief-relief indah yang menunjukkan betapa mahir pembuatnya. Relief itu akan terbaca secara runtut bila anda berjalan searah jarum jam (arah kiri dari pintu masuk candi). Pada reliefnya Borobudur bercerita tentang suatu kisah yang sangat melegenda, yaitu Ramayana. Selain itu, terdapat pula relief yang menggambarkan kondisi masyarakat saat itu. Misalnya, relief tentang aktivitas petani yang mencerminkan tentang kemajuan sistem pertanian saat itu dan relief kapal layar merupakan representasi dari kemajuan pelayaran yang waktu itu berpusat di Bergotta (Semarang).

Keseluruhan relief yang ada di candi Borobudur mencerminkan ajaran sang Budha. Karenanya, candi ini dapat dijadikan media edukasi bagi orang-orang yang ingin mempelajari ajaran Budha. YogYES mengajak anda untuk mengelilingi setiap lorong-lorong sempit di Borobudur agar dapat mengerti filosofi agama Budha. Atisha, seorang budhis asal India pada abad ke 10, pernah berkunjung ke candi yang dibangun 3 abad sebelum Angkor Wat di Kamboja dan 4 abad sebelum Katedral Agung di Eropa ini.

Berkat mengunjungi Borobudur dan berbekal naskah ajaran Budha dari Serlingpa (salah satu raja Kerajaan Sriwijaya), Atisha mampu mengembangkan ajaran Budha. Ia menjadi kepala biara Vikramasila dan mengajari orang Tibet tentang cara mempraktekkan Dharma. Enam naskah dari Serlingpa pun diringkas menjadi sebuah inti ajaran disebut "The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment" atau yang lebih dikenal dengan nama Bodhipathapradipa.

Salah satu pertanyaan yang kini belum terjawab tentang Borobudur adalah bagaimana kondisi sekitar candi ketika dibangun dan mengapa candi itu ditemukan dalam keadaan terkubur. Beberapa mengatakan Borobudur awalnya berdiri dikitari rawa kemudian terpendam karena letusan Merapi. Dasarnya adalah prasasti Kalkutta bertuliskan 'Amawa' berarti lautan susu. Kata itu yang kemudian diartikan sebagai lahar Merapi. Beberapa yang lain mengatakan Borobudur tertimbun lahar dingin Merapi.

Dengan segala kehebatan dan misteri yang ada, wajar bila banyak orang dari segala penjru dunia memasukkan Borobudur sebagai tempat yang harus dikunjungi dalam hidupnya. Selain menikmati candinya, anda juga bisa berkeliling ke desa-desa sekitar Borobudur, seperti Karanganyar dan Wanurejo untuk melihat aktivitas warga membuat kerajinan. Anda juga bisa pergi ke puncak watu Kendil untuk dapat memandang panorama Borobudur dari atas. Tunggu apa lagi? Tak perlu khawatir gempa 27 Mei 2006, karena Borobudur tidak terkena dampaknya sama sekali.

taken from: yogya yes.com

raziey

Lake Toba, Sumatra

Danau Toba, or Lake Toba as we know it, is the largest lake in Southeast Asia. It was created by the eruption of a super volcano 75 thousand years ago. It is still surrounded by the crater edge of that volcano, and in the middle of the lake, volcanic activity created Samosir an island as big as Singapore. Attached to that island is a small peninsula, with the village of Tuktuk on it. This is the tourist destination of the area, where we enjoy the cool air, a dive in the lake, the relaxed atmosphere, and the local Batak culture.

Liberty of Lekjon

After the exciting bus and bemo ride to Parapat we meet Liberty. He tells us that the last ferry to Tuktuk leaves in an Hour. But not to worry, there is a small restaurant where we can eat something while Liberty tells us all about Tuktuk and his hotel Lekjon cottages. It appears that the ferry will drop us off at any hotel on Tuktuk we want, and since we like the leaflet of Lekjon, we decide to let us lead by Liberty.

In the dark the ferry brings us over lake Toba. It takes about half an hour during which we only see some lights and a small fire along the crater edge. The ferry stops at the bay next to the peninsula first, and then moves along the coastline to drop everybody at their desired destination. We see a lot of hotel names, but it is too difficult in the dark to see what they are like. Just in the middle of the peninsula is Lekjon, and we are easily convinced to at least spend one night here. We get a clean room, a warm shower, and a nice view for a low price, what else do we want?

At night we drink something in Lekjon’s restaurant. The personnel is friendly, and one of them starts playing the guitar. A few English guests know some songs, and Sabine also starts playing. It is a good start for our stay at Lake Toba, which promises to become a holiday during our world journey.

Where are the tourists et Lake Toba?

The next morning we make a walk around Tuktuk. Although Lekjon is okay, we like to know what alternatives are around. And we also like to explore the surroundings. We pass many hotels. Big ones, with large buildings, and small ones, with cosy cabins along lake Toba. Especially the big ones make a desolate impression, they seem to have almost no guests. And some of the small ones are closed all together, and so are many of the restaurants. It appears to us that lake Toba must have seen much more tourists in the recent past. Many stay away now because of September 11, and the independence struggle of Aceh in North Sumatra, not very far from Lake Toba.

The peninsula is larger than we expected. At different hotels we inspect the rooms, but it is all similar to Lekjon. We also stop at some souvenir shops. Many nice woodcarvings for low prices. The vendors are urging us to be something, they also feel the lack of tourists

To the market

In the afternoon we take the ferry across lake Toba back to Parapat. There is a market there, and we have to go there to get some money. This time we have a seat on top of the boat, and inspect the hotels again, this time from the water. There are a few that could not be seen from the road. It is clear that Hotel Carolina is the most fancy hotel on Tuktuk. Nice cabins in traditional Batak style, including cane roofs, and a private pool created in the lake.

The market of Parapat isn’t much of an attraction. We quickly find the ATM and go back to the ferry with a bemo. Parapat isn’t very interesting, but it is a pleasant town. There are some hotels here as well, but again only a few tourists.

Historic Ambarita

We decide to rent a few mountain bikes to explore Samosir island, the main island in Lake Toba to which Tuktuk is attached. The main road goes around the island, and we enjoy great views until we reach the historic town of Ambarita. We enter the wall around the historic center via a small gate. We have to fill in our names in a guestbook, and pay a small fee. We are the only tourists in here, and from the guestbook we learn there are not many visiting these days. We wonder how the personnel here can live from the fees. Then a guide comes along offering his services. He tells us we can decide for ourselves how much we pay him afterwards. Yeah, right.

There are a few traditional Batak houses in a nice row. Although they’re not that traditional, since they have tin roofs. But at least they have the traditional shape, that resembles the traditional shape of the Minangkabau houses, or these of the Toraja people in Sulawesi. They all had the horns of the water buffalo for inspiration. One of the houses doubles as a small museum and the guide explains some tools there. From his explanations, we only remembered the Batak calendar, so is wasn’t much.

Cannibalism at the old courtyard

Most important part of Ambarita is the old courtyard. Under an old tree are a number of stone chairs in a circle where the village elders held council. Criminals who were convicted with the death penalty were led to the execution yard 50 meters further. This is a larger circle with stone chairs, and a large boulder on which the convicted would be tortured to scare away the evil spirits. Then, the victim would be killed, beheaded, and cut in pieces. The heart and liver were eaten by the king and elders, and every witness had to eat something as well. The blood served as a drink for everybody.

We pay our guide, not surprised he asks for more, and move on to the souvenir street. Lots of stalls with woodcarvings and vendors who are desperate to sell something. And only 2 tourists (us) as their prey. But we carry very little money, so we have to disappoint them all. Another sad result of the tourist decline at Lake Toba.

Graves of Tomok

We hop on our bikes and follow the road to Tomok. Main attraction in this village is the grave of the king. Or actually there are more graves, and it is unclear to us which one is which. There are some stone figures around the graves, but no guide to explain things. A little further is a large doll on a stage. The story goes that a former king was so sad for the death of his son, that he ordered a dancing doll. The dancing of dolls became a tradition at funerals.

In Tomok are a lot of souvenir stalls as well. This time especially with clothes and other stuff. But again, no tourist around, and we are the only prey. So we don’t stay long, hop on our bikes and go back to Tuktuk, enjoying the views over Lake Toba.

Cinema

Tuktuk has its own cinema. An Englishman who lives here permanently, created a business with the copied video CD’s which are for sale everywhere in Southeast Asia. He has a large collection for rent, or you can watch them in a small room with large TV. We are watching “The Lord of the Rings” here. The copy was obviously made in an actual cinema: we can hear the laughter of the audience, and once in a while there is a shadow passing by. Amazing how the illegal copying industry works here.

In order to explore more of Samosir, we hire some motorbikes. After some instructions, we leave while the people shout at us to drive on the left side of the road, something we would already forgot. Easily we pass the many hills on our way to the first target: Samanindo. Here is a the Batak museum of Samosir located. After a little search, we find it just in time for an dance exhibition.

Batak dance

In front of an open terrain a more tourists are gathered than we saw in total the last couple of days. And in front of a scale model of a traditional Batak house are a group Batak people dancing. Well, dancing is a big word for the small movements they make. The program indicates multiple dances, but we see little variation. When some tourists join them, we hardly see a difference. And then a dancing doll enters the scene, making more moves than the dancers themselves. The tourists are supposed to give a donation to the doll, which is rewarded with a loud “Horas”. And that is the most exciting part of the exhibition.

The accompanying Batak museum isn’t much either. A little disappointed we hop pack on our motorbikes and move on. What amazes us most is that this place attracts most of the tourists around Lake Toba.

We move on along the outside of the island, passing many traditional houses, most of them with zinc roofs. Also many impressing grave towers, with on top of them a miniature traditional house.

Hot Springs

As we approach the other side of the island, the mainland comes in sight. A large white spot on the crater edge draws our attention. It almost seems like a ski trail, but we suppose it must be chalk or sand. A little later we arrive at the village where the island is connected to the main land by a small bridge. In fact, the bridge was only needed since the Dutch dug a canal to separate the island from the main land in 1906. We pass the bridge and drive up to search for our next goal: the hot springs. The closer we get, the more we realize the white spot is where we will find the hot springs.

The hot springs are accompanied by a number of restaurants and a large parking lot. But there are not many tourists. At one of the restaurants we park our motorbikes and order a meal. While we wait we see a little girl playing with to chicks, one of them bright yellow, the other bright green. Funny little animals, although it is sad that they probably have no mother and are obviously artificially colored.

After lunch we search for the hot springs. Every restaurant appears to have a bath of swimming pool fed with hot water from the springs, but we want to find the springs themselves. So we climb up, until we reach a restaurant that only lets us through if we order something. Here is a pool as well, but also a natural bath in the rocks. And as we climb up, we reach the actual source of the hot springs. In some kind of white moon landscape there is a stream of hot, yellow water. It is boiling up from the rocks, although we cannot see exactly where.

After a lovely, purifying, very hot bath, and a cola at the restaurant, we descend to our motorbikes. Although there is a market in the village we pass, we decide to go back to Tuktuk. It takes us two hours to go back, including a few stops for a beautiful view and a drink. We are back before dark, so we can cool off in the lake.

More Batak dance

That night there is a traditional dance performance in one of the restaurants of Tuktuk. We are convinced that there should be more to it than the slow motion dance we saw that morning, we decide to have a look. But what we see is even worse than that. Odd, since the traditional music sounds happy and dynamic.

After the dance there is a singing performance. Five men are putting all their energy in a few nice songs. Quite a contrast to the dance performance. The surprise is complete when the dancers invite the audience to swing with them. So they can actually dance enthusiastically, although it is not very traditional.

Woodcarving course

Having seen most of the sights around Lake Toba, we search for an alternative activity. We find a cooking course, but that one is a bit expensive. A woodcarving course, however, is cheap so we join a few souvenir makers. We get to pick something we like in order to try and copy it. After some instructions how to cut, we try for ourselves. Bit by bit our blocks of wood get some shape. Our teachers watch, adjust, and show how to continue.

Sabine’s mini mask is almost done. After sanding it, it can be polished and varnished. Patrick’s puppet takes a little longer, but after lunch, when our hands can be relieved from the cramps, it can be finished as well. Sabine has continued with carving her name, and begins with carving a guitar. Patrick tries a gecko. But then the fun is over. The leg of the gecko breaks, and the knife hits his hand. There is a lot of blood, but after binding it, it seems to be okay. But it is clear that we have not found a new occupation.

Tuktuk restaurants and hotels

Most of the evenings we dine at the restaurant of Lekjon. But we do want to try something different. So we walk the island, searching for nice restaurants. Around Lekjon are a few of them, but there are just a few people every where, And the further we walk, the sadder it gets. Many restaurants wait for the first guests of the evening, others are already closed. We do find one restaurant that draws more public. It is the Bamboo restaurant, with nice decoration (bamboo obviously), good food and nice music. According to Roy Bamboo, the owner, there are many guests every night. It seems to be the exception to the rule that business is bad around Lake Toba these days.

As we have seen and explored every aspect of Lake Toba it is time to move on. It was a nice relaxing week with nice activities. It is a pity that the locals are desperate because of the decline in number of tourists. Once, there were probably too many tourists, but too little is not good either, for the great destination that Lake Toba actually is .

taken from:http://www.adventure-travel-tales-and-tips.com

Follow our World Journey!! Next Stop: Bukit Lawang

raziey

History of Aceh

Year by year

In 1292, Marco Polo, on his voyage from China to Persia visited Sumatra and reported that on the northern part of Sumatra there were as many as six trading ports including Ferlec, Samudera and Lambri. Islam is reported to have reached Aceh between the seventh and eighth centuries AD and the first Islamic kingdom, Perlak was established in 804 AD. Then followed Samudera Pasai in 1042, Tamiah in 1184, Aceh in 1205 and Darussalam in 1511. In this year the Portuguese captured Malacca and many Asian and Arabic traders sought to avoid the Malacca Strait and called instead on Aceh's port, bringing wealth and prosperity. Aceh's dominance in trade and politics in northern parts of Sumatra began, reaching a climax between 1610 and 1640. With the death of Sultan Iskandar Thani in 1641, Aceh's decline began. The British and Dutch both started to vie for influence. In 1824 the London Treaty was signed, giving the Dutch control over all British possessions in Sumatra in return for a Dutch surrender of their establishments in India and an abrogation of all claims on Singapore.

Summary of Aceh important dates in its history (1520- early 1600)

Rise of Aceh clearly demonstrates impact of Islam and trade in contestation with Europeans. Portuguese efforts to intervene in Pasai and Pidie, and takeover of Melaka across the straits, drove elements interested in Islam, commerce, or local patriotism to unite in support of Aceh's Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah.

1520s

Sultan worked to unite the north Sumatran coast into a new and explicitly anti-Portuguese kingdom; ideological identity and authority of Aceh competed directly with Portuguese Melaka as center of Islamic spice route. (Similarly, Banten in western Java emerged as an Islamic kingdom in competition with the Hindu port of Sunda Kelapa, ruled by a Portuguese ally.)

1534–38

Ottoman expansion (first to Egypt, Syria, and the Hejaz in 1516–17, then to Iraq in 1534–35) provided new military defense of Muslim spice-trading route in the Indian Ocean. First Ottoman fleet to combat the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean was launched by the governor of Egypt in 1537–38; this failed.

1560s

Establishment of direct commercial and diplomatic relations between Ottomans and Aceh; this led to concept of pan-Islamic counter-crusade against the Portuguese in Southeast Asia (e.g., 1566 petition for assistance, sent from sultan of Aceh to Ottoman sultan).

1560–1580s

High point for Islamic military success in Southeast Asia.

Early 1600s

Evidence that Shari'a courts in use in Aceh, to apply Islamic law in enforcing precepts relating to prayer, fasting, and religious orthodoxy and to deal with civil matters of debt, marriage, divorce, and inheritance as well as criminal matters of theft, drunkenness, and so on. Introduction of the kadi (law officer, an important figure in urban governance) dates from the 1580s. A number of Islamic leaders, from various parts of the archipelago, centered in Aceh during the 17th century, writing voluminously on religious topics both in Arabic and Malay. The last great mystic was ‘Abd al-Ra'uf of Singkel, born around 1615. After studying in the Middle East, he returned to Aceh, served the sultan as secretary, and wrote widely on law and religion. His fame as a religious reformer spread widely, before and after his death sometime following 1693. (See The Malayan Archipelago, 1798–1908)

Summary of Aceh important dates in its history (1816-1942)
Also referred to as Atjeh, Achin. An Islamic sultanate located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, at times controlling land on both sides of the Malacca Straits. Its strategic location gave it political importance

In 1816/1824 the Dutch and British agreed on delimitation of their mutual spheres of influence in the Malay Archipelago; Aceh was allocated to neither of them. In the Sumatra Treatise of 1871, Britain conceded Aceh to the Netherlands, in return for Dutch concessions regarding Sarawak/North Borneo and on the Gold Coast.

1831 - U.S. ships, the Potomac Fleet, under the order of US President Andrew Jackson and without the approval of the US Congress, shell coastal villages in Aceh in an action against "piracy" (Acehnese pepper trade dispute with businesses tied to Governor of Massachussetts). In 1832 (Quallah Battoo) and in 1838/1839 US troops landed in Aceh (Quallah Battoo, Muckie) to protect US interests. Quallah Battoo (Kuala Bate) is located between the town of Meulaboh and Tapak Tuan, near the area where the US Marines landed to help Aceh Tsunami's victims.

1852 - Aceh sends an emissary to Napoleon III of France.

1854 - Aceh establishes authority over Langkat, Deli and Serdang on east coast of Sumatra ("pepper ports").

1858 - Dutch take Siak in north Sumatra by treaty, and move troops in to prevent British adventurers from gaining a foothold there. The boundary of Siak is defined to include Langkat and Deli, infringing on Acehnese territory.

1869 - Aceh appeals to the Ottoman Empire for protection. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened, which greatly reduced the travel time and effort between Europe and Asia by sea, and gave places such as Aceh much more strategic importance.

1870 - Sultan Mahmud Syah rules Aceh until 1874.

1871 - November Treaty of Sumatra between British and Dutch: Dutch give Gold Coast to British; Dutch may send contract labor from India to Dutch Guinea; Dutch get free hand in Sumatra, British and Dutch both have trade rights in Aceh. Effect of this treaty: there is no more foreign objection to the Dutch taking Aceh.

1873 - January 25 Emissary from Aceh holds talks with the American consul in Singapore, but help was rejected by Washington. The Dutch respond with war. March 26 Dutch bombard Banda Aceh. April 8 Dutch land troops at Banda Aceh. April 25 Acehnese force the Dutch to withdraw. The Sultan of Aceh sensed the imminent danger and sent a delegation to Singapore, where they contected the consuls of Italy and the US (for a possible protectorate, 1873). The Dutch regarded this as the "Treason of Singapore" and declared war. The first Dutch attempt to conquer Aceh failed in 1873

1874 - Holland attack Sultanate of Aceh and the Kraton (capital, called Koetaradja by the Dutch) was occupied and the Sultanate formally annexed. The Dutch controlled only the area around Koetaradja; most of the territory remained unoccupied, and the Acehnese continued to resist. January 24 Acehnese abandon Banda Aceh and retreat to the hills. Dutch announce that Sultanate of Aceh is ended. Sultan Mahmud Syah of Aceh dies in the jungle; Sultan Ibrahim Mansur Syah heads sultanate in hills until 1907. Teuku Umar of the Acehnese nobility leads the Acehnese forces. The Dutch strategy of occupying the political center had failed; the resistance continued (2nd Acehnese War 1874-1880, 3rd Acehnese War 1884-1886, 4th Acehnese War since 1888). In 1882, the population of Aceh was calculated as 479,419 (Meyers). Advised by scholar Snouck Hugronje, the Dutch army, under Lt. VAN HEUTSZ, adopted a new strategy of brutal repression. In 1903 the Acehnese Sultan POLIM surrendered; only in 1908 were the Dutch able to establish control over the area; guerilla resistance continued. The wars leading to the conquest and pacification of Aceh (1873-1908) have cost an estimated 10,000 Dutch and 100,000 Acehnese fatalities.

1878 - Expedition under Gen. Van der Heijden burns 500 villages in Aceh to the ground. Teungku Cik di Tiro, an Islamic ulama, starts leading the resistance in Aceh.

1884 - Guerilla war heats up in Aceh. Dutch build "Geconcentreerde Linie" in Aceh: a series of 16 forts designed to contain guerillas. Many of the common soldiers Dutch-led troops in the Netherlands Indies forces were not Dutch, but were recruited from Java, Sulawesi, and other parts of Indonesia.

1896 - Dutch go on attack against guerillas in Aceh with special forces (Korps Marechaussee).

1898 - Van Heutsz becomes Dutch Governor of Aceh. His advisor Snouck Hurgronje introduces "Korte Verklaring", a short treaty recognizing Dutch rule, to replace older complicated agreements with local rulers; Dutch pursue alliance with uleebalangs against Islamic leaders. June Van Heutsz sends a successful Dutch expedition against Pidie, Aceh.
1899 - Teuku Umar is killed during a Dutch ambush.

1903 - Sultan of Aceh, Tuanku Daud Syah, surrenders to the Dutch, but keeps secret contact with guerillas

1904 - Van Heutsz, recently military Governor of Aceh, becomes Governor-General (until 1909). An expedition under Capt. Van Daalen to the uplands of Aceh kills over 3000 villagers, including over 1000 women and children.

1905 - Acehnese resistance contacts Japanese consul in Singapore for help.

1907 - Aceh guerillas attack Dutch in Banda Aceh

1910 - Islamic resistance in Aceh is decimated. Uleebalangs, or traditional aristocracy of Aceh take charge. The Uleebalangs would develop a reputation for collaborating with the Dutch; after World War II, many Uleebalangs were massacred.

1942 - Aceh resistance overthrew Dutch rules in Aceh and began helping Indonesian Independence movement and resistance in Java island. .......
Dec 26, 2005 - 9.0 Earthquake and Tsunami destroyed Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and all coastal towns in Aceh, killing over 170,000 people and displaced over 550,000 people.
www.aceh.net/mosques.html

raziey

Aceh

Acheh (Part 1)
cheh has a lot of potential cultures which are basically colored by Islamic religion. There are three major ethnic groups in Acheh; Achehnese, Gayo and Alas. The Achehnese are most numerous and inhabit the coastal areas of the region. However, in west and south Acheh, they intermingled with west Sumatra, which reflected in language, design and customs. The Gayo and Alas tribes are numerically minor groups who inhabited the highland of Acheh. The Gayo live in central Acheh while the Alas in southeast Acheh.
Acheh is often called "Serambi Mekkah" (The Verandah of Mecca). No wonder that the dominant religion in Acheh is Islam (Moslem). Of Acheh's about 4 million inhabitants, are Moslem (98.11%) and remainder are Protestants (1.32 %), Roman Catholic (0.16%), Hindu (0.02 %) and Buddhist (0.37 %). Even though the Achehnese are very strong believers and often called fanatics by other Indonesian. They are very open minded and understanding towards other people's religious needs. Churches and temples are always found in towns of Acheh.
In 1990 there were a total of 2359 Mosques, 6408 Meunasah (Moslem house of worship), 2955 Mushallas (simple place of worship), 91 church/school and 6 Bhuddish Temples. Islam literally means peace, surrender, obedience and submission. Islam (Moslem) stands for complete submisson and obedience to the only God, Allah.
Islam (Moslem) claims the right to govern and control every aspect of lives of its believers. It recoqnizes man's material, intellectual and emotional urges and the need to fulfill them. Yet, in achieving these goals, Allah can not be forgotten. With that mind, Moslem perform five obligations, The so called Five Pillar of Faith, i.e. confession of faith (Syahadat), prayers five times a day (Shalat), fasting in month of Ramadhan (Puasa), almsgiving (Zakat) and pilgrimage to Mecca if capable (Haji).
At the age of seven, children start to learn the prayers and tenets of Islam and to recite from the Koran (Al Qur'an). Boys and girls start to have religious duties and obligations at the onset of puberty. Knowledge and understanding of Islam make an individual into moral being capable to distinguish right from wrong. The religious leaders who teach the children ( Teungku/Tgk) make children into rational beings. Communion with Allah can only be achieved through prayers five times a day. The title "Teungku (Tgk)" is given to prominent religious leader. Title "Tuanku" or "Sayed" and " Teuku (T)" is used descendants of important land owning families during the sultanate, and title "Cut Nyak" or "Po Cut" and "Cut",are used for female of these fammilies.
The following descriptions about culture including architecture,crafts, adat ceremonies, etc. tend to apply to the coastal Achehnese group.

raziey

ACEH

ACEH

Aceh is a region on the northern tip of Sumatra. Aceh first rose to importance as a center of resistance to the Portuguese. Aceh went into decline when the Dutch established a presence in Malacca.

It was used as a counter to the Dutch by the British, and an Anglo-Dutch treaty guaranteed Aceh's independence in 1824. In 1871, the Treaty of Sumatra gave the Dutch a free hand in Aceh in return for recognition of British rights in the Horn of Africa. The Dutch invaded Aceh in 1873. While the Dutch gained control of the cities, they could not project their power into the countryside. Major war lead by strong Acehnese resistance leaders ended in 1912. Outside main cities, guerrilla war continued until 1942.

Overview

Chinese chronicles from as early as the sixth century speak of a Buddhist kingdom called Po-Li on the northern tip of what is now Sumatra. Arabic writings and Indian inscriptions from around the 9th century also mention this area and its obvious importance.

Of all the regions in Indonesia, Aceh, at the northwestern end of Sumatra, is the first to have contact and be influenced by the outside world. Ironically, it is still one of the least known regions of Indonesia, even among Indonesians themselves.

Aceh has a fascinating history which over the centuries has shaped and transformed the region into what it is today. In 1292, Marco Polo, on his epic voyage from China visited Sumatra on his way to Persia and reported that in the northern part of the island there were as many as six busy trading ports including Perlak, Samudera and Lamri. Islamic writings and Indian inscriptions from around the ninth century also name the area and its importance, primarily as a busy and highly strategic trading posts.

The first Islamic kingdom of Perlak was established in the year 804 about 100 years after Islam is first believed to have reached the archipelago. In 1511, the Portuguese seized the important strategic port of Malacca, pushing many Asian and Arabic traders to call instead on the developing port of Aceh, bringing with them wealth and prosperity. Aceh's dominance in trade and politics in northern parts of Sumatra and in the entire region had begun and would last until it reached its zenith between 1610 and 1640.

Aceh's decline began with the death of Sultan Iskandar Thani in 1641, and as a result the British and Dutch both began vying for domination of the area. Eventually the signing of the London Treaty in 1824 saw the Dutch gain control of all British possessions in Sumatra in return for their surrender of enterprises in India and withdrawal of all claims on Singapore.

The Dutch found gaining control of Aceh to be more difficult than they had anticipated. It was a long drawn out struggle for the Dutch in their attempts to subdue the recalcitrant Acehnese. The Aceh War, which lasted intermittently from 1873 to 1942, was the longest ever fought by Holland.

From Po-Li to Aceh Darussalam

"The city of Achin, if you could call it a city, is incredibly spread out, and is built in the forest itself in such a way that no even one home is visible until we find ourselves directly in front of it. And everywhere we went there were houses and people, so that I felt that the city covered the whole land," John Davis, a British observer on a Dutch ship which visited Aceh in 1600 AD wrote. The kingdom of Aceh he spoke of was ruled by Alaidin Riayat Syah.

The history of the Liang Dynasty of China (506-556) spoke of a kingdom called Po-Li to be found on the northern tip of Sumatra. This same kingdom was again mentioned in the history of Sui Dynasty (581-671). "The people in this land are masters at throwing a disk, about the size of a small mirror, whose edges are cerated and sharp, and in whose center a hole is cut. If they throw this weapon they never miss. The other weapons they use are much the same as those existing in China."

In the history of the T'ang Dynasty (618-906) the existence of this kingdom is listed in Book 222. "There is also found a bird called s'ari, which can understand the speech of man. It is black, with a read head, and claws like those of an eagle." The bird referred to was the minah (Gracula religoisa).

Several Arabic writings of the early 9th century also mention an area called Rami or Ramni, and sometimes Lambri. "On that island - I am referring to Lambri - there are many elephants. There is also sapang wood, bamboo and a tribe of cannibals," the Arab notes report. And most experts agree that the positioning of the area indicated is that of what is now known as Northern Sumatra.

In an inscription found in Tanjore, India which was carved in around 1030-31, the name Ilamuridesam is used to refer to a place near Manakkavaram (Greater Nickobar island). Texts from 13th century China also refer to a country called Lan-Wuli or Lan-Li. All these names are very similar to Lamuri, which was mentioned in earlier reports.

At the end of the 13th century, Marco Polo, the adventurer from Venice reported that in the northern part of Sumatra there were to be found as many as 6 trading ports. These were Ferlec, Basman, Smudra, Dagroian, Fansur and Lambri. The name Lamuri was also refered to by Arab explorers like Ibn Sa'id (end of the 13th century), Rasyid ad-Din (1310), and Abulfide (1273-1331). And in 1323 the Christian Father Odoric de Pordenone angrily wrote of the habits of the people of Lamuri, whom he described as savages because they practiced poligamy and cannibalism.

Cheng-Ho, and admiral serving the emperor of China of the Ming Dynasty, in the first part of Sumatra: A-lu (Aru), Su-men-ta-la, or Hsiu-wen-ta-la (Samudra) and Lanwul-li, or Lan-po-li (Lamuri). Concerning Samudra he reported that the region exported precious stones, other kinds of stone, indigo, rhinoceros, pumice stone, gaharu, kalambak, and pucuk wood, cloves, incense, daggers, arches, tin, pepper, sapan wood, belereng and other things. According to the same notes, after a struggle for the throne the name of the region referred to was change to A-tsi (Aceh).

The influence of Hinduism and Buddhism was also felt in this region, but it is not clear when this first occurred. The are is close to India so it is assumed that this influence existed there long before it did in other parts of Sumatra or Java. In the 54th book of the Ling Dynasty history there are several indications that the religion embraced by the king of Po-Li was Buddhism. Several other histories report the presence of Hinduism in Aceh. However it is all but impossible to find any physical sign of this presence, so it is difficult to reconstruct what type of influence India actually had in Aceh. This is probably because of the influence of the Islamic religion in the 7th and 8th centuries A.D.

"All aspects of the culture which were in direct opposition to Islamic law and teachings were wiped out completely" according to A. Hasjmy. Almost all structures and objects related to Indian influence were destroyed and almost no trace at all is left.

According to A. Hajmy the mosque in Indrapuri (Aceh Besar) was built on the foundation of a huge temple. "Its form was similar to that of the Borobudur temple."

The first Islamic kingdoms in Aceh were Perlak, Lamuri and Pasai. The kingdom of Pasai was the first to embrace Islam in Southeast Asia. Two other Islamic kingdoms of Aceh, Samudra Pasai (14th and 15ths centuries) and Aceh Darussalam (16th and 17th centuries), had major impact on the development and expansion of Islam in Indonesia. The religious, philosophic and literary works of the ulemas of Aceh opened up new horizons all over Indonesia.

The name Aceh itself began to be used more definitely around 1520 when Tome Pires of Portugal wrote, "Aceh is the first nation along the coast of Sumatra and is bordered by Lamri, which extends into the interior." Concerning the king of the region Tome Pires refers to him as being a Moslem king with power great enough to bring all of his enemies under control.

Denys Lombard, and expert on the history of Aceh, in his book, "The Kingdoms of Aceh" (1986) speculates that the king referred to was probably Ali Mughayat Syah, who is believed to have been the establisher of Islamic power. This king won the first sea war against the Portuguese in May 1521. Under his rule, and those of his successors, Aceh continued to expand its borders into the whole of Sumatra island and into Semenanjung, Malaysia.

The golden age of Aceh came during the period of kingdom of Aceh Darussalam (Land of Peace) under the rule of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-1636). According to Ausgustin de Beaulieu, a French admiral, the Aceh kingdom was the strongest of all the neighboring nations in terms of its sea power. In its three main harbors as many as 100 war ships were on the alert and ready to sail at a moment's notice. "A third of them were larger than any war ship ever seen in Christiandom," Beaulieu wrote. He also recorded the information that each ship carried three cannons and 40 tons of shells, and were manned by between 600 and 800 men.


Peter Mundy, a Briton, in 1673 reported that Aceh had an armada of 200 large ships, besides numerous large and small boats with sails made of woven matting or rattan. The Portuguese, the foe of Aceh, called these large Acehnese ships Espanto del Mundo or the "bogey men of the world". These ships were about 100 meters long, with three sails and equipped with 100 guns. "Even though our eyes were accustomed to seeing things of great beauty, we all amazed to see this (the ships)," Faria y Sousa, a Spaniard, who worked for the Portuguese, reported.


On land Aceh's army featured the use of elephants, which were greatly feared. Beaulieu reported that the elephants forces numbered as many as 900. These forces were supported by a cavalry mounted on 200 horses. The Aceh kingdom also had a force of at least 40,000 foot soldiers. With this type of military strength Aceh expanded its territory and successfully fought off the Portuguese in areas as far away as Malacca and Semanjung, Malaysia. Because these forces inspired such confidence the people of Aceh did not bother to build high, thick walls to protect Aceh city. Explorers from Europe who are used to seeing such fortresses in Europe and India were amazed that Aceh had none.

As time passed the Dutch became the threat instead of the Portuguese and Aceh was the only part of Indonesia that had yet to fall under the influence of the colonial forces at the first of 20th century.

The Aceh war (1873-1942) was the most major war ever fought by the Dutch and it claimed over 100,000 lives, including that of the Dutch Major General J.H.R. Kohler.

On Aceh's side many heros and heroines surfaced, many of them dying, during this prolonged struggle, among them being: Teungku Chik di Tiro, Teuku Umar, Cut Nyak Dien, Panglima Polem, Cut Meutia, and many, many more. Aceh was the last region in Indonesia to fall to the Dutch colonial forces, and the first to break away.