Said, Mohammad, Aceh Sepanjang Abad, 2^nd volume (Medan 1981), 480 pages, figures and index.

The second volume of Aceh Sepanjang Abad is the edition published to complete the history of Aceh throughout the centuries. Unlike the first volume which was portrayed in a longer timeframe, the second volume is focused on the short period around early until mid 19^th century. The phase when Aceh fought against the Dutch colonial occupation after their first invasion in December 1873, which was also recorded as an important history for the Dutch.

The discussions on the Aceh war from both parties (Aceh and the Dutch) were described in detail in this second volume. All related critical events such as the preparation made by the Dutch before their first and second invasions, the military power of Aceh, as well as the Dutch socio-political forces including the espionage tactics performed by them were elaborated on thoroughly. This edition also reveals the approach performed by the Dutch to weaken the power of Ulamas[1] and Ulèëbalangs[2] through their ‘divide et impera[3]’ politic and the bribery tactics, with the high-ranking Acehnese leaders as the target.

The military strategies operated by the Acehnese were also discussed in this book. The defense walls were built around the Great Mosque and the ‘Dalam[4]’ by the Aceh fighters to counter the Dutch attacks. Besides the physical preparation on the spot, the Acehnese were also assisted by outside supporters from Penang in Malaysian Peninsula through ‘Dewan Delapan’ or ‘The Council of Eight’ who helped in the distribution of weapons and logistics supplies. The patriotic spirit of the Acehnese against the Dutch aggression was expressed very well in this book through the descriptions of series of attacks by the Acehnese against the Dutch military posts all over the Aceh region. One of the local sources used by the author in describing this patriotic spirit came from the Hikayat Perang Kumpeni by Dolkarim, the Acehnese poet from the 19^th century.

Several important figures in the wars either from the Dutch and Aceh parties were also portrayed in this book, such as the Dutch governors-general ruled in Aceh at that time (van Swieten, van der Heijden, van Heutz, van Daleen, etc.), as well as the non-military figures like Snouck Hurgronje[5]. The most influenced Acehnese war leaders such as Teungku Chik Di Tiro, Panglima Polem, Teuku Umar, as well as the foremost Acehnese women fighters like Cut Nyak Dhien and Cut Meutia were also mentioned and well narrated by the author. Meanwhile, the names of Acehnese fighters who died during the wars were listed and arranged in sequential order by year at the end of the book.

In this second volume, Said argued that the Dutch invaded Aceh not because they want to control it from other nations but just simply to complete their absolute colonialism all over the Nusantara (East-Indies or Indonesia) (page 1). However, their intention is not as simple as they thought as finally, they found it was not easy to conquer Aceh. In Holland, the Dutch invasions of Aceh became a substantial issue in the parliament also the consuming topic of the press/media. The debates and polemics raised concerning this issue were also analyzed by the author, the facts that have never been exposed in many history books of Aceh or from the Dutch sources.

In addition to the topics of wars and invasions, this book also highlights discussions related to the changes made by the Dutch during their occupation in Aceh. That is including the changing of the name of Bandar Aceh into Kuta Raja or City of the King after they occupied the ‘Dalam’. The Dutch occupation also changed the name of the ‘Dalam’ into ‘Keraton’, a Javanese term used for the Sultan’s Palace. Another interesting fact discovered in this book is the shifting of the Sultan’s Palace to several different locations after the ‘Dalam’ in Bandar Aceh was occupied by the Dutch. One of the locations was Keumala which was called ‘Kuta Keumala Dalam’. This location existed as the center of the administration of the Aceh Kingdom for about 20 years (page 108). The final chapter of the book mostly discusses the end of the Aceh Kingdom era where the last Sultan, Tuanku Muhammad Dawot was captured by the Dutch and then exiled to Java Island. The book was concluded with some reviews on the situation and condition of Aceh at the end period of the colonial war when the Japanese came in 1942 and started its occupation until Indonesia declared its independence on the 17th of August 1945.

Although the second volume was compiled based on the important events that happened within a short timeframe, not in chronological order as the first volume, however, Aceh Sepanjang Abad 2^nd volume is still an interesting and useful book to read. The narrative flows well and is easy to understand for both scholar and non-scholar readers.#