Strategy of Universal War: Padri War in The Face of the Netherlands in Minangkabau in 1803-1838

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Strategy of Universal War: Padri War in The Face of the Netherlands in Minangkabau in 1803-1838

Abdur Rahim, Sutrimo Sumarlan, Arief Rachman
University of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, Bogor, West Java

Abstract

This article discusses the Strategy of The Padri War in the face of the Netherlands in Minangkabau, which took place in the early 17th century, precisely from 1803 to 1838. The historical background of the Padri War began with religious and customary issues, but the final period of the Padri war on the own consciousness of the Padri and the Indigenous people turned into jointly against the Netherlands. This war became a place of resistance of the Minangkabau people against Netherlands invaders led by several prominent figures known as The Tiger Nan Salapan. The last period of the Padri war in 1830-1837, which was a war between the coalition of indigenous peoples and padri against the Netherlands, received its own assessment from the Netherlands. The Netherlands recognized that the Padri war was a difficult enough war for the Netherlands to win, and it became a record for the Netherlands that the Padri war was the longest war in Netherlands history. Guerrilla warfare strategy supported by the full force of indigenous people and Padri in the war overwhelmed the Netherlands forces, resulting in many casualties. After 35 years of Netherlands fighting against Padri forces, then Minangkabau can be controlled by the Netherlands, Tuanku Imam Bonjol as warlord Padri captured then on January 19, 1839 exiled to Ambon, then in 1841 transferred to Manado until his death on November 6, 1864.

Keywords: Strategy of Universal War, Padri War, Minangkabau

Introduction

Indonesia was generally colonized by European nations within hundreds of years, they came to bring the spirit of imperialism by carrying out the mission of 3G (Gold, Glory and Gospel). Weigert and W. Hans in their book Principles of Political Geography (1957) explained that 3G (Gold, Glory and gospel) was a form of the Treaty of Tordesillas by the Portuguese and Spanish that contained a fatwa from Pope Alexander VI of the Vatican about the mission of the two Catholic kingdoms at that time [1]. This mission is carried out by Europeans when colonizing in Indonesia, namely 3G: Gold (acquiring wealth), Glory (glory) and Gospel (carrying the mission of spreading religion).
Based on the historical records of several European nations (Portuguese, British and Netherlands), the Netherlands were the longest colonized in Indonesia. The beginning of the Netherlands entry into Indonesia was marked by the arrival of Cornelis de Houtman in 1596 until the Netherlands established a trade union known as voc in 1602 to 1799 [2]. The Netherlands began to enter Indonesian territory to trade spices, but over time, the Netherlands began to implement imperialism and colonialism to facilitate the gain of natural wealth.
In the 1800s in general, Indonesia was controlled by the Netherlands, his arrival politically was to want to control Indonesia both from his government and in the field of trade [3], one of which was the Minangkabau region. When the Netherlands came back to Minangkabau in the 18th century, in Minangkabau there was a conflict / civil war between the Indigenous people and the Padri. The arrival of the Netherlands met resistance from the Padri, so that there was a battle known as the Padri war. At that time the Priests controlled three strategic areas (luhak) in Minangkabau namely Tanah Datar, Luhak Agam and Lima Puluh Kota, as the beginning of the Minangkabau region, and the central center of Pagaruyung Kingdom was in the area of Tanah Datar. Based on tambo (history / saga) the origin of the word Minangkabau comes from the word “Manangkabau” which is the Minangkabau community won in a buffalo race with a large group that wants to control Minangkabau, so that since then the local community calls its territory as Minangkabau [4].
The Padri War was the longest in the history of the war against the Netherlands, from 1803 to 1838. Initially this war was a war caused by opposition in the issue of religious understanding in everyday life, finally the Padri and indigenous people agreed to join the one great power to fight against the Netherlands. The Netherlands recognized that the strength of the Padri army was very tough and difficult to defeat, Captain Hendriks, a Netherlands army officer who wrote in his diary about the war in Minangkabau (1881). According to Captain Hendriks that the Minangkabau’s strength was extraordinary, even in the most difficult circumstances, the Minangs could still show their extraordinary courage in battle. For example, when the Netherlands attacked the Lintau area, despite the strength of the Padri forces in small numbers, militancy was still high in the war. Padri’s troops were accustomed and trained in the battlefield, even his combat spirit until the last drop of blood remained spirited to achieve victory in the war [5].
The authors of this study wanted to reveal about how padri’s war strategy in the battle against the Netherlands in Minangkabau and what encouraged the unity of the Indigenous and Padri from the united civil war against the Netherlands. To the author’s knowledge there has been no research related to the Strategy of Universal War: The Padri War in The Face of the Netherlands in Minangkabau in 1803-1838. Most of the literature obtained, both in the form of journals and books that the author got a lot discussed the topic of the da’wah movement of the Padri in Minangkabau. Little discusses the historical series of the struggle of the Padri in the war against the Netherlands in Minangkabau. Therefore, with the absence of previous research, it can be said that the author’s research can be said there is novelty in a study.
The benefits of this research are as reference materials and enrich the study of universal war strategies based on the trajectory of the history of war that occurred in several regions in Indonesia.

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