Kelings in Aceh : mobility, crisis and survival in the 18th- 19th centuries

Abstract

There is a dearth of scholarly studies on independent trans-oceanic mercantile groups active in Aceh. The Keling merchants were one of numerous influential chains of traders that connected the maritime mercantile network in pre-colonial Southeast Asia. Colonialism and transformations that arrived through European imperial rule, fueled by nationalist narratives in the 20th century, dispelled the historical presence and memory of the Kelings from their embedded position in the story of Southeast Asian development. Contributions and legacies of diverse ethnic groups that lived within the social and political fabric of the region have often been contested, distorted, ignored, or extirpated from nationalist and racist historical narratives on development and education. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the longstanding Keling trading activities in Aceh reached a peak, and then sharply declined and disappeared. Kelings were one of many ethnic groups known to the Acehnese as traders, including Hindus and Muslims from Southern Indian key ports such as the Coromandel Coast. Keling Muslims were favourites of both local autonomous leaders and the Sultans, skillfully meeting the needs not only of commercial requirements and maintenance but also advising in financial matters and political policies. Increasing European hegemony from the late 18th century onwards reduced the role and contribution of the Kelings, who were gradually eclipsed as the royal elites listed to the advice of the newcomers, who later became Shahbandars, commerce and political policymakers. The Sultans began to emulate British trade, and the associated maritime and security system and law, following numerous land and sea unrests that raised suspicions about foreigners – including both European and Keling merchants – interfering in domestic politics and fomenting rebellions. The influence of the Kelings further declined under Dutch colonialism, with a coastal blockade in 1873 severely restricting commercial access in almost every trading port. Through consulting numerous indigenous primary works, European reports, newspapers, and archival materials from Istanbul, Leiden, London, Aceh and Penang, this research raises four questions surrounding the indigenous knowledge on the Kelings establishment, display of influences, and responses towards internal and external turbulences in Aceh, and intellectual-cultural contributions to the Acehnese. Addressing these questions, the objectives of this study are to: (1) identify indigenous knowledge and portrayal of the Kelings based on local texts; (2) elaborate on the role of the Kelings in the 18th and 19th centuries; (3) highlight dynamic responses towards the survival of trade mobility and the decline during the rising internal turbulences, rivalry, and hegemony of the British, Dutch, and French in Aceh; and (4) describe the roles played by the Kelings in the intellectual and religious spheres. This study aims to fill the existing gap and provide additional contributions to the study of the South Indian trans-oceanic role in Indonesia and the general history of maritime Southeast Asia.