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King Sisingamangaraja
XII
Sisingamangaraja
XII and The Zending
Some schools
of thought have emerged about King Sisingamangaraja XII and the
Zending. Historians from the Netherlands and Indonesia. They have
written that Sisingamangaraja was against the mission so the aggressions
he made were not only to oppose the Dutch colonialism but also
the Zending which was wide-spread in Silindung and Toba. It is
written in the Encyclopedia Van Netherlandch Indie that, "The
king continuously fought and showed rebellious manners to the
Dutch rule and the Zending."
F.W
Stapel had a different view concerning the previous statement.
He said that the king was not against the Dutch but against the
Christian mission. However, other research has proved that the
other story about North Sumatra is correct based on one important
document which was written by the first British Zending (N.M Ward)
visiting this region.
It was said that the two missionaries (Ward and Burton) visited
Silindung in 1824 and were welcomed by the local people. There
were about 5000-6000 people who received them there.
After their visit in Silindung, they wanted to meet King Sisingamangaraja
X in Toba. Unfortunately, Burton had dysentery after eating 'Saksang'
(pork cooked in blood). The dysentery got worse and forced him
to return to Sibolga at once.
Not
long after they returned to Sibolga, Burton received a letter
from King Sisingamangaraja X informing him about the harvest failure
in Toba. He thought it was because of Burton's canceled visit
to Toba. The King invited the two Zendings to come immediately.
However, Burton and Ward could not answer the King's invitation
because they had to go back to Bengkulu.
In
1825 Catholic priests (Padris) came to Toba and killed King Sisingamangaraja
X near Siborong-borong. It was later known as Padri's War.
After
the Padri War broke out in South and North Tapanuli (1825-1829),
the people became suspicious of foreign visitors who came to their
areas. This is how Munson and Lyman got killed in Lobu Pining
(1834) before they reached Rura Silindung.
However,
Nommensen (a German missionary) who had worked in Silindung was
able to cultivate a good relationship with King Sisingamangaraja
XII. This relationship was very obvious. It was especially noticeable
when the King invited the missionaries to see him before he died.
In
1872 Sisingamangaraja XII ordered his messenger to meet Nommensen
to ask for some remedy for his serious illness.
With
the help of Ama Ni Panusur (a local man from Silindung), King
Sisingamangaraja XII and Nommensen could meet. The first meeting
took place successfully for a half hour in Huta Dame. The second
meeting was in Nommensen' s house and it lasted longer than the
first one and the King stayed for some time in Nommensen's house.
After
Sisingamangaraja XlI's installation at Bakara (1875) he visited
Nommensen in Pearaja and had a meeting with him. During the talk
the king promised Nommensen that he would not hinder the missionary
from teaching Christianity in his area of authority. Though, the
Batak war had occurred, (1871) their relationship continued. The
relationship started getting stronger before the war in Balige
1878.
Bakara
was burnt down by the Dutch (1883) and Sisingamangaraja got wounded
and shot by the Dutch in Balige. In 1884 he fled to Lintong with
his family and then to Sionomhudon where he died later.
After
the flight, their relationship became weaker. However, they both
tried to have direct contacts by appointing Sintua Silalan Siahaan,
a former commander of Sisingamangaraja XII, as an intermediary.
It
was said that Sisingamangaraja XlI's followers burned the church
in Lintong Nihuta, however, in fact, it was Zending Kessel's fault
who brought in Dutch soldiers from Sipoholon, as written by priest
Pilgram when he was on duty in Balige.
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