Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/128

 b. Their rakans (prop. = "companions") i.e. the followers who live in their house or its immediate neighbourhood and receive from them food and clothing for themselves and their families. To these are sometimes added the ureuëng salah as they are called, persons who have been enrolled in the following of the ulèëbalang by way of punishment for some offence or for debt.

c. The panglima prang also ranks to some extent as a member of the ulèëbalang's suite. Anyone who has distinguished himself on some few occasions as a warrior is raised (in just the same way as the panglima kawōm, to the rank of panglima prang, a rather empty dignity if considered alone. The weapons (sikin panjang and reunchōng) which he receives from the ulèëbalang on his appointment, he must return to him again if he should ever embrace the cause of an enemy of the latter.

In times of peace these officers have no share in the government or administration of justice; in war the amount of confidence reposed by the ulèëbalang in his panglima prang as leaders of his fighting men depends on the personal qualities of the chief himself.

In ordinary life the title panglima is given to anyone who is known to have taken a share in warlike operations on some few occasions; the abbreviation pang serves as a minor distinction. In Acheh proper as well as the subordinate districts there is in most gampōngs of importance one person who bears the title of panglima prang, but these so-called "war-chiefs" have really nothing to do with war, being only the messengers or attendants of the chiefs.

d. A further measure of help is derived by the ulèëbalangs from the imeums and keuchiʾs within his jurisdiction. These however represent other interests also besides those of their ulèëbalang, and are thus only conditionally at his disposal.

e. For the administration of justice the ulèëbalang avails himself of the services of a kali (kādhi), whom he himself nominates. The jurisdiction of this officer, as we shall immediately see, is limited to certain minor portions of the family law, and he does nothing except at the command or with the approval of his chief. A more important section of judicial work, which rests almost entirely on adat, is taken out of