Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/153

 ulèëbalang either by way of punishment for offences committed, or on account of their inability to pay the fines imposed upon them.

n. Unremunerated services required of their subjects by influential ulèëbalangs for the construction of their houses and strongholds or the tilling of their rice-fields.

Besides the above, the ulèëbalangs lay claim to a number of other sources of profit which vary with the locality, such as imposts on the sale of firewood, bricks, cocoanuts, cocoanut oil etc., a share of all jungle-produce or plants sawn in the forests, gifts of the rice or fruits that first ripen, a portion of all cattle slaughtered, fees for the right to collect turtles’ eggs, a share of the profits of gambling, a portion of the pitrah and jakeuët etc. The ulèëbalang is also paid for the certificates required for the issue of ordinary passports and those for the haj. Where pepper is grown, the chief gets so much a pikul as wasé.

As we have already seen, a portion of the administration of justice is taken out of the hands of the ulèëbalangs by the imeums and keuchiʾs by the way of amicable settlement. It is only however by like amicable means that the latter officials can obtain payment of their dues. They dare not for instance apply the punishment of cheukiëʾ or other adat-penalties or fines, or excommunicate rice-fields, or identify thieves, or exact a deposit of haʾ ganchéng in dealing with suits to recover debts, or embody men among their followers etc. At any rate, imeums who venture on such measures have already reached the rank of independent ulèëbalangs.

The Achehnese has been accustomed for centuries to a considerable degree of independence in the management of his own affairs. He pays but little heed to the ulèëbalang or other authorities in matters appertaining to his family and gampōng, and is wont to show a certain impatience of control more akin to license than to servility. Yet he approaches the representatives of territorial authority with deep submission. The ordinary man of humble rank makes his seumbah (the habitual native greeting) at their feet or knees or, if at a distance, by placing his hands on his head with the words seumbah ulōn tuan = "your servant's respectful greeting". If the ulèëbalang wishes to be very polite, he replies seumbah keu pòteu Alah = "respectful greetings