Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/185

 a deep hatred for the Gōmpeuni, based on events antecedent to the Achehnese war. Like all estimates of individual worth, that which we can form respecting Tuanku Asém is relative only. The Achehnese, accustomed as he is to hear no sensible language from the lips of tuankus and to see them devote their attention to fighting cocks and rams, women, weapons and so forth, is inclined to give a wide significance to any intelligent utterance of a member of the royal family, and to exaggerate the mental insight of the speaker.

Those who knew Keumala, however, were well aware that Tuanku Asém did not confine himself to quarrelling with his royal ward over the latter's licentious life and neglect of his religious duties. He also exhibited much jealousy of the sultan in regard to the receipt of presents; he bargained in the pettiest spirit in his name and in conjunction with him as to the market value of royal deeds of appointment, for which the aspirants to such honours were obliged to pay cash; while his political genius, apart from its expression in highsounding learned phrases, revealed itself especially in the desire to turn every thing into hard cash for the benefit of the "court."

Under the influence of Tuanku Asém correspondence was kept up on the part of the court with such men as Teungku Tirò and Teuku Uma in regard to money matters and circumstances closely affecting the friends or protégés of the Sultan, but beyond this Keumala exercised but little influence on the actions of these two individuals, who in their turn rarely held consultations with one another.

Some years ago, when visits to Keumala by chiefs who had submitted to the Dutch Government were arranged in order to restore them to friendly relations with "the court", Teungku Tirò was at first disposed to place obstacles in the way of this plan, though both the parties concerned desired it. The sultan and his people were in favour of it for the sake of the prospective profits, and the chiefs because their moral attitude would thus be somewhat restored in the eyes of those of their fellows who had not yet tendered their submission to the Gōmpeuni. Nor did Teungku Tirò acquiesce until the cunning Teuku Uma had frankly pointed out to him that it would be better to permit the renewal of such intercourse, in order that the court might draw revenues from the other side of the "linie," and thus make less frequent demand on them for financial support. Had it not been so, these visits would have come to nothing. Here we have a