Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/222

 progress of affairs. Some of them sit on their prayer-carpets or lose their senses over ascetic exercises—alluding to the Teungku's rival Habib Samalanga, who is not however mentioned by name. Others devote themselves to the repair of mosques far away from the scene of the war, and hold great kanduris or religious feasts, squandering the money subscribed for the war on purposes for which it was never intended. Here he refers to Teungku Tirò. They forget the main issue and are partly to blame for the reverses which come upon the country. The collection of the sabil monies should be made by concerted arrangement, and a central treasury established (of course with Teungku Kutakarang as its administrator) in the neighbourhood of the theatre of war. Provision should also be made for attacking by sea the enemy whom they could already meet on equal terms on land.

This short précis of the contents of the pamphlets of Teungku Kutakarang taken in connection with our previous remarks shows that even among the ulamas there prevailed a spirit of discord.

Some there are also among them who in spite of the indignant remonstrances of their more ambitious colleagues, hold themselves aloof from all this useless bickering and behave as though no jihād existed. Such for instance is Teungku Tanòh Mirah, the learned kali of the IV Mukims of the VII of the XXVI. And at the time when the Dutch still occupied a great portion of Acheh, the example of Chèh Marahaban, the earlier kali raja and ulama of Teuku Kali showed clearly enough that some of them would have been quite willing to change sides if they could only have found conclusive arguments strong enough to counterbalance the contumely attending such a step.

Still, in spite of all their dissensions and lack of good guidance, it is certain that the ulamas have become more and more the masters of the situation. They have succeeded without difficulty in diverting the allegiance of the subjects of the ulèëbalangs, and have acquired more influence in their territories than they themselves possess. They constitute the party of action, the chiefs that of inaction. They stand forth in the name of Allah, the chiefs in the name of an adat which, so far as it relates to government and the administration of justice, is very far from finding favour in the eyes of the people. Disobedience to them leads to misery in this world and the next, while the ulèëbalang