The Story of Admiral Malahayati who Conquered Captain Cornelis de Houtman

Kapanlagi.com - Indonesia achieved its independence 78 years ago as a result of the relentless struggle of the nation's heroes.

So many sacrifices and lives were given by the heroes of the nation to realize independence as a prerequisite for the establishment of a sovereign state. Malahayati is one of the many fighters who participated in that struggle.

Malahayati has become a legendary figure among the Acehnese community, even known by international historians as the world's first female admiral. Her life story and achievements were even immortalized in a song released by the legendary Indonesian musician, Iwan Fals, in 2010.

Quoting information from the official website Indonesia.go.id on Thursday (23/11/2023), here is the narrative about Malahayati and her struggle.

1. Who is Malahayati?

Malahayati, born on January 1, 1550, is a native Acehnese woman who is considered one of the few brave women from Tanah Rencong who dared to fight against colonialism, along with Cut Nyak Dien and Cut Nyak Meutia. With her original name Keumalahayati, she comes from a seafaring family with a noble lineage.

In the book "Prominent Women of the Archipelago in Historical Context" by Ismail Sofyan, it is mentioned that Malahayati's father, Admiral Mahmud Syah, served as the Commander of the Acehnese Navy. Malahayati is the granddaughter of Sultan Salahuddin Syah, who was the second king of the Acehnese Sultanate and ruled from 1530 to 1539.

2. Malahayati's Journey

Malahayati's teenage years were spent within the palace environment, including attending education at the naval military academy of the sultanate known as Mahad Baitul Maqdis.

At around the age of 35, around 1585, Malahayati was entrusted to lead the Secret Palace Guard and served as the Commander of Government Protocol during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Syah al-Mukammil.

The resistance against Portuguese colonialism began by Malahayati through battles in the waters of Teluk Haru, near the Strait of Malacca in 1586. Her husband, Admiral Tuanku Mahmuddin bin Said Al Latief, who also served as the Head of the Sultan's Guard, led the battle.

The Aceh Sultanate war fleet attempted to stop the Portuguese warships. Although the Aceh Sultanate war fleet successfully expelled the Portuguese, unfortunately Malahayati's husband was killed in the battle.

Malahayati could not accept this reality and vowed to seek revenge and continue her husband's struggle. The position left by the late Admiral Tuanku Mahmuddin was then taken over by Malahayati.

Sultan Riayat Syah bestowed the rank of admiral upon Malahayati, making her the first woman in the world at that time to hold such a rank, as revealed in the book "Perempuan Keumala".

Malahayati expressed her ambitious plan to the Sultan, which was to build a naval combat fleet consisting entirely of women soldiers.

3. Malahayati Creates an Elite Force

To continue her husband's struggle, Malahayati decided to build a naval combat fleet whose soldiers were all women. The elite troops are called Inong Balee or widowed women warriors.

The number of troops is not insignificant, reaching 2,000 people. They are the widows of soldiers who died in battle against the Portuguese. Equipped with the knowledge gained from studying at Mahad Baitul Maqdis, Malahayati trained Inong Balee to become a respected combat force.

The Inong Balee troops were involved in several battles against the Portuguese and the Dutch. Their battle area is not limited to the waters of the Malacca Strait alone, but also extends to the east coast of Sumatra and Malaya.

On June 21, 1599, two Dutch ships, de Leeuw and de Leeuwin, carrying war troops led by two brothers, Cornelis and Frederik de Houtman, wanted to dock at the port of Aceh Besar. The Land of the Veranda of Mecca became another destination for the de Houtman brothers after previously visiting Banten, Madura, and even Bali to hunt for spices.

However, they always encountered resistance from the local community due to the disliked behavior of the de Houtman brothers' troops. The same thing happened when they reached Aceh Besar. They were stranded on a ship in the middle of the sea because they did not have permission from the Sultan.

4. Admiral Malahayati Conquers Cornelis de Houtman

Admiral Malahayati, along with the Inong Balee forces, had been waiting and prepared. The Sultan ordered Admiral Malahayati to repel the two Dutch ships, thus a battle at sea was inevitable.

The Inong Balee forces successfully destroyed both trading ships. In a one-on-one duel on the enemy's ship on September 11, 1599, Admiral Malahayati faced Cornelis. Cornelis' life was taken by Malahayati's rencong.

Not only skilled as a war leader at sea, Malahayati is also known as an excellent negotiator. The Dutch government requested the release of prisoners of war held by the Acehnese Sultanate, including Frederik de Houtman.

The Sultan then sent Malahayati to act as a representative in negotiations with the Dutch. As a condition, Malahayati demanded that the Dutch pay compensation for the war they had instigated, as a compensation for the release of the detained soldiers.

5. The Death of Malahayati

Malahayati passed away in 1615 and was buried around her fortress in Lamreh Village, Krueng Raya. On November 9, 2017, through the Presidential Decree No. 115/TK/Year 2017, President Joko Widodo declared Malahayati as a National Hero.

Aside from being immortalized as the name of one of the Indonesian Navy's warships (TNI-AL), Malahayati is also used as the name of a port in Lamreh Village, Kecamatan Mesjid Raya, Aceh Besar.

Since the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda, Malahayati Port, which was previously used as a transit port before 1970, underwent a change in function to become a stopover for ships and eventually became abandoned after the tsunami disaster in 2004. Only in 2007, Malahayati Port resumed its operations to transport export products from Aceh to Europe and the Middle East.

6. What Did Admiral Malahayati Do When Facing Cornelis de Houtman?

During the battle in 1599, Admiral Malahayati's Inong Balee troops, led by Malahayati, surprisingly managed to defeat the Dutch forces led by Cornelis de Houtman. One of the heroic actions carried out by Admiral Malahayati was when she faced Cornelis de Houtman on the deck of a ship on September 11, 1599, and successfully killed him.

7. Why Did Admiral Malahayati Kill Cornelis de Houtman?

Malahayati killed Cornelis de Houtman, who was a Dutch captain, to avenge her husband, Admiral Tuanku Mahmuddin bin Said Al Latief, who was killed in the war in the waters of the Malacca Strait.

8. When Did Cornelis de Houtman Visit Indonesia?

The Dutch first came to Indonesia in 1596, under the leadership of Cornelis de Houtman and successfully landed in the Port of Banten.

9. What is the nickname of Admiral Malahayati?

Quoting from the National Library page, Admiral Malahayati is also known by the name Keumalahayati.

10. Where was Malahayati born?

Admiral Malahayati was born in Aceh Besar in 1550.

(kpl/rns)