Traces of Toba Batak History Up to the Alas Valley

                                    "The Batak tribe dances the Tor-tor dance by Toba muslim tour"

The history of the arrival of the Batak Toba tribe to Tanah Alas is quoted from the book "Batak Toba Migrant Outside North Tapanuli: A Description" (OHS Purba and Elvis F. Purba: 1998, 141-162). The opening of the road from Sidikalang to Tanah Alas (1909-1914) became a source of information for the Toba Batak people who came later on. The information came from the workers brought by the Dutch Colonial from Samosir. Frederich Sibarani from Laguboti and his colleagues worked in the construction of a bridge within the Keujeuruen / Kingdom of Bambel. In 1918 F. Sibarani and his family finally settled in Titi Panjang, Kute Prapat Hilir, Keujeuruen Batumbulan, where he opened a carpentry business. Later, the family became a temporary shelter for newcomers from Tapanuli. Toba Batak Pioneers live in Keujeuruen Batumbulan. Batumbulan King then, Teuku Sidun, was pleased with the expatriate Batak Toba for successfully opening the rice fields. News about Alas Land is getting widespread among the Toba Batak farmers and they want to enter the fertile Alas Land. In 1919 David Sitohang pleaded for a letter from Brinkschmidt, a German priest in Sidikalang, to Civiel Gezaghhebber in Kutacane so they could open the village there. The first years of the 1920s Toba Batak farmers increasingly crowded. To get the land they first pay the customary money and get a permit from Keujeuruen. Year 1922 estimated there are already 150 families that settled in Tanah Alas. They open the forest into shelter and farmland. The Dutch Colonials were happy and provided support and convenience for them to open the village. The first village of Batak Toba in Tanah Alas includes Melur Flower, Mbacang Racun and Lawe Kulok. In 1926 there were 8 villages of Batak Toba and six of them already had geuchik / penghulu from their own tribe. It was estimated there are 200 families of Batak Toba people in Tanah Alas. According to the 1930 census there are 1,789 Toba Batak people in Tanah Alas.

                                     "Dances from all the arts that developed in Southeast Aceh"

Their aggressiveness makes their socioeconomic status better than the locals. King Bambel, Teuku Durasa (Wan Ampuk) was worried and changed his mind. This king was not happy about the Batak Toba people. This change of attitude of the king caused the Toba Batak farmers willing to repatriate the land that had been worked on with compensation. Finally, in 1936, Teuku Durasa was captured by the Dutch and exiled to Alor Setar, Kedah (Malaya). In 1934 the number of Batak Toba people in Tanah Alas reached 3,500 souls (2,730 Christians and 770 Muslims). Toba Batak people who live in Islam live in Lawe Petanduk and Muara Keminjin. Years later the flow of the majority moved south to Lawe Alas. Batak Christians also developed from Pulonas, Pulo Biang, Lawe Petanduk, Lawe Ponggas, Lawe Sigalagala, Central Kuta, and others. On 24 January 1934 Reverend Boas Simatupang was stationed for Tanah Alas and resided in Pulonas. The teachers of Sipoholon High School graduate are sent to Rukahan, Salang Baru, Lawe Ponggas and Lawe Sigalagala. David Sitohang became a geuchik / penghulu in Lawe Sigalagala in 1934. On April 1, 1934 established the church HKBP (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan) Lawe Sigalagala with an area of ​​1.5 Ha.In North and South Land Alas Toba Batak village continues to grow. Not infrequently little by little Alas land switched hands to the Toba Batak people. The period 1942-1945 Toba Batak peasants began to enter across from Lawe Alas. Due to the Japanese atrocities that imposed romusha (forced labor), many Batak Toba people fled to Sidikalang and Medan, although their children and wives still live in Tanah Alas. In 1954 the Batak Toba in Tanah Alas reached 14,790 inhabitants. In 1974 the population of Tanah Alas was 91,303 people consisting of Alas (45%), Batak Toba (35%), Other tribes: Gayo, Batak Karo, Batak Mandailing, Singkil, Aceh, Minangkabau and Java (20%). Currently the population of Southeast Aceh amounts to about 184,000 people, where Batak Toba tribe is included in 3 main tribes namely Alas (55%), Batak Toba (17%) and Gayo (14%). The rest consists of Batak Karo tribe, Batak Mandailing, Batak Pakpak, Minangkabau, Aceh, Singkil, Java and Nias.