Teuku Nyak Arif
Indonesian politician (1899–1946)
Teuku Nyak Arif (17 July 1899 – 4 May 1946) was an Acehnese nationalist and National Hero of Indonesia. He has been given the nickname Rencong of Aceh, after the traditional Acehnese weapon, for his bravery.
Biography
Early life
Nyak Arif was born in Ulèë Lheuë, Banda Aceh, Aceh, on 17 July 1899. He was the third of five siblings born to Chief of Sagi XXVII Mukim Teuku Nyak Banta and Cut Nyak Rayeuh; he also had five siblings from his father's two other wives. After graduating from elementary school in Banda Aceh, he moved to Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, to study at the teacher's college (kweekschool) there. In 1911 he was chosen as the new leader of Sagi XXVI Mukim, but due to his age Nyak Arif was represented by his father.
Upon finishing his studies in Bukittinggi, Nyak Arif went to the leadership school for native Indonesians (Opleiding School Voor Inlandsche Ambtenaren) in Banten on the island of Java. While at school, he demonstrated a dislike of the Dutch colonial government and their programs, at times disobeying commands from his teachers and refusing to take the f 10 allowance allocated to every Acehnese student outside of Aceh. After graduating in 1915, he returned to Aceh.
Entry to politics
Nyak Arif became active in politics beginning in 1919, when he joined the Nationaal Indische Party, a continuation of the original Indische Party founded by Ernest Douwes Dekker, Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo, and Ki Hajar Dewantara; he became the party's head in Aceh.
“Teuku Nyak Arif” enters the record as indonesian politician (1899–1946). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Teuku, Nyak and Arif can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Teuku Nyak Arif” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Teuku, Nyak and Arif provides the most credible route into that argument.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3958199. VIAF identifies the subject as 70526291. The Library of Congress control number is n89219950. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1899, 1946, 1911 and 1915.
Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Teuku Nyak Arif”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Teuku Nyak Arif primary sources, Teuku Nyak Arif archive and Teuku research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Teuku Nyak Arif”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Teuku Nyak Arif” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.