Stories from Deli

Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch-Indië – Zevende Deel 1917-1939.

The site is 3 ° 36 ‘N latitude and 98 ° 40’ E longitude of Greenwich.

History. Before the establishment of the tobacco culture on the east coast of Sumatra, i.e. before 1860, Laboean was the capital of the Malay landscape of Deli, which was then counted among the subordinates of Siak. Laboean was a small kampung, but, as an anchorage at the mouth of the Deli River, it controlled the trade of the Batak-inhabited hinterland (exports of forest products and pepper and imports of salt and opium).

The actual power of the Malay princes did not reach far into the country, although a number of more or less democratically administered Batak states were nominally subject to their authority. This is evident, among other things, from the travel report of the English agent Anderson, who visited the East coast in 1823 and found the sultan of Deli at war with Puloebrajan (13 km from Laboean). The European agricultural entrepreneurs who settled here at the beginning of the sixth decade of the last century have obtained concessions from the Sultan of Deli far and into wide inland. The Deli society (see there) chose a place as its seat roughly in the middle of the area given to it in  concession, on the Deli River at a slight distance downstream from kampoeng Kesawan, the capital of the Batak subservience (oeroeng) Soekapiring and opposite the small kampoeng Medan . At this point the Babura flowed into the Deli River, making it navigable for prahu. The Deli branch became known as Medan poeteri.

The issuance of agricultural concessions by the sultan in the area of ​​the Batak affairs led to difficulties, as the disaffected Bataks took revenge on the planters and ended several enterprises. In 1872 the Government sent an expedition to chastise the insurgents and thereby confirmed the sultan in actual control over the interior on behalf of the companies.

The rapid flowering of the tobacco culture gave rise to many subsidiary institutions (hospital, railway, planters’ association), in which the Deli company had the main voice, so that the area around the seat of this company was chosen. The municipality of Medan is therefore right to use as a weapon a flowering tobacco tree with the motto “Efflorescens e planitie”, that is, blooming from the plain (Maidan = plain). The Government followed the example of the Deli Company when a garrison was established in 1873 and when in 1887 the capital of the East coast of Sumatra, separated from Riouw since 1873, from Bengkalis , which had not met expectations, was transferred to the economically more important Deli. The Sultan of Deli also followed this example a few years later, whereby the head of Soekapiring moved to a new residence four kilometers south, Kampoeng Baroe.

As stated above, there were only two small kampungs, Medan and Kesawan, while all the surrounding land was conceded to agricultural enterprises. This had a decisive influence on the development of Medan, for the soon expanding settlement required land which could only be obtained from the concessionaires. These returned large plots of land to the self-government for issue to Natives and Europeans, while the Delimaatschappij obtained the right to hand over plots of part of its concession grounds to third parties, mainly Chinese. A quasi-leasehold was granted (see GRANT, suppl. Vol. P. 584), while a committee was established by the residents’ decision of 1886 to manage the lease proceeds, which would serve to improve and embellish the main place. This “Municipal Fund Commission”, more commonly known as the village council, has done a very useful job of establishing road plans and harmonizing the development of the place.

In 1906, with application of the decentralization law of 1903, a division council of Deli was established (Ind Stb. No. 164), which, however, it was already replaced with April 1, 1909 by the municipal council of Medan (Ind. Stb. no. 180) and the local council for that part of the region where cultures are located (Ind. Stb. no. 181). This local council of the cultivated area of ​​the east coast of Sumatra is usually referred to by the confusing name “council of culture.”

About this same time, the beginning of the rubber culture on the east coast, followed by other old cultures had a very great influence. And it has been fortunate, also in a topographical sense, to have remained at the center of the enterprises which were opened up to South Asahan and the east coast of Aceh. For a moment the opportunity seemed and times, when the development of the region made the need for a harbor accessible to ocean-going ships; the naturally more favorable Aroebay was mentioned for this, but after due consideration, Belawan, Medan’s harbor town, has been preferred as an ocean port, and extensive harbor works have been built there.

Today’s Medan covers an area of ​​1583 ha .; this includes 258 ha. to the area of ​​the Deli self-government and 1326 ha. to the directly controlled Gouvts. area (for the incorporation see Ind. Stb. 1918 no. 749, for the extension Ind. Stb. 1981 no. 772, where the boundaries are also established). According to the preliminary results of the 1930 census, the population amounts to: 74,976, of which 4,292 Europeans, 25,891 government-dependent Natives, 14,205 self-governing Natives, 27,180 Chinese and 3408 other Foreign Orientals. These figures show a completely different composition of the population than that of other places. To begin with, the Native element is very much less; 53.6% of the population of Medan, including self-governing territory, consists of Natives, 74.9% for Batavia, and even higher percentage for other places in Java. Moreover, the number of Foreign Easterners other than Chinese is large (Medan 4.5%, Batavia 1.5%), including fewer Arabs, but more Pre-Indians of various race and faith. Among the Natives, including the self-governing, there are few Deli-Malays and Bataks from these lower regions; the majority comes from Java or descends from Javanese immigrants; in importance, the Bataks from Tapanoeli follow.

Medan is located in the coastal plain, only 23 m above the sea; the climate is thus that of the tropical lowlands, but tempered by sea breeze in the afternoon and mountain wind in the morning, making the nights cool. The amount of rain differs little from that of North Java (Medan 1894 mm, Batavia 1835 mm), but the distribution over the year is more favorable, with two rainy and two drought periods (average dry period in Batavia 31 days, in Pasoeroean 108 days, 17 days at Medan; longest known dry season 27 days). Medan is therefore very moist. The even distribution of rain, together with the relatively deeply cut rivers, protects the place from flooding.

From a traffic point of view, Medan is the center point of the region; from here the so-called ‘axis road’ leads through the entire length of the cultivated area, connecting in the north to the Atjèh coastal road to Koeta radja, in the south at Tebing tinggi branching off over Pematang siantar to the west coast. Another road leads inland over Brastagi and Kabandjahé to Koetatjané in the Alas Valley. The main line of the Delis Railway Maathappij follows the direction of this axis road, with a branch line to Pematangsiantar and small branches to Upper Deli and Upper Langkat. new port is included in the regular sailing plan of many steam lines Shipping on the rivers no longer exists Also included in air traffic in Medan: a well-drained airport with a simple station and hangar meets the needs of the fixed lines of KLM and KNILM Telephone (private company of the Deli Spoorweg Mij. And government service loot and the DSM concession area), telegraph and radio, the latter with separate transmitting and receiving stations, further connect Medan with the outside world.

Administratively, Medan belongs to the Lower Deli sub-division of the Deli and Serdang division; it is the location of the heads thereof, resp. a controller and an assistant president, as well as the head of the regional government, which has held the title of governor since 1915. Deli’s native self-government is also based in Medan. The municipality of Medan, established in 1909, has had a mayor as chairman of the municipal council since 1917.

As a regional capital, Medan is the place of employment for many government services, partly with a resort that is not limited to the region. The latter include: council of justice, orphanage chamber, labor, public health inspections, pawnshop service, postal and telegraphy, native education, security supervision.

The following are important private institutions: the Deli planters association, in which the tobacco entrepreneurs, and the General Association of Rubber Planters on the East Coast of Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.), in which not only rubber entrepreneurs but entrepreneurs of all mature cultures are united. Both associations have a test station, of which that of the A.V.R.O.S. is located in Kampoeng Baroe. The Delispoorwegmaatsehappij has already been mentioned above. All the major Indian banks have agencies here, as well as the Chartered Bank and a Chinese e bank. Many powers have their representatives here, of which those of America, England, China and Japan are professional consuls.

The larger cultural enterprises usually do not have an administration in Medan, but among their enterprises. An exception to this is, apart from of course the Deli maatschappij, the Handelsvereeniging ‘Amsterdam’.

In the field of education, Medan has, in addition to a number of public and private primary schools for various countries, a Mulosohool and a five-year HBS course.

Medan is very rich in churches and temples as a consequence of the great variety of the population.

Health care is very well organized. The Deli Company has its own hospitals. In addition, there is a hospital 1st and 2nd class of the Nursing Association. A hospital 1st, 2nd and 3^rd class of the St. Elisabeth Foundation, a municipal hospital 3rd and 4th class, a Chinese hospital 4th class and a small government women’s hospital.

The Pathological Laboratory, jointly funded by the planters’ associations and the Government, is also located in Medan.

The water supply is provided by the high pressure well water pipe, which was already opened in 1909. Aer Beresih, founded by the Deli mij. The ample free distribution of this excellent drinking water in the kampungs is of great hygienic significance. This tap water is partly used for a modern swimming facility. The gas and electricity supply is in the hands of the Ned.-Ind. Gas mij.

There are two excellent hotels, which, together with the White Society and many cinemas, offer opportunities for entertainment. Mention should be made here of the Delisehe art circle, through which artists and theater companies include Medan in their tours.

There are no significant industries. The appearance of the city strikes every visitor who knows other Indian cities. A factor has already been mentioned above which has benefited the development of the place; the land policy has been able to completely control the regular expansion of the city. As a result of which the Chinese districts have been spaciously laid out. The European districts have been protected from the problem of too small plots. And the Native districts have not penetrated between other buildings. The even distribution of rain keeps the plants and lawns fresh all year round. Medan has few monumental buildings, but the number of large office buildings is very large. An exception must be made here for the municipal pasar complex completed in 1933, for which a loan of more than two million was taken out. The old construction of the European houses, of wood on high stone posts, has been completely abandoned; the new areas are more reminiscent of modern villa areas in Europe.

Reis-atlas der Stoomvaart Maatschappij “Nederland”