You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Dutch. (September 2010) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
View a machine-translated version of the Dutch article.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Dutch Wikipedia article at [[:nl:Expeditie naar Nias]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template {{Translated|nl|Expeditie naar Nias}} to the talk page.
The Nias Expedition was a punitive expedition of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army to Nias at the end of 1855, which, with intervals, lasted until 1864.
Background
Nias (Nias Island) was an almost isolated island. The distance of Nias Island from the mainland Sumatera made Nias Island become almost isolated from Srivijaya and Majapahit. But, Nias people and their activity were noted well by Fantsur (Barus) and Sibolga people (both are Batak) during their trade. Nias island was officially part of Fantsur (Barus) empire in the tenth century (as it might have been earlier).
Their relationship was still good until the 17th century. This statement is accurate according to Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie's notes. In 1672, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie was being given a permission by Barus to do trade transaction in Barus harbour, Singkil (1693), and Nias Island (1694).
At the end of 1855, The Nias Expedition was launched by Netherlands to expand their territory to plant spices on land and to build harbors at the beach. Occupying Nias would make it easier for the Netherlands to control the trade route at west coast of Sumatra. If spices grew well, the Dutch East Indies would be able to build a twinning harborcity like Sibolga or Barus.
Sources
1900. W.A. Terwogt. Het land van Jan Pieterszoon Coen. Geschiedenis van de Nederlanders in oost-Indië. P. Geerts. Hoorn
1900. G. Kepper. Wapenfeiten van het Nederlands Indische Leger; 1816–1900. M.M. Cuvee, Den Haag.'
1876. A.J.A. Gerlach. Nederlandse heldenfeiten in Oost Indë. Drie delen. Gebroeders Belinfante, Den Haag.
1866. Willem Adriaan van Rees. De pioniers der beschaving in Nederlands Indië. Verhaal van enige krijgstochten op de buitenbezittingen. D.A. Thieme. Den Haag.