The Mystery of the Toba Ruler's Missing Tonne of Gold, Carried Away by 17 Horses
Gold is currently sought after by the public as one of the most promising investment instruments, as the yellow precious metal is immune to global economic shocks. Even today, the price of gold has hit a record high, surpassing Rp3 million per gram. It has become a prime asset, hunted by many as a hedge for their wealth. One example is a Batak family, across different generations, who demonstrated how earnings were not spent on extravagance but invested in gold. No small feat, the total gold saved over hundreds of years reached one tonne. This is the story of the Sisingamangaraja family, who existed from 1530 to 1876.
The Sisingamangaraja family were the rulers of the Toba region in Tanah Batak. Their paramount leader was called Raja Sisingamangaraja, a line that began with Sisingamangaraja I (1530) and ended with Sisingamangaraja XII (1876), spanning 12 generations or 346 years. During their reign, the Sisingamangaraja held absolute rights over the camphor trade. At that time, Tanah Batak was a centre of camphor production alongside the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. Camphor was exported and highly sought after, with the plant even holding an important position in Islam and being mentioned in the Quran. Unsurprisingly, the price of camphor on the global market was very high. Whoever controlled the camphor trade was assured of immense wealth, including the Sisingamangaraja Batak family.
Augustin Sibarani, in ‘Perjuangan Pahlawan Nasional Sisingamangaraja XII’ (1988), recorded that since Sisingamangaraja I came to power in 1530, the kingdom had been trading camphor with Arab and European merchants for distribution worldwide. Gradually, the kingdom not only traded but also successfully monopolised the camphor market in North Sumatra. All of this practically made the Sisingamangaraja immensely wealthy. However, this wealth was not squandered. Contrary to the image of a king living in luxury surrounded by riches in a palace, this did not happen with the Sisingamangaraja lineage. From Sisingamangaraja I to Sisingamangaraja XII, all shared the same hobby: saving gold and jewellery. ‘The Sisingamangaraja kings, from the 1st to the 10th, all liked to collect Blue Diamonds from Ceylon, as well as Ceylon diamonds brought from India via Barus. These Ceylon diamonds were the size of bird eggs,’ wrote Augustin Sibarani.
The exact reason for their gold saving is not known for certain, but their gold savings were undoubtedly vast. This is further recounted through various chronicles during the attack by Padri warriors in 1818. According to Mangaraja Onggang Parlindungan in ‘Tuanku Rao’ (1964), the Padri attackers, having crippled the Sisingamangaraja’s defensive base, seized all the jewellery and gold. Everything was transported by 17 horses. Each horse could carry approximately 60 kg of gold, meaning the total gold transported reached one tonne, which if converted to rupiah today would be worth Rp1.6 trillion. This does not yet account for the gold saved by the Sisingamangaraja family during the attack. At that time, the family placed the royal jewellery into a giant rice cooker container, which was hidden in a secret location known only to a few people. The attack ultimately led to the end of the Sisingamangaraja lineage in its 12th generation. Sisingamangaraja XII died at the hands of the Dutch, ending the long history of the family lineage in Tanah Batak. The end of their rule meant the kingdom’s mountain of wealth fell into the hands of others, including Queen Victoria in England. It is believed that Sisingamangaraja’s treasures were used in the crown of the British monarch. ‘The jewellery could have reached England because it was taken by a former Padri soldier who fled to Klang in Malaysia and sold it there,’ Augustin revealed.