This Family's Generational Wealth Stems from a Plant Named in the Qur'an

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Businesses in mining or property are two sectors that can pass down wealth through generations. However, it has recently come to light that wealth equivalent to trillions of rupiah originated from owning a plant whose name is directly mentioned in the Qur’an.

From this commodity, a figure from Batak land built extraordinary economic prosperity in the past. That figure is Sisingamangaraja, the ruler of the Land of Toba from Batak territory.

However, Sisingamangaraja is not a single person, but rather a hereditary title within one ruling lineage, starting from Sisingamangaraja I (1530) to Sisingamangaraja XII (1876-1907). The source of this family’s wealth came from kapur barus, a plant mentioned in the Qur’an.

In Surah Al-Insan verse 5, the water of kafur is mentioned as a drink for those who do good deeds. The kapur barus referred to is not the modern synthetic camphor used as a fragrance, but rather a natural plant named Dryobalanops aromatica.

This plant is renowned for its strong fragrance, high value, and in the past could be consumed and was believed to have health benefits. Another special feature is that natural kapur barus is extremely rare. In the world, this plant is only found in three regions: Sumatra, Malaya, and Borneo.

This scarcity caused its price to soar in the global market. High demand from Arab, Asian, and European traders made kapur barus an elite commodity as valuable as gold. Whoever controlled its source automatically controlled vast wealth.

In Sumatra, that power was in the hands of the Sisingamangaraja family.

Since the 16th century, the Sisingamangaraja lineage has been actively trading kapur barus through international trade networks. In the book Perjuangan Pahlawan Nasional Sisingamangaraja XII (1988), Augustin Sibarani records that since Sisingamangaraja I ruled in 1530, kapur barus from Batak land was traded to Arab and European merchants for distribution to various parts of the world.

Initially just as an export commodity, it gradually developed into a monopoly on kapur barus trade in North Sumatra. From here, the Sisingamangaraja family’s great wealth began to accumulate.

This wealth was not stored in the form of land or buildings, but rather in gold, diamonds, and precious stones. The tradition of hoarding precious metals became a hallmark of this lineage for centuries.

“The Sisingamangaraja kings from the 1st to the 10th all liked to collect Blue Diamonds from Ceylon. They also collected Ceylon diamonds brought from India via Barus. These Ceylon diamonds were as large as bird eggs,” wrote Augustin Sibarani.

The scale of that wealth was truly evident during a major attack on Batak land in 1818 in a conflict with the Padri group. In the book Tuanku Rao (1964) by Mangaraja Onggang Parlindungan, it is mentioned that the spoils from Sisingamangaraja were carried by 17 horses, each carrying about 60 kilograms of gold.

If totalled, the amount reaches around 1 tonne of gold. At current gold prices, this is equivalent to about Rp2.3 trillion. This does not even include other hidden gold reserves and jewellery during the attack.

However, this economic glory began to collapse when Dutch colonialism entered Batak land. The kapur barus trade routes were gradually controlled by the colonisers, the monopoly collapsed, and the Sisingamangaraja family’s economic power weakened. During the time of Sisingamangaraja XII, this lineage’s wealth was no longer as great as that of their predecessors.

It all ended when Sisingamangaraja XII fell in resistance against the Dutch. Along with that, the traces of the legendary wealth built from the kapur barus plant trade also disappeared into history.