Azhari Aiyub

The novel recounts a story of the last tribe of Aceh pirates in the middle of the 19th century. In the period of the story occurs, the decline of Aceh Sultanate, which from the former 2 centuries becomes the key player in determining maritime political policies in Indian Ocean, brings a large influence towards the life of Lamkreh pirate tribe, as the Lamkreh cannot find their best ally after Aceh Sultanate, which supports their pirating operations in Indian Ocean. The dominance of Western Colonial, especially Dutch colonial in Indonesia (Nusantara) and British colonial in the Indian sub-continent becomes the main factor weakening Aceh political and economical potency in Indian Ocean territory, besides that colonial power in the 19th century has enhanced their marine technology.

The maritime history in Nusantara points out that Aceh Sultanate in the 16th-17th century counts on their maritime expansion. It has several colonies alongside West and East coastal area of Sumatera to Malayan Peninsula. Meanwhile, in local folklores it is often mentioned that to control trade and monopoly lines on spices, Aceh Sultanate also habitually optimizes pirate power to overcome their white-skinned rivals. In this case, it is apparent that there is a unique alliance between Aceh pirates