Teuku Umar (1854-1899) was a chief in Aceh, northern Sumatra, Indonesia. At various times, he fought against and alongside the Dutch colonial invaders. He is now regarded as an Indonesian hero.
As head of the village of Datar, Teuku Umar fought against the Dutch from 1873, when they first tried to conquer Aceh. In 1893, Teuku Umar went over to the Dutch side. The Dutch took him into their service and made him commander of a legion of 250 friendly Acehnese soldiers. The Dutch governor regarded him as a trustworthy ally. But Teuku Umar used this opportunity to build up a more powerful position for himself. In 1896, he and his soldiers deserted the Dutch and went back to the Acehnese side. The Dutch pursued him for nearly three years. In January 1899, a force under Governor van Heutsz ambushed and killed Teuku Umar at Meulaboh on the west coast of Aceh.
