In the 11th century, the Linge Kingdom was established by the Gayo people during the reign of Sultan Makhdum Johan Berdaulat Mahmud Syah from the Perlak Sultanate, as it was told by two rulers who were ruling during the
Dutch East Indies era; namely Raja Uyem and his son Raja Ranta, who is Raja Cik Bebesen, and also Zainuddin from the rulers of Kejurun Bukit. Raja Linge I is said to have four children. The eldest was his daughter, Empu Beru or Datu Beru, and the remaining are Sebayak Lingga (Ali Syah), Meurah Johan (Johan Syah) and Meurah Lingga (Malamsyah). Sebayak Lingga wandered off to Karo land and founded a country there and he was known as Raja Lingga Sibayak. Meurah Johan ventured on to
Aceh Besar and established his kingdom by the name of Lam Krak or Lam Oeii or also known as Lamuri or
Lamuri Sultanate. This would mean that the
Lamuri Sultanate was founded by Meurah Johan, while Meurah Lingga who was living in Linge, Gayo and the rest became kings of Linge for generations. Meurah Silu migrated to
Pasai and became an officer to the
Pasai Sultanate there. Meurah Mege himself was buried with Ni Rayang at the slopes of Keramil Paluh in Linge,
Central Aceh, which until today it can still be found and are considered sacred by the locals. The cause of migrating was unknown. However, according to history, Raja Linge favoured his youngest son, Meurah Mege, causing the rest of his children to prefer to wander away.
Linga dynasty • Adi Genali Raja Linge I in Gayo. • Raja Sebayak Lingga became King of Karo in Karo land. • Raja Merah Johan, founded the
Lamuri Sultanate. • Merah Silu, son of Merah Sinabung, founded
Samudera Pasai Sultanate. • Raja Linge II also known as Marah Lingga in Gayo. • Raja Lingga III to XII in Gayo. • Raja Lingga XIII became Amir al-Harb of
Aceh Sultanate. In 1533, the new
Johor Empire was founded in pre-independence
Malaysia led by Sultan Alauddin Mansyur Syah. Raja Lingga XIII was appointed to be in the cabinet of the new government. His descendants established the
Lingga Sultanate in
Lingga Island of the
Riau Islands, and his sovereignty extended to
Riau Province (
Indonesia),
Temasek (
Singapore) and parts of
Malaya (
Malaysia). No documentation were recorded on the rulers of Sebayak Lingga Karo. During the era of
Dutch East Indies, the monarchy was appointed again but for two eras only. • Raja Sendi Sibayak Lingga, as chosen by the
Dutch East Indies. • Raja Kalilong Sibayak Lingga.
Dutch colonization during the Gayo, Alas, and Batak campaign led by
Gotfried Coenraad Ernst van Daalen in 1904 (Photographed by
Henricus Marinus Neeb). After initial Dutch resistance, where many Gayonese and
Dutch were killed, the Dutch occupied the area during 1904–1942. During this time, the Gayonese developed a thriving
cash crop economy in vegetables and coffee. Since the Dutch colonization, the Gayonese have gained access to higher levels of education, and participated to some degree in the Islamization and modernization of their homeland. ==Surnames==