From The Baligau of Tatanga To Local Elites: Transformation of Power Songgolangi’s Descendants in Palu City

Abstract

This study examines the genealogy and transformation of power among the descendants of Songgolangi within the dynamics of local history in Palu. The study is motivated by the dominance of colonial historiography, which tends to portray local conflicts merely as issues of security and criminality, while overlooking the political dimensions and power relations underlying these events. This research employs a critical historiographical approach using qualitative methods through the utilization of various sources, including Dutch colonial newspaper archives from 1910–1911, Kaili oral traditions, family genealogy documents, and other local historical records.

The findings reveal that the conflict involving Songgolangi and the Tatanga elites was part of a broader contestation of power between local elites and the Dutch colonial government. The arrest of Ranggigamagi, along with the repressive measures taken by the Dutch against the Tatanga group, represented a colonial strategy aimed at weakening the legitimacy of traditional authority in the Palu Valley. Nevertheless, local elites did not entirely lose their political influence. Through processes of adaptation and integration, some descendants of the Tatanga elite managed to survive within the emerging social and political structures. Oral traditions mention that Paliudju, the son of Songgolangi, later became a trusted figure within the circle of Djanggola, indicating the existence of political reconciliation among local elites after the conflict. In later developments, these genealogical lines continued to play significant roles in the politics of Central Sulawesi through figures such as Bandjela Paliudju and Longki Djanggola.

This study concludes that the transformation of power structures in Palu, from the colonial era to the modern period, occurred through processes of genealogical continuity and adaptation among local elites. In addition, the local cultural concept of nakabunto also influenced the transmission of historical memory within the community, allowing many narratives of conflict to survive through oral traditions.

Keywords: Genealogy, Local Elites, Songgolangi, Tatanga, Historiography.