[1] Adat, as customary law is called in Indonesia, includes indigenous, pre-Islamic religious practices and social traditions in local customs.

The Padri, like contemporaneous jihadists in the Sokoto Caliphate of West Africa, were Islamist purists who had made the hajj to Mecca and returned[2] inspired to bring the Qur'an and sharia to a position of greater influence in Sumatra.

The Padri movement had formed during the early 19th century and sought to purge the culture of traditions and beliefs its partisans viewed as un-Islamic.

From c.1692, Islam was propagated to the Minangkabau areas of West Sumatra by Sheikh Burhanuddin Ulakan in the Shattari school of Sufism.

[4] The Padri had their extremist version of Sharia law which they would implement through violent upheaval to replace the existing Adat.

In revenge for this insolence, the Padri attacked and burnt down numerous villages which were Shattari centers; instigated mass murder of the ulama and rang cerdek (intelligentsia) as well as rape and plunder.

While Nan Renceh was punishing the Adat population, Imam Bonjol and Rao were developing trading routes and fortresses against the Dutch.

Later, as Imam Bonjol met numerous Hajj returnees who contested the Padri and Wahabbi extremism, he began to have misgivings, doubts, and regrets.

By September 1832, Imam Bonjol was disillusioned and, perhaps seeking repentance, he walked out of his village fort and left the Padri.

[6] Harimau Nan Salapan then asked Tuanku Lintau who has closeness and kinship with Yang Dipertuan Pagaruyung Sultan Arifin Muningsyah to invite the Indigenous People to abandon several habits that are contrary to the teachings Islam.

[8] As part of the Dutch aid agreement, the Indigenous People surrendered the areas of Simawang and Sulit Air, by order of resident James du Puy in Padang.

[9] Then on 8 December 1821 additional troops arrived led by Lieutenant Colonel Raaff to strengthen the position in the area that had been controlled.

On 4 March 1822, Dutch troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Raaff succeeded in pushing the Padri people out of Pagaruyung.

This is very much based on a strong desire to control coffee cultivation which is expanding in the interior of Minangkabau (the Darek region).

[3] Furthermore, to weaken the opposing forces, the Dutch violated the ceasefire agreement by attacking the nagari Pandai Sikek which was one of the areas capable of producing gunpowder and firearms.

At the beginning of August 1831, Lintau was successfully conquered and put Luhak Tanah Datar under Dutch control.

Meanwhile, when Lieutenant Colonel Elout carried out various attacks against The Padri between 1831 and 1832, he obtained additional strength from the troops of Sentot Prawirodirdjo, one of the commanders of Prince Diponegoro who had defected and served in the Dutch East Indies government after the war in Java ended.

In July 1832, from Batavia a large infantry force was sent under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand P. Vermeulen Krieger, to speed up the completion of the war.

Sultan nggul Alam Bagagar who was previously appointed by the Dutch as Regent of Tanah Datar, was captured by the troops of Lieutenant Colonel Elout on 2 May 1833 in Batusangkar on charges of treason and exiled to Batavia.

[21] However, in the battle at Air Bangis, on 29 January 1833, Tuanku Rao suffered serious injuries as a result of being hit by bullets.

[23] Arriving in Padang, he held negotiations with Commissioner Pesisir Barat Sumatra, Major General Riesz and Lieutenant Colonel Elout to immediately conquer Fort Bonjol, the command center of the Padri troops.

This situation was put to good use by the Padri to build a strategic stronghold, as well as being the main headquarters of Tuanku Imam Bonjol.

During 1834, the Dutch focused on building roads and bridges leading to Bonjol, Pasaman|Bonjol by mobilizing thousands of forced laborers.

Dutch troops managed to approach Bonjol, Pasaman|Bonjol] within a distance of approximately only 250 steps at midnight on 16 June 1835, then they tried to build a fortification.

This fort is shaped like a long rectangle, surrounded on three sides by two layers of defensive walls approximately 3 meters high.

This situation was put to good use by the Padri to build a strategic stronghold, as well as being the main headquarters of Tuanku Imam Bonjol.

Everyone is determined to defend the Bonjol headquarters until the last drop of blood, live a noble life or die martyrdom.

Lieutenant Colonel Bauer, one of the commanders of the Dutch troops, suffered from illness and was forced to be sent to Bukittinggi and then his position was replaced by Major Prager.

The failure of this conquest really hit the policy of the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies in Batavia which at that time had been held by Dominique Jacques de Eerens, then at the beginning of 1837 he sent a warlord named Major General Cochius to directly lead a massive attack on Fort Bonjol for the umpteenth time.

From Batavia, additional Dutch troops were imported, who arrived on 20 July 1837 on the Perle Ship in Padang, a number of Europeans and Sepoys, soldiers from Africa who served in the Dutch army, recruited from Ghana and Mali, consisting of 1 sergeant, 4 corporaals and 112 flankeurs, and led by Kapitein Sinninghe.