LECTURE 5. VCL 155

The concept of the Malay World

THE MALAY WORLDThe equivalent term in Malay is Alam

Melayu (Dunia Melayu) and in Indonesian, Nusantara.

Nusantara

The word comes from the Old Javanese nusa (Island) and antara (between).

NUSANTARA AS A CULTURAL CONCEPT

Generally, the term Nusantara encompasses those Central Asian islands where the Austronesian

languages and culture are dominant.

Linguistically, the concept of Nusantara refers to Malaysia, including the Malay Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines except the

New Guinea.

NUSANTARA AS A CULTURAL CONCEPT

From the cultural point of view, the concept be stretched to include islands of Taiwan and Madagascar, as the native

languages of both these islands are Malayo-Polynesian languages.

THE MALAY RACE

Malay is the race of the people who inhabit the Malay Peninsula (Semenanjung

Tanah Melayu - now known as Peninsular/West Malaysia) and portion of

adjacent islands of Southeast Asia, including the east coast of Sumatera, the coast of

Borneo and smaller islands that lie between these areas.

ORIGIN OF THE MALAYS

The Malays originated in Yunnan, China.

They were seafaring people. Probably because of their seafaring way of life or trading,

they were believed to have lived in coastal Borneo.

They then expanded into Sumatera and the Malay Peninsula.

ORIGIN OF THE MALAYS

A Portuguese historian, Godinho de Eredia, referred to the Malays as Saletes (Orang Selat,

or people of the Straits).

The Malays played a major part in the Making of great Malay empires of Malacca and Johor.

12/19/11

ORIGIN OF THE MALAYS

Present day Malays of the Peninsula and the coasts of the Malay Archipelago are described anthropologically as deutero-Malays.

They are descendants of the tribal proto-Malays mixed with modern Indian, Thai, Arab and Chinese blood.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Most of the languages spoken in the Malay Word are part of the Malayo-Polynesian Family.

This language includes Bahasa Melayu now known in Malaysia as Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Jawa or Javanese in Java, now known as Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu as in Singapore and Brunei and Tagalog in the Philippines.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

The culture in the Malay World is predominantly influenced by Islam and some other religion such as Hindu,

Buddha and Christian.

Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei has the largest population of Muslims.

Whereas Catholicism, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus followers can also be found in this region.

BRIEF HISTORYIslam came to the Malay world by:

BRIEF HISTORYIslam came to the Malay world by:

a. By sea route

From the Arab Land to the Malay World, or from the Arab Land to India and to the Malay World.

b. By land route

From the Arab Land to Persia, India, China and to the Malay World.

BRIEF HISTORY

in search for

BRIEF HISTORY

Both these routes pass through countries that have strong cultural tradition and great civilization.

The merchants in search for spices, indirectly brought influences of these civilizations – Arab,

Persian, Indian and Chinese to the Malay World. They also introduced Islam to this part of the

world.

BRIEF HISTORYIt is due to the geo-economic factor that made the

Malay world as the centre of commerce between the East and West.

The Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (Malay Peninsula) and the Islands of Indonesia is situated between the Indian ocean

and South China sea.

Merchants from the East and the West must pass through the strait of Melaka to trade.

BRIEF HISTORY

The Malay World is said to be the melting pot of the great civilization of the

East and West.

These cultures had shaped the form of Islamic art in the Malay World. Apparently,

traces of these great civilization can be detected in the artifacts found in the Malaya

World.

BRIEF HISTORY – ISLAM IN THE MALAY WORLD

• As early as the 7th Century, the Arab-Persian Muslims had came to South-east Asia in search of Kapur barus and spices as well as introducing the teaching of Islam.

• Records shows that prior to the 8th Century, there already existed the Arab community in the north of Sumatera and elsewhere in areas of commerce such as the Phang-Rang, southern Vietnam and Canton.

BRIEF HISTORY – ISLAM IN THE MALAY WORLD

• Records from Chinese travelers had stated that in 674 CE, there were Muslim settlement in East Sumatera (San Fu Chi – Srivijaya – Palembang).

• In 878 CE, the political upheaval in Canton had caused the Arabs and Persian traders to fled to Melaka. Thus,

spreading the teaching of Islam in South-east Asia. They also established new settlement in areas like

Kalah (Kedah) and Palembang.

BRIEF HISTORY – ISLAM IN THE MALAY WORLD

In the manuscript of Hikayat Aceh, it is stated that Islam was brought and introduced in North Sumatera by Syeikh Abdullah Arif, ca. 1112 CE.

The people of the Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (Malay Peninsula) were mostly the followers of Syafi’i sect which is the main sect of the Arabs.

BRIEF HISTORY

• Some of the early Islamic kingdoms in the Malay World are: the Kingdom of Perlak (North Sumatera -1225-1263), the Kingdom of Samudera-Pasai, 1261-1289) and the Malay Melaka Kingdom (Melaka - 15th century).

• In 1282, Sultan Malik al Salih (died in 1297) had sent Hasan and Sulaiman to China to pay tribute to the emperor of China.

BRIEF HISTORY

• In 1345/6, Ibu Battuta on his journey to China had stopped at Samudera. The Ruler at that time was Malik al Tahir (grandson of Malik al-Salih). A very pious ruler and always surrounded by religious people like Taj al Din al Isfahani and Qadi Syarif Amir Sayyid al Shirazi.

• The ‘Ulama from Persia (Iran) and Gujerat (India) not only spread the Islamic teachings but also brought their culture to the Malay World.

BRIEF HISTORY

• The Persian and Indian influences can be seen in some of the artifacts in this region. The white marble tombstones of Maulana Abdullah, Maulana Abdul Rahman and Queen Nahrisyah, were specially made in Persia or Gujerat. The design is more likely of Indian in origin especially their motifs and intricate carving techniques.

BRIEF HISTORY• Traces of the spreading of Islam from China to

the Malay World can be seen in the discovery of monuments along the coastal areas of South China Sea:-

• Phang-Rang (Southern Vietnam) dated 1025/1039 CE

• Leran, Eastern Java (2nd half 11th Century)

• Terengganu (early 14th Century)

BRIEF HISTORY

• Aceh too played an important role in the spreading of Islam to Semenanjung Tanah Melayu.

Muslims missionaries from Aceh went to Kedah, Melaka and Terengganu to spread Islam.

Syeikh Abdullah bin Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh Jaafar Qaumiri managed to persuade the Sultan of Kedah to embrace Islam in 1136 CE.

BRIEF HISTORY• He then changed his name to Sultan Muzaffar

Syah. He died in 1179 CE and buried in Kampong Langgar, Merbok, Kedah. The design of the tombstone is quite similar to those found in Banda Aceh.

• The coming of Islam to the Malay World, through trades and missionaries, gradually transformed the local cultures and believes. Islam became the major religion in this region.