JIGSAW PUZZLE - KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA

CREDIT TO: FB SUNGAI BATU 788 BC > THE GREAT KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA

We can't solve the jigsaw puzzle of Kedah Tua without looking into other civilisation. The reason is, Kedah Tua was an important point or maritime crossroad between east and west since 8th century BC or earlier. Sources from China in regards of Malay Peninsula might need a new breakthrough. As for now, it stuck at Fukantulu & Shenli. We believe Shenli was part of Kedah Tua in the past.

Direct or indirect contact between Kedah Tua and countries in Indian Ocean region have occured in the past. Many research have written about the maritime supremacy of Malayo Polinesian people particularly they mentioned about Malay and Malay Archipelago and interestingly Malay ships had been written by Pliny in 1st century AD as Kolandio-phonta, meaning kunlun-ship as what Manguin wrotes in his research. The ships belong to Malay Kunlun were seen travel along Malay Peninsula to Bengal Bay and east coast of India and vise versa. There were several important ports along the stretch.

As we talk about Indian Ocean trade, its actually revolve around the south Indian, Gujerat, Arabs, Egypt, Phoenician, Persian, Roman, Greece, Ethiopian, Anzania, Swahilian, and many others.

Although Roman and Persian were younger than Sungai Batu but Persian in particular had left enormous archaeological traces in BC era and they were among the earliest ever reach to Malay Peninsula in early AD years.

The reason to find the trade connection between Malay Peninsula and countries in Indian Ocean, it probably help us to obtain any accounts of Malay Peninsula and Kedah Tua. Before we go further, one must understood, when we talk about Kedah Tua, we have to identify which era of Kedah Tua since the narrative of Kedah Tua can be stretched more than 2000 years. Basically, we can divide the narrative of Kedah Tua into 2 main era. BC era, where Sg Batu is the main focus, then AD era which Sungai Mas and Pengkalan Bujang in the 5th - 12th century AD.

Langkasuka, Chih Tu, Kholatan, Panpan, Chaiya, Srivijaya etc were all interrelated into Kedah Tua dynamic narrative since the iron industry and backed by geographical aspect of huge Kedah Bay and inland route were so significant in ancient time.

Our focus mainly in BC era and we found that Malay Peninsula played a vital role in Indian Ocean trade as far as Oman and east African coast. Madagascar was already Nusantaran settlement in first millenium BC.

We do not expect to find a place name Kedah or Kalah in Indian Ocean countries records in BC centuries. They may use other names, even Ptolemy in 2nd AD century called Malay Peninsula as Aureus Chersonese which mean Golden Peninsula as well as Suwarnadvipa bring the same meaning. Therefore the subject that could connect Malay Peninsular and other civilisation of Indian Ocean should be the gold and aromatic /spice stuffs. For example, the Biblical Mount Ophir were said located in Peninsular or Sumatera and clove that grown in Maluku Island was found in Syria and dated 1700 BC year ! and how could the clove reach Syria without passing Malay Peninsula.

The clove that found in Syria, obviously transported thru the Spice Route that involved diverse people and nation, but Cinnamon Route was exclusively belong to people from Malay Archipelago. Thru this route they have reached Madagascar and Comoros island. Reaching and settling in Madagascar as new settlement does not fit the story board without putting the jigsaw pieces of trade and commercial. It should be a strong reason that drove the Nusantara people to brave the open sea that beyond their comfort zone. The route itself has explained what goods they brought in transoceanic voyage, while the vessel was a double outrigger boat. (I need sometime to check who was the first researcher said about the outrigger boat). Anyway, it happened in 1st or 2nd millenium BC, which can be dated up to 4000 years ago.

Either Spice or Cinnamon Route, both will ended somewhere the entrance of Red Sea since it will enroute to renowned civilisation, Mesopotamia, Levant, Egypt as well as Greece in Mediterranean. Researchers believed the ancient Somalia was where both routes will stop and the commodity will taken over by regional traders by ship or land route.

But, how it got to do with Kedah Tua. The answer is, Kedah Tua was the only port that ever known located in Malay Peninsula or Nusantara or even in Southeast Asia, that have the facility as hub for international trading if we look from archaeological point of view.

By knowing any port's name located in Southeast Asia that written in the western civilisation, dated 5th BC century and earlier, it is like "looking Kedah Tua from from the western window".

That was the reason why our book cover showed the trade route from east to the west.

(Ptolemy wrote "Μαλεου Κώλον" in ancient Greek = Malaeo Kolon.

There was a port in ancient Somalia called "Μαλαὼ" in ancient Greek = Malao)

that's the only 2 words written in bold in our book.

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9 February 2022 > 8 Rejab 1443H: 9.57 pm