THE KINGDOM AND POLITY IN MALAY PENINSULAR

SOURCE: SUNGAI BATU 788 BC: THE GREAT KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA

Chinese accounts was a dominance source that described the kingdom and polity in Malay Peninsular. At the moment, the oldest was Fukantulu and Shenli as recorded during Han Dynasty in 2nd century BC. Many more accounts came from later dynasty, like Liang, Tang, Song, Yuan etc.

Indian accounts not as much as Chinese and the oldest probably from Kalki Purana that mentioned about malai land or mountainous land, but some researchers believe it was actually about Maldives. Another, was a poet of Pattinapalai that talked about iron from Kedah, which recorded around 2nd BC - 2nd AD of Sanggam Era.

Middle East such as Arab and Persian accounts came later than Chinese and India. Majority came from explorers and researchers, unlike Chinese accounts that was written by emissaries or envoys as official record of the emperor. Kitab Aja'ibul Hind was one good example that compiled by Buzurg al Ramhormuzi from numbers of oral stories. Many people were mislead by the title, especially when it was translated into English, "The Wonders of India" that implies it was about India mainland, but actually it was not much about India but most of the stories was about South East Asia which better known by the Arabs as al Hind, which refers to the islands, insular and maritime.

The term such Nusantara or South East Asia have yet to exist during Arab explorer and traders roaming this region.In our opinion the English translation should be 'Wonders of al-Hind'. The orientalist should remain the word al-hind. From the word al-hind, the British and Dutch create the name East India Company.

We consider that traders and explorers that came from Indian Ocean region or Erytherian Sea as it was known in the ancient time as people of the west and Chinese as from the east.

The question is, was the west civilisation only start made contact with Nusantara in AD years ? We never heard any accounts from the west about Nusantara and Southeast Asia that dated in BC years. But, seems it did not fit the history. For example, Nusantara played vital roles in Spice Route which begin 5000 years ago. Clove from Maluku Island was found in Syria that dated 3700 years ago. Ironically cloves were used in ancient Egypt for medication and fragrance as depicted in the wall drawing. Interestingly, how could the cloves reach Syria without passing thru Straits of Malacca. There should be somewhere, somehow the story of this Nusantara region been recorded by the people of the west in ancient time.

We believe, there were contacts made by the West with Nusantara more than 2500 years ago.The subject became interesting when we found out that Phoenician alphabet had strong influence onto Batak, Rejang writing. According to scholars, writing and alphabet were originated from semitic people and it evolved into different shape and orientation once it introduced to or adapted by other culture. Over the time, it has transformed many times from the original version and also its being transferred to one culture to another.

But, in Batak alphabet, it does not underwent such process and seems like the Phoenician, themselves who introduce their alphabet to the Batak because the alphabet was identical. The contact between Batak and Phonecian occured in 700 BC, according to Schroder (1917).

In other word, the Phoenician came to Nusantara thousands of years ago and the most probable reason they came here to Nusantara because of its precious and rare commodity that could be metal and nature stuff.

Copy and paste: 21 August 2022 > 23 Muharam 1444H: 8.02 am