SOURCE: SUNGAI BATU 788 B.C. : THE KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA
Several points highlighted by Stephen A. Murphy in his paper that steal our attention. In his article ‘Revisiting the Bujang Valley: A Southeast Asian entrepôt complex on the maritime trade route’, among others, mentioned;
- “An assessment of the research carried out to date on the Bujang Valley leads to one very clear conclusion: the area was not home to a “kingdom” or centre of an organised state, but was an extensive entrepôt complex that grew over numerous centuries.
- “Evidence for states such as Srivijaya, Dvaravati, Funan etc. had been gleaned from Chinese annals by sinologists such as Paul Pelliot at the start of the twentieth century. These texts spoke of Southeast Asian kingdoms and also assigned geographical boundaries to them. However, the Chinese writers compiled these descriptions filtered through their worldview, reflecting the political realities of their own society. It is understandable, therefore, that these early authors conceived these Southeast Asian polities as kingdoms along the lines of what Chinese versions described.
- “ Srivijaya is also now understood not to be a maritime empire controlling vast swathes of sea and coastlines, but instead a network of port-cities and entrepôts. Palembang most likely exacted a certain amount of control over ports as far north as Chaiya in southern Thailand”.
Since this Page was created to bring and share the academic finding to the public, Admin felt there is an avenue for us to give our humble opinion for the benefit of the people at large in regards to the subjects that brought by the Curator, Southeast Asia, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore.
Murphy focussed between 3rd to 11th century AD, particularly during Sungai Mas era (5th – 10th century AD). Although he has a doubt on the OSL dating for the bricks found in Sungai Batu, it does not mean that Murphy should ignore the the attributes of a kingdom and maritime power such as jetty/wharves, administration building, storage facility, ancient river etc.
Murphy agreed to Jane Allen findings, meaning he also agreed that Sungai Merbok was a huge bay then that could accomodate hundreds of ships at one time. This Page have brought a topic of Pireaus as comparison, the city port of ancient Greece that administered directly by establishment, the Athenian Assembly, but in our case, it was a kingdom. It requires an organised state, good maritime society and system to govern such a big port. With eleven wharves found in Sungai Batu and massive brick buildings (regardless the OSL dating) next to the wharves and river, indicating it was an entreport that requires a kingdom who dominance in the sea to ensure the security and safety of the trade vessels that entering the straits between Sumatera and Peninsula. Any threat that emerge from both coastal area that could jeoperdize the vessels and trade route , was under the custodian of the ruling power and thats what the taxes paid for by the merchant vessel, not just for anchoring, harbouring, docking, off load and up load. Therefore, wether it was Kedah Tua, Funan Srivijaya or any kingdom that exist on both coast of Malay Peninsula, they were the maritime power as to protect their interest in the lucrative maritime route. Networking without controlling the maritime does not work then.
Chinese accounts was a dominant source that described the polity, establishment, states and country in Southeast Asia due to their diplomatic and trade affair. Since their dynasty and empire were far more advance, their worldview can be describe as the most credible compared to others.
Murphy also wrotes; “Thirdly, the architectural remains of Bujang Valley are also telling. Over a period of 700 – 900 years (ca. fifth to thirteenth centuries), temples remained essentially small-scale. This is in stark contrast to other Southeast Asian cultures such as Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, or among the Cham of Vietnam.....”
In other word, Murphy indicate that the absence of grand structure in Bujang Valley to recognised as a kingdom. This issue had been explained by local researchers where Bujang Valley did not have sufficient manpower and building material to build such grand structure. In our opinion although iron mining and smelting was labour intensive, but compared to agrarian kingdom, where the population might gone thru lay-off period, probably while waiting for harvest or planting season. During lay-off, the population could join or asked by the ruler to join the construction work. Unlike Bujang Valley population, who were tight to maritime and iron industry all year round. Most probably, there were no lay-off period.
Maritime economy is a complex system that requires a complex administration that could only belong to a kingdom. But not only maritime, Bujang Valley was also driven by industrial economy which makes it even more complex and complicated.
In the essence, agrarian society might have different sets of belief system that requires them to build a huge monument as symbol of devotion to their gods. In contrast, Bujang Valley population devotes to the power who control the sea and land. Mount Jerai might already represent the power who control of the land and the sea.
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27/9/2022 : 30 Safar 1444H: 4.39 pm