RESOURCE: SUNGAI BATU 788 BC : THE GREAT KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA
18 MAY 2022
This Page was established as to bring the history of Sungai Batu thru archaeological, historical , literature, research paper etc. As independent writer and enthusiast we are not bind to any academic discipline, but we bow to the intellectual principle. The archaeologist will present their case accordingly to the material culture found. If any historical record found, but it does not supported by material culture or physical evidence, the archaeologists are reluctant to comment in depth or to give any conclusion. The classic example is Kota Gelanggi. Historian might found several different records and narrative that supported each other, and they might conclude that the existence of particular entity was real and absolute, but not for archaeologist. As a writer and enthusiast, we appreciate both.
Although our spectrum is about Kedah Tua but our thread is Sungai Batu, Bujang Valley circa 5th BCE and earlier. With abundant of material culture left in Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex, there were so many aspects to be uncover and it has force us to turn to various aspects of civilisation. Therefore, in certain aspects we have to refer to later era as to understand what was happened 2500 years ago. For example, we can’t find how the port of Sungai Batu operated and their taxes mechanism or how those tuyeres were made in Sungai Batu iron smelting industry. Therefore we have to refer to later era such Kedah Law, Undang-Undang 1060 Hijri, Tembera’ Dato Seri Paduka Tuan 1078 Hijri, Hukum Kanun Dato Kota Setar etc to obtain significant clue how was the ports and other laws operated in ancient time. We also found how the traditional African iron smelter fabricate their tuyere where they claim that was how their ancestors produced the tuyere thousands of years ago. Although we had no evident of the link between ancient African smelter with Sungai Batu smelter, but since both have showed the similar design of tuyere, thats allowed us to speculate how was the tuyere in Sungai Batu were made.
(Although this Page is one man show, but Admin prefer to use ‘we’ since its not only represent Admin’s interpretation, but also came from the academic discourse)
Despite lacking of written evidence pertaining to Sungai Batu, it is our obligation to establish the narrative. The earliest carbon dating was 788 BC (8th century BC). Some academician have doubt about it that seems does not fit the earlier findings or narratives. It is more on academic issue but not of carbon dating or lab result which is straight forward and clear cut. Therefore, in order to establish the narrative, we need to know the major reasons that lead human to travel from one point to another, from one continent to another, from north to south, from west to east and so on. We found out that the major reason was trade and wealth. It was known that Spice Route began 5000 years ago, Maritime Silk Route more than 2000 years ago, Cinnamon Route about 4000 years ago. All those route was about trade and wealth, and one thing in common, it was all about Southeast Asia and Straits of Malacca while Bujang Valley, Teluk Kedah Tua, Sungai Batu was the strategic zone as entry and exit point.
Almost hundred years ago, Shroder (1928), a German scholars have shown an evidence of Phoenician contact in north Sumatera in 7th century BC. Shroder wrotes about the the identical of Phonecian letters and the Bataks. Phoenician was a great seafarer who control almost all trading ports in Meditterranean. What have made the Phoenician traces found in north Sumatera if not because of trades and wealth. Years ago,an Indonesian personality talk about Armenian in Sumatera, but we think what he meant was Aramean, the people who spoke Aramaic, not Armenian. Aramaic language rooted from Phoenician where both were Semitic. Rejang letters in Sumatera also said to have semitic influence. We are not the expert, and still searching for strong clues and evidence pertaining to the subject.
Taylor (1976) also explained how the Phoenician involve in commodity that came from South East Asia and bring them into Red Sea, Levant and Meditteranean. Cassia, clove, camphor, agarwood was among popular commodity from South East Asia that reached as far as Levant and Mesopotamia. Seland (2014, 2016), Hoogervorst (2015) also mentioned the significant of Spice Route, Cinnamon Route and SeAsia maritime supremacy thousands of years ago in trans-oceanic and inter-continent trade.
Seland (2005), explainimg the influence of Malayo-Polinesia language that spoken by Malagasy people, the native of Madagascar Island. People from South East Asia came to Madagascar in two waves, first, during the establishment of Cinnamon Route in 2nd millenium BC and second wave during Srivijaya time. The Srivijaya armada came to Madagascar as invasion campaign but only to found out that the people of the island speaks the similar language with theirs.
Therefore, to uncover the hidden history of Sungai Batu, Bujang Valley, we have to look from broader perspective, it was not a strange thing to realise that Kedah Tua, Bujang Valley played an important role 3 or 4 thousand years ago.
As we know Sungai Batu producing iron ingot, the searching could lead us to find out what was actually happened 2800 years ago in Malay Peninsula.
As we know, Sungai Batu was an iron ingot exporter, the searching could lead to other civilised nation that requires great amount of iron for their armament.
As we know the existence of wharves, large bay and ports in Kedah Tua, the searching could lead to inter continental maritime trade that involved several renowned polities, countries and civilisations. The searching also lead us to navigation knowledge and ship building.
As we know the Malay Peninsular and Islands of South East Asia rich with spices, aromatic and exotic item, the searching could lead to the pharaoh, kings, emperor, kaiser, kisra courts. The searching could also lead to diplomatic affair, alliance and hostile among the states and nation.
It was no strange to acknowledge that Kedah Tua was a great kingdom, there was a civilisation exist at least 2800 years ago. Civilisation that begins in Sungai Batu was the birthplace of Kedah Tua kingdom.
Copy and paste: 9/4/2023 > 18 Ramadan 1444H: 12.21 pm
