SWORD OF AL-HIND

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

One of our favourite topic is sword that made in Kalah (Kedah). In the past we wrote several posting about the sword and even in the book as well. The story of the sword, mostly came from Middle East explorer and emissaries. They clearly mentioned Kalah was among the best producer of sword in the world. The problem occured when the orientalist or western researchers translating the Arab source. The Arabs did not call our region as Nusantara, or Malay Archipelago or Golden Peninsular instead as al-Hind because by geographical we located at the east of Indian or Hindi Ocean. While the trade connection between our region and India was dynamic, therefore the maritime and the insular area of us they also called al-Hind, where in reality al-Hind also refers to the maritime, not necessary the mainland of India. But, when the westerners tanslating the Arab scriptures, they simply tanslate as India without considering the context. Therefore the book called "Aja'ib al Hind" became "The Wonders of India" but the content of the book was about the sea and countries in both side of Hindi Ocean, east and west Hindi, including Nusantara, and most of the story in the book was actually referring to the experience of the Arab & Persian sailor in Nusantara. Due to that such misconception, the westerner just simply translate the the "Sayf al Hind" to "Sword of India". Sayf or Saif mean sword in Arab. Such phrase was comfortably accepted by our historian and even archaeologist ! Therefore, we would like to introduce the correct phrase.

If we refer to the accounts by Abu Dulaf, al Idrisi, al-Kindi and few other names, they always mentioned Kalah as a producer of high quality sword and called it as Sayf al Hind or Qala'i sword. The correct translation should be "The sword of al-Hind" while Qala'i sword mean sword that forge in Kedah (Kalah / Qalah) in Arabic, the 'i' usually refers belong or originated.

SQ Fatimi who also once a visiting Professor in UM, in his paper stressed the meaning of al-Hind as below,

“Sword of al-Hind, therefore appear to have belonged to maritime, rather than to continental, India. The facts of recorded history, archaeology and anthropology pertaining to this subject further restrict the provenance of this “Indian” swords : they quite unmistakably points to Insular India, i.e. Malaysia, as their original home.” (Fatimi,1964).

From now on, we should read, Sayf al Hind as Sword of al -Hind, and al-Hind (in certain context) means maritime of Southeast Asia.

Copy and paste: 27 June 2023 > 7 Zulhijjah 1444H: 12.01 pm