Resource: Sungai Batu 788 BC: The Great Kingdom of Kedah Tua
As we go along the historical and archaeological trail, we found that the Kedah Tua, Sungai Batu has survived a very long chapter. It has gone thru pre and post Fukantuku-Shenli era in 4th century BCE. Sungai Batu have passed the pre and post Funan era, circa 2nd to 5th century AD. It also has gone thru pre and post Srivijaya, Langkasuka and not to forget Majapahit between 7th – 14 th century AD and before colonial era, Sungai Batu has also gone Malacca era. Long before Malacca era, Kedah have established their Sultanate where the kingdom known as Kedah Zamin Thuran as written in Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. The question that remain unanswered is what was the kingdom back then in 8th century BC. But some reseachers argued that Sungai Batu and Bujang Valley in general was not a home to a “kingdom” or centre of an organised state (Murphy,2017). But Prof Mokhtar Saidin in one presentation believed that Sungai Batu was a kingdom.
In Economic Archaeology (Feinman, 2008) have outlined 3 factors that determined the ancient population and their natural and cultural resources which are production, exchange and consumption. In our context, Sungai Batu was iron ingot producer, while the port and wharves in Sg Batu represent the exchange and distribution of the iron commodity/goods. And the accounts from Indian sources, Pattinapali and Parunkathai represent the consumption of iron from Sungai Batu that were made into chariot wheels for the royal family. Therefore, we have all 3 factors to elaborate Sungai Batu in economic archaeology, dynamisme and behaviour of its entire ecosystem. But still, we are lack of the narrative about the iron from Sungai Batu and how it ends up in its supply chain. Interestingly, according to Prof Mokhtar that Kedah toponym mentioned by ancient account such Kataha, Kadaram, Kalah, Chie Cha, Kalagam, Queda etc were all actually referred to iron, either verbs or adverbs.
For over one hundred years, since James Low, 1840’s to Nik Hassan Shuhaimi, 1990’s, Lembah Bujang was about socio-politic and cultural. Economy was not much elaborated. Although, furnace was found by archaeologist in 1990’s but it has not deeply explored to put Kedah as international iron industry player.The iron industry of Kedah Tua should have been unlocked 30 years ago, instead it has to wait until 2009, when a new team of archaeologist have found a monumental discovery that has changed the entire paradigm of Lembah Bujang dynamisme from industrial microscopic view.
Although a definition of kingdom and civilisation requires many attributes, but it is not necessary to have everything in the checklist as to give the recognition. Many aspects have to be examine throughly, for example, what was the staple food of indigenious people in peninsula 2,3 millenium ago since some researchers said that peninsula might not able to produce paddy since its lack of plain land.
Sekoi or sorghum was one of ancient grain that grown in many parts of the world. There are few types of sekoi that indigenious to peninsular and still being planted by native tribe/ orang asli and it might be a staple food in ancient time. Sekoi and sorghum requires no wetland and irrigation (We still looking for more info on this matter). And probably, over the time, with increasing foreign contact from the west and east due to the importance of entreport in Malay Peninsula since 3 millenium ago, it has reduced the importance of sorghum by importation of paddy and rice. If sekoi was a staple food in the past, then we have the answer how this land feeds its population.
Back to main point, iron industry was the economic substance of Sungai Batu kingdom, and without the plain land for paddy cultivation, the land might produce sekoi or sorghum for consumption. Therefore we stick to those 3 factors, production, exchange/distribution and finally, consumption.
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5/2/2024 > 25 Rejab 1445H: 11.06 pm
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