Thursday, 28 November 2024

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME KALAH

RESOURCE: SUNGAI BATU 788 BC: THE GREAT KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA
This posting will bring 2 different sources pertaining to the Ancient Kedah as civilisation and iron producer.
Firstly, Prof. Solehah have,open up an exciting avenue in discussing the origin of the name of Kalah, Qalah, Qal’ah, Kadah etc and its relation to the Kedah ancient iron industry and iron goods production. You can refer to her posting thru this link :‐

In other conversation, I have collected some important points :-
• القداحة =
Ketulan/ batang besi yg di asak/ panas utk mengeluarkan api. Ia adalah batu yang ada besi yg ketulan/ batang besi.
• القداح =
besi yang diasak/lebur padanya terdapat ketulan/ batang untuk mengeluarkan api.
• قلعية =
pedang dari Kalah.
• maksud Kalah juga ialah tempat iaitu kampung (daerah) yang menempa pedang tu, Kedah pula ialah orang-orang dari kampung tu.
• قلعية itu موضع العمل في البادي
tempat buat peleburan itu di kawasan terpencil

An article by SQ Fatimi written in 1963, could be a good reference for iron sword trade between Kalah and Arab country as well as cross reference to Prof Solehah findings.

Obviously Prof Solehah have founded an exciting path for further research by others to take it as a point if departure.

Anyway, those toponym and subject of discussion revolved in AD century, except the word Kalah have been found exist since 3300 years ago in Mesopotamian record.

For second source, it will focussing on BC century. It came from a follower of this Page who constantly contribute a comments. He is Prajit P. Prasad, (FB – Srivijaya Yava) self proclaimed researcher. Although he has brought many arguments which I do not agree, but let it be, because it is a norm in research matters. He continously being polite and came with ethical critics and comments.
Prajit has brought several sources from Sri Lanka and India, especially from Buddhis book. 
Those sources dated between year 535 BC to early AD century. One of main point that Prajit emphasised is the name of Sungai Batu. He said that, in ancient sources, Suvarnabhum is referring to city port, not land. In other word, Suvarnabhum is not a country or state but a specific city port. 
In Srilankan source, Suvarnabhum is called Suvarnapura. Therefore he deduced that Suvarnabhum that mentioned in ancient source as well as stated in Ashoka edicts is Sungai Batu, because that is the only remain that faraway from Indua that could relate to year 535 BC and Mauryan Empire.
“The Edicts of Ashoka mentioned the name of Suvarnabhum. The edicts relate the reference Suvarnabhum in the text . Their cities in the region that located beyond the Sindhu to the west. It might come from the story of Ashoka sending his Buddhist missionaries to Suvarnabhum in "Mahavamsa" and his edicts.
Suvarnabhum which was the name of the region somewhere that located beyond India to the far east, mentioned in many ancient sources such as the Mahavamsa some stories of the Jataka tales, Niddesa, and Milindapanha”.
Prajit came into conclusion that Suvarnabhum is a city, not a land or state, since in the script that he referred, written that Suvarnabhum was among the city port that visited by merchants.
Suvarnabhumi and Suvarnadvipa are something common for those who like to read about ancient Malay Peninsula. It has the same meaning to Aureus Chersonese in Ptolemy map, which mean Golden Peninsular or Land.
Based on two sources above, we have an interesting subject to be explored. There is correlation of industry and locality between Kalah and Suvarnabhumi.
We recommended for readers to get our book since it explained how Sungai Batu functioning as international trade centre and largest iron ingot producer, as well as a pilgrimage of 2 Buddhis Monk, Yi-Jing and Fa Hsien
Click link.


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28/11/2024: 9.15 a.m

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