ASAL USUL BAHASA MELAYU

Untuk mengetahui asal usul Bahasa Melayu kita perlu mengetahui asal-usul penutur aslinya terlebih dahulu, iaitu orang Melayu. Asal-usul bangsa Melayu sehingga kini masih kabur. Akan tetapi beberapa sarjana Eropah seperti Hendrik Kern (Belanda) dan Robert von Heine Geldern (Austria) telah melakukan penyelidikan secara kasar latar belakang dan pergerakan masyarakat Melayu kuno.

Teori mereka menyatakan bahawa bangsa Melayu berasal daripada kelompok Austronesia, iaitu kelompok manusia yang berasal dari daerah Yunan di China yang kemudiannya berhijrah dalam bentuk beberapa gelombang pergerakan manusia dan akhirnya menduduki wilayah Asia Tenggara.

Gelombang pertama dikenali sebagai Melayu-Proto dan berlaku kira-kira 2500 tahun Sebelum Masehi

Kira-kira dalam tahun 1500 tahun Sebelum Masehi, datang pula gelombang kedua yang dikenali sebagai Melayu-Deutro. Mereka mendiami daerah-daerah yang subur di pinggir pantai dan tanah lembah Asia Tenggara. Kehadiran mereka ini menyebabkan orang-orang Melayu-Proto seperti orang-orang Jakun, Mahmeri, Jahut, Temuan, Biduanda dan beberapa kelompok kecil yang lain berpindah ke kawasan pedalaman. Justeru itu, Melayu-Deutro ini merupakan masyarakat Melayu yang ada pada masa kini.

Bahasa Melayu berasal daripada rumpun bahasa Austronesia, manakala bahasa-bahasa Austronesia ini berasal daripada keluarga bahasa Austris. Selain daripada rumpun bahasa Austronesia, rumpun bahasa Austro-Asia dan rumpun bahasa Tibet-Cina.

Rumpun bahasa Austronesia ini pula terbahagi kepada empat kelompok yang lebih kecil :
1. Bahasa-bahasa Kepulauan Melayu atau Bahasa Nusantara.
Contoh : bahasa Melayu, Aceh, Jawa, Sunda, Dayak, Tagalog, Solo, Roto, Sika dan lain-lain.

2. Bahasa-bahasa Polinesia
Contoh : bahasa Hawaii, Tonga, Maori, Haiti

3. Bahasa-bahasa Melanesia
Contoh : bahasa-bahasa di Kepulauan Fiji, Irian and Kepulaun Caledonia

4. Bahasa-bahasa Mikronesia
Contoh : bahasa-bahasa di Kepulauan Marianna, Marshall, Carolina dan Gilbert.

Bahasa Melayu tergolong dalam cabang Bahasa-bahasa Nusantara yang mempunyai bahasa yang paling banyak, iaitu kira-kira 200 hingga 300 bahasa.

Bentuk Bahasa Melayu yang dituturkan di Kepulauan Melayu pada zaman dahulu dikenali sebagai Bahasa Melayu Kuno dan jauh berbeza dengan Bahasa Melayu yang moden. Bentuk Bahasa Melayu Kuno hanya dapat dilihat melalui kesan tinggalan sejarah seperti batu-batu bersurat. Batu-batu bersurat yang menggunakan Bahasa Melayu dipercayai ditulis bermula pada akhir abad ke-7. Sebanyak empat batu bersurat telah dijumpai yang mempunyai tarikh tersebut :

1. Batu Bersurat Kedukan Bukit (683 M) - Palembang
2. Batu Bersurat Talang Tuwo (684 M) – Palembang
3. Batu Bersurat Kota Kapor (686 M) – Pulau Bangka, Palembang
4. Batu Bersurat Karang Brahi (686 M) – Palembang

Berpandukan isinya, penulisan di batu bersurat tersebut dibuat atas arahan raja Srivijaya, sebuah kerajaan yang mempunyai empayar meliputi Sumatera, Jawa, Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, Segenting Kra dan Sri Lanka. Oleh itu, ini menunjukkan bahawa Bahasa Melayu telah digunakan sebagai bahasa rasmi dan bahasa pentadbiran kerajaan Srivijaya, sekaligus meluaskan penyebaran Bahasa Melayu ke tanah jajahan takluknya . Walaupun bahasa pada batu bersurat itu masih berbahasa Sanskrit, akan tetapi masih terdapat pengaruh Bahasa Melayu Kuno di dalamnya.


Istilah “Melayu” timbul buat pertama kali dalam tulisan Cina pada tahun 644 dan 645 Masehi. Tulisan ini menyebut mengenai orang “Mo-Lo-Yue” yang mengirimkan utusan ke Negeri China untuk mempersembahkan hasil-hasil bumi keada Raja China. Letaknya kerajaan “Mo-Lo-Yue” ini tidak dapat dipastikan dengan tegas. Ada yang mencatatkan di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu dan di Jambi, Sumatera.

Selain daripada empat batu bersurat yang disebutkan tadi, terdapat juga bahan-bahan lain yang dihasilkan dalam zaman kerajaan Srivijaya pada abad ke-7 hingga ke-13 Masehi. :

1. Batu Bersurat Gandasuli (832 M) – Gandasuli, Jawa Tengah
2. Sebuah batu bersurat yang dijumpai di Bangkahulu bertarikh 1000 Masehi.
3. Sebuah patung gangsa yang dijumpai di Padang Lawas, Tapanuli bertarikh 1029 M dengan tulisan pada kaki alasnya
4. Sebuah patung di Padang Rocore, Batanghari bertarikh 1286 M dengan catatan perkataan “Malaya” atau “Melayu” pada bahagian belakangnya.


Bahasa Melayu (Abad ke-13 hingga 18 Masehi)

Pada zaman ini tiga buah batu bersurat yang menunjukkan perkembangan Bahasa Melayu telah dijumpai :

1. Batu Bersurat Pagar Ruyong, Minangkabau (1356 M) – ditulis dalam tulisan India dan memperlihatkan pengaruh Bahasa Sanskrit.
2. Batu Nisan di Minye Tujuh, Acheh (1380 M) – juga ditulis dalam tulisan India dengan beberapa perkataan Arab
3. Batu Bersurat Terengganu – dijumpai di Sungai Teresat, Kuala Berang Terengganu. Tarikh sebenar tidak dapat dipastikan, tetapi ia dipercayai ditulis antara tahun 1303 M hingga 1387 M. Ia ditulis dalam tulisan Jawi.

Abad ke –13 adalah waktu bermulanya zaman peralihan di Kepulauan Melayu dengan berkembangnya agama Islam ke rantau ini. Ini telah mempengaruhi bangsa dan bahasa di sini, terutamanya bangsa dan bahasa Melayu. Pengaruh India sedikit demi sedikit mula digantikan dengan pengaruh Islam dan Arab.

Zaman penting bagi Bahasa Melayu ialah pada zaman Kerajaan Melayu Melaka. Kerajaan Melayu Melaka yang telah menerima Islam dan berjaya membina empayar yang luas telah dapat meningkatkan kemajuan dan perkembangan Bahasa Melayu di rantau ini. Bahasa Melayu telah digunakan dalam pentadbiran dan aktiviti perdagangan serta menjadi “lingua franca” para pedagang. Bahasa Melayu juga telah menjadi alat penyebaran agama Islam ke seluruh Kepulauan Melayu. Bahasa Melayu telah mendapat bentuk tulisan baru iaitu tulisan Jawi. Perbendaharaan kata juga telah bertambah dengan wujudnya keperluan untuk mengungkapkan idea-idea yang dibawa oleh peradaban Islam. Keagungan Kesultanan Melaka jelas tergambar di dalam “Sejarah Melayu” oleh Tun Seri Lanang, sebuah karya dalam Bahasa Melayu yang sangat tinggi nilainya.

Kedatangan orang-orang Eropah dan kejatuhan Kesultanan Melaka ke tangan Portugis pada tahun1511 masehi tidak menamatkan pengaruh Bahasa Melayu. Ramai di antara mereka yang menjalankan penyelidikan dan menyimpan catatan mengenai bahasa dan kesusasteraan Melayu. Beberapa contoh usaha mereka ialah :

1. Pigafetta, seorang ketua kelasi berbangsa Itali dalam pelayarannya bersama Magellan, telah menyusun kamus Melayu-Itali semasa singgah di Pulau Tidore pada tahun 1521. Ia merupakan daftar kata daripada bahasa yang dituturkan oleh orang-orang di pelabuhan itu dengan lebih 400 patah perkataan dan adalah daftar kata Melayu-Eropah yang tertua. Kedudukan Pulau Tidore yang terletak jauh daripada tempat asal Bahasa Melayu menggambarkan betapa luasnya Bahasa Melayu tersebar.

2. Jan Hugen Van Linschotten, seorang bangsa Belanda pernah tinggal di Indonesia antara tahun 1586 hingga 1592 dan berkhidmat sebagai pegawai kepada pemerintah Portugis. Beliau ada mencatatkan dalam bukunya bahawa Bahasa Melayu dianggap sebagai bahasa yang paling dihormati antara bahasa-bahasa negeri timur.

3. Pada awal abad ke-18, Francios Valentijn, seorang pendeta dan ahli sejarah bangsa Belanda yang banyak menulis menganai wilayah Kepulauan Melayu, telah menggambarkan kepentingan Bahasa Melayu seperti berikut :
“Bahasa mereka, Bahasa Melayu, bukan sahaja dituturkan di daerah pinggir laut, tetapi juga digunakan di seluruh Kepulauan Melayu dan di segala negeri-negeri Timur, sebagai suatu bahasa yang difahami di mana-mana sahaja oleh setiap orang.”


Satu bukti tentang tingginya martabat Bahasa Melayu dan luas penggunaanya di wilayah ini adalah pada surat-menyurat antara pentadbir dan raja-rja di Kepulauan Melayu. Antaranya ialah :

1. Surat Sultan Acheh kepada Kapitan Inggeris, James Lancester (1601)
2. Surat Sultan Alauddin Shah dari Acheh kepada Harry Middleton (1602)
3. Surat Sultan Acheh kepada raja Inggeris, King James (1612)

Ketiga-tiga surat ini tersimpan di perpustakaan Bodelein, London

Dalam abad ke-17, terdapat banyak usaha oleh sarjana-sarjana Eropah untuk menyusun kamus dan daftar kata, yang kemudiannya diteruskan kepada bidang morfologi, sintaksis dan fonologi.

Tokoh-tokoh tempatan juga tidak ketinggalan memberikan sumbangan. Kebanyakan usaha mereka berkisar tentang agama dan sastera. Palembang dan Acheh telah menggantikan telah menggantikan Melaka sebagai pust keintelektualan Melayu. Antara tokoh-tokoh di Acheh ialah :

1. Sheikh Nuruddin Al-Raniri (“Bustanul Salatin”)
2. Shamsuddin Al-Sumaterani (“Mirat Al-Mukmin”)
3. Abdul Rauf Singkel (“Mirat Al-Tullab”)
4. Hamzah Fansuri (“Syair Perahu”)

Di Palembang pula terdapat Abdul Samad Al-Falambani dengan kitab “Hikayat Al-Salakin”.

Selain daripada Acheh dan Palembang, beberapa tokoh juga timbul di tempat-tempat lain. Di Brunei, Pengiran Syahbandar Muhammad Salleh (Pengiran Indera Muda) telah menghasilkan “Syair Rakis”, manakala di Banjarmasin pula terkenal dengan Arshad Al-Banjari dengan kitab “Sabil Al-Muhtadin”. Sheikh Mohd Ismail Daud Al-Fatani di Pattani pula menghasilkan “Matla’al Badrain” dan “Furu’ Al-Masail”.




Bahasa Melayu (Abad ke-19 dan 20 Masehi)

Kemuncak kegiatan alam persuratan Melayu melalui Bahasa Melayu dan tulisan Jawi adalah di Penyengat, sebuah pulau di Kepulauan Riau yang menjadi sebahagian daripada Kerajaan Johor-Riau. Di sinilah dari abad ke 19 hingga awal abad ke 20, tertumpunya kegiatan keintelektualan Melayu-Islam dan perkembangan Bahasa Melayu selanjutnya.

Banyak karya serta kitab diterbitkan di pulau ini, seperti kitab “Al-Hakim” oleh Tajuddin Abdul Fadzil Ahmad ibn Abdul Karim (1863 M) dan “Sabil Al-Hidayat” oleh Sayyed Aluwi Ba’aluwi (1899 M)

Tetapi hasil penulisan yang terkenal dan terpenting dalam dunia persuratan Melayu ialah karya Raja Ali Haji, iaitu “Bustan Al-Katibin” (1857 M), “Pengetahuan Bahasa” (1859 M), “Salasilah Melayu dan Bugis” (1865 M) dan “Tuhfat Al-Nafis” (1865 M). Pada masa itu juga di Johor terdapat beberapa hasil penulisan seperti “Hikayat Negeri Johor” dan “Kitab Pemimpin Johor”.

Kerajaan Melayu Johor-Riau terus menjadi pusat pengembangan Bahasa Melayu sehingga ia menjadi bahasa persatuan di seluruh Nusantara.

Sebelum Inggeris bertapak di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, Bahasa Melayu menjadi satu-satunya bahasa perantaraan bagi penduduk negara ini. Ia digunakan sebagai bahasa pentadbiran di semua pusat pemerintahan dan menjadi bahasa pengantar di institusi pendidikan yang ada pada ketika itu seperti pusat pengajian Islam dan kelas agama. Perhubungan antara rakyat juga menggunakan Bahasa Melayu, termasuk di pusat-pusat perniagaan seperti Melaka, Pulau Pinang dan Singapura yang sebahagian besar penduduknya terdiri daripada orang Melayu (begitu juga hari ini).

Pada zaman penjajahan Inggeris di Tanah Melayu, khususnya ketika sebelum berlaku Perang Dunia Kedua, Bahasa Melayu terus digunakan untuk tujuan urusan rasmi di Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu dan Negeri-Negeri Melayu Tidak Bersekutu. Pegawai-pegawai Inggeris yang bertugas di Negeri-Negeri Melayu sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua dikehendaki mempelajari Bahasa Melayu dan mesti lulus dalam peperiksaan Bahasa Melayu sebelum disahkan dalam jawatan.

Sebahagian daripada pegawai-pegawai itu terus menaruh minat yang tinggi terhadap Bahasa Melayu, sehingga dikenali sebagai sarjana Bahasa Melayu. Antaranya ialah R.O. Winstedt, J.R. Wilkinson, C.C. Brown, W.E. Maxwell, W. Marsden, W.G. Shellabear dan J. Crawford.

Hanya selepas Perang Dunia Kedua kedudukan serta peranan Bahasa Melayu mula terancam. Pegawai-pegawai Inggeris baru yang jahil terhadap Bahasa Melayu membawa tekanan kepada kehidupan rakyat di negara ini, menerusi nilai-nilai baru yang diperkenalkan. Orang-orang Inggeris menjadi “tuan” dan segala yang bersangkutan dengan cara hidup mereka diberi nilaian yang tinggi termasuk bahasa mereka.

Ini diperkukuhkan dengan dasar menggunakan bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa pengantar dalam sistem persekolahan. Dalam keadaan Bahasa Melayu menerima tekanan, kesusasteraan Melayu terus dihasilkan, bukan oleh cendiakawan berpendidikan barat tetapi cerdik pandai lulusan sekolah Melayu atau Arab.

Kemerosotan Bahasa Melayu tidak berterusan. Pada awal abad ke-20, semangat kebangsaan bergema dan orang-orang Melayu mula mengorak langkah untuk memperjuangkan bahasa ibunda mereka. Wartawan, sasterawan, budayawan, guru-guru Melayu dan ahli-ahli politik berganding bahu memperjuangkan cita-cita ini. Akhbar dan majalah menjadi saluran utama untuk menyuarakan hasrat ini. Perjuangan Bahasa Melayu digerakkan serentak dengan perjuangan politik membebaskan tanah air daripada penjajahan.

Akhirnya kejayaan tercapai dengan termaktubnya Artikel 152 dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, yang menyebut bahawa “Bahasa Kebangsaan negara ini adalah Bahasa Melayu dan hendaklah ditulis dalam apa-apa tulisan sebagaimana yang diperuntukan dengan undang-undang Parlimen”. Dengan perakuan ini, maka bermulalah era baru bagi Bahasa Melayu, satu bahasa yang pernah menjadi lingua franca bagi seluruh Kepulauan Melayu.


dipetik dari,
http://faculty.unitarklj1.edu.my/ALD0063/week/ASAL%20USUL%20BAHASA%20MELAYU.doc

The Perils of Assimilationist Politics

by Farish A Noor

A quick look at the troubles in the predominantly Muslim-Malay provinces of Southern Thailand – which has been a troubled spot for the past four years at least – would point to a fundamental flaw in the line of thinking of the powers-that-be in Bangkok. Having disregarded the historical factors that make the four provinces of Patani, Jala, Satun and Narathiwat unique compared to the rest of the country, successive governments in Thailand have tried to make the Malay-Muslims of the south think of themselves as Thais, who are an ethnically different people with a language, culture, religion and history of their own.

Since the late 19th century following the conquest of Patani, Jala, Satun and Narathiwat by the Thais, and compounded by the Anglo-Siamese treaty of 1909, the four provinces have experienced what can only be described as a policy of cultural assimilation. During the 1930s and 40s Thai leaders like Phibun Songkram have tried to force Thai culture and cultural norms on the Malays by any means possible: From forcing them to speak Thai to adapting Thai dress and manners as their own.

Needless to say, this has alienated the Malay-Muslims even further, and has only helped to fuel the resentment they feel against the Thai political elite. Over the past four years this resentment has boiled over to the point of violence, leading to the needless and senseless slaughter of innocent Malays and Thais all over the south.

But looking further to the other countries of Southeast Asia we see a similar pattern at work too. The government of Indonesia tried, in the 1950s and 1960s, to force the Chinese minority of the country to adapt and adopt Indonesian cultural norms as well. The Chinese language was cast as a foreign language, Chinese culture was deemed alien and the Chinese were forced to assimilate by taking on Indonesian names and thereby losing their identity. This was done for the sake of national unity and integration, but it was well known that the driving factors behind this were really the conservative and racist elements of the ethno-nationalist right who wished to eliminate all traces of difference in the country. Sukarno was not able or not willing to defend the cultural identity of the Chinese minority, and the net result was the denial of the fact that the Chinese (like the Arabs, Indians and other migrant communities) had settled in the Indonesian archipelago for at least five hundred years.

In Malaysia the elites of the country have likewise been hard at work promoting the ideology of Malay dominance following the racial clashes of 1969. Time and again successive Malaysian politicians have harped on and on about the racial violence in May 1969 and used that as the leitmotif for a cultural assimilationist policy that has only alienated the other communities and which has denied them the right to make their cultural mark on the country.

But while successive generations of right-wing Malay-Muslim politicians in Malaysia have talked at length about the race riots of May 1969, they conveniently overlook that Malaysia has always been a nation of migrants and itinerant communities, and that the so-called ‘foreign’ Indians and Chinese have likewise settled in the land for at least five hundred years. So how long does a migrant have to stay in any country before she or he is accepted as local?

The simmering ethno-cultural and ethno-religious tensions that threaten to rip apart the countries of Southeast Asia thus all have the same factor in common: The desire on the part of the dominant group to impose their cultural-ethnic-religious stamp on all other minorities. Hence the dominance of Burmese culture in Burma, where the Burmese are in fact one of many communities; and the dominance of the Thais in Thailand where there are other communities too. Likewise in Malaysia and Indonesia the nation-building process has been overtaken by the exclusive agendas of the dominant communities despite the fact that these are really multiracial and multi-religious polities that are plural and diverse.

How do we get past this impasse of our own making then? Perhaps the biggest failure of the postcolonial states of Southeast Asia is the fact that most of them took off on an integrationist, assimilationist footing and were foregrounding a national agenda that was sectarian and divisive from the outset. In Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Burma, the concept of universal citizenship remains a distant abstract notion when in fact it ought to have been the foundational pillar to the nation-building process itself.

But nations are all works in progress and thankfully it is never too late to change tack and take on a new trajectory. Part of the solution to the woes of Southern Thailand would be to recognize that the four provinces of the south have a history of their own that demands and requires respect and recognition. The plight of the Malay-Muslims in Southern Thailand is no different from the appeal of non-Malay and non-Muslim minorities in Malaysia and Indonesia: ‘Listen to us, respect us, recognize our culture, language and identity. And then we will be citizens like any other.’

But can the political elite of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia listen to the appeals of the marginal and the minorities? Or will the same cycle of denial, assimilation, forced integration and ultimately violence and rebellion continue to repeat itself, and become the defining feature of the failed nation-building process in all these countries.

From Uncle Lim's blog, do drop by,
http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/08/

Warrior king remains a very modern mystery

Four centuries after King Naresuan the Great died, scholars are still sparring over where exactly the warrior king passed away.

It's not an easy quarrel to settle. King Naresuan spent more time on the battlefield than in a palace. But as the scholars continue their dispute they are searching deeper for insights into his thinking as well as making bolder conjectures on just how far his outward-looking foreign policy stretched.

Besides the debate on where his remains lie, historians are also debating how much of his outlook was shaped in Burma, where he was held captive during his youth, and how much of his perspective he owed to the influences of the ancient capital Thai capital.

It was in Ayutthaya last week, at the commemoration of the 401st anniversary of King Naresuan's death, that Thai historians discussed a novel view about his way of thinking.

The way he led his troops into battle was, well, quite Burmese, some said.

"Unlike other Thai kings (Siam kings la, bukan thai king), Phra Naresuan's way of thinking was like that of the Burmese kings," Sunait Chutin-taranond, a Chulalongkorn University historian, said at the seminar "Where did King Naresuan die, in Thailand, Burma or Mon?"

Scholars pondered arcane topics like the degree of King Naresuan's fluency in Burmese and his penchant for betel nut, as they discussed his demise in 1605 somewhere en route to Ava, where he was leading his troops to attack the then Burmese capital in what turned out to be his final campaign.

Some historians raised doubts about just how fluent the king's Burmese had actually been. Others suggested he had picked up a taste for betel nut and tea in Ayutthaya, which, historian Thamrongsak Petchlert-anan was swift to point out, were popular in the Thai capital during the king's reign from 1590 to 1605.

Naresuan learned military strategy and political science during his nine years as a captive at the Burmese court at Pegu, according to "A History of Burma" by Maung Htin Aung.

According to Thai and Burmese accounts, Prince Naresuan was sent to live in Pegu in order to ensure his father Somdet Phra Maha Thammarachathirat remained loyal to Burmese King Bayinnaung

(Bayyinaung tu perempuan, bukannya lelaki. Nama penuhnya Tunku Nur Aisyah dan berkahwin dengan Zahiruddin bahadur Syah yang bergelar Maha Tammaraja. Dengan itu Winstedt dalam bukunya,"A History of South East Asia" mencatatkan istana baginda dikenali sebagai the Queens Palace, bukannya the Kings palace).

Prince Naresuan returned to Siam when he was 16 and immediately committed his life to non-stop warfare. Nineteen years later he became king and embarked on continuous military campaigns, dying at the age of 50.

A study of King Naresuan's battles indicates that the warrior king looked at politics far beyond the Chao Phya River basin, Sunait said.

"He didn't just defend Ayutthaya: he actively attacked Burma. The king carried war into the Irrawaddy basin in order to maintain the stability of Ayutthaya," the historian said.

King Naresuan launched an attack on Ava to prevent Burma's new king from becoming stronger than the preceding one, he added.

King Naresuan may have believed that a stable Ayutthaya required a weakened Ava and launched his campaign to prevent his western rival from extending its power over the Irrawaddy and Chao Phya basins, Sunait said.

Historians agree that King Naresuan died before he arrived at the Burmese capital, but they disagree on the location.

The "father of Thai history" has King Naresuan dying in Siam, in tambon Thung Kaew, then known as Muang Hang. This is the established view set out in "The Biography of King Naresuan the Great" written in 1950 by Prince Damrongrajanubhap.

(Puak raja thai tulis sejarah, patutlah jadi celaru. Sebelum pada itu dizaman Culalongkorn dan Mongkut sejarah Siam sudah pun diedit oleh mereka. Jika ini dijadikan rujukkan, semakin tak betullah jadinya sejarah Siam di Thailand)

According to Prince Damrong, King Naresuan and his younger brother Somdet Phra Ekathotsarot led their troops from Ayutthaya to Muang Chiang Mai, where they collected another 200,000 soldiers. The king then divided the troops into two armies, assigning his brother to lead one to Muang Fang while he headed to Muang Hang.

But while Thai historians say King Naresuan died at Muang Hang, the Shan people beg to differ. According to their popular history, King Naresuan died at the Shan town of Mongton while on his way to help Chao Kham Kai Noi, the Prince of Hsenwi, resist the Burmese.

Naresuan is still remembered by the Shan as the Thai king who helped them win independence for the Shan State in 1600 with his ally the Prince of Hsenwi.

In the Shan version, their independence hinges on a deep friendship. The two Siamese princes and the Prince of Hsenwi forged a close bond while they were fellow hostages at the Burmese court, and King Naresuan died while rushing to the aid of a friend of his youth, they say.

The Thai chronicles are less appealing. They have the warrior king dying of a sudden illness, a toxic disease characterised by skin pustules.

According to the Shan, however, the Thai king and the Shan prince died side by side on the battlefield.

Many Shan believe King Naresuan was cremated and his ashes interred in a stupa in Mongton, in the southern part of the Shan State. Shan soldiers still revere the Thai king as a hero who helped liberate them. Many wear King Naresuan amulets to protect them in their ongoing war with the Burmese junta.

Recent Thai scholarship, however, identifies the town where King Naresuan died as Wieng Haeng in Chiang Mai.

Villagers there even claim the "Royal Ceremonial Felt Hat" believed to have been worn by the king into battle was found in Wieng Haeng and has been kept there as historical evidence.

While some scholars continue to spar about the location of the warrior king's death, others are shifting the debate onto new planes and extending their research beyond his deathbed and his countless battles.

One new story even has the king expanding his foreign policy beyond Southeast Asia. In October 1592 King Naresuan sent a mission to China, offering to send the Siamese navy to help Korea, then a tributary of China, repel the Japanese, this story says. The Chinese, however, turned down the king's offer in February 1593.

The proposal, however, demonstrated King Naresuan's comprehension of international relations and his policy of showing respect for China's dominance in Asia at the time, according to the view of some contemporary historians.

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas

The Nation

Ps: Its about time we reveal the truth. Come take a look in Tanjong Inggeris, Langgar Kedah. The tomb is just underneath a mangoosteen tree, uncared for centuries.


The meaning of Narasuan in Malay: Na-datuk, ra-ditempat, su-kamu, an- yang pertama. Umumnya ia bermaksud Duli Yang Di Pertuan.

Muslim’s around Pattaya celebrate the Day of Aashura.

Its just like in Malaysia


http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_19_01_51_2.html

Khun Niran, the Mayor of Pattaya along with Khun Itipon, Senior Adviser to the Mayor attended the Sheikh Mohammed Ali Mosque in Soi Siam Country Club on Saturday Morning to take part in Muslim ceremonies relating to the Day of Aashura which occurs on the 10th of Muharram in the Islamic Calendar and is a very important day for Muslims. As part of the day’s activities, it is customary to offer food and drink to everyone, regardless of their religion and as such, the Mayor and his Senior Adviser were invited to a special lunch provided by the Mosque as part of the Day of Aashura.

Mosques in China-Slideshow

You shouldnt miss these beautiful pics of various mosques designs in Cina. Be warned that the achitectural design take up the local Chinese culture and taste which might be alien to our eyes. Thats the beauty of it. Enjoy...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frogdeck/sets/72057594078463273/show/

With many thanks to Frogdeck on flickr.

Thai ancient Muslim sites falling into poor condition

By: Khadija Chinese

AYUTTHAYA, Thailand: The Thai government has been called on by a Muslim cultural expert to pay more attention to historic sites of ancient Muslim communities in Ayutthaya that are falling into disrepair.

Ayutthaya, to the north of Bangkok, was the first capital of the Kingdom of Thailand from the early-14th century, until its destruction by Burmese invaders in 1767.

Director of Thon Buri Historical Information Center Mr Teeranand Chuangpinit was referring to Chao Kun Takia Cemetery and Chao Kun Ku Cham Cemetery, the final resting place of noble Muslims of the Ayutthaya era, including a nephew of the powerful Sheikh Ahmad Qomi, the first lineage of the Bunnag family and the country's first Chularatchamontri who lived in the reign of King Narai.

Traditional buildings on the premises of Chao Kun Takia Mosque, more than 300 years old, are in disrepair. People can modify the buildings at will. Old and new architectural styles become confused.

Mr Teeranand said sites with great historic importance deserve better care from the Fine Arts Department.

"Just a few kilometres from a designated World Heritage site, these two historic places have never received money or expertise from the state conservation agency," he said.

The Takia Mosque community is an early settlement of Muslim migrants who came from Persia during the reign of King Songtham of Ayutthaya. Some believe the Chao Kun Takia Cemetery was the burial ground of a respected Muslim Indian believed to have possessed supernatural power.

The Takia Mosque has become a popular destination for local and foreign Muslims. Buddhist Thais also visit the mosque to make a wish and, if the wish is granted, make merit such as releasing goats and chickens.

Chao Kun Ku Cham Cemetery is also in poor condition.

The burial ground of the fifth Chularatchamontri, the state counsellor on treasury and international trade, is set in an unadorned concrete house. "This looks much better compared to the past," said Mr Teeranand.

The burial ground was covered by a tin roof when he visited the area a decade ago.
Mr Teeranand said local history would soon disappear unless historians and the Fine Arts Department came to the rescue.

Member of Aliyinnuroy Mosque in Ayutthaya province Pradit Kanjan said local people wanted to preserve the sites but lacked expertise and money.


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"Knowledge is better than wealth because it protects you while you have to guard wealth. it decreases if you keep on spending it but the more you make use of knowledge ,the more it increases . what you get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears but what you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you."MORE ..

Selected from,
http://jafariyanews.com/2k6_news/jan/17thai_muslimheritage.htm

see researched materials and pics of the mosque interior here,
History of Islam in Thailand
einaudi.cornell.edu/SoutheastAsia/.../resources/MuslimThailand.pdf

The History of Datuk Panglima Bukit Gantang

The History of Perak occasionally mention the above name as a symbolic warrior and honorary title in fighting the colonial masters in the cause and pursuit of defending Islam as the religion of the Malays.

The initiative of the Perak state government in preserving this name through naming schools, streets and buildings further helps to maintain its historical heritage. However, civil society today does not really know the origin of this historical name in Perak.

Paduka Seri Sultan Syed Alang Alauddin or Nai Lang, the Raja Siam of Songkhala is the first holder to this title. He is also the Bendahara, next in line to the Raja of Ligor throne. Ban Nai Lang in Thailand today is named after him.

His grandfather, the Raja of Ligor was formerly the King of Ayhthia, Boromoraja Ekataat V, who moved his entire followers to Ligor upon the attacked of Ayuthia by the Burmese armies from 1767-1782. This, the history of Thailand fail to record.

In 1782, Boromoraja Ekataat the V shifted to the new Kota Meang Kuang palace, close to Jitra Kedah . He was murdered by invading Rama II forces in Kedah in the year 1821. Earlier, in the 1758 his son, Po Chan Koya Long return from Cambodia with his followers and as the Raja of ligor in waiting, assume the post of the Raja of Kuala Kangsar in Perak. His eldest son is non other than Nai Lang or Syed Alang Alauddin, Panglima Bukit Gantang.

During the attacked on Kedah by invading Rama II forces in 1821, Nai Lang was the Raja of Bukit Gantang. He tentatively blocked the invading thai armies with his armies of elephants and well armed men at Durian Burong.

They then set up their camp at Padang Sanai waiting for the 36000 Chinese armies sent by his father in law the Chinese Manchu Emperor Chia Ching. Part of the Chinese Manchu armies soon arrived and landed at Tak Bai. Flags and banners were soon hoisted to fight the invading Rama II forces.

They soon marched to a rice field near Na Thawi to meet up with Nai Lang representatives. The reception ceremony for the Chinese armies was conducted by Nai Lang at Padang Sanai, today in the district of Padang Terap.

The Chinese Manchu armies who were led by General Baba met with Nai Lang in order to pass on further strategic information from his father in law, the Manchu Emperor. In order to have good fighting man, together they agreed to plant padi as a source of food for the soldiers at a new location known today as Kampong Cheba or Ban Che Ba.


Po Chan @ Koya Long, Raja of Cambodia Champakasaree (Cempakasari)

Upon returning from Cambodia (formerly part of Siam), Po Chans father, Boromoraja Ekataat V, former King of Ayuthia appointed his son as the Raja of Kuala Kangsar and carries the title of Sultan Mud Zaffar Syah III. In Perak history such a name exist without knowing or showing his true identity. Even Boromaraja Ekataat identity is also hidden in thai history.

His real name is Syarif Abu Bakar, married to Tengku Marin (Suriyamarin) a princess of Langkat. He is also known Mahadammaiyaza (Arabic for king of different bloodline) while reigning in Burma before returning to Ayuthia after Burma was attacked by Alaungphaya forces in 1758. In Ayuthia he is known as Boromoraja Ekataat V reigning from 1758 untill 1767.

Some of Po Chan followers moved to Kelantan and Trengganu. Some even went to Penang and set up a mosque there known today as Koya’s Mosque. The bulk of it stays in Pe-du, meaning eldest brother in referring to Koya Long.

In Kuala Nerang, near Pedu there are many ancestors of Syed’s, originating from the village of Syed Pew and Syed Sofoun in Cambodia. Nerang is Siamese for remote or quiet. Other historic places that still exist today is Bendang Raja (raja’s padi field) in referring to Po Chan padi field within the said area.

In the malay manuscript, Undang-Undang Kedah, page 43 it is stated, “….dititah Bendahara suruh salin..”, actually refers to Po Chan as the Bendahara who is also the next Raja of Ligor in waiting.

The are 3 steps taken by the Chinese Emperors armies,

First, gather their armies in Chiengmai in order to attack Ayuthia.
Second, sailing and berthing in Tak Bai in Songkhla
Third, sailing through rivers in Burma and occupied Langkawi Island.

In Langkawi Island they ocuupied a highland known to them as “ma-chin-cheng” meaning, arriving till dawn due to their large numbers. A warrior prince by the name of Tunku Mohammad Chan, was nominated as their leader. He was given the title Mat Sirat.

Locally he is also known as Keramat Tok Tekai due to his religious Muslims characteristics. During the attacked by sea of Kuala Kedah by thai Rama II forces in the year 1821, the Raja of Langkat was drown at sea.

His body was returned to Kuala Kedah to be buried there and is now known as Makam Tok Pasai. Tok Pasai is the grandson of Narai @ Iskandar Mahkota Alam of Acheh. Apart from that, he is also the father in law of Boromoraja Ekataat V, Syarif Abu Bakar Syah. Tengku Marin or Suriyamarin is Tok Pasai’s daughter.

The Chinese Emperors armies from Langkawi led by Tunku Mohammad Chan attacked the invading thai Rama II armies by landing at four places in Kedah

1. at Teluk Bagan, now known as Tanah Raja Telok bagan.
2. at Kuala Kangkong led by Tok Kai.
3. at Kuala Sala and camping at Kota Sarang Semut, once the palace of Sayyidina Ali wa Maulana Jamalul Alam Badrul Munir, grandson of Raja Merong Mahawangsa.
4. at Kuala Sedaka marching by the thousand to camp at Padang Lumat.

Tunku Mohammad Chan is also the son in law of the Chinese Mancu Emperor since he is married to the younger sister of the older sister who is married to Nai Lang @ Syed Alang Alauddin. Meanwhile, Sultan Muhammad I of Kelantan is Tunku Mohammad Chan’s eldest son while Long Jaafar the Raja of Larut is Nai Langs eldest son. Both of them are cousins and also grandsons of the Chinese Manchu Emperor, Chia-Ching.

When the war is almost over, Nai Lang soon discover that his grandfather Boromoraja Ekataat V has been murdered in Kota Meang Kuang palace. His body was soon officially buried at the Siamese Muslims kings cemetery in kampong Tualang.

The location of Boromoraja Palace was leak to the thai armies by non other than Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Syah, Tunku Laksemana Laut of Kedah (he is not the Sultan of Kedah) as commonly believe.

Nai Lang prepares his armies to capture Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Syah. With British help Ahmad Tajuddin soon escaped to Penang and then to Malacca until 1843. For more than 20 years in Malacca he did nothing but wrote history in a Malay perspectives (ketuanan Melayu) with budget supported by the British colonial masters. Unfortunately, his imaginative writings became the source of historical reference in Malaysia today.

Po Chan Koya Long soon replaced his father as the new king and coroneted at Brahman Indera in 1821. in the Kedah Historical Convention Book published ini 1981, it is clearly stated that the Prince of Raja Siam Ligor Nambang resides at Alor Ganu Palace, Anak Bukit between the year 1821-1839. His son Nai Lang became the Bendahara and resides at Istana Kuning palace. Istana Kuning palace was build by their great great grandfather, Boromokot Sultan Muhiyuddin Mansor Syah who resides in Langkawi Island.

Tunku Mohammad Chan became the new Prime Minister and Raja of Kota Setar and reside at Istana Kota Burha. His son Nik Diah @ Ngah Muhammadiah was coronated as the new Sultan of Kelantan bearing the title Sultan Muhammad I residing at Istana Kota Raja Legeh Kok Lanas in Jeli, Kelantan.

Four of Sultan Mudzaffar Syah III @ Po Chan grandchildren, Nai Long Jaafar became the Raja of Larut while his younger brother Nai Long Abu Toha became the raja of Selama. Syed Mohammad Hatta Jamlulail, Raja Kayang (Perlis) who was killed in 1821 was replaced by his son Syed Harun Jamalulail.

His younger brother Sultan Ismail became the Raja of Kinta. The name Jamalulail originates from Jamalul Alam Badrul Munir, the son of Raja Merong Mahawangsa the first descendent of Bani Hashim.

Please view the Malay Laguage versions with pictures and other links here,

http://sejarahnagarakedah.blogspot.com/2008/03/sejarah-datok-panglima-bukit-gantang.html