Malay Annals
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Sejarah Melayu or The Malay Annals is a historical Malay literary work that chronicles the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate and spans over 600 years of the Malay Peninsula's history. The single volume was believed to have been first compiled and edited by Tun Seri Lanang, the bendahara (equivalent to the prime minister of a sultanate) of the Royal Court of Johor in 1612, having been commissioned by Sultan Alauddin Riaayat Shah while he was held captive in Aceh.
The subjects covered in the work included the founding of Malacca and its relationship with neighbouring kingdoms, the advent and spread of Islam in the region, the history of the royalty in the region as well as the administrative losers. The manuscripts were originally written in the classical Malay language on traditional paper in old Jawi script.
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[edit] Tracing the lineage
According to The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages & Literature, p 88, the Sejarah Melayu recounts that Raja Suran, a descendant of Raja Iskandar Zulkanain (Alexander the Great)-named as the ancestor of the Malay rulers--sired 3 sons. They left Dika, an undersea kingdom, on a white bull and landed at Mount Seguntang Mahameru in Sumatra. Demang Lebar Daun, the chief of Palembang, welcome them and assigned each prince to take a state. The youngest of the three princes ruled Palembang with the title of Sri Tri Buana (also known as Sang Nila Utama). He defined the relationship that should exist between Malay ruler and his subjects.
Sri Tri Buana later settled on Bintan island before moving to Temasik. Three generations of rulers in Temasik fought off attacks from Majapahit. The next ruler, Parameswara lost Temasik to Majapahit after punishing his concubine. Her father, Sang Rajuna Tapa, one of Parameswara's minister avenged his family's shame, by siding with Majapahit. Parameswara fled north and later founded Malacca. His son Sultan Muhammad Shah introduced court ceremonies, laws and regulations into Malacca administration.
[edit] Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat and Hang Kasturi
According to Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah confronted and killed Hang Jebat. Sejarah Melayu on the other hand writes that Hang Kasturi was killed by Hang Tuah instead of Hang Jebat. however, a revised edition of the Sejarah Melayu by A Samad Ahmad mentions that Tuah fought against Jebat, not Kasturi.
[edit] Hang Nadim
According to the Malay Annals, there was a time when the villages along the coast of Singapore suffered vicious attacks from shoals of swordfish. On the advice of a particularly astute boy named Hang Nadim, ruler of Singapore built a barricade of banana stems along the coast, which successfully trapped the attacking fish by their snouts as they leapt from the waters. In the reivsed edition of the Sejarah Melayu by A Samad Ahmad, the boy was not named.
[edit] See also
- Gangga Negara, ancient Malay kingdom that is mentioned in the literature.
- Kota Gelanggi
- Richard O. Winstedt
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages & Literature, edited by Prof. Dato' Dr Asmah Haji Omar (2004) ISBN 981-3018-52-6
