Lecture 5. VCS 155 The Concept Malay World-EDITED

THE CONCEPT OF THE
Malay World
NORMAZIANA HASSAN
VCS 155
Liberal Studies Department
College of Creative Arts,
UiTM Kedah
OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lecture student should:
➢ Be able to define ‘MALAY’
➢ Be able to understand the basic thoughts, belief of the Malay.
➢ Know some of the origin and characteristics of the Malays.
➢ Be able to appreciate the Malay culture.
MALAY WORLD
❖ Is also known as ‘ALAM MELAYU’, ‘DUNIA MELAYU’, ‘NUSANTARA’,
‘KEPULAUAN MELAYU’ refers to a region of the Malay culture.
❖ The Malay world extends in an arc from southern Thailand, through
the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, and on to Java, Sulawesi and the
southern Philippines.
❖ This archipelago has been the most easterly frontier of Islam for the
past 500 years.

The Concept of the Malay World
Introduction The Malay World
The equivalent term in Malay is Alam Melayu

(Dunia Melayu) and in Indonesian, Nusantara.
NUSANTARA
The word comes from the Old Javanese nusa
(Island) and antara (between).
Nusantara as a cultural concept
Generally, the term Nusantara encompasses those Central Asian islands where
the Austronesian languages and culture are dominant.
Linguistically, the concept of Nusantara refers to :-
Malaysia (Including the Singapore

Indonesia
Malay Peninsular Malaysia)
Philippines Brunei
ALAM MELAYU / NUSANTARA
Nusantara as a cultural concept
From the CULTURAL POINT OF VIEW, the
concept be stretched to include islands
of Taiwan and Madagascar, as the native
languages of both these islands are
Malayo-Polynesian languages.
The Malay Race
Malay is the race of the people who inhabit the Malay

Peninsula (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu - now known as
Peninsular/West Malaysia)
and portion of adjacent islands of Southeast Asia, including

the east coast of Sumatera, the coast of Borneo and smaller
islands that lie between these areas.
Origin of the Malays
o The Malays originated in Yunnan, China as

mentioned by Prof. Von Heine Geldern in
‘The Great Wave of Migration Theory’
o They were seafaring people. Probably

because of their seafaring way of life or
trading, they were believed to have lived in
coastal Borneo.
o They then expanded into Sumatera and the

Malay Peninsula.
o A Portuguese historian, Godinho de Eredia,
referred to the Malays as Saletes (Orang Selat,
or people of the Straits).
o The Malays played a major part in the Making
of great Malay empires of Malacca and Johor.

▪ Present day Malays of the Peninsula and the coasts of

the Malay Archipelago are described anthropologically
as deutero-Malays.
▪ They are descendants of the tribal proto-Malays mixed

with modern Indian, Thai, Arab and Chinese blood.
Language and Culture
▪ Most of the languages spoken in the Malay Word are

part of the Malayo-Polynesian Family.
▪ This language includes Bahasa Melayu now known in

Malaysia as Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Jawa or
Javanese in Java, now known as Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Melayu as in Singapore and Brunei and
Tagalog in the Philippines.
Language and Culture
▪ The culture in the Malay World is predominantly

influenced by Islam and some other religion such as
Hindu, Buddha and Christian.
▪ Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei has the largest

population of Muslims.
▪ Whereas Catholicism, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus

followers can also be found in this region.
Islam came to the Malay world by:
Seafaring Land
Brief History
Islam came to the Malay world by:
a. By SEA route
From the Arab Land to the Malay World, or from the Arab Land to India and to
the Malay World.
b. By LAND route
From the Arab Land to Persia, India, China and to the Malay World.
Brief History
in search for
SPICES
Brief History
▪ Both these routes pass through countries that have strong cultural tradition
and great civilization.
▪ The merchants in search for spices, indirectly brought influences of these

civilizations – Arab, Persian, Indian and Chinese to the Malay World. They
also introduced Islam to this part of the world.
Brief History
▪ It is due to the geo-economic factor that made the Malay world as the
centre of commerce between the East and West.
▪ The Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (Malay Peninsula) and the Islands of

Indonesia is situated between the Indian ocean and South China sea.
▪ Merchants from the East and the West must pass through the strait of Melaka
to trade.
Brief History
▪ The Malay World is said to be the melting pot of the great civilization of the
East and West.
▪ These cultures had shaped the form of Islamic art in the Malay World.
Apparently, traces of these great civilization can be detected in the artifacts
found in the Malaya World.
Brief History-Islam in the Malay World
▪ As early as the 7th Century, the Arab-Persian Muslims had come to South-
east Asia in search of Kapur barus and spices as well as introducing the
teaching of Islam.
▪ Records shows that prior to the 8th Century, there already existed the Arab
community in the north of Sumatera and elsewhere in areas of commerce
such as the Phang-Rang, southern Vietnam and Canton.
▪ Records from Chinese travelers had stated that in 674 CE, there were Muslim
settlement in East Sumatera (San Fu Chi – Srivijaya – Palembang).
▪ In 878 CE, the political upheaval in Canton had caused the Arabs and
Persian traders to fled to Melaka. Thus, spreading the teaching of Islam in
South-east Asia. They also established new settlement in areas like Kalah
(Kedah) and Palembang.
▪ In the manuscript of Hikayat Aceh, it is stated that Islam was brought and
introduced in North Sumatera by Syeikh Abdullah Arif, ca. 1112 CE.
▪ The people of the Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (Malay Peninsula) were

mostly the followers of Syafi’i sect which is the main sect of the Arabs.
▪ Some of the early Islamic kingdoms in the Malay World are the Kingdom of
Perlak (North Sumatera -1225-1263), the Kingdom of Samudera-Pasai, (1261-
1289) and the Malay Melaka Kingdom (Melaka - 15th century).
▪ In 1282, Sultan Malik al Salih (died in 1297) had sent Hasan and Sulaiman to
China to pay tribute to the emperor of China.
▪ In 1345/6, Ibnu Battuta on his journey to China had stopped at Samudera.

The Ruler at that time was Malik al Tahir (grandson of Malik al-Salih). A very
pious ruler and always surrounded by religious people like Taj al Din al
Isfahani and Qadi Syarif Amir Sayyid al Shirazi.
▪ The ‘Ulama from Persia (Iran) and Gujerat (India) not only spread the Islamic
teachings but also brought their culture to the Malay World.
▪ The Persian and Indian influences can be seen in

some of the artifacts in this region.
▪ The white marble tombstones of Maulana Abdullah,

Maulana Abdul Rahman and Queen Nahrisyah, were
specially made in Persia or Gujerat.
▪ The design is more likely of Indian in origin especially

their motifs and intricate carving techniques.
▪ Traces of the spreading of Islam from China to the

Malay World can be seen in the discovery of
monuments along the coastal areas of South China
Sea:-
▪ Phang-Rang (Southern Vietnam) dated 1025/1039 CE
▪ Leran, Eastern Java (2nd half 11th Century)
▪ Terengganu (early 14th Century)

Batu Bersurat Terengganu, dated possibly
1303 CE
• Aceh too played an important role in the

spreading of Islam to Semenanjung Tanah
Melayu.
• Muslims missionaries from Aceh went to Kedah,

Melaka and Terengganu to spread Islam.
Jami’ah Baiturrahman (Universitas Baiturrahman)
• Syeikh Abdullah bin Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh

Jaafar Qaumiri managed to persuade the Sultan
of Kedah to embrace Islam in 1136 CE.
▪ He then changed his name to Sultan Muzaffar Syah. He

died in 1179 CE and buried in Kampong Langgar,
Merbok, Kedah. The design of the tombstone is quite
similar to those found in Banda Aceh.
▪ The coming of Islam to the Malay World, through

trades and missionaries, gradually transformed the
local cultures and believes. Islam became the major
religion in this region.
ASSIGNMENT BRIEFING = 20%
Instruction for the students.
- This assignment consists of FOUR (4) question, please select ONE (1) question only.
Here is the selection of question for your assignment:

1. Explain the concept of Tawhid in the Islamic Art of the Malay world. Give examples to
support your answer.
2. Discuss the underlying creative process of Islimi design. Provide examples to support your
answer.
3. Elaborate on the two level of content in Islamic Art. Give examples to support your answer.
4. Discuss the aspect in art which are against the principle of Islamic art. Support your answer
with suitable examples
THANK YOU

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THE CONCEPT OF THE

‘KEPULAUAN MELAYU’ refers to a region of the Malay culture.

❖ The Malay world extends in an arc from southern Thailand, through

past 500 years.

The equivalent term in Malay is Alam Melayu

Linguistically, the concept of Nusantara refers to :-

Malaysia (Including the Singapore

From the CULTURAL POINT OF VIEW, the

concept be stretched to include islands

of Taiwan and Madagascar, as the native

languages of both these islands are

Malay is the race of the people who inhabit the Malay

and portion of adjacent islands of Southeast Asia, including

o The Malays originated in Yunnan, China as

o They were seafaring people. Probably

o They then expanded into Sumatera and the

o A Portuguese historian, Godinho de Eredia,

referred to the Malays as Saletes (Orang Selat,

or people of the Straits).

o The Malays played a major part in the Making

of great Malay empires of Malacca and Johor.

▪ Present day Malays of the Peninsula and the coasts of

▪ They are descendants of the tribal proto-Malays mixed

▪ Most of the languages spoken in the Malay Word are

▪ This language includes Bahasa Melayu now known in

▪ The culture in the Malay World is predominantly

▪ Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei has the largest

▪ Whereas Catholicism, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus

Islam came to the Malay world by:

▪ The merchants in search for spices, indirectly brought influences of these

▪ The Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (Malay Peninsula) and the Islands of

▪ The people of the Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (Malay Peninsula) were

▪ In 1345/6, Ibnu Battuta on his journey to China had stopped at Samudera.

▪ The Persian and Indian influences can be seen in

▪ The white marble tombstones of Maulana Abdullah,

▪ The design is more likely of Indian in origin especially

▪ Traces of the spreading of Islam from China to the

▪ Phang-Rang (Southern Vietnam) dated 1025/1039 CE

▪ Leran, Eastern Java (2nd half 11th Century)

▪ Terengganu (early 14th Century)

• Aceh too played an important role in the

• Muslims missionaries from Aceh went to Kedah,

• Syeikh Abdullah bin Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh

▪ He then changed his name to Sultan Muzaffar Syah. He

▪ The coming of Islam to the Malay World, through

Here is the selection of question for your assignment:

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