Page 18 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

Java, it remained the center of Islamic thought. This is confirmed by the usually been recorded earlier in their respective oral traditions. However,
Sejarah Melayu written by Tun Sri Lanang that tells that the ulama of the
Sultan of Malacca (Sultan Mansur Shah) had not given him a satisfactory
answer on a religious esoteric problem and so he decided to send his
envoy, Tun Bija Wangsa, to the Sultan of Pasai. Although Samudera-Pasai’s
power had plummeted, the Sultan of Malacca apparently still appreciated its
religious authority. When also Pasai’s scholars failed to give a satisfactory
answer, the Sultan of Pasai himself whispered the answer in the ear of the
messenger. With this answer he returned to Malacca and delivered it to the
Sultan in secrecy. But what was the answer? The Sejarah Melayu also kept
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it a secret for its potential readers.
Because of its role as the first center of Islamic power as stated in a
relatively intact inscription and validated by foreigner’s records and the
two Malay texts mentioned above, it is clear that the story of Samudera-
Pasai is quite unique. A Portuguese source, written in the early 16 century
th
(although the text was only discovered in 1949), needs to be discussed
here as well. It records Tome’ Pires’s visits to ports in Sumatra and Java in
the early 1510’s. When he called at the port of Pariaman, for instance, he
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related that the Minangkabau kingdom, which was located in rural areas,
had three kings. One of them had converted to Islam. So, if the stories
Tome’ Pires heard were true, the Islamization process of the Minangkabau
had already begun in the early 16 century. He saw on the north coast of
th
Java that, after the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511, the port cities
had been under Islamic control. He said that one port city was originally
Hindu, but that its ruler had managed to turn his territory into an Islamic city-
state. In addition, there was also an urban power center that had converted
to Islam because traders succeeded in influencing the local authorities. In
fact, another town-trade center had converted because Muslim traders had
overthrown the old ruler. In short, Tome’ Pires mentioned three patterns
of conversion, first, voluntary alignment to Islam; second, Islamization by
traders; and third, being forced into Islam because of political pressure.
Although he reported what he heard in these ports, these Islamization
patterns were apparently rather common. Although the coastal cities of Java
would eventually embrace what Pigeaud called a “coastal culture”, in other
areas the distinction between these early experiences influenced the shape
of the development of Islam in Java.
The Islamization of Samudera-Pasai is evident in a wide range of authentic
historical sources. The Islamization of other regions and kingdoms had
11. “Alkisah Tjeritera jang kedua puluh”, Sedjarah Melaju in accordance to the publication of
Abdullah (ibn Albdulkadir Munsji) re-published and annotated by T.D. Situmorang and Prof. Dr.
A. Teeuw with the assistance of Amal Hamzah. Djakarta: Penerbit Djambatan, 1952, pp.168-
173.
12. Armando Cortesão (translator), “The Suma Oriental of Tome’ Pires”. London: Hakluyt
Society, 1944.
8 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
parts of the oral tradition, or the ‘mirage of reality’ in Jan Vansina’s
words, were copied or processed into what is now known as traditional
historiography. With almost no exception the written oral tradition narrates
stories about how a person or group of people from other regions in the
archipelago managed to persuade the local authorities to convert to Islam.
These ‘preachers’ may also have been sent by another rulers. So, it is
understandable that texts about the Islamization process no longer served
only as historical annals but came to be used to account for the fundamental
changes that had occurred. In this way a sort of network of collective
memories was created.
It is common in the oral tradition and the collective memory of most areas in
the archipelago that the Islamization events were associated with the arrival
of Islamic propagators from other regions who were preachers, traders and
even adventurers. If the stories of the Islamization process as recorded in
the collective memories of the areas were brought together, the historical
linkages of these regions would become apparent. It is thus no wonder
that many people say that Islam is the historical foundation of the unity of
Indonesia?
Gowa-Tallo’s historical memory as recorded in Lontara manuscripts, states
that the king of Tallo had been the prime minister in Gowa before he became
the first ruler to have embraced Islam. He embraced Islam due to the
influence of three religious scholars from Minangkabau (1603). After him,
the king of Gowa followed in his footsteps. The tradition of the descendants
of Sawerigading, the mythical ancestors of the people of South Sulawesi,
says that something good must be delivered to the others. Because of this
it follows that Gowa-Tallo, as Makassar’s twin kingdom, spread Islam to
the region of the Bugis people, such as Bone and other areas. The role
of the Minangkabau clerics continued when Gowa-Tallo came to the aid
of the crown-prince of Bima against his uncle, who had seized the throne.
After his victory, the king of Bima also converted to Islam. Islamization also
took place in other region like South Kalimantan, as narrated in the Hikayat
Banjar. The crown-prince of Banjar asked the Sultan of Demak to help him
to evict his uncle from the throne. When Demak defeated the uncle, the
kingdom began to present itself as the Sultanate of Banjar and it produced
some great religious scholars in the 19th century.
The story of the Islamization process that started from the ordinary power
system was usually also recorded in traditional historiography. These stories
usually provide the reason why the Islamization process took place. An
abortive coup attempt by members of the royal family, foiled due to the help
of the Muslim empire, is the first example. Of course, expeditions to extend
power were common as well. After successfully having established Cirebon
as the center of Islamic power, Sunan Gunung Jati continued his expeditions
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 9