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

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