Page 146 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

CHAPTER 7. SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS

TRADE ALONG THE MUSI PRIOR TO SRIWIJAYA Both polities were thought to have included the coastal
The Thai–Malay Peninsula, Vietnam, Philippines, Borneo strip which involved the broad deltaic area at the mouth
and Eastern Indonesia were part of a South China Sea of the Musi. Kantoli was a very significant trading polity
network which traded in a variety of goods between 500 which monopolised trade in the Malacca Strait. It
BC to 200 AD. These goods included glass beads, nephrite, undoubtedly would have greatly influenced activities
carnelian and gold ornaments, ‘Dong Son’ bronze drums, of communities along the Musi and its juxtaposed
Han bronze mirrors and Sa-Huynh/Kalanay style ceramics coastline. Kantoli was also a vassal of China and sent
(Favereau and Bellina 2016). Recovery of Metal-Age tributary missions to China in 441 and 563. Interestingly
Kalanay style polished red earthenware of Philippine Chinese merchants traded silks and ‘porcelains’ with
origin in the Musi River at Palembang, along with a Kantoli merchants, which may explain the Sui Dynasty
variety of other primitive earthenware figurines, as well (589–617) chicken-head ewers which have been found
as other ancient exogenous earthenware of uncertain near several Musi River coastal sites.
date and provenance, suggested that Palembang was also Kantoli began to disintegrate in the latter half of the
part of these early South China Sea trading networks. 6th century which provided commercial opportunities
The previous discovery of early-1st millennium ‘Dong for the Palembang community. Hinayana Buddhists,
Son’ drums in the Musi River highlands and recent who commanded the upper reaches and highlands of
archaeological excavations at the mouth of the Musi the Musi River Basin, had traditionally avoided contact
suggest that communities located along the full extent of with the Kantoli Mahayana Buddhists in Sumatra by
the Musi River basin were involved in this trade. remaining in highland areas. The Hinayanas probably
Around the beginning of the 1st millennium, new city- established a trading centre at Palembang at about the
states emerged at many places in South East Asia. One time KoYing existed at the mouth of the Musi, around
of the largest of these was Funan, which now appears to the 2nd century. This would have facilitated their trade
have been influential, or in a federation of some sort, with in non-timber forest products (especially Benzoin gum)
what is now Central Vietnam through South Vietnam, and alluvial gold, from the highlands to the coast. Such
Cambodia, Peninsular Malaya, Bangka Island, coastal trade would have continued during the period of the
southern Sumatra sites around the mouth of the Musi Kantoli polity, although one can imagine it did not always
River, and west Java and Bali. Much recent archaeological run smoothly given the mutual dislike between these two
work has revealed that these new city-states were part of Buddhist sects. However, the demise of Kantoli in the late-
trading networks which also involved China, India and 6th century, allowed the Hinayana Buddhist to expand
the Middle East. It appeared that Funan probably traded their commercial activities downstream and establish
with some 40 settlements along the coastline around the a trade centre at Palembang; they also placed a king
mouth of the Musi River. These coastal settlements were there to oversee trade. That king was clearly successful
likely the centre of KoYing, which existed from the 2nd because, by the first half of the 7th century, Palembang
to the late-4th–early-5th century and then later with the had attracted private Chinese traders and continued to
Kantoli polity, which would have influenced trade along do so until about 671. After that date, the Sailendras
the coastline involving the mouth of the Musi. Certainly, returned to Palembang from Java and presumably fought
Manguin (2017) considered new discoveries at Air Sugihan and defeated the Hinayanas at Palembang and established
have turned Kantoli (Gantuoli) ‘into a more secure the Sriwijaya Kingdom there.
candidate for the Musi River delta sites’ and noted that
rulers of Kantoli carried Indian sounding names and had CERAMICS FOUND IN THE MUSI RIVER
associations with Buddhist monks. Glazed Wares
Just when Musi River communities became involved Chinese
in such broader trading networks was not certain, but Tang Dynasty pottery first appeared in the Musi in quantity
others have speculated it began as soon as India and during the mid-Tang Dynasty (early-9th century to 906),
China discovered South East Asian gold, tin and iron and especially wares from the Yue, Changsha, Xing, Ding and
non-timber forest products. Recent research in Kedah, Gongxian kilns. This ware was broadly similar to Tang
Peninsula Malaya, related to international trade in high- Dynasty ware found elsewhere along the maritime trade
quality iron and tin, indicated that this could have been routes of that time. Despite the disturbed political situation
as early as the mid-5th century BC. Direct association in China during the Five Dynasties (10th century), trade
between Palembang and Funan was suggested by our with Sriwijaya clearly also flourished. This was evidenced
collection from a number of Musi River sites at Palembang by the abundance of Yue ware from the Musi, much of
of bowls, kendi, jars and stem cups, which were of the which was an elegant grey celadon ware produced in
Funan Oc Eo style. Zhejiang Province during the Five Dynasties and early-
In the late-4th century, KoYing was replaced by Northern Song Dynasty periods (907–1126). Although this
Kantoli, which was established by Mahayana Buddhists. grey ware was from the Shangling Lake kilns in Zhejiang