Page 41 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

of iron working were also discovered. From this statuary, INDIA
there appeared to be close links to the Oc Eo Culture The earliest documented evidence of Indian trade with
sites in south-east Vietnam which were from the late-6th South East Asia was southern Indian Romano–Indian
or early-7th century (Lucas, Manguin and Soeroso 1998, Rouletted Ware at Chansen, Central Thailand; Khao
Miksic and Goh 2017). Sam Kaeo; Funan at the southern tip of Vietnam; further
north at Danang on the Vietnamese coast at Tra Kieu;
Batujaya (2nd century BC to 7th century AD) near Jakarta and Bali (Bouvet 2006). She also reported
Manguin and Augustijanto (2011) summarised on-going examples of Indian Northern Black Polished Ware
research carried out on excavated material from Batujaya, produced during the 2nd and 3d centuries.
to the east of Jakarta. The oldest layers at Batujaya show
close cultural association to the Buni civilization, the Gupta Dynasty (320–550)
excavation sites of which are only some 15 kilometres The Guptas gained power in 320 by subjugating the entire
away. They reported Indian roulette ware and beads of regional and provincial powers which had became self-
Indian origin dated from the 2nd century BC. And noted governing in India after the downfall of the Kushanas.
that these artefacts were similar to those collected from They remained dominant until 550 in what was called
numerous sites in South East Asia, including KoYing and the Golden Age of Indian civilizations, embracing art,
Air Sugihan, southern Sumatra, Buni, Java, Sembiran, architecture, literature, sculpture and education.
north coast of Bali and Tra Kieu, Khao Sam Kaeo and Oc The peace and prosperity that prevailed during the
Eo, Vietnam. The oldest archaeological layer at Batujaya Gupta Dynasty was in part due to impetus gained from
was a Buni phase and was dated from the 1st century BC both interprovincial and international commerce (they
to the 4th century AD. The later Indianised phase was sustained the profitable commercial links with the Roman
from the 5th century to the late-10th century. Batujaya as Empire begun by the Kushanas) supported in no small part
a site showed a transition to Buddhism. (Buddhism was by the development of a federation of commercial guilds.
not influential in Java before 423.) The main period of Such guilds became powerful and sometimes controlled
activity involved in building the 13 brick Buddhist temples finances of temples and assisted support state finances
at the site occurring in the 6th and 7th centuries. through partnerships. Some guilds had their own militia
to protect their member’s property and merchandise,
KoYing (2nd to late-4th–early-5th century) and Kantoli which was mainly cloth, food-grains, spices, salt, bullion
Polities (late-4th to late-6th century) and valuable stones.
See Chapter 2 for a description of these Sumatran polities.
Chola Dynasty (3rd century BC to13th century AD)
Barus (9th to 12th century) The South Indian Tamil Chola dynasty dated from the
Barus was in north western Sumatra. Its importance 3rd century BC to13th century AD. At the peak of its
in the trade of camphor was first mentioned in Arab power from the late-9th to the 13th century, its reach also
sources in the 9th century. It was also a significant extended into South East Asia. During the Chola dynasty
trading centre for China with some 17,000 Chinese trade guilds begun by the Guptas became more powerful
pottery shards found there dated from the 10th to 12th and ships were built to service international trade deals. The
century. These included proto porcelain ware from port of Tamralipti (Tamlik), which was the largest port in
China (Guangdong Xicun and Chaozhou ware, sancai, Bengal, traded with China, Ceylon, Java and Sumatra. While
Dusun jars, white proto porcelain, white porcelain, and southern ports also dealt with the Eastern Archipelago and
green ware) and West Asia (glass and pottery, including China but also with Western Asia. Exported goods were
jars and pots from Siraf). The West Asia ware were the mostly pearls, valuable stones, clothes, perfumes, spices,
largest such deposits found in South East Asia and indigo, drugs, coconuts and ivory articles. Imports were
included 9,000 glass shards and about 1,000 pottery gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, silk, camphor, dates, rice,
shards from the Persian Gulf dated from the mid-9th wheat, sugarcane, jute, oilseeds, cotton, jowar, bajra, spices,
to early-11th century (Dupoizat 1998, Guillot 1998, betel nuts, medicinal drugs, valuable stones and horses. It
Guillot et al. 2003). Drakard (1989) discussed the lack is notable that trade items did not include ceramics.
of clarity related to its location pre mid-9th century and Indian traders, especially the Tamil trading guilds,
interpretation of its role in earlier trade as stated in early played a principle role in both Indian and South East
Arab texts. However, she does conclude (Drakard 1989: Asian commerce during the Chola Dynasty. Their role
57) that because of its remoteness Barus was probably was undoubtedly increased after the Chola navy sacked
a self-administering part of Sriwijaya. The picture is Palembang and many ports in its vassal states in 1025.
clearer in medieval times according to Drakard who However, there is almost no ceramic record of an Indian
reports excavation of graves in the area revealed 14th to or Arab presence at Palembang.
16th century ceramics and notes that in the early-16th
century Barus was a busy and prosperous port favoured CHINA
by the Indian ships from Gujerat, which exerted some Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty (25 BC–220 AD)
type of primacy over other vessels. Goddio (2002) reports that cloves were known for their
medicinal properties as early as the 3rd century BC and

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