Page 89 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

The Formative Period

of the Sultanates

Jajat Burhanudin

The establishment of Islamic kingdoms, village community, converted to Islam leading power in Nusantara World in the historical sources, such as the records Coins of the Samudera
or sultanates, was an important changed his name to Malik al-Shaleh 14 century, took place in line with the of the journey of the Portuguese Tome Pasai Kingdom from
th
phase in the present of Islamization and built his palace in Pasai. The text Islamization of the archipelago. Pires, illustrate that the Malaccan various periods
of the Nusantara Archipelago. The also relates that his conversion to Islam A similar situation occurred in Malacca. kingdom was established in the preserved in the Museum
establishment of these sultanates took place after he had a dream. He Parameswara, the founder of the kingdom, beginning of the 15 century co-incided of Aceh.
th
marked the beginning of a more intensive met Prophet Muhammad who taught with the intensification of the process Source: Directorate of
integration of Islamic values into the him to recite the two sentences of the was the first king who converted to Islamization and the growth of maritime History and Cultural
social and political system and the creed. After that, Merah Silu changed his Islam thanks to scholars from Samudera trade in the Straits of Malacca. Like the Values, Ministry of
kingdoms became the centers for the name to Malik al-Saleh and Samudera Pasai who emigrated to Malacca. As in case of Samudera Pasai, the conversion Education and Culture
application of Islamic teachings. If Islam Pasai became Samudera dar al-Islam Samudera Pasai, the King of Malacca of the King of Malacca to Islam attracted of the Republic of
previously presented itself in various (the Islamic abode of Samudera), a converted to Islam shortly after he international Muslim traders who boosted Indonesia.
commercial centers in the form of designation emphasizing the kingdom’s had assumed power and after that he the economic and political development
restricted religious communities, through position as a Islamic domain. was renamed Sultan Iskandar Shah. of the newly established trade-center.
the establishment of the sultanates, Apart from its mythological and Parameswara’s conversion to Islam is
Islam began to turn iit self into a political legendary elements, the Hikayat Raja- described in the Sejarah Melayu (Malay In the history of the archipelago,
and cultural force. After all since the pre- raja Pasai gives the impression that Annals), a classical Malay text on the Islamization, trade, and the
Islamic times cultural and political bases Malik al-Saleh’s conversion to Islam kingdom of Malacca, it is said that one establishment of the kingdoms were
were centered in kingdoms. occurred in tandem with his rise to night the king had a dream met the prophet integrated in such a way that they formed
Muhammad who instructed him to recite
the main characteristic of the historical
power as the ruler of the kingdom.
Samudera Pasai and Malacca: The historical evidence of this Islamic the two sentences of the creed. That even development of Islam in the region.
The first two Islamic kingdoms symbolized the convertion of the king International Muslim traders in the
sultanate is strengthened by Marco Polo, conversion to Islam, with this convertion archipelago not only came for their own
Samudera Pasai was the first Islamic a Venetian wanderer. In his traveler notes Malacca became an Islamic empire. economic interests, but also to spread
kingdom in the Nusantara World. The he stated that some year before the year their religion. Supported by the rulers in
year 1297 inscribed on Malik al-Saleh’s that was written on tombstone, 1292, However, despite the myth historical Nusantara, regardless of their respective
tombstone as the year when Samudera Samudera Pasai had not yet developed certainty on the first king of Malacca underlying motives, the merchants
Pasai was transformed into an Islamic into a kingdom, and that it also had still debate able issue and who was
empire. This is further strengthened by not yet converted to Islam. At the time, the first Islamic King? Nevertheless, enacted their dual roles: they were
economic actors as well as religious
other local sources. The Hikayat Raja- Samudera Pasai was just a small trade the most important thing that needs preachers who introduced Islam to the
Raja Pasai, one of the classical Malay center on the northern coast of Sumatra to be emphasized is that the early
texts about the history of the kingdom, just like Perlak, Lamuri, and other trading development of the Malaccan Sultanate, local communities of the archipelago.
notes that Malik al-Saleh was the first centers in the surrounding regions. like Samudera Pasai, took place in In the history of the Nusantara world,
th
Muslim ruler in Samudra Pasai. The story The change of Samudera Pasai into tandem with the progress of Islamization the beginning of the 13 century was
began when Meurah Silu, the head of a a kingdom and its development into a and trading activities. The available crucial moment. That was the time

78 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 79