Malaysia's Vedic Past

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Kota Gelanggi Ancient City Discovery and the Origins of Melayu

 

 

The Star highlights an exciting discovery of a civilisation that

dates back even further than Malacca, with some claims of it being

older than the Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the ancient

World.

 

While a little out of topic in this blog, I must admit to a

fascination in Sanskrit texts and have studied them as a hobby for a

better part of a decade, since coming across an ancient Sufi

manuscript in Indonesia that described a portion of a

Sanskrit 'Sastara' as an embodiment of how God whispers in many

languages.

 

This discovery has much significance in it's historical comstruct of

this region and the distinct influences to early Sanskrit literature,

which recorded the rise and fall of kingdoms in this region not

through essays as we are often used to, but rather as spiritual

hymns, that draw upon the occasion as an example to the tantric

teachings and woven as a moral lore.

 

Some things that crossed my mind as I read the articles were that

this 'lost' city was probably the kingdom of Lo-Yue, was also the

first centre of trade for Sri Vijaya.

 

 

Image from The Star

 

The region has a long history, dating back to more than 2500 years

bc. the earliest recorded ruler being Marayo, who ruled from 2666-

2604 bc. (Link: Reference and list of Rulers).

 

This would bring it within the timeline of the mysterious Indus

Valley civilisation;

 

Indus Valley Civilization: 2500(app.)-1700(app.)b.c Also known as

the 'Harrapa' named after the site of the first discovered city,

archaeologists are still struggling to understand them. We do not

know anything of it's religion and no murals or story-art has been

found. What we do know is that they were great builders and city

planners centered around an agricultural community that existed

between the Mohenjo-daro river and the Indus river. Tablets and

pottery found depict animals, ornately coiffed women, jewelry and

generally hint at a sophisticated artisan society.[source]

The find brings into context many matters, among those the origins of

the Melayu, deeply rooted in the Kesutanan ideology, which resulted

from the Islamisation of the Rulers of this region, who previously

carried the Raja or Sri title, influenced by the Hindu Empire, which

had numerous Raja's ruling across many provinces. They were united

then under the Chola Empire, of which the ruler, upon conquest of the

provinces assumed the title Rajaraja I (presumable Raja of all the

Raja's) circa 985AD.

 

It is his son, Raja Rajendra Cholavarman I, that is believed to have,

in 1017AD, waged war against the Srivijaya Empire (Foshi, to the

Chinese Merchants of the time), destroying the city of Gangga Negara

in Perak in 1025AD, and subsequently this city of Kota Gelanggi,

which might be the lost city of Lo-yue, as described by Raimy.

 

Although some manuscripts describe it to be a colony of Srvijaya, the

Chinese explorer Kie-Tan explicitly mentioned Lo-yue and Foshi as

separate countries, perhaps independant as an entity of governance

yet paying tribute to the Srivijaya empire, a common occurence in the

feudal nature of the region at that time.

 

"From Kuang-chou (Canton) towards the southeast, travelling by sea

for 200 li, one reaches Mount T'un-mon. Then, with a favourable wind

going westward for two days, one reaches the Kiu-chou rocks (Hainan).

Then southward, and after two days one reaches the Siang-shi, or

Elephant Rock. Then southward after three days, one comes to Mount

Chan-pu-lan, this mountain is in the sea at 200 li east of the

country of Huan-wang (Tongking). Then southward, after two days

journey, one reaches Mount Ling. Then, after a day's journey one

comes to the country of Montu. Then after a day's journey one comes

to the counry of Ku-tan; then after a day's journey one reaches the

territory of Pon-to'o-lang. Then after two days journey one comes to

Mount Kun-t'u-nung. Then after five days journey one comes to the

strait the Barbarians call Chi. From the south to the north it is 100

li.. On the northern shore is the country of Lo-yue, on the southern

coast is the country of Foshi."[source: Kie-Tan's Journal of his

travel]

Foshi is also mentioned in Leornard Andaya's The Search for the

Origins of Melayu, in which he writes;

 

The name `Melayu' appears for the first time in literary sources as a

settlement in southeast Sumatra that sent a mission to China in 644.

The earliest detailed account is by the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim

Yijing,who spent time in Palembang and Jambi on two separate

occasions in 671, and was there again from 689-95. He spent six

months learning Sanskrit grammar in a place whose name for both the

country and the capital was transcribed as (Shili)foshi.He was then

sent by the ruler to the country ofMelayu,where he stayed for another

two months. On his second visit Yijing again went to `Melayu', which

he says had now become [shili] Foshi [srivijaya], meaning either that

it had supplanted Srivijaya, or more likely that it had become a part

of Srivijaya.He noted that there were many `states' under this

kingdom, and that in the fortified city there were more than a

thousand Buddhist priests who had come to study religion.

(Fochi means success in Chinese and early scriptures refer to the

Srivijaya Empire as San Fo Che meaning three success. This would be a

direct translation from Sanskrit in which Srivijaya means Three Great

Success, refering to the three kingdoms that formed Srivijaya)

An Adobe Acrobat PDF version of this article can be found at Water

Cooler Crowd Wiki, Origins of Melayu page

 

 

This could also mean that Lo-yue could be a Srivijaya state or

perhaps a trading outpost that linked Srivijaya with the Gangga

Negara colony and further onwards to the Cambodian rulers of Angkor

Wat, the Jayavarman Dynasty.

 

It is interesting to note that the Jayavarman Dynasty, builders of

Angkor Wat, had a ruler, Jayavarman Paramesvara who ruled circa 1325

and was thought to have been on of the last of the Angkor kings, the

Empire itself destroyed by the Siamese at about this period. (List of

Angkor Kings)

 

Then again, the Parameswara that founded Malacca was said to be the

descendant of Sang Nila Utama, who was credited with naming

Singapore. This connection is a display of the strong links that the

Khmer kings shared with the region here, or did the dates got bungled

as they often do, and the Parameswara we know was similar to that of

the defeated Khmer King?

 

FYI, Parameswara in sanskrit means divine super soul, in essence, one

who never dies, referenced in Bhagavad Gita text 28,

 

samam sarvesu bhutesu tisthantam paramesvaram vinasyatsv avinasyantam

yah pasyati sa pasyati

This Parameswara's journey did not document the lost city of Kota

Gelanggi, meaning that it no longer was in existence by that time.

 

The relevance of Kota Gelanggi is further heightened by the fact that

the Srivijaya Empire extended itself until the Chaiya Province in

Surat Thani, Thailand and may have served as the entry outpost for

travellers from the Javanese islands, who would than traverse by

land, visiting various colonies (to also collect taxes/tributes

perhaps) as they headed north.

 

If one was to look deep into the historical events surrounding

Srivijaya and Kota Gelanggi, one may be privy to the historical

origins of the Malays, from their Khmer and Funan lineage right up to

the current Melayu in Malaysia and see that we have been interlocked

with Chinese and Indian culture for thousands of centuries, as they

help document and build this civilisation and as we traded, warred

and became allies again in an intiguing feudal history, worthy of

many tales and truths.

 

If one were to explore it, I can see no reason for anyone to be

racialistic or call another person a racist, for truth be told, we

are all rather intertwined by history.I myself have all three blood

in my veins.

 

It is the ignorance of our historical links and the naive stupidity

of fear and insecurity that drives us not towards racism, but

polarity. Both inter and intra race.

 

I am at least glad that Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, a man whom I

personally respect as extra-ordinary both in thought and idealogy, is

putting a lot of importance in this project.

 

A sterling decision, Datuk Seri, and one that further enhances our

racial links, in the hopes that by understanding our ancestors, we

understand each other a little more.

http://www.brandmalaysia.com/movabletype/archives/2005/02/kota_gelangg

i_a.html