Peranan Pelaut Melayu Dalam Tamadun Cina

Paul Johnstone dalam 'The Seacraft of Prehistory' (1980), mencatatkan bahawa pada kurun ke-3 SM, orang-orang Cina mula belajar membuat layar jenis "batten sail" dari pelaut-pelaut Melayu (K'un-lun po). Layar tikar anyaman diperkukuh buluh ini kemudian menjadi sinonim dengan rekabentuk layar bagi jong-jong Cina. Menurut Johnstone lagi, orang-orang Cina mula mempunyai kapal-kapal besar untuk mengharungi laut dalam sekitar kurun ke-10.

'Perahu Besar Pinis Dogol' oleh Taib Aur (2017). Lukisan ini menggambarkan sebuah Perahu Besar Muzium Terengganu (Sabar T.82) yang belayar keluar dari muara Kuala Terengganu ke arah Laut Cina Selatan.

M. Klaproth dalam penulisannya yang bertajuk 'On The Names of China'  (dalam Asiatic Journal, Vol XXIII, 1827), merumuskan bahawa perkataan "Cina" dan "China" itu sendiri berasal dari panggilan dan gelaran orang Melayu terhadap orang-orang dinasti Tsin (Qin) ( "چين" ) dibawah pemerintahan Maharaja Tsin-che-hwang-te yang dikatakan mula berdagang dengan pelaut-pelaut Melayu sekitar kurun ke-3 SM. Lihat catatan M. Klaproth:

Malah menurut Wei Djao dalam 'Being Chinese - Voices from the Diaspora' (2003), kewujudan cengkerang kura-kura & tulang tapir dari Semenanjung Tanah Melayu yang dijumpai di makam Maharaja Wuding zaman dinasti Shang (1328-1263 SM) menunjukkan hubungan pelaut-pelaut Melayu dengan penduduk pesisir di Cina berlaku pada era yang lebih awal lagi.

Menurut Sarah Zhang dalam artikel 'Why Mandarin does not come from Chinese', The Atlantic, (2019), perkataan "Mandarin" pula berasal dari penggunaan perkataan "menteri" oleh pelaut-pelaut Melayu yang bermaksud pentadbir atau penasihat. Perkataan tersebut berasal dari perkataan Sanskrit "मन्त्रि" ("mantrī") yang digunapakai orang Melayu bermula kurun ke-7.

Gelaran-gelaran oleh pelaut Melayu ini kemudian digunakan penjajah dari Semenanjung Iberia yang mula menjelajah Asia Timur pada kurun ke-16; iaitu pada waktu yang sama mereka menakluk Melaka. Pelayar Portugis khususnya menggunakan pelaut-pelaut dari Melaka sebagai jurupandu kerana pelaut-pelaut ini mahir tentang selok belok pelayaran, cara navigasi cakerawala, cara mengelak karang, mengesan ribut, daratan, dan mengenalpasti lokasi pelabuhan-pelabuhan berpandukan bentuk mukabumi. Selain dari membantu navigasi, pelaut-pelaut Melayu juga dijadikan agen dan orang perantaraan semasa Portugis berdagang di Asia Timur.

Pada dasarnya, kata nama "Cina", "China" dan "Mandarin" adalah terdiri dari kategori nama luaran atau "exonym" iaitu asal usul nama yang diberi oleh orang luar.  Dengan itu, dari aspek sejarah, pelaut-pelaut Melayu sebagai pengaruh luar, telah banyak menyumbang kepada asas tamadun Cina itu sendiri. Ini termasuk ilmu pengetahuan pelayaran laut dalam, penamaan bangsa, jawatan pembesar, nama bahasa, dan nama negara. 

Ironinya, memandangkan perkataan dan gelaran ini telah diterima Eropah dan kemudiannya digunapakai secara universal di seluruh dunia, maka ianya tidak dianggap sebagai suatu yang datang dari orang-orang Melayu. Akan tetapi ia diklasifikasi sebagai suatu proses permodenan atau 'Westernisasi' yang tidak pula dianggap menjejaskan jati diri.

Rujukan:

1.   M. Klaproth, 'On The Names of China',  Asiatic Journal, Vol XXIII, January-June 1827, pp. 815-819.

2. Johnstone, Paul (1980), 'The Seacraft of Prehistory'. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. pp. 93–94.

3. Djao, Wei, 'Being Chinese - Voices from the Diaspora', The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 2003.

4. Zhang, Sarah. 'Why Mandarin does not come from Chinese', The Atlantic, 4.1.2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/where-does-mandarin-come/579073/

Blair’s Harbour in Mersing

Before the founding of Singapore (1819), the British had actually established a harbour in an area north of Mersing in 1790. They named it ‘Blair’s Harbour’ in honour of its founder, Lieutenant Archibald Blair (1752–1815).

On 12.6.1789 a meeting of the British governor-general in Council took place in Calcutta at which Lieutenant Archibald Blair was present (See: Archibald Blair - Wikipedia). The British decided to colonize the Andaman islands in order to gain a safe harbour from which to check the activities of Malayan pirates, to serve as a refuge for shipwrecked people, a watering station, a shelter from storms for all shipping and a naval base in case of hostilities with other powers. See 18th century Malayan pirate ship:-

A survey of the Andaman Islands was initially conducted by Archibald Blair around 1788 to 1789. Port Blair of the Andaman Islands was in fact named after Archibald Blair being its founder. See Port Blair’s 1885 map:-

Around 1790, few months before the annexation of Penang, Blair found his second safe harbour to counter the threats of Malayan pirates. This second safe harbour is located at the east coast of Malaya and was named Blair's Harbour. See Plan of Blair's Harbour (published in 1793):-

Source: National Library Board, Singapore.

Blair’s Harbour is described in the said Plan as follows:-

"It is very secure being screened from both monsoons, and is easy of access the bottom a stiff clay. The water is good and may be had in abundance by making wells 5 feet deep 20 or 30 yards from high water mark.

Thereafter, “Blair’s Harbour” or “Blair Harbour” appears on British Admiralty maps and often identified as the area between the south of Keban Island or Akban (Now Pulau Aceh), Tanjung Penyabong and Teluk Sari, north of the district of Mersing, Johor. See map:-

Source: National Library Board, Singapore.

In August 1937, HMS Herald surveyed the area wherein Lt Cdr K St B Collins produced a sketch of the general view of Blair's Harbour. See his Admiralty chart titled "Selat Penyabong, View A-Malaya-East Coast-Johore". 

Source: National Archives, UK.

Since time immemorial, this area is known to sailors to provide protection from strong wind and high waves during the monsoons. There is an earlier account of the area found in the Sejarah Melayu (Sulalatus Salatin). Around 1492, when the Sultan of Pahang learned that his fiancée Tun Teja had been spirited away by Hang Nadim (according to Sejarah Melayu) or Hang Tuah (according to Hikayat Hang Tuah). See clip from the movie ‘Hang Tuah’ (1956) which is based from ‘Hikayat Hang Tuah’:

Also see clip from the movie ‘Tuah’ (1988) which is based on the story of a time travelling Hang Tuah:

According to Sejarah Melayu, about 10 of Sultan's boats gave chase, and caught up with the captors south of Pulau Keban / Akban (now Pulau Aceh). Due to the captor's archery skill, the Sultan's men were defeated and gave up the chase. Thus Tun Teja was brought to Malacca and was married to Sultan Mahmud. See Artist’s impression of Tun Teja:-

Calm seas within the natural harbour became a strategic place for Hang Nadim / Hang Tuah to launch a counter attack against the Sultan's men. According to folklore, Teluk Sari (which later became part of Blair’s Harbour) derived its name from Hang Tuah's kris 'Taming Sari'. The word 'Sari' (SAH-ree) means 'shield'. It is named "Teluk Sari" to honour the area which protected Hang Tuah from strong wind and high waves which enabled him to fend off his foe. See: Mersing - Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, ensiklopedia bebas

See aerial view of Blair’s Harbour. Untouched by development, it probably looked the same as it did during the 1492 Battle of Keban and when the British first set foot on its shores in 1790:-

From the 'Hikayat Hang Tuah', this is the second time Hang Tuah sailed the waters of Mersing. His earlier trip was made when he was a teenager where pursued a pirate vessel into Pulau Tinggi. To this very day, the battle site still stood among old graves that by the island's folklore was the gravesite of the fallen pirates.

Folklore also has it that the clear skies between Teluk Sari and Pulau Tinggi bear witness to Tun Teja's final plea and declaration of her undying love for Hang Tuah. It is said that the skies between Teluk Sari and Pulau Tinggi remained the same to this day allowing clear view of the stars and constellations. It is currently a popular site for stargazers, astrophotographers and amateur astronomers who flocks the area from May till August each year. See photographs of the Milky-way taken above north of Mersing:

Source: Greychow.com 

Source: Greychow.com 

Credit to Milkywaychasers.com

Perang Saudara Amerika di Selat Melaka

Perang Saudara Amerika (1861–1865) merupakan peperangan utama di antara pihak Kesatuan (Union) yang diketuai Abraham Lincoln dengan sebelas negeri di selatan yang mengisytiharkan bahawa mereka berhak keluar dan menubuhkan Negeri-Negeri Gabungan Amerika (Confederate States), yang diketuai Jefferson Davis. Medan peperangan "American Civil War" ini tidak terhad di Amerika sahaja, malah ianya sampai ke Nusantara apabila kapal-kapal dagang Union diserang kapal Confederate States.

Dalam diam, Confederate States disokong orang-orang kelas atasan British. Terdapat litograf (Gambar 1) dan gambar (Gambar 2) yang membuktikan sebuah kapal Confederate States yang dibenarkan berlabuh di Singapura yang ketika itu dikuasai British East India Company.

Gambar 1 - CSS Alabama di Singapura, 1863

Gambar 2 - Fotograf CSS Alabama di Singapura, Disember 1863

Jika dikaji, Confederate States sebenarnya telah dibantu British dengan pembinaan 5 buah kapal perang di United Kingdom. Ia terdiri dari CSS Florida, CSS Shenandoah, CSS Tallahassee, CSS Lark, dan CSS Alabama.  Pelbagai helah dan penyamaran dibuat untuk membantu melengkapkan kapal-kapal ini dengan senjata yang diperlukan.

Hasilnya, satu dari kapal tersebut iaitu CSS Alabama berjaya membuat 7 pelayaran serangan serata dunia selama 534 hari di mana ia berjaya menawan 450 kapal, mengalahkan dan membakar 65 kapal Union, dan menahan lebih dari 2,000 anak kapal dan penumpang kapal-kapal Union.

Direkodkan bahawa pelayaran ke-7 dan ekspedisi serangan terakhir CSS Alabama terhadap kapal-kapal dagang Union berlaku di Selat Melaka pada sekitar Disember 1863 iaitu sebelum ia belayar ke Eropah untuk kerja-kerja pembaikian. Direkodkan 3 kapal dagang Union telah diserang dan dibakar oleh CSS Alabama di Selat Sunda sekitar November 1863, dan 3 kapal dagang Union menerima nasib yang sama di Selat Melaka sekitar akhir Disember 1863. CSS Alabama akhirnya ditewaskan oleh kapal perang Union iaitu USS Kearsarge di pelabuhan Perancis pada bulan Jun 1864. (Gambar 3).

Gambar 3 - USS Kearsarge vs CSS Alabama, Antonio Jacobsen (1914)

Setelah tamat perang saudara, melalui suatu kes tribunal antarabangsa (Alabama Claims), British telah diperintahkan untuk membayar US$15.5 juta (US$295 juta pada kadar semasa) sebagai pampasan terhadap kapal-kapal yang dimusnahkan oleh CSS Alabama.


Rujukan:
1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Alabama
2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Claims
3. http://www.navyandmarine.org/ondeck/1862semmes.htm