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Sunday 12 December 2021

Keris Nusantara di Florida




Sekitar tahun 1985, Mel Fisher (1922-1998) telah berjaya menemukan kapal Sepanyol 'Nuestra SeƱora de Atocha'. Kapal de Atocha tersebut karam bersama kapal 'Santa Margarita' dan 4 kapal lain akibat ribut pada 6.9.1622 berhampiran Key West, Florida. Menurut rekod maritim Sepanyol, kapal de Atocha tersebut mengangkut emas dan perak seberat 40 tan (43,742 kg), dan juga zamrud seberat 31.75 kg, yang kesemuanya bernilai USD500 juta. Ini tidak termasuk barangan lain yang tidak diisytihar (kontraban) untuk mengelak cukai 20% yang perlu dibayar kepada Raja Sepanyol. Setelah melalui proses litigasi, Mahkamah di US telah membenarkan Mel Fisher memiliki dan menjual segala artifak yang ditemuinya.





Dari rekod sejarah, Sepanyol dan Portugal bergabung dari tahun 1580 hingga 1640 dan telah bekerjasama menjarah kepulauan Nusantara, khususnya Maluku, Ambon, Solor, Ternate dan Filipina. Armada Sepanyol pernah menjajah Ternate dan Tidore dari tahun 1606 hingga 1677. Kemungkinan besar keris yang dijumpai Mel Fisher ini adalah sebahagian dari harta kontraban yang tidak diisytihar semasa pelayaran tersebut. Walaubagaimanapun, selain dari gambar ini, keris dan senjata Nusantara lain tidak pernah diisytihar kepada pihak berkuasa. Ianya juga tidak pernah dipamirkan di Muzium Mel Fisher di Key West, Florida.





Apa yang menarik, keris-keris dari Florida ini mungkin sudah kembali ke Nusantara. Perkara ini berlaku pada tahun 2007 di mana terdapat laporan tentang percubaan menyeludup barangan antik dari USA ke Indonesia. Ianya terdiri dari 16 bilah keris, 4 sarung keris, 1 tombak tanpa gagang, dan 8 yoswa. Barangan yang cuba diseludup ini telah berjaya dikesan dan disita di Terminal Cargo Bandara Soekarno-Hatta, Indonesia pada 25.11.2007. Identiti penerima dicatat sebagai "RMN" yang dikenalpasti kemudian sebagai R M Notoharjo atau Martin Lubis. Ianya dikirimkan ke sebuah rumah kosong di No. 7, RT 2/X, Jalan Mataram 12, Banyuanyar, Sumber, Banjasari, Solo, Jawa Tengah. Setelah disiasat pihak berkuasa di Surakarta, alamat pengirimnya adalah di No. 60, Snapper Avenue, Key Largo, Florida, USA., iaitu 150 batu dari tempat kapal de Atocha dijumpai.

Sumber:

  1. https://article.wn.com/view/2007/11/28/Keris_dan_Tombak_dari_AS_Hendak_Dibawa_ke_Solo/
  2. https://m.detik.com/news/berita/d-858478/keris-dan-tombak-dikirim-dari-florida-akan-dibawa-ke-solo
  3. https://m.detik.com/news/berita/d-859102/jeffri-akan-ambil-keris-yang-ditahan-di-bandara-cengkareng
  4. https://news.okezone.com/read/2007/11/29/1/64576/rm-notoharjo-nama-lain-dari-martin-lubis
  5. http://www.bumn.go.id/angkasapura2/berita/729
  6. https://www.colonialvoyage.com/spanish-presence-moluccas-ternate-tidore/





Friday 19 November 2021

Hukuman Salang Terakhir di Kedah?

 

Gambar 1: Litograf hukuman salang di hadapan Sultan Kedah pada tahun 1889, oleh Edouard Riou.
Sumber: Un an en Malaisie, 1889-1890. (1892) oleh Jules Claine.

Litograf ini menggambarkan hukuman salang yang dikatakan telah dijalankan di hadapan Sultan Kedah sekitar 1889 (Gambar 1). Saya telah memuatnaik imej ini di FB pada 17 Disember 2019; dan ianya kemudian dikongsi oleh beberapa laman web dan youtube tanpa memberi kredit kepada sumber asal iaitu buku "Un an en Malaisie, 1889-1890" (1892) oleh Jules Claine (Gambar 2).

Gambar 2: Jules Claine (1856-1938).
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.


Apabila tiada sumber yang dirujuk, timbul persoalan samada peristiwa yang dilakar ini benar-benar berlaku. Benarkah hukuman bunuh ini dibuat atas isyarat tangan Sultan Kedah, iaitu Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ibni Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah (1864-1943) (Gambar 3)? Benarkah hukuman salang di Kedah turut dilaksanakan pihak Inggeris bersama laskar Sepoy mereka? Adakah tombak juga digunakan selain dari keris salang?

Gambar 3: Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ibni Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah (1864-1943) (r.1881-1943) c. 1890.  
 Sumber: GR Lambert & Co., KITLV 7249, Leiden University Libraries, Amsterdam.


Apa yang perlu diketengahkan adalah kisah sebenar lakaran ini sebelum ianya dianggap sebahagian dari lipatan sejarah negeri Kedah. Fakta utama adalah hukuman salang hanya dijalankan oleh pembesar-pembesar Melayu dan bukan dengan kerjasama pihak Inggeris. Fakta seterusnya adalah hukuman salang ini telah dimansuhkan pihak Inggeris semenjak tahun 1809 (Newbold, 1839).

Pengarang buku 'Un an en Malaisie, 1889-1890' iaitu Jules Claine (1856-1938) adalah seorang pengembara Perancis yang telah ke Sumatera Utara, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Singgora sekitar tahun 1889 hingga 1890. Claine telah merakam beberapa keping gambar yang sebahagiannya telah dijadikan rujukan oleh Edouard Riou (1833-1900) dalam lakaran beliau yang digunakan Claine sebagai ilustrasi penulisannya.

Jika dibandingkan, kesemua lakaran Riou tidak berbeza dari gambar sebenar yang dirakam Claine. Cuma lakaran hukuman salang arahan Sultan Kedah ke-26 ini sahaja yang agak aneh; di mana ianya boleh dibuktikan sebagai rekaan semata-mata.

Jika dibanding rekod Perpustakaan Negara Perancis, imej-imej dalam litograf karya Riou ini adalah kombinasi dari 6 keping gambar yang berbeza. Pertama, rumah yang menjadi latarbelakang litograf ini adalah dari gambar sebuah rumah agam di Kedah (Gambar 4). Dalam rekod pada gambar asal dan juga catatan dalam buku Claine, ianya adalah kediaman rasmi Raja Siam di Kedah yang juga menjadi tempat kediaman Claine semasa tempoh lawatannya di sana.  

Gambar 4: Rumah Raja Siam di Alor Setar, Kedah.
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.


Susunan landskap dan pokok dalam litograf juga adalah berdasarkan gambar di Kedah (Gambar 5 & 6). 

Gambar 5
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.

Gambar 6
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.


Bentuk badan dan pakaian tukang salang dan pesalah diambil dari gambar orang-orang Melayu-Siam yang dirakam Claine sekitar Singgora (Gambar 7).  

Gambar 7
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.


Senjata yang digunakan tukang salang iaitu tombak dan keris juga dilukis berpandukan rujukan kepada gambar rakaman Claine (Gambar 8).

Gambar 8
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.


Manakala imej tentera Sepoy yang berbaris di belakang Sultan Kedah adalah diambil dari gambar perarakan pengebumian yang dirakam Claine di Pulau Pinang (Gambar 9). 

Gambar 9
Sumber: Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.


Apa yang pelik, setelah diteliti kesemua rekod, tiada gambar Sultan Kedah dan juga proses hukuman salang ini dalam koleksi simpanan Claine yang kini berada di Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.

Dengan itu, catatan peristiwa hukuman salang yang dikatakan diperintahkan Sultan Kedah pada tahun 1889 ini tidak pernah berlaku dan sesuatu yang telah dipalsukan.  Ianya hanyalah hasil daya imaginasi Riou berdasarkan cerita-cerita lama yang didengari Claine. Hukuman yang telah dimansuhkan 80 tahun sebelumnya itu mungkin diwujudkan kembali kisahnya bagi memberi kesan dramatik kepada jalan cerita dan pengembaraan Claine.

Sumber:

  1. Claine, Jules. 1892. Un an en Malaisie, 1889-1890.
  2. Newbold, T.J. 1839. Political and Statistical Account of The British Settlements in The Straits of Malacca, vis Pinang, Malacca, and Singapore; with a History of The Malayan States on The Peninsula of Malacca, Vol I.
  3. Perpustakaan Negara Perancis.





Monday 1 November 2021

A Blue Plaque Proposal for Sultan Abu Bakar

 



A Blue Plaque proposal has been submitted to English Heritage to honour Sultan Abu Bakar ibni al-Marhum Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim (1833-1895) on Friday, 29 October 2021. The Sultan, informally known as "The Father of Modern Johor" stayed in a 5-storey terraced townhouse known as 22 Manchester Square, London, in 1866.


22 Manchester Square, Marylebone, London. Source: Wikipedia.


The submission was prompted by the discovery of the actual address which the Sultan stayed during his first visit to London.  During research which was personally requested by the late Sultan's great great grand daughter, HRH Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, the actual address of his place of abode during his 6-month stay, together with relevant dates of his itinerary came to light.

HRH Queen of Malaysia Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, great great grand daughter of Sultan Abu Bakar ibni Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim.


The Illustrated London News, 12 May 1866.


The Illustrated London News,
19 May 1866.

The Illustrated London News, 9 June 1866.

The Illustrated London News, 4 August 1866.


The Illustrated London News, 4 August 1866.

The Illustrated London News, 29 September 1866.


Sultan Abu Bakar was the first Malay ruler to travel to Europe. During his 1866 visit he met Queen Victoria, Prince Alfred, Princess Alexandra, Princess Helena, Princess Mary, Prince Teck, the Lord Mayor of London, and the 2nd Duke of Wellington. The Queen personally bestowed him Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in September 1866. To commemorate his 1866 visit, the Johore Quadrilles was published by Robert Cocks & Co. There are 5 quadrilles in total, each based on several Malay melodies and arranged for the piano according to the standard conventions of European tonal harmony. It is believed to have been performed for Sultan Abu Bakar by Coote & Tinney's Band, the premier London dance orchestra, during the State Ball at Buckingham Palace held on 5 June 1866.

'Johore Quadrilles', published and sold to the public by Robert Cocks & Co. c. 1867. Source: Cambridge University Library.

The Illustrated London News, 9 June 1866.


Painting of the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace c. 1856. Source: Royal Collection Trust.


Sultan Abu Bakar made subsequent visits to London in 1868 (6 months), 1878 (3 months), 1885 (14 months), 1889 (18 months), 1893 (6 months) and 1895 (1 month).  In 1885, he sought legal recognition from Britain for a change in his legal state title of "Maharajah" to a regal title of "Sultan", and was proclaimed the following year.  Amongst the Sultan's personal gifts to Queen Victoria were two portraits of her Majesty painted by Tavernor Knott in 1868 & 1878, and a golden replica of Albert Memorial by James William Benson presented in 1887.

"Princess Beatrice of Battenberg; Queen Victoria" c. 1860-1870. One of the two paintings believed to have been commissioned by Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor, and painted by Tavernor Knott c. 1868.
Source: National Portrait Gallery, UK.


Replica of the Albert Memorial by J.W. Benson gifted by Sultan Abu Bakar to Queen Victoria c 1887.


On his last visit to London, he fell ill due to kidney complications. Hearing the news, Queen Victoria sent her personal physician, Dr. Douglas Powell, to take care of him. Unfortunately, he died on 4.6.1895 at Bailey's Hotel, South Kensington. The ritual involving bathing and shrouding of his remains was conducted by a Mufti from Ottoman Turkey; whereas the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II arranged for his remains to be repatriated to Johor. Queen Victoria ensured that funeral arrangements were in accordance to the Royal ceremonies and that it went smoothly; wherein the press reported that "the Queen is anxious that all respect shall be paid to the remains of the Sultan of Johore when they quit this country". As a sign of her last respects, Queen Victoria ordered that the remains of Sultan Abu Bakar to be lowered from the stairs of Westminster and carried by a funeral ship to P&O's S.S. Bombay which was berthed at the Royal Albert Dock. As the cortage passes the Tower of London minute-guns were fired. The flags at the Tower of London as well as those on ships along the 11-mile river journey were lowered half mast.



During his lifetime, the Sultan took charge of the development of Johor's infrastructure, administrative system, military and civil service, all of which were modelled closely along Western lines. To some extent the friendly relationship between the Sultan and Queen Victoria initiated by this 1866 visit helped the process of modernization of Johor.



A Blue Plaque by English Heritage is a permanent sign installed in a public place in London to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, or event on the site, serving as a historical marker.  There are now over 900 plaques in London commemorating both individuals and events. The criteria for eligibility states that the famous person must have been dead for 20 years or have passed the centenary of their birth, be eminent within their profession and made an outstanding contribution to society.

Personally, this area of London brings plenty of fond memories as I stayed at 61 Castletown Road, West Kensington for a year in 1994-95 during my Barrister-at-law course at Holborn College and dining attendances at Lincoln's Inn. On top of museums and galleries, it was exciting to see Blue Plaques around the area. My earliest trip to London was with my parents in 1986; the second one was with my university classmates back in 1992. 

Joseph Chioh Hock Hua, Dr. Mohd. Bahrin Othman & Yusrin Faidz Yusoff at Victoria Embankment, near Middle Temple Gardens, London c. 1992.

Further, the budget for the Sultan's first visit to London was drawn up by my ancestors. My great great great maternal grand uncle, Mohd. Yahya bin Abdullah, was 'tukang wang' (treasurer) to Temenggong Abu Bakar (as he then was). He died with about 30 others in an explosion on board Abu Bakar's newly acquired iron paddle-steamer 'Johore' in Singapore waters on 15.4.1865. The incident, which occured a year prior to Abu Bakar's first visit to London was also reported in the Illustrated London News. His position as treasurer was filled by his younger brother Mohd. Salleh bin Abdullah. At that time, the siblings including Mohd. Yusof and Mohd. Ariff were closed to Abu Bakar as their elder sister, Mariam (Gedong) binti Abdullah was married to Abu Bakar's father, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim.

"Blowing-up of the Johore, iron paddle-steamer, off Singapore" by John Lawrence Kirby.
(The Illustrated London News, 10 June 1865)


Back to the proposal in question, in an e-mail correspondence with Howard Spencer of English Heritage, I was informed that the process which includes further research would take about a year, and that I would be duly informed of the panel’s decision. Mr. Spencer also highlighted that the award of a Blue Plaque is a highly competitive one wherein only around a fifth of proposals received make the shortlist.

References:
  1. Abdullah, A. Rahman Tang. 2011. Sultan Abu Bakar’s foreign guests and travels abroad, 1860s –1895: fact and fiction in early Malay historical accounts. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 84(1): 1–22.
  2. Abu Bakar of Johor. Wikipedia. Extracted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Bakar_of_Johor
  3. Gullick, J. M. (1992). Rulers and Residents Influence and Power in the Malay States 1870-1920. Singapore : Oxford University Press.
  4. Johore Quadrilles, Arranged by the Composer of the Singapore Schottische, Polka &c. and Dedicated to His Highness the Maharajah of Johore, K. C. S. I. [1867]. London: Robert Cocks & Co.
  5. Muhammad Said bin Hj. Sulaiman. 1940. Hikayat Johor dan Tawarikh al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar. Singapura : Malaya Publishing House.
  6. The Illustrated London News, Vol. 46, January-June 1865.
  7. The Illustrated London News, Vol. 48, January-June 1866.
  8. The Illustrated London News, Vol. 49, July-December 1866.
  9. The Illustrated London News, Vol. 73, July-December 1878.
  10. Trocki, Carl A. 2007. Prince of Pirates: the Temenggongs and the Development of Johor and Singapore, 1784–1885. 2nd edn. Singapore: NUS Press.
  11. Yusoff, Y.F. 2020. Tragedi Kapal Johore. Historybuff. 12.10.2020. Extracted from: https://yusrinfaidz.blogspot.com/2020/10/tragedi-letupan-kapal-johore-1865.html
  12. Yusoff, Y.F. 2021. Victoria & Abu Bakar. Historybuff. 4.6.2021. Extracted from: https://yusrinfaidz.blogspot.com/2021/06/victoria-abu-bakar.html


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