Tamra Terengganu 702H: Continuation of Pre-Islamic Malay Prasasti Tradition

Abstract

The study of Islamic historiography in Southeast Asia and particularly in the Malay World was greatly revolutionised with the discovery of the Terengganu Stone Inscription dated 702H (1303CE) in Kuala Berang in inland locality of the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula. Since early 20th century the study concentrated on its value as the clear evidence of Islamic presence and implementation of its law for the first time in the region. However, there was a considerable gap left by scholars by not explaining the mysterious and implicit elements of pre-Islamic, Indic and Brahminic elements that abundantly found within the inscription. Coined as a tamra, containing the law of dharmas, a question arises regarding the origin of such vocabularies on an Islamic inscription. The presence suggests a transitional period of the pre-Islamic Malay society towards the Islamic one by practice. The survival of the former may direct to other information such as the ruling dynasty and kingdom or empire which may had initiated the project namely the kingdom of Srivijaya and its dependency Terengganu. Islamisation is a process involving interaction between the Muslim community in Southeast Asia mentioned since Tabari and Mas'udi with the Indianised Malay society from 9th century CE up till the 14th century.  The power as a cultural and civilisational hub has demonstrated a considerable ability in bridging Islam and pre-Islamic cultures including universal religious values, invention and innovation of writing system and preserving a tradition of literary industry which gave birth to the paper-based one in succeeding centuries. The Terengganu Inscription or Tamra was indeed a demonstration of high culture producing an ideal fused culture that has been practiced up to this day.