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.