Malay Annals/Chapter 7

Of the Raja of Pasi.

THERE were two brothers named Marah who  lived at Pasangan, who derived their origin  from the mountain Sangkung. The name of the elder was Marah Chaka, and that of  the younger, Marah Silu. The younger, Marah Silu, gained his livelihood by keeping fish-weirs on the shore of the sea, and he repeatedly found in them kalang-kalang, or biche de Mar, which he rejected into the sea. No sooner, however, had he adjusted his weirs, but he found they had returned. On this being several times repeated, he got angry and boiled them when he found that the kalang-kalang had been converted into gold, while the foam of the water in which they had been boiled was converted into silver. After this he again adjusted his weirs, and again found kalang-kalang in them, when he immediately repeated the process of boiling, and they were again converted into gold and silver. In this manner Marah Silu procured a great quantity of gold. At last Marah Chaka was informed that his brother Marah Silu was in the habit of eating kalang-kalang. Marah Chaka was enraged at this, and wanted to kill him. When Marah Silu heard of his intention, he fled to the forest of Jaran. The field beside which Marah Silu caught the kalang-kalang, is still denominated Padang  kalang-kalang. Marah Silu lived for a long time in the forest of Jaran, and gave liberally of the gold  which he had acquired to all the people who lived in his vicinity, and they all  became obedient to him. On a certain day, Marah Silu went a hunting, and his dog,  named Sipasei, gave tongue on an elevated  piece of ground. When Marah Silu had ascended the eminence, he observed a huge ant which was as large as a cat;  he took this ant and ate it, and this eminence he made his residence, and named it Semadra *, which signifies the great ant. * The name is certainly Samatra, being compounded of semut, an ant, and raya, which in the Achi dialect signifies  great. It is related in the hadis of the prophet Muhammed, that he said to his companions, "In the latter times men shall hear of an island under the wind, named Samadra; as soon as this shall happen, go and convert it to Islamism, for the island shall produce many Wali-alah, or persons of gifted piety; but there is a putri of the land of Matabar, whom you must carry along with you. It happened a long time after  the time of the prophet, that tidings were heard of the land of Samadra at Mecca, along with the names of other countries. Then the sheref of Mecca sent a  vessel properly fitted out, and ordered the mariners to proceed to the land of Matabar, and the name of the Nakhoda was Sheikh Ismail. When they reached the land of Matabar where they found a raja reigning, named Sultan Muhammed, who enquired whence they had come, and whither they were going. They informed him  of their intention of going to the land of  Samadra, by the order of the prophet Muhammed. The raja was descended from Abubacar, and when he was informed of their intention, he appointed his eldest son to the government of the land of Matabar,  and embarked with his younger in the  vessel in the guise of a fakir, and desired them to convey him to the land of  Samadra. To this they assented, declaring that his resolution was conformable to the words of the prophet. Sultan Muhammed accordingly sailed away in this vessel, and after a long voyage they arrived at  the land of Pasuri, the whole of the inhabitants of which embraced Islamism.

The next day the fakir went ashore carrying the Koran, and presented it to the people to read, but not one of them could read it. Then thought the fakir in his heart, this is not the land alluded to in the Koran of the holy prophet. Then the Nakhoda Ismail again set sail and arrived at another country named Lambri, which likewise embraced Islamism. The fakir again went ashore, carrying the Koran with him, which he presented to them, but there was not one of them could read it. He immediately went again on board and set sail, and arrived at the land of Haru, which likewise embraced Islamism, but when the fakir went ashore with the Koran, he  found that none of them could read it. He then enquired for the country Samadra, and was informed that he had passed it. On this he returned on board, and again set sail, when he arrived at the land of Perlac, where he went ashore and brought them over to Islam. After this he sailed for Samadra, where he met Marah Silu, following his occupation among the rocks of the shore. The fakir then asked him the name of the country: to which he replied, "Samadra." — " Who is the head man of it ?" asked he. "It is your servant," said Marah Silu. Then the fakir brought him over to Islam, and taught him the  word of testimony. When Marah Silu went to sleep after this operation, he dreamed, that he was face to face with the holy prophet, who desired him to open his mouth, on which the prophet spat into it, and he immediately awaked, when his body had the odour of Narawastu. When the morning came, the fakir landed, and brought with him the Koran, and ordered Marah Silu to read the Koran; and he read it. Then said the fakir to Sheikh Ismail, the Nakhoda of the vessel, "This is the land of Samadra, mentioned by the holy prophet." Then Sheikh Ismail landed all the royal accoutrements which he had brought with him, and installed Marah Silu, as raja, under the title of Sultan Malec al Salih. There were in the land of Samadra two great men, the one of whom was named Sri-caya, and the other Bawacaya;  both of whom embraced Islam, and Sri-caya  received the name of Sidi Ali Gheyas  ed-din ; and Bawacaya, Sidi Ali Ismayemdi. After this Sheikh Ismail set sail, and returned to Mecca; and the fakir staid  in the island of Samadra, for the purpose  of establishing the doctrine of Is-lam. After this, Sultan Malec al Salih sent Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din to the land of Perlac,  to ask the daughter of the raja in marriage. The raja had three daughters, two of whom were legitimate, and one of them by a concubine, named Putri Ganggang ; and he showed all the three to Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din; seating, however, the two  legitimate daughters undermost, and the natural daughter, Putri Ganggang above them, in a more elevated place, and ordered her to open betelnut for her sisters. She was dressed in rosy-coloured clothes, with a vest of the colour of the water jambu ; with earrings (subang), like the lontar muda, (young palm leaf,) and looked extremely handsome. Then said Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din, " I ask the young lady who sits uppermost;" but, he did not know that she was the natural daughter of the raja. Then loud laughed the raja, saying, "Whichever of them you please, you are welcome to her." The raja then ordered a hundred prows to be prepared, and sent his daughter Putri Ganggang under the care of Tun Parekpatih Pand to the land of Samadra. Sultan Malec al Salih went out of his palace as far as Jambu Ayer, with all the  ceremony of state and dignity, to receive  the Princess, and to conduct her into the city; and, after several days of splendid entertainments, the marriage was consummated, and the raja bestowed great largesses on his warriors, and charities on the fakirs and poor, both in gold and silver; and he also bestowed high honours on Tun Parek-patih Pand, who after some time returned to Perlac. By Putri Ganggang, Sultan Malec al Salih had two sons; the eldest named Sultan Malec al Zaher; and the youngest, Sultan Malec al Mansur. The elder was brought up by Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din; and, the  younger, by Sidi Ali Ismayemdi, till they  arrived at maturity. At this time, the country of Perlac was conquered by its  enemies opposite, and the inhabitants took  refuge in Samadra, Then, Sultan Malec al  Salih determined to found another settlement for his sons. He ordered all his chiefs to prepare for a hunting match; and, having mounted his elephant, Parmadewan, he crossed the river. When he had landed, his dog, named Sipasei, gave tongue, and the Sultan quickly flew to it, and found an elevated ground, of nearly the size of a palace, and its appurtenances, and very fine and  smooth, as if it had been levelled. He ordered this place to be cleared out, and a Negri,  or town, founded there, a palace erected, and the whole to be named Pasei, after the Prince's dog. He ordered his eldest son, Malec al Zaher to be raja; and Sidi  Ali Gheyas ed-din to be mangcu-bumi; and, having divided his people, elephants, horses,  and royal accoutrements into two parts, he divided them between his sons. After some time, Sultan Malec al Salih sickened; and, having summoned his two sons, with all the great men of Samadra, he addressed them, saying: "O, my two sons, and you my friends, I am at the point of death; but, may you remain happy, after I  have left you: and you, my sons, do not covet  the wealth of others, and do not desire the wives of others, but do you agree with each other like brothers, and do not quarrel." To Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din, and Sidi Ali Ismayemdi, he said, "My brothers, carefully bring up these, my children, and do not suffer two brothers to quarrel; adhere firmly to your fidelity to them, and do not join yourselves to other rajas." They assented in profound grief, saying, "Yea, our lord, light of our eyes, we swear by the great God, the Creator of all, that we will faithfully maintain our allegiance and fidelity to the Princes, your sons." Then, Sultan Malec Mansur, the son of Sultan Malec al Salih, succeeded to the throne of the kingdom of Samadra; and, after three days died, and was buried beside his palace, and his tomb is still said to be at Samadra. After the death of their father, the Princes completed the division of their subjects, elephants, horses, and champions; and, the land of Pasei  became more beautiful than ever before, flourishing both in trade and population.