Page:Madras Journal of Literature and Science, series 1, volume 6 (1837).djvu/21

1837.] dated. If reliance can be placed on the traditions of the Malays, they possessed religions books and a code of laws written in a character now unknown (probably a modification of the Káwi), of which the zeal of their Mahomedan converters have obliterated every vestige. The many Hindu words, in the body of the language, still in use, the frequent allusions in their popular historical romances and poems, to the Ramayana and Mahabharat, contribute to strengthen the plausibility of these traditions. It is certain that, at a very early period, a considerable intercourse subsisted between the peninsula of Malacca, India, and Siam. From one or both of these sources we must attribute the introduction of Hinduism or Buddhism.

In the Sejára Maláyn we are informed that Raja Suran, the monarch of Amdam Nagara, and founder of the city of Bijanagar, penetrated to the southern extremity of the peninsula, with an army amounting to one thousand and two lacs of men from the country of Kling (Kalinga), with an intention of invading China. He marched by Perak southerly to the country of Glangkin, which appears to have been formerly a great kingdom on the Johore river, where he defeated and slew its sovereign Raja Chulan; who, according to the Malayan historians, was superior to all the Rajas of the countries lying under the wind. This kingdom was probably that of Zabaje. According to Major Wilford, "In the peninsula of Malacca, was the famous emporium of Zaba: Zábája, in Sanscrit, would signify those of Zába. The empire of Zábáje was thus called probably from its metropolis Zaba, as well as the principal islands near it. Zába was a famous emporium even as early as the time of Ptolemy. It remained so till the time of the two Musulman travellers of Remandot, and probably much longer. It is now called Bátu Sábor, on the river Johore, which is as large as the Euphrates, according to these two travellers; who add that the town of Calabar, on the coast of Coromandel, and ten days to the south of Madras, belonged to the Máhárája of Zabaje." The wars of this Maharaja with the king of Al-Comr, or countries near Cape Comorin, are mentioned by the two Musulman travellers, in the ninth century: and it seems that, at that time, the Malayan empire was in its greatest splendour. Johore in 1511 became the capital of a Musulman empire, but is now dwindled into a small fishing village. The chief still retains the title of sultan of Johore. It is in the vicinity of this place and the capital of Malacca that remains of the ancient religion, temples, sculptured inscriptions and idols, if they do exist at all, are to be looked for. Not far from the mouth of the Johore river, on the island of Singapore