Kidaram kondan and Bujang Valley: ‘Ye dhamma hetuppabhava tesam...'
S. Kalyanaraman
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011
Kidaram kondan and Bujang Valley: ‘Ye dhamma hetuppabhava tesam...'
SEE: MARITIME MUSEUM, HONGKONG
Singapore has always been a maritime city and today is one of the biggest ports in the world. The gallery displays the finest collection of ship models in Southeast Asia, rare ship charts, photographs, equipment and artifacts. Proceed to the Boat Pavilion to discover the evolution of boats. Ingenious fishing methods of bygone days are revealed in the Kelong, in the Fisheries Gallery and a section on Man and the Ocean features exhibits relating to ships and navigation. An interesting collection of outdoor exhibits includes a 100-year old steam crane.
SINGAPORE MARITIME MUSEUM TO OPEN.
September 7th, 2011
noelbynature
Singapore’s first maritime museum, showcasing the maritime history of the region, will open next month. The museum will have on display the Jewel of Muscat, a replica of an Arab-style dhow that sunk in Indonesian waters in the 10th century.
S’pore to get first maritime museum next month
Channel NewsAsia, 05 September 2011
Singapore will get its first maritime museum on October 15. Called the Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium (MEMA), it’ll form the latest attraction at the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) waterfront.
RWS said the museum will be housed in an iconic steel and glass ship hull at the waterfront and will give museum goers a new experience that includes maritime talks and exploration on life-sized replica historical ships.
This includes the Bao Chuan, a full-sized replica of the bow of legendary seafarer Admiral Zheng He’s treasure ship.
http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2011/09/07/singapore-maritime-museum-open-month/#more-4270
See also:
Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore
Asian Civilizations Museum Opened in 1997, this museum mounts cultural and anthropological exhibits covering the major civilizations of China, India and Southeast Asia, from prehistory to the present day. 39 Armenian Street (off Stamford Road near the National Library).
Kidaram kondan and Bujang valley, Kedah: Indian Ocean Community
HTTP://BHARATKALYAN97.BLOGSPOT.COM/SEARCH?Q=KIDARAM
NEW STRUCTURES UNEARTHED AT BUJANG VALLEY
INDIAN SCHOLARS HIGHLIGHT LINKS BETWEEN TAMIL KINGDOMS AND BUJANG VALLEY
August 30th, 2010
noelbynature Posted in Malaysia
Speaking after their recent presentations on Bujang Valley in Kuala Lumpur in July, some Indian scholars note the important role that Bujang Valley in Kedah, Malaysia, played in the spread of Buddhism, Hinduism and the Pallava Grantha script in the region.
Remnants of a relationship
T.S. SUBRAMANIAN August 19, 2010
Iron implements and stone tools
Trade and commerce between medieval Tamil and Malay rulers were discussed at a recent meet in Malaysia.
The relationship that existed between the Bujang Valley in the present-day Malaysia and the Pallava and the Chola kingdoms in Tamil Nadu from 5th century Common Era (CE) to 12th century CE came under the spotlight at a recent conference on ‘Bujang Valley and Early Civilisations in South-East Asia,' held at Kuala Lumpur.
The conference was jointly organised by the CGAR, Universiti Sains, Malaysia and the Department of National Heritage, with Prof. Mokhtar Saidin, director, Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR), Malaysia, playing a vital role.
The Bujang Valley was originally called Kadaram (Kedah) and formed part of the larger territory of the then Sri Vijaya kingdom. Meaning the Snake Valley, it is located in the north-western part of Malaysia and is its richest archaeological complex.
The Bujang Valley was an important centre of the Buddhist-Hindu polity. It was an entry port for maritime trade with India, China and Persia. Captain James Low first identified the Bujang Valley civilisation in 1840 after discovering many temples there. He found “undoubted relics of a Hindoo colony, with ruins of temples” and “mutilated images” extending “along the talus of the Kedda mountain Jerrei.” According to R. Nagaswamy, former director, Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department, the recent excavations in Sungai Batu sites in the valley not only confirmed that it was a centre of maritime trade in South-East Asia but played a significant role in the spread of Buddhism, the Pallava Grantha script and Hinduism in the region.
A recent discovery in the Sungai Batu site is a stone inscription in Pallava Grantha script that reads, ‘Ye dhamma hetuppabhava tesam hetum tathagato aha… avam vadhi maha samano.' It refers to a Buddhist doctrine. Other discoveries included remnants of a furnace for smelting iron ore, thousands of bricks and more importantly, the remains of a stupa.
Both Dr. Nagaswamy and V. Selvakumar, another invitee to the conference, asserted that the discovery of the inscription in Pallava Grantha script demonstrated that the people of the Bujang Valley had adopted the Pallava script and it established the then Tamil country's contact with the Valley.
Dr. Selvakumar, assistant professor, Department of Epigraphy and Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur, said that not only the Valley but the entire area had contacts with Medieval Tamil country.
The Chola connection
Both Raja Raja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola had established maritime contacts with the Sri Vijaya kingdom. But Rajendra Chola, during an overseas expedition, conquered Kadaram and captured its king, Sri Mara Vijoyatunga Varman.
The next significant find, at a place called Takua Pa, just above the Valley, is an 8th century CE inscription in Tamil of the Pallava king Nandivarman II with his title ‘Avani Naranan.' It refers to a merchants' guild, trading in gems that had left from Manigramam, a village near Poompuhar, to Bujang Valley. The idol and the inscriptions in Tamil are still there at Takua Pa in present-day Thailand. Takua Pa was the first port of call for the South Indian merchants. The Bujang Valley, a little south of Takua Pa, was the next important port of call. Sri Vijaya's king, Sri Mara Vijayotunga Varman, sent an embassy from Kedah to Raja Raja Chola, requesting him permission to build a Buddha Vihara near Nagapattinam in the name of his father Sri Chulamani Varman. Raja Raja Chola permitted him to build a Buddha vihara and gifted wealth and a village called Anaimangalam, near Nagapattinam, in 1006 CE, for the vihara.
"This is recorded in Raja Raja Chola's copper charter called Anaimangalam grant, now preserved in the Leyden Museum in Holland. So it is called the Leyden Grants," said Dr. Nagaswamy.
There were friendly relations between the two kings, and Vimalan Agatheesvaran, an ambassador from Sri Mara Vijayotunga Varman, gifted lamps, silver kalasams and plates to theKayarohana Siva temple, near Nagapattinam. An inscription in Tamil is still available here. Another inscription talks about Kuruthan Kesavan, a chief officer of the king of Kadaram, consecrating an ‘Ardhanarisvara' and gifting Chinese gold (‘Cheena kanagam') to the same Kayarohana temple. “Raja Raja Chola had a wonderful foreign policy. He forged friendly relations with the countries of South-East Asia,” said Dr. Nagaswamy. However, misunderstandings arose between Rajendra Chola and Sri Mara Vijayotunga Varman. Rajendra Chola, in response, sent a naval fleet to Takua Pa. It captured Kadaram and also the king, and brought back as war trophy the ‘vidhyadhara thorana' (the entrance arch). Dr. Nagaswamy said, “Obviously, the battle spread from Takua Pa down south. Future excavations in the Bujang Valley will surely unveil both the friendly contacts and rivalry between the Cholas and the Kadaram kings.”
In his paper, Dr. Singaravelu Sachithanantham, Professor Emeritus (Indian Studies), University of Malaya, said the discovery of iron ore-smelting industry at Sungai Bata would seem to support and confirm certain information found in the Tamil literary works of contemporary and later times. Dr. Sachithanantham said: “For example, the Tamil poem ‘Pattinappalai' (line 191) of the Sangam period refers to the import of ‘kazhakaththu akam' (the produce of kazhakam) at the sea port of Pukar or Kaveripoompattinam.
Point to note
While the temple at Gangaikondacholapuram, built by Rajendra Chola, has been declared a World Heritage Monument by UNESCO, the remains of his palace in the nearby Maligai Medu has not been protected. “It should be protected and converted into an indoor exhibition,” said Dr. Selvakumar.
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article582099.ece
May 11th, 2009
noelbynature Posted in Malaysia |
The team Universiti Sains Malaysia excavating the protohistoric Bujang Valley complex have announced the discovery of new structures, as well as evidence for an as-yet-unidentified script. The circular foundation encircling a square base was pointed out by an earlier commenter here.
Need to rewrite history of Lembah Bujang
Universiti Sains Malaysia, 07 May 2009
Since February 2009, the research carried out by the excavation team from the Centre for Global Archaeological Research (PPAG), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), has discovered more evidence of the structure of the 3rd Century iron smelting site.
The latest discoveries from the excavation that began in February are expected to provide answers to various questions regarding the history of the PPAG excavation site at Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang Kedah.
The Director of PPAG, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mokhtar Saidin said that these crucial discoveries are expected to provide various historical facts including the function of the location, the influence of the government, activities and other facts since the 3rd century.
http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2009/05/11/structures-unearthed-bujang-valley/
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL REGION OLDER THAN ANGKOR WAT
March 2009 update: New excavations by the Centre for Global Archaeology Research at Universiti Sains Malaysia have unearthed evidence for an iron-smelting facility in the Bujang Valley, dating to 300CE and the earliest example for Malaysia. See here and here.
EVIDENCE FOR IRON SMELTING DISCOVERED IN MALAYSIA
March 5th, 2009
noelbynature Posted in Malaysia | 7 Comments »
New discoveries from the Bujang Valley, an hour away from Penang. While the news seems to stress on the 300 CE date of the Bujang Valley complex, this news isn’t actually new – what is significant about the find is the presence of apparently non-religious structures, particularly one used for metalworking. Until now, there has been little evidence for local metalworking in Malaysia for this period. This current investigation is part of a larger project to turn the bujang Valley into a heritage park. Oh, and there’s been a name change: the Centre for Archaeology Research, Malaysia is now the Global Centre for Archaeology Research.
Archaeologists find prehistoric building
Bernama, 04 March 2009
Civilisation dating back 300 A.D. found
The Sun, 04 March 2009
More sites of Bujang Kingdom
New Straits Times, 05 March 2009
After a month-long excavation, the archaeological team from the Universiti sains Malaysia Centre for Global Archaeological Research (PPAG) which was led by its director, Prof Dr Mokhtar Saidin, established that the sites were a building and an iron smelting site.
The team also proved that the sites existed in the 3rd century AD.
A sample of coal dug from the iron smelting site was dated to that time by the United States-based laboratory, Beta Analytic Inc in Florida, using carbon dating technology.
“We believe we have uncovered the other components of the Lembah Bujang kingdom, after the discovery of Hindu and Buddhist worshipping sites in the 1890s,” Mokhtar said at the site yesterday.He said the first site could be a building, suggesting that it might have been a housing or an administration centre, while the iron smelting site established that industrial activity existed in early Lembah Bujang history.
http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2009/03/05/evidence-iron-smelting-discovered-malaysia/
IRON SMELTING, TEMPLES AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF ‘CIVILIZATION’
March 9th, 2009
noelbynature Posted in Malaysia | 4 Comments »After a few days of news about the so-called “pre-Angkor” civilisation at the Bujang Valley, I was pleasantly surprised to read the AP’s (a notably non-local media organisation) focus on the iron-smelting discovery. There is an interesting question as to whether the remains that dot the valley really constitute as a ‘civilisation’ or not. What we do know is that the area seems to have been inhabited from the 3rd or 4th century right up to the 11th or 12th century. There are two main theories about the Bujang Valley settlement: was it was an outpost for Indian traders, who made a settlement there to stay for up to half a year while waiting for the monsoon winds to bring them back to India? Another theory is that the settlement was indigenous, and was gradually ‘Indianized’ from contacts with Indian traders – hopefully archaeological evidence can uncover which condition is true.
Our main source of archaeological information is from the ruins themselves, most of which appear to be remains of Buddhist stupas or Hindu temples with votive offerings; the tropical climate and frequent floods mean that there is little chance for human and other organic remains will be found. I am skeptical about the identification of one of the newly unearthed buildings as a house because houses in this region tend to be made from wood rather than stone. (Note: While affiliated with the Global Centre for Archaeological Research, I am not involved with this excavation in any way.)
One more note about iron smelting in Southeast Asia – the earliest evidence for such is around 1,500 BCE in the mainland, but the ranges of dates from the region go to as late as 500 CE. It does look as if the technology for metalworking diffused out from the mainland, probably from the north to south.
Malaysian dig reveals ancient people mastered iron
AP, via International Herald Tribune, 06 March 2009Other than the Hindu and Buddhist temples that have been uncovered, little is known about the people of the Bujang Valley. There is even debate over whether they were an actual civilization.
Harry Truman Simanjuntak, a researcher at the National Research Center of Archaeology in Jakarta who was not involved in the dig, said the dating of the iron smelt to the third or fourth century appears reasonable.
But he cautioned that more evidence must be unearthed before concluding the Bunjang Valley people were an actual civilization, defined by complex hierarchical social and other structures.
“It’s too early to say it is a civilization,” he said.
Mokhtar argues the Bujang people are a civilization because temples imply a social structure.
October 19th, 2007
When the British acquired the island of Penang from the Sultan of Kedah, they probably did not realise that they were just 40km away from ancient settlement that once also was a port of call for traders entering the Malacca Strait. The settlement in the Bujang Valley dates as far back as the 5th century, and as I was in Penang the couple weeks ago to see my supervisor, it was impossible to not make a side trip to one of Malaysia’s most underrated archaeological sites.
The many names of the Bujang Valley
The Bujang Valley rests at the foot of Gunung (Mount) Jerai, a major navigational landmark for ships coming from India. For sailors traveling from India without hugging the coast Gunung Jerai would have been a welcome sight after sailing for weeks without seeing any land. At various times in history the Indians knew the kingdom as Kalagam (according to a 2nd century Tamil poem), and later on Kadaram or Kataha. The Chinese Monk I-Tsing (I-Ching) who traveled to India in the 7th century to visit the University of Nalanda would have known Bujang Valley at Qie-zha (sometimes spelled Chieh-Cha or Kie-tcha). Arab traders knew of the same place as Kalah or Kalahbar.
Bujang Valley today, facing approximately North-east. Notice Gunung Jerai in the background.
Buddhist and Hindu influences
The Bujang Valley was surveyed in the 1930s by Quartritch Wales, who found some 30 sites in the area (some 50 sites have been found to date). In particular, the area known as Sungei Mas, which would have been a logical place for landfall, yielded a number of trade artefacts and Buddhist monuments. It seems that kingdom at Bujang Valley between the 5th and 11th centuries was Buddhist, and then later on became Hindu. This shift if religion can be explained by the Chola occupation in the 11th century. The Tamil kingdom mounted a swift attack through the Straits of Malacca, conquering the culturally-significant Kataha, as well as plundering the main ports of Srivijaya. Tamil occupation of Kataha was short, lasting about a century, but the cultural and architectural influences carried on until today. Some of the most significant temples – known as Candi (pronounced Chandi) – that populate the valley have a distinct South Indian influence.
Candi Bukit Batu Pahat
The centrepiece at the Bujang Valley archaeological museum is Candi Bukit Batu Pahat, which was built around the 11th and 12th century – contemporary to Angkor Wat. The candi was made from granite quarried nearby and overlooks the valley from its high point.
The candi retains the Vimana (closed room) and Mandapa (pavilion) template that is typical of Hindu temples. The Vimana would have housed the statue of the deity, and excavations have unearthed stone reliquaries containing semiprecious stones, gold and silver foil relics.
More significantly, Candi Bukit Batu Pahat is a rare example of Hindu temple architecture outside of India. Notice these drains? Worshipers would place their oblations of holy liquids, usually offerings of water and ghee to the deity in the vimana, and collect them as they poured out of the drain to the side. These drains are very rare in Southeast Asia, but common in South India. Typical Indonesian Hindu temples do not have this architectural feature, which suggests that Bujang Valley has a close connection to India, rather than an indigenised form of Hinduism.
How local is the granite from Candi Batu Pahat? A river runs through the grounds of the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum, and on its banks you can still see the remains of quarried granite blocks that were never used.
Other reconstructed Candis
Because Bujang Valley encompasses a large area, most of the candis exhibited at the museum are reconstructions of the original finds, moved to the vicinity of Candi Bukit Batu Pahat which is the only candi that rests in-situ. This is rather unfortunate, because we have no way of ever knowing if these reconstructions are accurate. I find it interesting to note that some of these reconstructed candi are reminiscent of the structures from the Cat Tien archaeological site in Vietnam which was discovered in the last decade.
Candi Pendiat is an 11th century structure built of laterite with the Vimana-Mandapa structure. Interestingly enough, a small bronze Buddha was found within it despite the strong Hindu architecture.
Candi Pengkalan Bujang has a cruciform shape to it, and a smaller basin-like structure associated with it. It is built of brick.
Candi Bendang Dalam is another Hindu temple with the now-familiar Vimana-Mandapa format. It is also made of laterite, and here you can clearly see the post holes where the wooden hafts would have been inserted to make pillars.
Bujang Valley today
Like much of non-urban Malaysia, Bujang Valley today is plantation land – either oil palm , rubber or rice. In that sense, perhaps the decision to move the candis from their original sites was a good idea. The distribution of the 50 candis around the Bujang Valley as well as the tropical environment reminds me of how quickly Angkor was overtaken by nature. Perhaps with the right Geographic Information Systems tools, we might one day uncover the urban spawl of the Bujang Valley too?
Bujang Valley from far. Notice the curve of the Merbok river and the opening to the sea. This is where ships would have made landfall.
The grounds of the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum. Candi Bukit Batu Pahat is the rectangular gray structure on top.Next week, I’ll talk more about the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum. The Bujang Valley Archaeological Site is about an hour’s drive away from Penang, which is about four hours away from Kuala Lumpur. To get there, take the North-South Highway and exit via the Sungei Patani (North) turnoff. The GPS coordinates for the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum is 5°44’15.51″N 100°24’49.68″E.
CRADLE OF AN EARLY CIVILISATION (MALAYSIA)
14 June 2006 (The Star Online) - A feature on the archaelogical features of Bujang Valley in Kedah, Malaysia.
Cradle of an early civilisation
The Bujang Valley in Kedah was the bustling centre of a rich and prosperous kingdom between the third and 12th century AD.
It was then known as Nusantara, a Sanskrit word which means ‘seat of all felicities.’
The area, which was also called Bujanga or ‘Valley of the Serpent’ was Southeast Asia’s central trading entreport which dealt with cargo brought by Arab, Chinese, Indian as well as maritime traders from the Malay archipelago.
ANGKOR ANCESTORS AT THE CAMBODIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
May 20th, 2009
noelbynature Posted in Angkor, Cambodia, Exhibitions, Museums | No Comments »
The latest exhibition in the National Museum Cambodia, Angkor Ancestors, draws our attention to the Bronze Age remains and artefacts found in what is now Angkor’s Western Baray. The exhibition is on now until the end of the year, so catch the exhibition if you’re there. (Many thanks to Sam Campbell for sharing with us the link.)
http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2009/05/20/angkor-ancestors-cambodian-national-museum/
You might also be interested in:
New structures unearthed at Bujang Valley
Seminar on the Bujang Valley begins today
Metal Age artefacts unearthed in Myanmar
Malaysia’s Bujang Valley larger than originally thought
Bujang Valley needs better publicity for tourism
Bukit Tengkorak: The next new archaeological park?
Angkor Blog
China offers help with Bujang Valley excavations
Exploring ancient Kadaram
Parts of Bujang Valley closed for maintenance
Related Books:
- Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula by P. M. Munoz
- Early History (The Encyclopedia of Malaysia) by Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman (Ed)
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com