by Donplaypuks® at http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
If we were to exclude the knowledge of the existence and details of legends and myths from our history books, then, not only would Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, Chinese, Indians and others be robbed of a rich heritage, so too would the world. Legends and myths are not based on mere conjecture and the dreams of the Homers, Vyasas, Valmikis and the like. Much of their stories are based on actual places and events, though embellished with fantastic feats and stories of the adventures of Gods, supermen and super evil-men and women and of heroes, heroines and villains. Many of these stories while exploring universal human values, behaviour and themes, also give us glimpses of the world as it was thousand of years ago. Who really knows what happened in the past, in pre-historic times?
Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (CLICK HERE) believed that the Iliad and Odyssey were based on actual historical events and staked his life on it. He went on to discover in the 1870's near what is now modern Turkey, Troy, the 3,000-years old city of fabulous treasures where the married Greek Queen Helen of Sparta, of 'the face that launched a thousand ships' fame, had been taken to by her lover, Paris, who had seduced and/or abducted her. This one act by Paris triggered off the Trojan Wars and the 10-year long siege of Troy, resulting in its eventual destruction by the Greeks. How the pulse quickens at the mention of Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Priam, Paris, Helen, Cassandra and the Trojan Horse, and why to "beware of Greeks bearing gifts!"
The boy Arthur Evans's (CLICK HERE) imagination had been fired by the stories from the Iliad and the Odyssey. As an archaeologist, he discovered the remains of the Knossos Palace on the Greek island of Crete and proof of the existence of the ancient Minoan civilization. Underground tunnels directly beneath the palace give credence to the old story of the youthful and brave hero Theseus who was said to have defeated the half man, half bull and man-eating beast called 'Minotaur!'
Many towns such as Dwaraka, Ayodhya and Kurushetra are mentioned in the 5,000-year old texts of the Ramayana and Mahabharatha. (CLICK HERE) (AND HERE). Two sites explored in India in the 19th century by Hirananda Shastri and DR Bhandarkar of the Archaeological Society of India were declared to be of no historical significance. Later, expeditions to these same two sites in the 1920's, led by Sahni, Banerji, Bandhyopadhyay and John Marshall, established Harappa and Mohenjodaro (Mound of the Dead), (CLICK HERE) (AND HERE) both now located in modern Pakistan, as two of the world's earliest urban settlement. The 5,000-over year old Indus Valley Civilization is possibly even older than that of Babylon and China.
Closer to home, the 2nd century Indian Hindu-Buddhist Bujang Valley (and also the Kedah Annals or Merong Mahawangsa) was discovered in the 1860's by Colonel James Low, and explored in detail in 1937-38 by Quaritch Wales from London and Professor Nilakanta Shastri of India. Since then, has any local historian searched for gold chariots and treasures mentioned in the Kedah Annals in the hills surrounding the Bujang Valley?
Such is the myopia our Professors Emeritus and historians suffer from. The are just too plain lazy to take a shovel and dig for the truth, preferring instead the more wholly agreeable and pleasurable pursuit of inertia and somnambulence in the cosy, air-conditioned offices of our sleepy halls of 'academia.' History and myths and legends are only boring and dead subjects of no interest to our children if taught by professors and teachers on early retirement mode and snail-speed, and if 60-70 pages of 'Islamic Civilization Studies' are stuffed into our history books, to the exclusion of much of local and world history.
I have said it before and I'll say it again. KEEP RELIGION COMPLETELY OUT OF ALL PUBLIC-FUNDED SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND EDUCATION!!
Which brings us to the legend of Princess Hang Li Po. According to the Sejarah Annals or Malay Annals (refer to my blog dated 2nd October 2013) she was the daughter of the Emperor of China and the 5th wife of Sultan Mansur Shah of Melaka (1459-1477 CE).
One of our "leading professors of history" created controversy and
furore last year by suggesting that legends such as these ought to be excluded
from our history books or a disclaimer issued. I suppose he would be
happy with something along the lines of "Students Beware! Reading, debating and discussing or teaching legends and myths may cause
cancer!" Our poor impressionable, oh-so-delicate and innocent children
must be protected from having their minds corrupted, fired and
excited by myths and legends. He has, as far as I know, never called
for Superman, Batman, Spider Man, Iron Man, The Mighty Thor, the X-Men,
Wolverine and Marvel comics to be banned either, but I'm sure that call
is not far away either.
Firstly, Bukit China (Chinese Hill) with its numerous graves, actually still exists close to the city centre in Melaka, as does Hang Li Po's well, three of the Muslim eunuch Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho's (Zheng He) 'Seven Dragon Wells' and Sam Poh Teng Temple (found also in Perak and I think, in Penang). So, they are not a figment of the wild imagination of Sejarah scribes, or the creation of some Chinese chauvinist's fertile imagination. The same professor who created the furore should, as a matter of professional integrity, offer us a logical alternative explanation as to where these names and relics came from if not from the fifteenth century. After all, he's been a professor of history for well nigh 30-40 years, much of it on taxpayers's funding, and has had lots of time to research and reflect on it.
So, what does the Sejarah (Raffles Ms 18) written in 1535 CE and updated on 13th May 1612, actually say about Hang Li Po? Refer pg. 116-124 of the Sejarah.
The Chinese Emperor had apparently, (ahem!) heard of the greatness of the Raja of Melaka, and sent an envoy bearing gifts to the royal court of Melaka. Sultan Mansur Shah then reciprocated with his own delegation to (presumably Peking, I'll clarify later) China, headed by one Tun Perpateh Puteh, younger brother of Bendahara Paduka Raja. On arrival in China, they are received by Chief Minister Ling Ho, who conducts them to an audience with the "Raja of China." So delighted and impressed with the Melaka envoy was the Chinese Emperor that:
"....when the season of the year for the return voyage to Melaka was come, the Raja of China bade Ling Ho make ready ships to convey Ling, (and ) his daughter to Melaka. Ling Ho did so, and when the ships were nearly ready, the Raja of China chose out five hundred youths of noble birth (? sons of ministers) with a high officer in command, to escort his daughter (Princess Hang Liu; and several hundred beautiful women-attendants accompanied her)......and when she appeared, Sultan Mansur Shah was astonished by the beauty of Princess Hang Liu, daughter of the Raja of China, and he gave orders that she embrace the faith of Islam......and married the princess.
And by her he had a son...Paduka Mimat...who had a son Paduka Sri China who in turn had a son named Paduka Ahmat, father of Paduka Isap.
And the five hundred (sons of Chinese ministers) were bidden to take up their abode at Bukit China; and the place goes by that name to this day. It was they who made the well at Bukit China,
and it is their descendants who are called "the Chinese yeoman". And
Sultan Mansur gave robes of honour to the Chinese ministers who had
brought the princess, and the minister then sought leave to return to
China."
The same from Pg.178-180 of the Sejarah translated in English by John Leyden in 1810:
"The Raja of China...said..desire the Raja (of Melaka) to pay me a visit, in order that I may marry my daughter, the Princess Hong Li-po to him....Then, the Sultan directed the Princess Hong Li-po to be converted to the religion of Islam......and
the raja appointed the hill without the fort for their residence, and
the hill got the name of Den-China or the Chinese residence, (in
Siamese)); and the Chinese formed a well at the foot of this China Hill.
The descendants of these persons are denominated beduanda China, or the
Chinese personal attendants. Sultan Mansur Shah bestowed a honorary
dress on Di-po, and all the rest of the mantris who had conducted the
Chinese Princess..."
Can it be clearer than that? There are slight variations in spelling and names, but remember Leyden's translation was done with assistance from a Tamil Indian Muslim Munshi some 200 years ago when Jawi, Malay and Arabic were Greek to Leyden in particular. I also suspect that the word 'Hang' in the Sejarah has Sanskrit origins, and is just an honorific term and not related to the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE) of China. Likewise, for Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu etc.
Contrary to all sorts of speculation designed to insult and belittle the Chinese, the Sejarah is crystal clear that Hang Li Po was not the daughter of some concubine of the Chinese Emperor, or of some high or low ranking nobleman, passed off as royalty. The fact that Chinese historical records do not mention either Hang Li Po or these events, does not mean they constitute mere legend. Chinese records were deliberately destroyed, or lost as a result of floods, fire and other natural and man-made disasters.
And, why would the Sejarah's scribe - 100% non-Chinese - concoct a story about a Chinese princess marrying the Sultan of Melaka, when he also goes on to record the 1511 Portuguese invasion of Melaka and subsequent events, fairly accurately; events of historical fact? Why would he want to distort facts? What would have been his motive?
And, why would the Sejarah's scribe - 100% non-Chinese - concoct a story about a Chinese princess marrying the Sultan of Melaka, when he also goes on to record the 1511 Portuguese invasion of Melaka and subsequent events, fairly accurately; events of historical fact? Why would he want to distort facts? What would have been his motive?
In so far as Chinese Ming records are concerned, visits by Parameswara (Pai-li-mi-su-la) and his sons who succeeded him as Rajas and Sultans commenced 1405 CE and ceased 1435 CE. The first few visits were to Nanking, and subsequently to Peking, where the Chinese capital was moved to circa 1421. These visits were beautifully reconstructed by Professor Wang Gangwu in his classic paper 'The First Three Rulers of Malacca' read out at the Annual Lecture of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (MBRAS) in 1968.
These voyages took place to cement a mutually beneficial relationship where China helped protect Melaka from Siamese invasion, and Melaka offered China a base for its fleets heading to and from the Indian Ocean and South East Asia. (You can get a copy of Prof Gangwu's paper from the MBRAS (google it) or leave a request at my blog with your email address).
But if recorded visits to China by Melakans ceased in 1435 CE, then how do we reconcile that with two (outside of the Sejarah) unrecorded journeys to China during Sultan Mansur Shah's (1459-1477) rule?
The fact that Chinese historical records do not mention either Princess Hang
Li Po or these events, does not mean they constitute mere legend and myths. China lost all interest in the outside world after about 1430 CE and even records of many of Cheng Ho's voyages were officially obliterated.
Many records were also removed from Melaka and other countries to Singapore, India, Portugal, Batavia (Jakarta), Holland and UK following successive invasions by Europeans. E.g., found
stashed away in an old warehouse in Amsterdam were crates containing
manuscripts of the La Galigo. These narrate the thirteenth century
pre-Islamisation fables of the creation of Middle Earth, legends, lives and
heroism of the Bugis people in South Sulawesi, formerly Celebes, just east of
Borneo. Nearby are the Moluccas or Spice Islands, the arena for the Spice Wars
for thousands of years among the Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Europeans and
British. These were the same Bugis who when attacked by the Dutch fled their
homeland in droves mainly to Selangor, Perak and Kedah on the west coast of
Malaya. What survives of the La Galigo is only 1/3 of the original
leaf-parchment writings. At 6,000 pages and 300,000 lines it is longer than the
Mahabharatha and Iliad by several miles!
The ultimate truth can only be discovered by relentless investigations by our historians and archaeologists. Surely with official sanction and the help of Chinese priests, some of the older graves at Bukit China can be exhumed in a dignified and respectful manner, and DNA and carbon testing done to establish accurately the ethnic origins and the age of the bones there? Who knows what relics may be found there? Let
them start tracing the descendants of Hang Li Po and members of her entourage who remained in Melaka (many
returned to China after the Portuguese invasion in 1511), and gave rise
to the Melaka Nyonya or Perakanan.
Similarly, can not studies and investigation be done on graves purportedly that of some of Hang Tuah's cohorts, and Hang Tuah himself? The Sejarah says Hang Tuah was buried at Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachado near Port Dickson, a mere 45 minutes drive from KL. Emanuel Godinho De Eridia, born in Melaka in 1563, was the son of a Portuguese official and a Malay Maccarese princess. He wrote in 1613 CE that the remains of Parameswara's (Iskandar Shah) marble tomb were visible on the promontory of Tanjong Tuan!! This is in direct contradiction to the claims in Singapore (and I believe that S'pore is wrong) that Parameswara's remains are to be found at the Keramat Iskandar at Bukit Larangan (Fort Canning); it is more likely to be that of Sri Tri Buana and Demang Lebar Daun.
The Sejarah must therefore, NOT be dismissed as a hotch-potch of legends and myths and tattle-tales. It must be venerated as a priceless starting point, not a dead end.
So, the last word on Princess Hang Li Po (and Hang Tuah) has not been said or written, not by a long, long way, unless our lazy historians, professors and archaeologists get off their backsides and from behind desks, and start digging!
Similarly, can not studies and investigation be done on graves purportedly that of some of Hang Tuah's cohorts, and Hang Tuah himself? The Sejarah says Hang Tuah was buried at Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachado near Port Dickson, a mere 45 minutes drive from KL. Emanuel Godinho De Eridia, born in Melaka in 1563, was the son of a Portuguese official and a Malay Maccarese princess. He wrote in 1613 CE that the remains of Parameswara's (Iskandar Shah) marble tomb were visible on the promontory of Tanjong Tuan!! This is in direct contradiction to the claims in Singapore (and I believe that S'pore is wrong) that Parameswara's remains are to be found at the Keramat Iskandar at Bukit Larangan (Fort Canning); it is more likely to be that of Sri Tri Buana and Demang Lebar Daun.
The Sejarah must therefore, NOT be dismissed as a hotch-potch of legends and myths and tattle-tales. It must be venerated as a priceless starting point, not a dead end.
So, the last word on Princess Hang Li Po (and Hang Tuah) has not been said or written, not by a long, long way, unless our lazy historians, professors and archaeologists get off their backsides and from behind desks, and start digging!
Donplaypuks® at http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
49 comments:
There is no Princess Hang Li-Po. The emperor surname is not Han.
Melaka is just a small village before the Chinese protect it against piracy and Siamese invasion. Nobody heard of Melaka until Parameswara return from China.
Parameswara convert to Islam upon his return from China.
Do you know that there roads in Indonesia (Jakarta) of using name of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat?
That that mean that they went to Indonesia?
History tells the truth but His Story does not. Only the petty minded government are so scared of the truth that if unveiled may collapse as they are so sacred.
To establish some event or historical person as a fact we need:
1. two independent literary sources,
2. archeological evidence,
3. genetic evidence.
Except for vague references we do not have all three in the case of Hang Li Po. So it remains a theory, not fact. If I am not mistaken there are no chinese graves before 1641 in Malacca. it was the Portugese who brought the Indians. It was the Dutch who invited the Chinese. We could carry out genetic studies of the Peranakan people to compare with lineages in China.
For these same reasons, most religions historical claims cannot be established as fact, but as legends and outlandish claims. Eg. the Mahabharata and Ramayana are mytho-legendary stories, and such events and personalities never took place or existed. Miracles cannot take place unless one can go back in time, AND, alter the natural laws like gravity, magnetism or cosmic constants. Both are impossible! Wake up people, jangan baca cerita! Stop lying! Stop lying to your children and your flock! The lying must stop!
You've been had!
temenggong
There were no independent literary sources, archaelogical evidence or genetic evidence for Schliemann, Evans or Indians to discover Troy, Minoa and Harappa and Mohenjodaro, only myths and legends and scholarly drive and intiative.
The Sejarah references to Hang Li Po are not vague. They, like the descriptions of the Portuguese invasion and succession of Melaka Sultans, are very specific and accurate. Even Li Po's descendants are named.
As far as I know, no thorough cataloguing of the graves at Bukit China have been drawn up, or DNA and carbon dating done.
The Sejarah is dated 13 May 1612, which is based on a 1535 original. Thre is no dispute about that or of Cheng Ho's visits to Melaka between 1400-1424 CE. Prof Wang Gangwu has produced absolute proof of Ming records detailing these 2-way visits!!
So, if Bukit China originated in the 15th century, why is there no curiosity about its origins?
Portuguese brought Indians to Melaka in 1641? What have you been smoking? Parameswara (1400) himself was a Hindu Indian. Indian presence in SEA pre-dates 2nd century CE. The Raja Chola invasion took place in 1000 CE. The Sejarah mention Indian names and Kalingans and Mudaliars,and Sultam Mansur sent a delegation to India. Who do you think built the Angkor Wat, Borobudur, the settlements at Bujang Valley (11 century CE)?
This state of denial is what's making our historians lazy and history, a dead subject.
It's you who's been had beacuse it suits you!
We all know the work ethics of our historians. They don't do research work that are tedious, they would prefer to do reference work, in some airconed and comfortable place.
With regards to the history of Princess Hang Li Po, agreed that there was never a Hang or Hong Chinese emperor. But then, which great Chinese Emperor in his right mind, would offer his true-blooded princess to be married to a half-civilized ruler in a faraway land? And to become the ruler's 5th or 6th wife.
My take would be that the Chinese Emperor would most probably have selected a maiden in the Emperial Court, gave her a royal title of "Princess" and then have her married to the Sultan.
But to declare her just as myth or legend without any proper historical or archaeological research or for any other political reason is plain arrogance and unfair.
Eskay Lim
Based on Ming records, Prof Wang Gangwu has catalogued 20 visits to the Chinese Emperor (including 2 by Parameswara himself) by Melaka Sultans and their envoys, between 1405-1435.
"..which great Chinese Emperor in his right mind, would offer his true-blooded princess to be married to a half-civilized ruler in a faraway land?"
The relationship between China and Melaka was not a fleeting one, especially since Chinese ships needed Melaka for fresh water and supplies, and to sit out the changing monsoons. Cheng Ho and his ships also berthed at Melaka any number of times. So, the story of Princess Hang Li Po is not farfetched.
So, Chinese Emperors with absolute powere could, would and did what was necessary to maintain good diplomatic relations.
The real question though is why our historians have failed to investigate on such important history and clear up the doubts?
Anon 12.03
"There is no Princess Hang Li-Po." But there is a Hang Li Po well and Bukit China and the graves which no one disputes is from the 15th century.
The Sejarah gives a very specific description of Hang Li Po's presence in Melaka, just as it does about the Portuguese invasiona and the Sultans. If the records of the sultans is correct, then why do you dispute Hang Li Po?
Here is a description of Melaka by a Portuguese, Duarte Barbosa, (about 1515 CE) that tells you it was no boondock or backwater:
"This city of Malaca is the richest trading port and possesses the most valuable merchandise, and most numerous shipping and extensive traffic that is known in all the world. And it has got such a quantity of gold that the great merchants do not estimate their property nor reckon otherwise than by bahars ( 1 bahar = 400 pounds) of gold, which are four quintals each bahar. There are merchants among them who will take up singly three or four ships laden with very valuable goods and will supply them with cargo from their own property. They are very well made men and likewise the women. They are of a brown colour and go bare from the waist upwards, and from that downwards cover themselves with silk and cotton cloths, and they wear short jackets halfway down the thigh of scarlet cloth, and silk, cotton, or brocade stuffs, and they are girt with belts, and carry daggers in their waists wrought with rich inlaid work ; these they call querix (kris. And the women dress in wraps of silk stuffs, and short skirts much adorned with gold and jewellery, and have long beautiful hair. These people have many mosques, and when they die they bury their bodies. Their children inherit from them. They live in large houses and have gardens and orchards and pools of water outside the city for their recreation They have got many slaves who are married with wives and children. These slaves live separately and serve them when they have need of them. These Moors who are named Malays are very polished people, and gentlemen, musical, gallant, and well proportioned."
@temenggong
Read the article before posting.
@Eskay Lim
There is often a grain of truth in myths and legends. Too bad they are not interested in finding out the truth.
We bury our past of out shame and fear, only to be lost in the present.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the current trend seemed to be: ignore local history and replace with imports from Middle East, China and India.
It was not an uncommon thing for the Chinese to cement diplomatic ties by giving the hand of marriage of a princess. It happened with Princess Wen Cheng in the Han period when she was sent to marry the Tibetan King bringing with her thousands of followers, among them craftsmen who later built many of the Buddhist temples in Tibet. This is a similar story to that of Princess Hang Li Po.
After Emperor Yung Lo died, future voyages were banned and many of the records of Cheng Ho's voyages were burnt. That is probably the reason why there were no records of her.
"Malacca was no boondock or backwater"
And Pires (not the Arsenal striker) was reported to have said in 1515 that "Whoever is lord of Malacca shall have his hands on the throat of Venice".
Hang Li Po, Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat etc. They are not relatives. Hang is like mister, miss, or tuan or encik
Malaysians prefer not to keep true history. We prefer to keep the part we want and conveniently forget about what we want to forget.
No budget for the history professor to research on Hang Li Po is understandable but what about the last Sultan of Melaka buried at Constantia Klenkie , Cape Town, South Africa?
There lies a tomb of Shekh Abdul Rahman Mabebe Shah, the last Sultan of Melaka the Cape Malays called Makam Keramat. Together with him the graves of his two ministers , one in Robin Island and the other one in Cape Town were identified as the last Melaka Sultan ministers.
Why we do not carry out our researh on the last Sultan? South Africa records shows that the last Sultan of Melaka was banished (buang negeri) by the Dutch. No one can swallow the truth that our last Sultan of Melaka had been banished.
Since this is not something that add value to our history, we should just forget about him. Likewise, Hang Li Po also does not add value to Melaka or Malaysian history, why must our government bother about it?
Get this into your head, the Malays were once Hindus. The Hindus at Lembah Bujang were Malays. Parameswara was a Malay prince from a Hindu civilisation of Srivijaya.
Fazilis
Anonymous 16/10/13 12:03 pm said "Melaka is just a small village before the Chinese protect it..."
Saya tertanya-tanya kenapalah agaknya Maharaja China yang jarak negaranya beribu batu dari Melaka tu sanggup menyusahkan diri mempertahankan kampung kecil bernama Melaka tu?
Bro Donplaypuks...
Sebagai penulis saya berharap agar bro dapat membezakan antara hindu dan india sebagaimana bro dapat bezakan antara Islam dan arab...
Logiklah banyak istilah agama dan nama-nama penganutnya berbau bahasa tempat asalnya...
Adakah semua penganut Islam boleh dianggap berbangsa Arab semata-mata kerana mereka menamakan diri mereka dan anak-anak mereka dengan perkataan-perkataan Arab?
Sudah tentu jawapannya tidak...
Atas premis ini maka tidak logiklah jika kita menganggap Parameswara seorang india semata-mata kerana dia menganut agama hindu...
Kesimpulannya, walaupun dikatakan pernah wujud kerajaan-kerajaan hindu atau buddha di alam melayu namun kerajaan-kerajaan tersebut adalah kerajaan melayu!
Berkenaan dengan raja chola pula dikatakan penguasaannya di alam melayu tidaklah menyeluruh dan dalam masa yang singkat iaitu sekitar 20 tahun sahaja...
Bolehkah orang melayu menjadi india dalam masa 20 tahun?
Just imagine a Melaka without contact with the outside civilizations . Their Sultan would be living in hovels no better than the tree houses of our Orang Asli.
It was the Chinese and Indian civilizations that made it what it was before the Portugese came.When local racial politics is mixed into historical fact, the result can be explosive and the ignorance of our past overwhelming. Do we not know that the DNA of a Malay is basically Chinese ?
Agreed with Eskay Lim, from some Southern China archeologist literature Li Po might be a maiden instead of a princess, it's been revealed lately it had been a norm practiced by China Emperor!
1. If Hang Li Po converted to Islam, why did she still retain her non-Islamic name.
2, If Hang Li Po was a Convert and the Peranakans are her descendants, why is it the Peranakans are not Muslims.
3. Did the 500 noble men who accompanied her converted too. Then they cannot be the ancestors of the present day Perenakans.
4. How did the small hill accommodate the 500 men with their families. Only Hang Li Po's well stands surrounded by ancient graves.
5. If Han Li Po was indeed a princess, then what was the name of her Father (Emperor).
In seeking Protection from China against the Siam, it was wanted to show the enemy the close relationship with China. Strange though, before protection from China, it was actually Siam protecting it from the Mujapahit. After China, it was the Brits from the Dutch .......Portugis. ..?
Very soon we need Indonesia to protect us from UMNO warlords
The very same article on Parameswara in Wikipedia once stated that he was a descendant of Alexander the great (ATG) and was from India...... and all of the subsequent Sultans of Melaka were descendants of ATG, few weeks later the article ceased to exist in Wikipedia. ATG was removed, India was removed. So you can understand why people get confused reading our history..... seems like every time some clown comes up with their version they just edit for the fun of it...... I stop wasting my time with our local history long time ago....
Am much knowledgeable now about Melaka's History. Much has been been removed and not taught according to the younger Generation. It's a shame to cover up our history. We should be proud of the different communities who have settled here and make it their Home.
Sad to say historical facts are twisted covered up to suit political purpose. Our local emeritus historians knows only how to polish shoes built sand castles behind air conditioned offices.ask them to use a shovel to dig archeological sites they know nuts next to nothing
When I was schooling, we learned that Parameswara sought Chinese protection from the Siamese. Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) was despatched to Siam to warn the Siamese against attacking Malacca. He was said to have paid homage to China and acknowledged China's suzerainty. Certainly, this has not been taught to the students. Why? Perhaps to acknowledge Paameswara's is unaccepted to the new historians who wish to glorify Malacca.
History is written by the victor and partly controlled by the people in power. If these people don't like the historical facts, they will change them to suit or simply them wipe off. Malaysians will never know the true facts about their rich multi cultural history as everything has become more sensitive when comes to race and religion. Gone are the days when our history books at primary level were filled with famous inventors, respected figures,conquerors, Chinese dynasties, Indian dynasties, Europeans seafarers etc. I am glad of the fact that i knew about Alexander Graham Bell and Alexander the Great before going to secondary level. But cannot say the same for the generation now.
aiyo...We got professor KANGKUNG ma. At the end of the day, It is UMNO the hero while everyone else is the devil.
Very sad to say in Bolehland everything are being politicized. That is why we get all kinds of distorted views. Views that just explained in many times very intellectually insulting ways. The truth almost all the time is hidden away, destroyed if possible or twisted out of shape to suit some powerful politicians.
I would appreciate having a copy of Professor Wang's paper. My email address is: tkptan@Hotmail.my.
Thanks.
When I was in secondary school, I remember commenting to a classmate that it was strange that an emperor of a great country like china would send a princess to marry parameswara. I suggested it may be one of the hundreds of concubines in the emperor's harem. And even stranger that she appeared on the scene at the same time as Hang Too Ah and his kun-tau gang! Were they related? Nobody satisfied my curiosity, and I lost interest in history and chose another field of endeavor. But I still sometimes wonder... What if my childhood imagination was based on historical fact? Doesn't anybody else want to know?
There is no interest in history by the MB or even the mayor of Malacca town. If they were interested, they would have tried to preserve the area around the town centre for archaeological studies. I believe remnants of the old portuguese fort lies underneath, but were probably dug out by developers and thrown away. And the haphazard land reclamation will have buried whatever artifacts that lies on the sea bed. Its as if the authorities are trying to erase all traces of history.
Anything not Islamic is not Malaysia history. That is how it is. The only history they know is, this is tanah Melayu. But as i have commented several times before, it would have been tanah Siam if not for the protectorate of the Ming emperor.
Can we say the Melayu's in this tanah is ungrateful? They sure said the same of the Chinese who still voted for a melayu except not of the kangkung umno kind.
History is an imagination of Umno in Malaysia. History is not factual findings. It is creation of the education minister of any particular time. http://happilyspeaking.blogspot.com/2013/10/bill-mark-stand-aside-our-g
I would like to have a copy of Professor Wang's paper too. My e-mail address is aryadirazak@yahoo.com
bodoh punya artikel!!
ko nk sokong PR pun ko sokong la anjing! aku sbgai penyokong PR malu dgn isi artikel ko nie! artikel bangang mcm ko punya ni la antara pencetus tragedi 13 Mei nnti! Ko xtau beza antara bangsa dgn agama?!! bahlol apa ko nie??! parameswara tu melayu yg beragama hindu la lahanat!! bukannya keturunan keling!
Ko tgk balik sejarah maharaja china, mmang ada catitan sejarah dari kerajaan China dan mereka mengesahkannya!
dari artikel ko nie, aku dh dpt bau niat sebenar ko! ko nak bebaskan sejarah dari agama?!!! ko ingat sikit ko tu berada di mana! sejarah melayu dgn agama islam takkan dpt berpisah! jgn kau ingt jika berlaku perubahan kerajaan nnti, sesuka hati kau nk ubah sejarah dan mengasingkan agama dari pendidikan! Walaupun aku bersama PR,tetapi aku bersama melayu islam!
Malaysia is Boleh land. Anything is possible. Our profs are only "cari Makan" people n principles cast aside. They are beholden to their boss who manipulate them from behind. They can change the country history.
I thought by following the many episodes of Natgeo
that all these events were related to the travels of Zheng He of the Ming
Dynasty.Zheng He was a Hui Muslim who at the request of the Ming Emperor
put together an Armada to travel the world to show off China's power and seek
tribute from lands the world over.His travels brought him to India and Africa where
many of the Chinese decendants can still be found. He even brought back to China a giraffe
from Africa and one nut even claimed that Zheng He reached America even before the Europeans.
Eventually the trips ended.Zheng He had many enemies in Court, the Eunuchs argued that China
did not need to spend resources to engage with the rest of the world as it was self-sufficient.
Eventually the Eunuchs convinced the Emperor to burn all the ships
and stop engaging the rest of the wolrd in a closed door polcy. That was when Admiral Perry
came with his black ships and blasted China and Japan with his canons and seized port concessions from them.
Amongst things discovered by historians studying whatever little was left of Zheng He' s travels was that
most of his staff were Hui Muslims, and it was even rumoured that all the Hangs were actually Hui generals
left in Melaka to protect he Sultan from The Thais.Zheng He's documents did not mention much about Melaka,but gave quite a detailed account of what they discovered in India ,whom they praised as civil people like the Ming people,and the wild Indonesians who when buying a sword tested it by trying it on the nearest passer by to see if it was sharp enough.Zheng He's army even went as far as to defeat the Ceylonese and forced them to pay tribute to China. An Emperor marrying off his daughter to a king of a foreign land is nothing new,it was practised even the BC years with princesses married to Turks,Mongols,Tibetans in faraway lands especially in the border areas.It was a strategic move to cement ties and loyalty and forge alliances and relationships. As to whether the princess is the Emperor's first daughter,I will only believe what is documented in the Ming records as it was the Sultan who lobbied for a princess and who knows what he was offered,unless one is a Chinese Palace insider.In return he pledged allegiance to China instead of Java and Siam and helped China protect the trade route from China to Africa,with the proof of blood relationship and also Chinese trops stationed in Melaka.
I think a lot can be found in the travels of Zheng He on which the Natgeo episodes were based.They are based on interviews with China historians.Zheng He was hardly remembered in China because after he was gone China embarked on a closed door policy until probably 1990s when it started to engage with the world.Also I dont think China wants to remind the world of Zheng He's exploits as it was the only time other than when the Mongols ruled when the Chinese left their own shores to show their muscle to places overseas.
Hope this helps. http://www.malaccaguide.com/admiral_cheng_ho_zheng_he.html http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200504/the.admiral.zheng.he.htm
Reply · 2 ·
· 17 hours ago
Ya. Trying to cover up the real history, making it as if the UMNO's ancestor are the heroes and the others (which they considered as pendatang) are devils. Same old racist game by UMNO.
When crooks are in power. Truth will never be told. Malasiaaa bolih.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Malaya
This partly explains Umno mentality and their insecurity
and lust for power and riches
It is hard to justify the presence of Hang Li Po, but I still choose to believe that she existed. Besides, it was common that princesses from china or illegitimate birth had no status in the palace. Chinese emperors could very well get rid of a daughter whom he is disappointed in and not acknowledge her presence, thus the "no records found". Just stating how I view this..
banyak pukimak2 cina sial yg dengki!
barua betul cina2 sial ni!
Islam was first introduced to China in 616-18 AD.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_China
There were many thousands of royal blood family members with princes and princess. You will hardly find complete collection of all royal blood family members list in any China records unless they are the closest to the king or queen.
So, who can prove it?
Anon 10.53 pm
How could Islam have been introduced to China in 616-18 AD, when The prophet died in 632 AD and only much later did Islam progress eastwards?
Anyway, my point was that legends should not be summarily dismissed without detailed research. Have Malaysian historians really looked thoroughly at Chines, Indian, Indonesian and Thai records to ascertain the facts? I seriously doubt it!
Thats a very racial remark dude! Why the "DNA" has to be Chinese and not Indian?? The Chinese and the Indians could have made the cities in the Silk Road super rich but many chose the Straits of Malacca because Malacca then has good administration, manage to provide safe passage and valuable goods. There must be a reason why they are the world's entrepot just like how Singapore and Hong Kong today. It doesnt just happen by chance. We cant claim that Singapore is what it is today because of other nations but themselves.
How can u tell it's lie..? U said it ur self.. the research evidences is not enough..?
U're soo right... no Chinese emperor with right mind would let go his princess to be married with half civilised ruler.. that's showed that Malaccan Empire was not half civilised u moron! And there's no princess Hang Li Po.. only princess Li Po.. HANG is a title named for a Hulubalang(like Samurai in Japan) of ancient Malaccan Castle.. The title HANG was given to Li Po is strongly believed because she can performed martial arts..
As u can see the name Li Po is suited with other chinese related to Li Po's history.. like Admiral Cheng Ho and Ling Ho(ming dinasty's Chief Minister)
There's no Princess Hang Li Po.. The princess name is only Li Po.. Princess Li Po.. the title HANG is given by the Sultan of Malacca to Li Po because she knows martial art.
Yung Lo, Cheng Ho , Ling Ho , Li Yu... so .. why the name of the Chinese princess that married to the sultan be HANG Li Po..??? Unless HANG is the title given by the Sultan to his beloved wife who can kick ass..?? HANG is a title named given to HULUBALANG(act like Japanese Samurai) in ancient Malaccan Castle. HANG had been used long before the era of Li Po or Hang Tuah.. Actually the title is given to outsiders(not Malaccan Born) who serviced in the castle of the Malaccan Empire..
Actually its not Hindu...its BRAHMA.. the origin of Hinduism..
BRAHMA is a revealation from god received by Prophet Abraham..
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