langkasuka
The name fascinates us;
not because it is associated with the geo-politics of a 1st century attractive area
that was later divided and dominated by aggressors to command and control people;
not because it is affined to Langkawi and Sri Lanka which was once known as Langkapura.

We are fascinated by the lilting creative coining of concepts
about a land that glitters with the happiness of people deft and dauntless in defense,
expressed in Sanskrit that is extinct, yet not quite extinguished.
From this language of rig-veda, sama-veda, yajur-veda and atharva-veda
came the expressions describing the land.
"langkha" described "land that glitters"
"sukkha" implied "happiness" or "delight"
"ilangasoka" alluded to "people brave in battles"

The beginning 4 letters and the ending 4 letters of "langkasuka"
constitute in "bahasa Melayu" the words "lang" and "suka";
"lang-suka" or "suka-lang" isn't rythmic at all. "langkasuka" is lilting.
"suka" means like or delight or simply happy.
"lang" shortened from "helang" alludes to birds like eagles, hawks and kites;
"lang" or "helang" is a synonym for "rajawali" meaning eagle
as well as "layang-layang" meaning kites.
Malay siblings in between the elder and younger ones are sometimes addressed
by their nephews and nieces as "lang", shortened from "selang" - intervening.

Growing up in Semeling we were often absorbed watching a lone "lang"
gracefully gliding so high in the sky seemingly above the peak of Gunong Jerai.
We used to day-dream about being miraculously gifted with the power to fly
like the lone "lang" high in the sky over Semeling. I was weaned from day-dreaming
by grandfather's gift of a big beautifully crafted "wau" - paper-kite.
One kite to be shared by a few.
The experience was exhilarating - learning to get it up in the air;
and once up, skilfully manage the string to hold the kite high and stable for hours.
We loved that "dengong" - sound of the kite humming in the wind.



Please click here to view map of the area
around Bujang, Semeling, ... in Kedah



People flee from areas of depression, oppression and suppression.
People risk migration to find happiness.
It was speculated that during the European Stone Age
the Malays came to "the Archipelago" and some moved on farther east and south.
They came with some knowledge of agriculture to this fertile region
that we now know as "south-east Asia and Oceania".
They did not develop agricultural skill; instead they yielded to a delight
"in artistic creation which found its expression in wood-carving of unsurpassed quality."
Did cultural encounters result in "great artistic productiveness"?

The Malays, "and this entire culture, spread from India through the island world
in waves of migration, of which all record has perished. Recent research increasingly
emphasizes ancient Chinese influences on the art of this region; but the most decisive
influence was certainly that of Indian sculpture, and the bird-motive, so often found
in it, occurs in a thousand variations throughout the whole of Oceania."

If "Dharma", the non-theistic teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha,
did not then calm the restless spirit of the tropics, they spread from Bihar's Bodh Gaya
and Samath in India as far as China, Korea and Japan.
Did the tranquil and conservative spirit of pilgrims from China calm people
in the north of our region where the Mongolian strain was supreme?
The Malay strain sustained in the south. Chinese, Indians and Malays constantly intermingled.

"Throughout the whole of Indonesia, and also in Polynesia, Indian culture
was preceded by the ancient culture of the Malays "who had entirely different beliefs
concerning life and death; they had long had their own system of tattooing
and their garments of painted bark-cloth, and they produced wooden images
which represented immemorial conceptions of their ancestors and of the goblins of the forest.
What one generally describes as Indonesian, though over and over again it came from India,
must be sharply divided, by a line drawn about the beginning of the Christian era,
into two different worlds - the world of Buddhism, and the world of ancient Malaysia."

"Even before the Christian era the kind of weaving known as ikat
was introduced from Asia. It is not a Polynesian production, but is a result of
the contact of Hindus and Malays; the same is true of batik, and of the stone
architecture of Bali, part of which was directly colonized by Indians. ..."
[ source: "KUNSTGESCHICHTE DER WELT" by Hermann Leicht ]
[ "History of the World's Art" translation by Bernard Miall ]
[ published by Spring Books, printed in Czechoslovakia ]

We leave the ruins to ponder about the suffering and sorrow of people enslaved to strive or struggle, kill and be killed by force of imperial egos of elites of their time. We move on past discordant racial and religious habits along the thrust of tradition to the content and core of of our culture to enshrine the precious fragile linkages like fine flowering family homes that could rally all manner of people of peaceable persuasions of our region in the rising resistance against threatening, menacing and destabilizing hostilities of imperialists. In many areas of our region the struggle for food, shelter and medicine transcends hollow hypes about democracy and development. Kampong Cham [ Beautiful pictures and fine "log" by Stefan ] [ Antonio Graceffo's encounter with a minority in Cambodia ] [ Brutal repression and killing from 1975 to 1979 by the Khmer Rouge. ] Muslims were prohibited from worshipping. 132 mosques were destroyed. [ Champa or Lin-yi at least since AD192 ] The people of Champa were friendly, even with the Khmers of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon fame. For 600 years the Khmers never lost any naval battle on the Tonle Sap; why did they lose to the people of Champa in AD1171?   [ Khmer ]

Surat Thani In prehistoric times inhabited by Semang and related tribes. Part of Srivijaya from the 3rd century AD to the 13th century AD. [ Ruins and relics from Srivijaya times in the city of Chaiya ] Nakhon Sri Thammarat - Nagara Sri Dhammaraja- was it Tambralinga? Was it Ligor, a town of Langkasuka in 2nd century AD? AD775 south of "Patani/Langkasuka" from Nakhon Sri Thamarat down subject to "Srivijaya" administration; people gravitated from Hinduism to Buddhism; [ multicultural relics, "lakhon" dance form and a Muslim quarter ] How did Sanskrit, Pali, Jawi or Yawi, and "Melayu-Siam" or "Siam-Melayu" impinge on our roots? Labels like Langkasuka, Legeh, Ligor, ... are shrouded in mist, mound, mud, mystery or myth. Embedded below is Fukami Sumio's research paper on Ligor, with references and, on page 14, a map. Rise of Tambralinga Ligor Publish at Scribd or explore others: Essays & Theses School Work historyasian ligor There's mention of Ligor on pages 22 and 226 of "attarikh salsilah". A contingent under a "Raja of Ligor" allied with the people of Qalha under the reign of Sri Paduka Maharaja Darma Raja - "bersemayam di atas takhta kerajaan Wang Istana di Kota Bukit Meriam" in defence against invaders from "negeri Tenangsari Burma" - Tenasserim in Burma, now Tanintharyi of Myanmar.

our comment about attarikh salsilah please click here to unveil and click here again to veil Among our treasured relics is "attarikh salsilah" without pages 1 to 10. It's a genealogical account of the rulers of Kedah. It was completed in Jawi, soon after September 1926, the last date mentioned in the chronicle, by a palace confidant, Mu[h.]ammad [H.]asan, anak datuk kerani Mu[h.]ammad Arshad, keturunan qa[d.]i, keturunan mufti, keturunan Shykh A[h.]mad alhadani, [S.]n[c]ah, Yaman. The original edtion was distributed to the elite, not available to the majority of people. Description seemed deliberately instructive about tradition, etiquette, hierachy, rules, weighing, measuring, coinage or "sukat pitis perbelanjaan", enhancing revenue for ballooning budgets, ways of avoiding war, and preparation for defence against invaders. We find therein gems of pointers to people and events. Talented crafting of "bunga emas bunga perak" as a first friendly gesture of gratitude to an ally in defence against invasion, became compulsory conduct in a show of subservience, eventually undermining sovereignty. In the desire for development, opening up places for traders and immigrants, building palaces, digging canals and diverting rivers, the elite-minority, by way of "kerah", had the ra[c]yat literally oppressed. The warning: "la ikraha fiddin" ... didin't seem to have touched the depth of the soul. Subjugation followed debt and deception. When invasion ensued, few people suspected treachery; and many lost the will to reject, resist and repulse. There's mention of Ligor on pages 22 and 226 of "attarikh salsilah". A contingent under a "Raja of Ligor" allied with the people of Qalha under the reign of Sri Paduka Maharaja Darma Raja - "bersemayam di atas takhta kerajaan Wang Istana di Kota Bukit Meriam" in defence against invaders from "negeri Tenangsari Burma" - Tenasserim in Burma, now Tanintharyi of Myanmar. Until 1767 Ligor used to acknowledge allegience to Ayuthya - Ayuttaya of Thailand, mentioned en passant as "krong kawayutya" - "kaf-ra-wau-nga kaf-alif-wau-alif ya-wau-ta-ya-alif" on page 262 of our relic "attarikh salsilah". That was in 1313 hijri : 1895 common era. On the same page is a passing reference to "Fa[t.]ani" aka Pattani, Taiba, Nuchit, Chenak Kuala Bekah, Legeh, Jala aka Yala, and Reman. Sparse mention about ethnically kindred people living in these places, like in Setul aka Satun, Singgora aka Songkhla, Ranong and Trang. Ayuthya sounded nicer, akin to Ayodhya the site of the mosque of [Z.]ahiruddin Mu[h.]ammad Babr, the ancient city described in Mahabharata. Ayuthya was conceived as "not to be warred against". Did Ayuthya sound as if voices were pleading: "... aai .. ya" or ".. aa .. you there ..."? About 7 centuries after that Qalha-Ligor Chaiya alliance, a "Tengku" sought to usurp the throne of Kedah strategizing with Ligor's Chao Phaya Nakhon Si Thammarat. Nakhon Si Thammarat was Nagara Sri Dhammaraja, in Pali, or Nagara Sri Dharma Raja, in Sanskrit. From page 341, shame struck: "Pada hijrah 1294 bulan 12 bersamaan bulan 12 almasi[h.]i 1877 Duli Baginda Sul[t.]an Yang Maha Mulia berangkat pergi Negeri Trang muafaqat hendak bunoh Phaya U Kiat Raja Trang dengan [h.]ukum Raja Maha Besar Benua Siam fa[s.]al Raja Trang derhaka ... " No mention of why "derhaka"? King Chulalongkorn Rama V of Chakri dynasty? A king of Siam wanted a "Raja of Trang" killed; A sultan of a state under occupation had to go to Trang and arrange to have that "Raja of Trang" killed under orders of that king of Siam. Could the people of Kedah rise up, reject, resist and repulse the occupier? Hardly 3 pages - from end of page 54 to middle of page 56 - about the 19th ruler of Kedah, formerly Qalha, recorded as 11th sul[t.]an of "Qd[.]h dar alaman", Sul[t.]an Mu[z.]afar Shah yang kedua ibn Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah yang kedua. Almar[h.]um's mother: Paduka Bonda Che' Larasari; Almar[h.]um's sister: Paduka Adinda Tengku Nur [c]ishah, married to Tengku Isma[c]il cicit Tengku Man[s.]ur Raja Muda Sungai Emas; Almar[h.]um and isteri, Che' Tempawan had a son, Tengku Sulaiman, married to Che' Raqnamala; and a daughter, Tengku Jahara. Almar[h.]um bersemayam di atas takhta kerajaan Wang Istana di Kota Seputeh pada 13 haribulan dhulqa[c]dah hijrah 953 - 5 January 1547 common era - hingga 14 haribulan [s.]afar hijrah 1011 - 3 August 1602 common era. Almr[h.]um had a "kota istana [ Kota Naga ] dan balai penghadapan di dalamnya" built with "suatu padang yang luas di hadapan kota"; and a canal dug passing nearby Kota Naga from Sungai Alor Ganu to Bukit Tinggi. Intriguing? Peaceful reign of at least 5 decades? Were people behaving as if Qd[h.] were peaceful as a vassal state under domination, occupation or subjugation of any form by a foreign power? If there were foreign-forces presence, however friendly, there would always be resistance by patriots; and foreign forces would always resort to murder. There were a lot of things brewing and happening in the region during this period. The struggle for wealth and power both by rulers and ruled from era to era especially at Ayuthya in Siam and in Burma, seemed only variations of themes for history and political economy of the times. European imperialist-capitalist intrigues were beginning to infest Southeast Asia. What and where were the source-documents? Undang-undang Negeri Kedah? Previous banned versions? Documents archived at various palaces? Empirical evidence in situ by researchers; from field work on "maqam", ruins and relics of scripts; and from archives, local and abroad, might help us verify, amplify and rectify the chronicler's work which we do indeed appreciate. Please click here to view map of the area around Bujang, Semeling, ... in Kedah silk and spice routes ABSTRACT of   "Back-drop" for the half-century reign     Back-drop     overlapping the half-century reign: By the 7th century and first half of the 8th century the golden age of Tang dynasty in China was evident. Champa, Japan, Kashgar, Kashmir, Khotan, Korea, Kucha, Nepal and kingdoms in Amu Darya and Syr Darya valley were paying tributes to Tang China. Chinese influence spread as far as Herat in western Afghanistan. Overland trade and maritime trade drew people to China, seeking commerce, diplomacy and even residence - Arabs, Chams, Indians, Khmers, Malays, Persians, ... Jia Dan (730-805) wrote about one trade route to Korea; and another from Guangzhou in Guangdong, aka Canton, to Selat Melaka, Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, India, east and north of the Arabian Sea up to the Euphrates. An Arab ship, radiocarbon-dated 826 CE, discovered in the Gaspar Strait, East Java, had 63,000 pieces of Tang gold, silver, and ceramics. circa 536 hijri : circa 1141-1142 common era Qalha, now Kedah, set up as Islamic state? Qalha, blessed with Sungai Qilah aka Sungai Babur - now Sungai Merbuk, was a relic of Langkasuka, weaning from Sri Vijaya, weakening since 1025 invasion by Rajendra Chola; On pages 27 to 34 of "attarikh salsilah" there's detailed description of the momentous event: Sri Paduka Maharaja Darbar Raja - relic Langkasuka epithet, honorific or title: Phra Ong Mahawangsa? - [ "naga di laut, harmau di darat? ] "bersemayam di atas takhta kerajaan Wang Istana [ "sthana" means land in Sanskrit and archaic Farsi? ] di Kota Bukit Meriam" adopted the way of life of a Muslim ruler, addressed as "Daulat Tuanku Shah [c]alam ... Sul[t.]an Mu[z.]afar Shah", over people predominantly Buddhist; changing the name Qalha to "Qd[h.] darulaman" - qaf-dal-[h.] in Jawi. colonially corrupted to Kedah - "Ke" sounding as in "taukeh"? Questions have arisen about the 9th ruler of Qalha or 1st sul[t.]an of "Qd[h] dar alaman". Was Sri Paduka Maharaja Darbar Raja otherwise known by some title that was a relic of Khmer or Siamese nobility? The title, Phra Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao, like the "commoner" title Mom Rajawongse, were defined by King Vajiravudh 1924 Succession Law. The Siamese nobility seemed to have absorbed certain royal Khmer culture. Suryavarman 2, 1113 - 1150 of Angkor Wat fame would have made an impact on the region. Sri Vijaya's dominance was waning over Selat Melaka and Langkasuka side of littoral kingdoms after Rajendra Chola invaded Kedah in 1025. 1271-1368 Yuan dynasty China ruled by Mongols starting with Kublai Khan 1325-1354 Ibn Ba[t.]u[t.]ah, travelling to places along the Silk route and the Spice route, as recounted in arri[h.]lah - The Journey. 1368-1644,1662 Ming dynasty China ruled by ethnic Hans. a great era of orderly government and social stability 1368 - 1398 Emperor Hongwu aka Zhu Yuanzang 1402 - 1424 Emperor Yongle aka Zhu Di 1405-1433 Zheng He began commanding gigantic fleet of ships including treasure ships on tributary missions. 1407 China started dominating Vietnam which repulsed Ming troops in 1428 denting Ming treasury 1414-1459 Melaka expanding territory 1455-1456 Siam making hostile forays into Malay peninsula 1459-1477 Melaka starting to dominate Perak 1477-1488 Melaka starting to dominate Riau archpelago 1499 Melaka starting to dominate Kelantan 1511 Portuguese seized Melaka 1516 Portuguese first came to Pattani port to trade. Vain attempts were made to get the Portuguese out in 1517, 1520, 1521, 1525, 1550, 1558, 1567, 1570, 1571, 1575, 1586 and 1626. 1575 After a 5-year siege Muslimsof Ternate, Maluku, drove the Portuguese out from Ternate to Ambon. In 1594 the Cham chief Po At of Panduranga, Champa - Dai viet protectorate, now Phan Rang, Phan Ri and Phan Thiet - sent forces as ally of the Sultanate of Johor in a campaign to get the Portuguese out of Melaka. The Portuguese held on until overtaken by the Dutch in 1641. 1524 Aceh starting to dominate Pasai 1526 Mughal rule over India began with Babur, ending in 1857 with Bahadur Zafar Shah II, exiled to what is now Yangon, Myanmar. 1526 Portuguese ravaged Bintan; Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah had to evacuate to Kampar. Negeri Perak dengan Beruas terta[c]luk ke Melaka pada masa kerajaan Melayu Melaka. Negeri Perak tiada beraja pada masa Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah menjadi sul[t.]an di Kampar, Sumatera, setelah Portugis menawan Melaka. Perak news and gossip could have reached Kedah, about royal court scandal: menitahkan orang mencolek Tun Merah, anak Tun Saban, dijadikan gundek baginda; about a "false flag" Aceh invasion: Sul[t.]an Man[s.]ur Shah disappearing - "hilang, ghaib" - "ditinggalkan baginda di Kuala Kinta seorang isteri, elok paras, anak seorang Ba[t.]in Orang A[s.]li; 1529 the year of Halley's comet, Boromrajathira 4 ascended the throne at Ayuthya upon Ramathibodi 2's death. 4 yeras later Chairajathiraj succeeded Boromarajathira who succumbed to smallpox. 1530-1564 Sultan Mudhaffar Shah reigned in Pattani after his father Sultan Ismail Shah aka King Phaya Tu Nakpa died during an attack on Ayuthya. 1531-1752 Taungoo dynasty established in Burma, now Myanmar. 1539 Taungoo annexed the Mon kingdom of Ramanadesa, lower Burma, with the Mon center at Pegu. Tabinshwehti made Pegu aka Bago the royal capital; 1544 The Burmans of Taungoo took Bagan aka Pagan. 1544-1546 Burmans were defeated, invading Arakan, now Rakhine. 1548 King Chakrapat began to reign at Ayuthya. 1548-1549 Burma warring against Siam. 1556-1559 Burma under Bayinnaung consolidated principalities in northern Thailand, Laos, including Chiangmai and Lan Xang. Burmese Taungoo dominated the Lannathai kingdom of Chiang Mai in 1557, Ayuthya in 1569 to 1593, and the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang - Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak - in 1574. 1530 - 1555 Humayun died soon after restoring Mughal administration in India, 1556 - 1605 Akbar took on Gujarat, Malwa and Bengal, pursuing his "din-i-illahi" and promoting education. 1557 The Portuguese took Macau "on a lease" to hold until 1999. 1564 The Burmese invaded Siam 1567 The Spanish invaded Philippines, holding it as a province of Mexico until 1821 and thereafter as a colony until 1898. 1565 In south India, Vijayanagara - now Karnataka, founded in 1336, fell in the battle of Talikota under attack by a coalition of forces under the rulers of five Deccan sultanates - -Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golkonda, 1569 Burmese invaded Siam, defeating and dominating Ayuthya. 1570 Mataram sultanate was estblished and then infested with succession strife that led to division in 1740s between Surakarta and Yogyakarta. 1574 Burma and Siam at war; Siam occupied Pegu. 1582-1584 Russia defeated Sibir khanate. 1584-1592 Burma and Siam at war. 1590 circa Portuguese occupied Arakan's Chittagong Fort. 1593-1594 Burma and Siam at war. 1592-1598 Koreans defeated Japanese invaders. 1596 Arakan invaded Pegu? 1599 Burmese Taungoo regained Pegu 1602 VOC - Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie - Dutch East India Company formed to terrorize the region; this most vicious robber baron met its end in 1799. 1602 Portuguese took Sandwip - now an island of Bangladesh - and lost it in 1665. 1603 Siam seized Kelantan principalities. Is the past, the present, the future, ... a messy mystery or mis-story of murder morphing, like history and religion muddying geopolitics and economics in the present?

BACKDROP, please click here to unveil; and click here again to veil spice trade In 641, Muslims took Alexandria, disrupting the trade between India and Rome; and thereafter prices in Europe inflated. Arab and Venetian merchants held the monopoly. Europeans raced to be lord of Melaka, to have a hand on the throat of Venice. In 1799 the most vicious robber baron met its end. silk and spice route     Back-drop    overlapping the 1/2 century reign: By the 7th century and first half of the 8th century the golden age of Tang dynasty in China was evident. Champa, Japan, Kashgar, Kashmir, Khotan, Korea, Kucha, Nepal and kingdoms in Amu Darya and Syr Darya valley were paying tributes to Tang China. Chinese influence spread as far as Herat in Western Afghanistan. Silk Road trade and maritime trade drew people to China, seeking commerce, diplomacy and even residence - Arabs, Chams, Indians, Khmers, Malays, Persians, ... Jian Zhen, Buddhist monk, wrote in 748 CE in Yuejueshu that many big ships arrived in Guangzhou from Borneo, Persia, Qunglun - Java - ... with piles of jade, pearls and spices ... describing the Tang commercial center. Sulaiman altajir, Arab trader, in Guangzhou, described quality porcelain manufacture, rice-wine, tea, ceramics in use, granneries, records, local administration and travellers. Jia Dan (730-805) wrote about one trade route to Korea; and another from Guangzhou in Guangdong, aka Canton, to Selat Melaka, Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, India, east and north of the Arabian Sea up to the Euphrates. Duan Chengshi (d. 863) described the trade in ambergris for perfumes, ivory and slaves at Bobali, now Berbera in Somalia. Shulama, an Arab merchant, described very large junks, each capable of taking 600 to 700 passengers, unable to navigate the Euphrates River; passengers and cargo had to be ferried in small boats. An Arab ship, radiocarbon-dated 826 CE, discovered in the Gaspar Strait, East Java, had 63,000 pieces of Tang gold, silver, and ceramics. There was great demand in Fustat, now Cairo, Egypt, even during "alfa[t.]imyyun" 909 - 1171, for ceramics and related products from China. 1009 Firdausi aka Hakim Abu alQasim Firdausi Tusi completed, in verse, Shahnameh that was originally in prose by Abu Man[s.]ur almu[c]ammari. 1031 Umayyad caliphate of Cordoba in Spain collapsed in 1031. 1051-1056 Ibn Gharsia of Basque heritage - aka Abu Amir Ahmad Ibn Gharsiya al-Bashkunsi completed his risala or epistle expressing Shu[c]ubiyya resistance against discrimination by Arabs among non-Arab Muslims. circa 536 hijri : circa 1141-1142 common era Qalha, now Kedah, set up as Islamic state? Qalha, blessed with Sungai Qilah aka Sungai Babur - now Sungai Merbuk, was a relic of Langkasuka weaning from Sri Vijaya weakening since 1025 invasion by Rajendra Chola; On pages 27 to 34 of "attarikh salsilah" there's detailed description of the momentous event: Sri Paduka Maharaja Darbar Raja - relic Langkasuka epithet, honorific or title: Phra Ong Mahawangsa? - "bersemayam di atas takhta kerjaan Wang Istana di Kota Bukit Meriam" adopted the way of life of a Muslim ruler, addressed as "Daulat Tuanku Shah [c]alam ... Sul[t.]an Mu[z.]afar Shah", over people predominantly Buddhist; changing the name Qalha to "Qd[h.] darulaman" - qaf-dal-[h.] in Jawi. colonially corrupted to Kedah - "Ke" sounding as in "taukeh"? Questions have arisen about the 9th ruler of Qalha or 1st sul[t.]an of "Qd[h] dar alaman". Was Sri Paduka Maharaja Darbar Raja otherwise known by some title that was a relic of Khmer or Siamese nobility? The title, Phra Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao, like the "commoner" title Mom Rajawongse, were defined by King Vajiravudh 1924 Succession Law. The Siamese nobility seemed to have absorbed certain royal Khmer culture. Suryavarman 2, 1113 - 1150 of Angkor Wat fame would have made an impact on the region. Sri Vijaya's dominance was waning over Selat Melaka and Langkasuka side of littoral kingdoms after Rajendra Chola invaded Kedah in 1025. 1219-1258 Mongols raided and seized Iran and Iraq. 1260 Mamluks resisted the Mongols. 1271-1368 Yuan dynasty China ruled by Mongols starting with Kublai Khan 1287-1288 Rabban Bar Sauma, Mongol diplomat, visited the courts of Europe, providing detailed feedback to the Mongols - Marco Polo travelled the Silk route to China, acquainting Europeans with acounts of the Far East. 1325-1354 Ibn Ba[t.]u[t.]ah, travelling to places along the Silk route and the Spice route, as recounted in arri[h.]lah - The Journey. 1368-1644,1662 Ming dynasty China ruled by ethnic Hans. 1368 - 1398 Emperor Hongwu aka Zhu Yuanzang 1402 - 1424 Emperor Yongle aka Zhu Di 1405-1433 Zheng He began commanding gigantic fleet of ships including treasure ships on tributary missions. 1407 China started dominating Vietnam which repulsed Ming troops in 1428 denting Ming treasury a great era of orderly government and social stability 1414-1459 Melaka expanding territory 1455-1456 Siam making hostile forays into Malay peninsula 1459-1477 Melaka starting to dominate Perak 1477-1488 Melaka starting to dominate Riau archpelago; and then Kelantan in 1499 1492 exodus of Jews from Spain to find refuge as far as Iran, India and China; some took to piracy on the high-seas. 1492 After Ericson and some Nordic people from Scandinivia, circa 1000 common era, settled on the edge of Newfoundland colonizer Colombo of Genoa landed in America; genocide of natives by Europeans had begun. 1498 Vasco da Gama and his crew on first direct sea voyage from Europe arrived at Calicut, pepper-trade hub of Kerala. Ugly European colonialist oppression had begun, disguised as fair and free trade, while spreading sermons of prophets ... "... no usury, don't lie, don't gamble, don't steal, don't rob, don't murder, ..." 1507 Portuguese took Hormuz. 1511 Portuguese seized Melaka 1516 Portuguese first came to Pattani port to trade. Vain attempts were made to get the Portuguese out in 1517, 1520, 1521, 1525, 1550, 1558, 1567, 1570, 1571, 1575, 1586 and 1626. 1522 After Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Philippines, Portuguese ship Victoria returned to Europe with a tonne of cinnamon, cloves, mace and nutmegs on board. 1524 Aceh starting to dominate Pasai 1526 Mughal rule over India began with Babur, ending in 1857 with 1526 Portuguese ravaged Bintan; Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah had to evacuate to Kampar. Negeri Perak dengan Beruas terta[c]luk ke Melaka pada masa kerajaan Melayu Melaka. Negeri Perak tiada beraja pada masa Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah menjadi sul[t.]an di Kampar, Sumatera, setelah Portugis menawan Melaka. 1528-1549 Paduka Seri Sul[t.]an Mu[z.]afar Shah ibni Almar[h.]um Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah ditabalkan di Tanah Abang, Negeri Perak, darulri[d.]wan. "Sultan Perak I - Marhum Tanah Abang". His son succeeded him as Paduka Seri Sul[t.]an Man[s.]ur Shah, 1549 - 1577, "Sultan Perak II - Marhum Kota Lama". Perak news and gossip could have reached Kedah, about Sul[t.]an Ma[h.]mud Shah mangkat di Kampar, Sumatera, 1530; about fixing borders with "Negeri Reman", precipitating an attack from Siamese forces, and agreement by Perak to send "bunga emas" annually to Siam and let Siamese buy tin in Perak free of "cukai"; about royal court scandal: menitahkan orang mencolek Tun Merah, anak Tun Saban, dijadikan gundek baginda; about Megat Terawis ibni Daulat Paga Ruyong, a foreigner made Bendahara Paduka Raja. he had volunteered to assassinate Tun Saban; about a "false flag" Aceh invasion: Sul[t.]an Man[s.]ur Shah disappearing - "hilang, ghaib" - "ditinggalkan baginda di Kuala Kinta seorang isteri, elik paras, anak seorang Ba[t.]in Orang A[s.]li; isteri baginda itu hamil; apabila genap bulannya, lalu bersalin seorang putera; dipercayai orang, keturunan putera itulah menjadi Panglima Kinta, mula-mula memakai gelaran Seri Maharaja Kinta, kemudian gelaran Orang Kaya-kaya Panglima Kinta Seri Amar Bangsa diRaja". 1529 the year of Halley's comet, Boromrajathira 4 ascended the throne at Ayuthya upon Ramathibodi 2's death. 4 yeras later Chairajathiraj succeeded Boromarajathira who succumbed to smallpox. 1530s Portuguese shipped cloves, nutmegs and mace much less to Portugal than to India and Hormuz. Arab merchants then traded the spices in Arabia, Iran and Turkey. 1530 - 1555 Humayun died soon after restoring Mughal administration in India, 1556 - 1605 Akbar took on Gujarat, Malwa and Bengal, pursuing his "din-i-illahi" and promoting education. 1530-1564 Sultan Mudhaffar Shah reigned in Pattani after his father Sultan Ismail Shah aka King Phaya Tu Nakpa died during an attack on Ayuthya. 1531-1752 Taungoo dynasty established in Burma, now Myanmar. 1539 Taungoo annexed the Mon kingdom of Ramanadesa, lower Burma, with the Mon center at Pegu. Tabinshwehti made Pegu aka Bago the royal capital; 1544 The Burmans of Taungoo took Bagan aka Pagan. 1544-1546 Burmans were defeated, invading Arakan, now Rakhine. 1548 King Chakrapat began to reign at Ayuthya. 1548-1549 Burma warring against Siam. 1556-1559 Burma under Bayinnaung consolidated principalities in northern Thailand, Laos, including Chiangmai and Lan Xang. Burmese Taungoo dominated the Lannathai kingdom of Chiang Mai in 1557, Ayuthya in 1569 to 1593, and the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang - Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak - in 1574. 1557 The Portuguese took Macau "on a lease" to hold until 1999. 1564 The Burmese invaded Siam 1567 The Spanish invaded Philippines, holding it as a province of Mexico until 1821 and thereafter as a colony until 1898. 1565 In south India, Vijayanagara - now Karnataka, founded in 1336, fell in the battle of Talikota under attack by a coalition of forces under the rulers of five Deccan sultanates - -Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golkonda, 1569 Burmese invaded Siam, defeating and dominating Ayuthya. 1570 Mataram sultanate was estblished and then infested with succession strife that led to division in 1740s between Surakarta and Yogyakarta. 1574 Burma and Siam at war; Siam occupied Pegu. 1575 After a 5-year siege anti-Portuguese Muslims of Ternate, Maluku, finally expelled the Portuguese. 1582-1584 Russia defeated Sibir khanate. 1584-1592 Burma and Siam at war. 1590 circa Portuguese occupied Arakan's Chittagong Fort. 1592-1598 Koreans defeated Japanese invaders. 1593-1594 Burma and Siam at war. In 1594 the Cham chief Po At of Panduranga, Champa - Dai viet protectorate, now Phan Rang, Phan Ri and Phan Thiet - sent forces as ally of the Sultanate of Johor in a campaign to get the Portuguese out of Melaka. The Portuguese held on until overtaken by the Dutch in 1641. 1596 Arakan invaded Pegu? 1599 Burmese Taungoo regained Pegu 1602 VOC - Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie - Dutch East India Company formed to terrorize the region. 1602 Portuguese took Sandwip - now an island of Bangladesh - and lost it in 1665. 1603 Siam seized Kelantan principalities. 1609-1614 Spain under Philip III, Habsburg, got rid of 300,000 "Moriscos", descendants of North African Muslims who were forced to convert to Christianity after the banu Na[s.]r emirate of Granada, under Abu [c]bdallh Mu[h.]ammad althani [c]shr, fell to Catholic Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. European ethnic cleansing of nominal Christians who stuck to Islam, their ancestral way of life. Is the past, the present, the future, ... a messy mystery or mis-story of murder morphing, like history and religion muddying geopolitics and economics in the present?

Pattani AD515 as major part of Langkasuka under Brahmin ruler, Bhaga Data. AD775 south of "Patani/Langkasuka" from Nakhon Sri Thamarat down subject to "Srivijaya" administration; "Patani" prospered; people gravitated from Hinduism to Buddhism; AD1457 ruled by Phya Tu Nakpa aka Sultan Ismail Shah after conversion ti Islam - witness: "shaikh" Sa[c]id. [ Pattani ]   [ Langkasuka ]    [ more ]

Cambodia, officially neutral during the US-led war against Vietnam, was harrassed since 1964 with covert destabilizing activities by a US agency active in south-east Asia pursuing chemical warfare; infiltration by US special forces tasked under "Operation Daniel Boone" along the eastern part of its territory; and covert US invasion in April 1970. [ Was "agent orange" sprayed on rubber plantations in Kampong Cham from 18/5/1969 to 2/5/1969? ]

America's grassroot-grace Many people are gifted with grace and gut to remain different. ... When the kids bring them home and open them up, it's the brightest light source in the home ... Nicholas Negroponte was referring to laptops for children of a rural school in Cambodia. [ more about the project ]

:: Stefan :: Cambodia :: Kampong Cham :: Khmer :: Ayuthya :: Pattani :: budi ::    :: granma :: Latuff :: cartoons :: Benazir :: Laura :: holocaust? :: lobby :: :: Mises :: frozen north :: globalbeat :: nimmo :: Helena :: Joshua :: PL ::    "tudong", please click here to unveil; and click here again to veil Are we moving to total mobilization of society against the ultimate liberation of the individual? [ freedom fighters do their duty of resistance against war-criminals. ] [ Lebanon updates ]     [ Who wanted to destroy Lebanon? ] [ UNSC resolution 1701 - spirit and intent to save lives and spare pain and suffering? ] [ UNSC resolution 1701 - breather for aggressor? ] [ UNSC resolution 1701 - Arabs not angry? ] [ Super Dvora ]    [ 3rd Israeli naval vessel sank off Tyre ] [ Why blame anyone, if you are bombing a foreign country with foreign weapons? ] [ "ta' boleh" is Bahasa Melayu for "not able to ..." ] Wouldn't it be fair to require equal areas of security buffer zone on the aggressor-Israeli side of the treacherous border as Israel is demanding on the Lebanese side of the resistance-border?   [ terrorist-squatter state ] "SUSPEND SUPPLYING OIL" Only 3 words from OPEC! scrap dollar-deals. No more oil for war-machines! Would that help halt genocide in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon?      [ 2 captured inside Lebanese territory ]      [ HELP ]      [ amok ] [ July 20, 2006 advantages ]     [ spirit of resistance ]     [ on home ground ] "3-weeks-war plan"? Who's lying? Who's terrorizing? SAVAGE SHOW OF ZIONIST "[Z.]ALIM" IN GAZA AND LEBANON blessed and funded by America [ mass destruction ]     [ Children of Marwaheen ] [ war ]    [ who started ]    [ taboo? ]    [ bias? ]    [ starving ]    [ baby's head? ]    [ Tiger Force ] genocide with depleted uranium and mk77-napalm? [ Tun DrM ]   [ RAI documentary ]   [ mass murder ]   [ Aren't we fooled? ]  [ media? ]   [ WMR ]