ocean kingdom pasai aceh

Samudera Pasai is an Islamic kingdom located on the northern coast of Sumatra, around Lhokseumawe City, Aceh Utara Province of Aceh, Indonesia today. The kingdom of Samudera Pasai was founded by Meurah Silu, who has the title of Sultan Malik as- Saleh, around 1267.

The existence of the Kingdom of Samudera Pasai is contained in the book Rihlah ila l-Masyriq (Wandering to the East) by Abu Abdullah ibn Batuthah (1304-1368), a Moroccan traveler who came to this country in 1345. Some historians also began to trace the existence of this kingdom derived from Hikayat Kings of Pasai, and this is attributed to some of the king's tombs and the invention of gold and silver coins with the name of the king.

According to Hikayat Raja Pasai, the story of Pasai's establishment by Meurah Silu, after he replaced a king named Sultan Malik al-Nasser. Meurah Silu was previously located in an area called Semerlanga then after the title of Sultan Malik as-Saleh, he died in 696 H or 1297 AD
In the Hikayat of the Kings of Pasai and Sulalatus Salatin the names Pasai and Samudera have been separated referring to two different areas, but in Chinese records the names are not distinguished at all. While Marco Polo in his trip recorded some list of kingdoms on the east coast of Sumatra Island at that time, from south to north there are names Ferlec (Perlak), Basma and Samara (Ocean).

The reign of Sultan Malik as-Saleh was then followed by his son Sultan Muhammad Malik az-Zahir from his marriage to the daughter of the King of Perlak. During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Malik az-Zahir, gold coin as currency has been introduced in Pasai, along with the development of Pasai Ocean Kingdom became one of the trade area as well as the development of da'wah of Islam.
Around the year 1326 Sultan Muhammad Malik az-Zahir died and was replaced by his son Sultan Mahmud Malik az-Zahir and reigned until 1345. During his reign, he was visited by Ibn Batuthah, then told that the sultan in the land of Samatrah (Samudera) hospitality, and the inhabitants of the Shafi'i School.

Furthermore, during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Malik az-Zahir son of Sultan Mahmud Malik az-Zahir, came the attack from Majapahit between 1345 and 1350, and caused Sultan Pasai was forced to flee from the capital of the kingdom. The kingdom of Samudera Pasai arose again under the leadership of Sultan Zain al-Abidin Malik az-Zahir in 1383, and reigned until 1405. In the Chinese chronicle he was also known by the name of Tsai-nu-li-a-pi-ting-ki, killed by King Nakur. Furthermore, the Sultanate of Pasai continued by his wife Sultanah Nahrasiyah.

Cheng Ho's fleet which led around 208 vessels visited the consecutive Samudera Pasai Kingdom in 1405, 1408 and 1412. Based on Zheng He's travel reports recorded by his aides like Ma Huan and Fei Xin. Geographically the Pasai Sultanate has been described as having borders with high mountains to the south and east, and if it continues to the east bordering the Aru Kingdom, to the north by sea, to the west by the two kingdoms, Nakur and Lide.

Meanwhile, if continue to the west encounter with the kingdom of Lambri (Lamuri) mentioned at that time is 3 days and 3 nights from Pasai. During the visit Cheng Ho also presented a gift from the Chinese Emperor, Cakra Donya Bell, around 1434 Sultan Pasai sent his brother known as Ha-li-zhi-han but died in Beijing. Emperor Xuande of the Ming Dynasty sent Wan Jinhong to Pasai to deliver the news. The central government of Pasai Sultanate lies between Krueng Jambo Aye (Sungai Jambu Air) and Krueng Pase (Pasai River), North Aceh. According to ibn Batuthah who spent about two weeks in Pasai, the kingdom does not have a stone fortress, but has lined its city with wood, a few kilometers from the harbor.

In the core area of this kingdom there are mosques, and markets and traversed by a fresh river that empties into the sea. Ma Huan added, although the estuary is large but the waves are tempestuous and easily lead to the ship overturned. Thus the naming of Lhokseumawe which may mean the bay of which its waters swirl may be related to this.

In the government structure there is the term minister, syahbandar and kadi. While the sultans of both men and women were named by Tun, as were some of the royalty. The Pasai Sultanate has several subordinate kingdoms, and its rulers also have sultans. In the government structure there is the term minister, syahbandar and kadi. While the sultans of both men and women were named by Tun, as were some of the royalty. The Pasai Sultanate has several subordinate kingdoms, and its rulers also have sultans.

During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Malik az-Zahir, the Perlak Kingdom had become part of Pasai's sovereignty, then he also placed one of his sons namely Sultan Mansur in the Ocean. But in the time of Sultan Ahmad Malik az-Zahir, the Samudera region has become a unity with the name of Pasai Ocean which remains centered in Pasai. In the reign of Sultan Zain al-Abidin Malik az-Zahir, Lide (Kingdom of Pedir) is mentioned to be the subordinate kingdom of Pasai. Meanwhile Pasai also mentioned having a bad relationship with Nakur, the peak of this kingdom attacked Pasai and resulted in the Pasai Sultan killed.

Pasai is a commercial city, relying on pepper as its flagship commodity, in Ma Huan note mentioned 100 kati pepper sold with silver price 1 tahil. In Pasai Sultanate trade issued gold coins as a means of transactions to the people, this currency is called Deureuham (dirham) made 70% pure gold weighing 0.60 grams, 10 mm diameter, 17 karat quality.

While people Pasai generally have planted rice in the fields, which are harvested 2 times a year, and have dairy cows to produce cheese. While the houses have an average height of 2.5 meters which is partitioned into several booths, with floors made of coconut wood or pinang wood arranged with rattan, and on top of it lay rattan mats or pandanus.

Islam is a religion adopted by the Pasai community, although the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism also colored this society. From the notes Ma Huan and Tomé Pires, have compared and mentioned that the social culture of the Pasai community is similar to Malacca, such as language, as well as tradition at birth ceremonies, marriage and death. The possibility of this similarity facilitates acceptance of Islam in Malacca and this intimate relationship is cemented by the marriage of Pasai's daughter and the king of Malacca as told in Sulalatus Salatin.

Toward the end of the Sultanate of Pasai, there were several disputes in Pasai that resulted in civil war. Sulalatus Salatin told of Sultan Pasai asking for help to Sultan Melaka to quell the rebellion. But the Pasai Sultanate itself finally collapsed after being conquered by Portugal in 1521 which had previously conquered Melaka in 1511, and then in 1524 Pasai region has become part of the sovereignty of the Sultanate of Aceh.