Of the Raja of Pasi.
THERE were two
brothers named Marah who lived at
Pasangan, who derived their origin from
the mountain Sangkung. The name of the
elder was Marah Chaka, and that of the
younger, Marah Silu. The younger, Marah Silu, gained his livelihood by keeping
fish-weirs on the shore of the sea, and he
repeatedly found in them kalang-kalang, or biche de Mar, which he
rejected into the sea. No sooner,
however, had he adjusted his weirs, but he found they had returned.
On this being several times repeated, he got angry and
boiled them when he found that the
kalang-kalang had been converted into gold, while the foam of the water
in which they had been boiled was converted into silver. After this he again
adjusted his weirs, and again found kalang-kalang in them, when he immediately
repeated the process of boiling, and they were again converted into gold and
silver. In this manner Marah Silu procured a great quantity of gold. At last Marah Chaka was informed that his
brother Marah Silu was in the habit of eating kalang-kalang. Marah Chaka was
enraged at this, and wanted to kill him. When Marah Silu heard of his
intention, he fled to the forest of Jaran. The
field beside which Marah Silu caught the kalang-kalang, is still
denominated Padang kalang-kalang.
Marah Silu lived for
a long time in the forest of Jaran, and gave liberally of the gold which he had acquired to all the people who
lived in his vicinity, and they all
became obedient to him. On a certain day, Marah Silu went a hunting, and his dog, named Sipasei, gave tongue on an
elevated piece of ground. When Marah
Silu had ascended the eminence, he observed
a huge ant which was as large as a cat;
he took this ant and ate it, and this eminence he made his residence,
and named it Semadra *, which signifies the great ant.
* The name is certainly Samatra, being
compounded of sennit, an ant, and raja,
which in the Achi dialect signifies
great.
It is related in the
hadis of the prophet Muhammed, that he said to his companions, "In the
latter times men shall hear of an island under the wind, named Samadra; as soon
as this shall happen, go and convert it to Islamism, for the island shall produce
many Wali-alah, or persons of gifted piety; but there is a putri of the land of
Matabar, whom you must carry along with you. It happened a long time after the time of the prophet, that tidings were heard
of the land of Samadra at Mecca, along with the names of other countries. Then
the sheref of Mecca sent a vessel properly
fitted out, and ordered the mariners to proceed to the land of Matabar, and the
name of the Nakhoda was Sheikh Ismail.
When they reached the land of Matabar where they found a
raja reigning, named Sultan Muhammed, who enquired whence they had come, and
whither they were going. They informed him
of their intention of going to the land of Samadra, by the order of the prophet
Muhammed. The raja was descended from Abubacar, and when he was informed
of their intention, he appointed his
eldest son to the government of the land of Matabar, and embarked with his younger in the vessel in the guise of a fakir, and desired
them to convey him to the land of
Samadra. To this they assented, declaring that his resolution was
conformable to the words of the prophet. Sultan Muhammed accordingly sailed
away in this vessel, and after a long
voyage they arrived at the land of
Pasuri, the whole of the inhabitants of which embraced Islamism.
The next day the fakir went ashore carrying the Koran, and presented it to the people to read, but not one of them could read it. Then thought the fakir in his heart, this is not the land alluded to in the Koran of the holy prophet. Then the Nakhoda Ismail again set sail and arrived at another country named Lambri, which likewise embraced Islamism. The fakir again went ashore, carrying the Koran with him, which he presented to them, but there was not one of them could read it.
The next day the fakir went ashore carrying the Koran, and presented it to the people to read, but not one of them could read it. Then thought the fakir in his heart, this is not the land alluded to in the Koran of the holy prophet. Then the Nakhoda Ismail again set sail and arrived at another country named Lambri, which likewise embraced Islamism. The fakir again went ashore, carrying the Koran with him, which he presented to them, but there was not one of them could read it.
He immediately went
again on board and set sail, and arrived at the land of Haru, which likewise
embraced Islamism, but when the fakir went ashore with the Koran, he found that none of them could read it.
He then enquired for the country
Samadra, and was informed that he had passed it. On this he returned on board,
and again set sail, when he arrived at the land of Perlac, where he went ashore
and brought them over to Islam. After this he sailed for Samadra, where he met
Marah Silu, following his occupation among the rocks of the shore. The fakir then asked him the name
of the country: to which he replied,
"Samadra." — " Who is the head man of it ?" asked
he. "It is your servant," said Marah Silu.
Then the fakir brought
him over to Islam, and taught him the
word of testimony. When Marah Silu went to sleep after this operation,
he dreamed, that he was face to face
with the holy prophet, who desired him to open his mouth, on which the prophet
spat into it, and he immediately awaked, when his body had the odour of Narawastu.
When the morning came, the fakir landed, and brought with him the Koran, and
ordered Marah Silu to read the Koran; and he read it. Then said the fakir to
Sheikh Ismail, the Nakhoda of the
vessel, "This is the land of Samadra, mentioned by the holy prophet."
Then Sheikh Ismail landed all the royal accoutrements which he had brought with
him, and installed Marah Silu, as raja, under the title of Sultan Malec al
Salih.
There were in the land of Samadra two great men, the one of
whom was named Sri-caya, and the other Bawacaya; both of whom embraced Islam, and
Sri-caya received the name of Sidi Ali
Gheyas ed-din ; and Bawacaya, Sidi Ali
Ismayemdi. After this Sheikh Ismail set
sail, and returned to Mecca; and the
fakir staid in the island of Samadra,
for the purpose of establishing the
doctrine of Is-lam. After this, Sultan
Malec al Salih sent Sidi Ali Gheyas
ed-din to the land of Perlac, to ask the
daughter of the raja in marriage. The
raja had three daughters, two of whom were legitimate, and one of them by a
concubine, named Putri Ganggang ; and he showed all the three to Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din; seating, however, the two legitimate daughters undermost, and the natural
daughter, Putri Ganggang above them, in a more elevated place, and ordered her
to open betelnut for her sisters.
She was dressed in
rosy-coloured clothes, with a vest of the colour of the water jambu ; with earrings
(subang), like the lontar muda, (young palm leaf,) and looked extremely
handsome. Then said Sidi Ali Gheyas
ed-din, " I ask the young lady who sits uppermost;" but, he
did not know that she was the natural daughter of the raja. Then loud laughed
the raja, saying, "Whichever of them you please, you are welcome to
her." The raja then ordered a hundred prows to be prepared, and sent his
daughter Putri Ganggang under the care of Tun Parekpatih Pand to the land of Samadra.
Sultan Malec al Salih went out of his
palace as far as Jambu Ayer, with all the ceremony of state and dignity, to receive the Princess, and to conduct her into the city;
and, after several days of splendid entertainments, the marriage was consummated,
and the raja bestowed great largesses on his warriors, and charities on the
fakirs and poor, both in gold and silver; and he also bestowed high honours on
Tun Parek-patih Pand, who after some time returned to Perlac.
By Putri Ganggang, Sultan Malec al Salih had two sons; the eldest named Sultan
Malec al Zaher; and the youngest, Sultan Malec al Mansur. The elder was brought up by Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din; and, the younger, by Sidi Ali Ismayemdi, till
they arrived at maturity. At this time,
the country of Perlac was conquered by
its enemies opposite, and the
inhabitants took refuge in Samadra,
Then, Sultan Malec al Salih determined
to found another settlement for his
sons. He ordered all his chiefs to
prepare for a hunting match; and, having mounted his elephant,
Parmadewan, he crossed the river. When he had landed, his dog, named Sipasei,
gave tongue, and the Sultan quickly flew to it, and found an elevated ground, of nearly the size of a palace, and
its appurtenances, and very fine and
smooth, as if it had been levelled. He ordered this place to be cleared out, and a
Negri, or town, founded there, a palace
erected, and the whole to be named Pasei, after the Prince's dog. He ordered
his eldest son, Malec al Zaher to be
raja; and Sidi Ali Gheyas ed-din to be
mangcu-bumi; and, having divided his people, elephants, horses, and royal accoutrements into two parts, he
divided them between his sons.
After some time, Sultan Malec al Salih sickened; and, having
summoned his two sons, with all the great men of Samadra, he addressed them,
saying: "O, my two sons, and you my friends, I am at the point of
death; but, may you remain happy, after
I have left you: and you, my sons, do
not covet the wealth of others, and do
not desire the wives of others, but do you agree with each other like brothers,
and do not quarrel." To Sidi Ali
Gheyas ed-din, and Sidi Ali Ismayemdi, he said, "My brothers, carefully
bring up these, my children, and do not suffer two brothers to quarrel; adhere firmly
to your fidelity to them, and do not
join yourselves to other rajas." They assented in profound grief,
saying, "Yea, our lord, light of our eyes, we swear by the great God, the
Creator of all, that we will faithfully maintain our allegiance and fidelity to
the Princes, your sons." Then, Sultan Malec Mansur, the son of Sultan
Malec al Salih, succeeded to the throne
of the kingdom of Samadra; and, after three days died, and was buried beside
his palace, and his tomb is still said to be at Samadra. After the death of
their father, the Princes completed the division of their subjects, elephants,
horses, and champions; and, the land of
Pasei became more beautiful than ever before,
flourishing both in trade and population.
