Some Notes Upon the Relationships Between the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam and Ottoman State

8th Nov 2018 Some Notes upon the Relationships between the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam and Ottoman State Mehmet Özay1 Sumatra Island witnessed constant rise and fall of numerous kingship authorities in political and mercantile activities. For instance, Srivijaya Empire, between 7th and 12th centuries, was once most civilized hinduic center in Palembang, in the southern part of the Island, expanded its political sovereignty not only towards the northern part but also beyond. Lamuri in northern tip of the Island, was one of important coastal regions that displayed the up and down of obedience under the former one. Owing to the jeo-strategic position of the Island, some city states in pre-Islam period are asserted to have developed relationships with India and China which are regarded as two distinguished religio-cultural centers in the whole region. By the active participation of various Muslim nations to this process in parallel with the expansion of Islam in geographies adjacent to Indian Ocean, the sea and trade route between India and China developed in larger extent. This process started from the 13th century when the Chinese dynasties initiated novel policies towards the southern seas. At the same time, the Sultanate of Samudra-Pasai in northern part of the Island rose as a crucial city-states, as accounted on the basis of observations and witnesses of Marco Polo and Ibn Batutah respectively. Another process appeared by the initiation of classical colonization process at the beginning of the 16th century. This period did not only witness the competition and rivalry among the colonialist Western European nations, but also the emergence of the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam, which acquired a greater importance both in the region and periodically global perspective due to its political existence in longer periods. Taking into consideration that the Islamisation process of the region started in the 9th or 10th century, it is safely assumed that the Acehnese court and political elites had enough experiences to have managed and became actors not only in ruling regional politics and trade networks, but also expanding their influences and relationships in religious matters through Holy Lands of Islam. And the influences and impacts of the political changes emerged just after the Ottoman State constructed his hegemony in Egypt and sea ways around Arabian Peninsula showed trade networks and political establishments around the Indian Ocean. The relationships of various city-states and even the maritime states with western shores of Indian-Subcontinent, Arabian Peninsula and Ottoman State throughout the above-mentioned longer periods have become subjects of significant academic works. Hence, no doubt that there are still some weaknesses in terms of concrete data which are needed to shed light on the mentioned relationships. While some try to compensate these weaknesses by approaching to mythological accounts, there are still some avenues, such as sea archaeology and ground surface survey in coastal 1Dr., İbn Haldun Üniversitesi. Ulubatlı Hasan Cd. No. 2, Başakşehir-İstanbul. E-mail. [email protected] (Office: 0212 692 02 12 – Ext. 2325). (Hp.: 0535 786 33 75). areas of the northern tip of Sumatra. These academic works will no doubt provide significant data and unravel the past history of the region. Crucial political and trade relationships of the Sultanate of Aceh, on the one hand, with the western powers such as the Portuguese, the British, the Dutch, the French and the Americans, on the other hand with some regional city-states and the Ottoman State makes the northern tip of Sumatra Island potentially invaluable in terms of hidden data either in the bottom of the sea or coastal areas. Since Aceh became the victim of wars and conflicts in relatively longer periods, there have not been any attempts initiated to uncover at least some concrete aspects of the past relations by implementing archaeological works. In this study, the present writers will discuss analytically the significance of the archaeological works for the history of the region by providing some crucial concrete data. As known, the European historiography has produced invaluable documentation pertaining to their presence in Southeast Asia. And we also witness that there is a significant documentation regarding to the the presence of Turks in these Eureopean sources. What I personally have failed to find out until today is any written material left from the Turkish individuals, experts, crasftsmen, military experts who visited temporaly or settled permanently in the past centuries. In this context, I should remark that the Turkish influence in cultural and civilizational aspects in Aceh is yet to be discovered in detail. At the very outset, I should assert that the relations between the Acehnese and the Turks cannot be merely based on a request from the Sultans of Aceh and response by the Ottomans sending a sort of military aid. Or in another saying, the relations between two nations might not have been founded upon the rock of magnificient cannons. On the other hand, it is not deniable that the issue of cannon had its impress remained on the relations. Instead, these contacts between two states deserve to be taken into consideration as an interesting phase of cooperation of Islamic world and civilization. For that purpose, there should be some more investigations not only political and military, but also religious, cultural and economic domains of the relations. Attempts Before the Ottomans Before dealing with just above-mentioned aspects of relations, we should look at whether there are any salient issues pertaining to the pre-Ottoman involvement. In regard to this, it is interesting to inquire when the Turks commenced the adventure of the Indian Ocean. On the other hand, as argued by some researchers the Saljuki Turks, who played salient roles during the Abbasid period being the backbone of the Abbasid army,2 might have had access to the Indian Ocean. During that time, the ports lying on the coastal areas of Oman were subjected to some military attacks variety of nations among which Saljuki Turks might have taken place the years between 893 and 1063 (AD), owing to the richness and source of invaluable commercial commodity.3 In relation to this period, some 2W. Frederick Stripling. (1977). The Ottoman Turks and the Arabs 1511-1574, Philadelphia: Porcupine Press, p. 5. 3V. D. Divekar. (1979). “Maritime Trading Settlements in the Arabian Sea Region Up To 1500 A.D.”, (ed.), ‘The Indian Ocean in Focus’ International Conference on Indian Ocean Studies, Section III The History of Commercial Exchange&Maritime Transport, Perth Western Australia, People Helping People, p. 10. groups from Saljuki territory voyaged to Aceh in some time in the 11th century. And it is argued that this group settled in the place where today Kampung Pande lies and the name of the leader is said to be “Mahkdum Abu Abdullah Syah Abdurrauf” whose graveyard is still in the Kandang Pande. It is assumed that he was descendant of “Sultan Malik Ilik Khan Syah” in Abbasiyah Dynasti in Bukhara.4 Once the Malacca Sultanate was founded, the traders and seamen from the eastern and western part of the Indian Ocean invested in this port city. It is mentioned that there were also some Turkic groups beyond Arabian, Persian, Indian ones.5 In addition, Tome Pires observed that there were Rumes in port cities such as Goa, Cambay in Western India which under the rule Deccan Kingdom. In this regard he described Goa as a very strategic location and bountiful of crops and gentle climate which attracted Rumes to settle.6Cambay, a prominent port city in the Western part of India, was captured by the Rumes and Turk and Persians some two-and-half centuries then.7Pires also informed the presence of Rumes in Deccan Kigndom. According to this there werefew of the highest level of governors during the reign of Sultan Mahmud in Deccan Kingdom who were called Idalham (Adil Khan) and Nimazul Mulk whose fathers were Turks from Turkey. The majority of mercenaries were their control.8 Before the Ottoman involvement into the warring processes in the Indian Ocean and Malacca Strait (Malacca), the Turkic elements (Rumis) in the Gulf region such as Oman, Bahrein in contemporary geography) and Western India contributed in the domain of military to the native Islamic principilaties or pursued their personal trade business.9 For instance, there were some Turkic states in India which recruited the Ottoman military experts so as to improve their capability against the external enemies. For instance, among them was ‘Malik Ayaz’ appointed as the commander in Gujerat. And some others such as, ‘Bayram oğlu Mustafa’ and ‘Sefer Hoca’ were famous seamen commanders known as Rumi Han or Hudavendi Han around the seas around Gujerat.10 And there is another reference to 4This account can be met in the form of both written and oral histories. For instance, I heard this early settler from Saljuki territory during the conversation with Adian Yahya, an inhabitant in Kampung Pande. And also some variety of local sources mention this. See also: Raden Hoesein Djajadiningrat, Kesultanan Aceh, (Tr.: Teuku Hamid), Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Proyek Pengembangan Permuseuman Daerah Istimewa Aceh, 1982-83, p. 9; Ali Hajsmy. (1977). 59 Tahun Aceh Merdeka di Bawah Pemerintahan Ratu, Jakarta: Bulang Bintang, pp. 36-7-8; A. Hajsmy, T. A. Talsya. (1989). Aceh dan Pahang, Banda Aceh: Lembaga Adat Dan Kebudayaan Aceh, pp. 43-4; Abdul Jalil. (1978). “Sejarah Militer Dalam Kerajaan Aceh Darussalam”, Bahan-Bahan Seminar Sejarah Masuk dan Berkembangnya Islam di Daerah Istimewa Aceh, 10-16 July, Banda Aceh, p. 50. 5J. Kennedy. (1993). A History of Malacca, 3rd Edition, Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Sooriya, p. 17. 6Tome Pires. (1990). The Suma Oriental of Tome Pires and the Book of Francisco Rodrigues, Vol.

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