HUBUNGAN AWAL ASIA TENGGARA DENGAN BANGSA TURKIC DI INDIA DARI SUDUT SEJARAH DAN SENI ISLAM SOUTHEAST ASIA’S INITIAL RELATION WITH THE TURKIC PEOPLE IN INDIA FROM A HISTORICAL AND ISLAMIC ART PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Abstrak 

Artikel mengenai peranan bangsa Arab dan Parsi dalam menyebarkan agama dan budaya Islam ke Asia Tenggara telah dibincangkan secara meluas dan mendalam oleh para sarjana. Meskipun begitu, peranan atau sumbangan bangsa Turkic di India sering dilupakan. Hubungan ini jelas sekali dinyatakan pada salah satu bukti arkeologi terawal yang dijumpai di wilayah Asia Tenggara, yakni tiang Champa (1035M) namun tidak diendahkan kerana terdapat pelbagai tafsiran daripada para sarjana yang meragui kesahihan inskripsi tersebut. Oleh itu, kajian ini akan menilai semula kepentingan tiang Champa dalam membincangkan Islam di Asia Tenggara melalui kajian kepustakaan dan analisis kritikal (critical analysis) terutamanya dari sudut sejarah serta budaya kesenian. Hasil penelitian menujukkan bahawa bangsa Turkic dari Dinasti Ghaznavid (977-1186M) di India serta Dinasti Rasulid (1229-1454M) di Yaman turut memainkan peranan dalam mempengaruhi budaya kesenian Islam di Asia Tenggara yang dipercayai telah bermula sekitar abad ke-11 Masihi. Hubungan bangsa Turkic dengan Asia Tenggara telah berlaku lebih awal daripada Dinasti Turki Othmaniyah yang dipercayai bermula pada abad ke-16 dan ke-19 Masihi. Perkara ini dibuktikan melalui catatan dokumen bertulis dan inskripsi serta jejak peninggalan seni pada batu nisan, istana, masjid dan madrasah. Justeru, takrifan “India” dalam konteks sejarah harus diteliti dan dinilai semula kerana ia sering digunakan untuk merujuk kepada kedudukan geografi sahaja. Perkara ini membuatkan peranan bangsa dan budaya Arab, Parsi dan Turkic yang merupakan golongan pemerintah di India tidak diketengahkan dalam membincangkan Islam di Asia Tenggara.

 Kata kunci: Turkic, seni Islam, seni Melayu, Asia Tenggara, Tiang Champa

Abstract 

Articles regarding the role of Arabs and Persians in spreading the Islamic faith and culture to Southeast Asia have been widely and deeply discussed by scholars. Even so, the role or contribution of the Turkic people in India is often forgotten or neglected. This relationship is clearly stated in one of the earliest archaeological evidences found in Southeast Asia, namely the Champa Pillar (1035 CE) but is ignored as there are various intrepretations from scholars who doubt the authencity of the inscription. Therefore, this study will re-evaluate the importance of the Champa Pillar in discussing Islam in Southeast Asia through literaray studies and critical analysis, particularly from a historical and cultural-artistic perspective. Findings from this study indicates that the Turkic people from the Ghaznavid Dynasty (977-1186CE) in India and the Rasulid Dynasty (1229-1454CE) in Yemen had also played a role in the formation and influence of Islamic art culture in Southeast Asia, which is believed to have started around the 11^th century CE. The relationship between the Turkic people and Southeast Asia had occurred much earlier than the Ottoman Dynasty in the 16^th and 19^th centuries CE. This is proven through written documents and stone inscriptions as well as traces of artistic remains on tombstones, palaces, mosques and madrasahs. Thus, the definition of “India” in historical context should be examined and re-evaluated as it often used solely to refer to a geographical location. This makes the role of the Arabs, Persians and Turkic people and their culture, which are the ruling class in India, to be neglected in the discussion of Islam in Southeast Asia. 

Keywords: Turkic, Islamic art, Malay art, Southeast Asia, Champa Pillar