Ethnic Malays

The free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the Malay ethnic group. For the Malay "race", see Malay race. For other uses, see Malay (disambiguation). 0Malay Melayu ملايو Enrique of MalaccaHamzah HazHang Tuah Hassanal Bolkiah of BruneiDato LatMahathir Mohamad SalomaSiti NurhalizaSurin Putsuwan Sheikh Muszaphar ShukorTunku Abdul RahmanPengiran Anak Sarah Yusof bin IshakYunalis ZaraiAbu Bakar of Johor 1st row: Enrique of Malacca • Hamzah Haz • Hang Tuah  2nd row: Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei • Lat • Mahathir Mohamad  3rd row: Saloma • Siti Nurhaliza • Surin Pitsuwan  4th row: Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor • Tunku Abdul Rahman • Crown Princess Sarah  5th row: Yusof Ishak• Yunalis Zarai • Abu Bakar of Johor Total population c. 27.8 million Regions with significant populations Majority populations               

Malaysia      14,749,378 (2010 estimate)      [1]

Brunei         261,902 (2010 estimate)           [2]

Minority populations               

Indonesia    8,789,585 (2010 estimate)        [3][4]

Thailand      3,354,475 (2010 estimate)        [5][6]

Singapore    653,449 (2010 estimate)           [7][8]

Languages

Malay, Indonesian, Yawi, Thai, English

Religion

Sunni Islam (approx. 99.9%)[9]

Malays (Malay: Melayu, Jawi: ملايو) are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula including the southernmost parts of Thailand, south coast Myanmar and island of Singapore, coastal Indonesian including east of Sumatra, coastal Borneo, including Brunei, coastal Sarawak and Sabah, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations. These locations today is part of the modern nations of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Myanmar, Southern Thailand and Western Indonesia.

Today, the common identity that binds Malay people together is their language (with variant of dialects exist among them), Islam and their culture;[10] although in the past Malay people were largely animist and Hindu-Buddhist before conversion to Islam took place in the 15th century. Malay culture has a number of similarities with cultures of neighboring ethnic groups, such as those of Minang culture, Aceh, and to some degree Javanese culture; however it differs by being more overtly Islamic than the Javanese culture which is more multi-religious.

The name "Malay" (Chinese: Mo-Lo-Yu or local inscription: Malayu) was first mentioned in a Chinese account in the 644 CE to report the existence of a Malay kingdom in the southern islands of the (Malay archipelago). At that time, "Malayu" might have referred to the Melayu Kingdom on the east coast of Sumatra that centered around the Jambi area.[10] From that time onward, the term "Malay" has evolved from a kingdom in Jambi to identifying the ethnic group that inhabits the region on both sides of Malacca strait and beyond. One of the logical explanations of the name origin has been verified in other languages, such as the Tamil word malaiyur, used to refer the mountainous region where the civilization of Kadaram was founded in Kedah (today), or the Javanese word mlayu (to run) derived from mlaku (to walk or to travel), or the Malay term melaju (to steadily accelerate), to refer the high mobility and migratory nature of its people, however these suggestions remain as popular local beliefs without corroborating evidence.

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Deutero Malays

The earlier Proto Malay groups were later pushed inland by the Deutero Malay settlers in the second wave of migration around 300 BC. The Deutero Malays are Iron Age people descended partly from the subsequent Chams, Mon–Khmer peoples of Mainland Southeast Asia and following Austronesian peoples who came equipped with more advanced farming techniques and new knowledge of metals.[citation needed] They are kindred but more Mongolized and greatly distinguished from the Proto Malays which have shorter stature, darker skin, slightly higher frequency of wavy hair, much higher percentage of dolichocephaly and a markedly lower frequency of the epicanthic fold.

The Deutero Malay settlers were not nomadic compared to their predecessors, instead they settled and established kampungs which serve as the main units in the society. These kampungs were normally situated on the riverbanks or coastal areas and generally self-sufficient in food and other necessities. By the end of the last century BC, these kampungs beginning to engage in some trade with the outside world.

The Deutero Malays are considered as the direct ancestors of present day's Malay people.[30] Their series of migration had indirectly forced some groups of Proto Malays and aboriginal people to retreat into the hill areas of the interior further upriver. Notable Proto Malays of today are Moken, Jakun, Orang Kuala, Temuan and Orang Kanaq.

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Proto Malays

Further information: History of Austronesian peoples, Homeland of Austronesian languages

Also known as Melayu asli (aboriginal Malay) or Melayu purba (ancient Malay), the Proto Malays are of Austronesian origin are thought to have migrated to the Malay archipelago in a long series of migrations between 2500 and 1500 BC.[25] The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Early History, has pointed out a total of three theories of the origin of Malay:

    The Yunnan theory, Mekong river migration (published 1889)

    The theory of Proto Malay originating from Yunnan is supported by R.H Geldern, J.H.C Kern, J.R Foster, J.R Logen, Slametmuljana and Asmah Haji Omar. Other evidences that support this theory include:

        Stone tools found at Malay Archipelago which are analogous to Central Asian tools;

        Similarity of Malay customs and Assam customs; and

        the fact that the Malay language & Cambodian language are kindred languages because the ancestral home of Cambodians originated at the source of Mekong River.

    The New Guinea theory (published 1965).

    The Taiwan theory (published 1997).

The book "Contesting Malayness – Malay Identity Across Boundaries" edited by Timothy P. Barnard reflects the views of anthropologists that there is no such race as the "Malays" to begin with, even if one has since developed in Malaysia. If one follow the original migration of a certain group of southern Chinese of 6,000 years ago, some moved to Taiwan (today's Taiwanese aborigines are their descendents), then to the Philippines and later to Borneo (roughly 4,500 years ago) (today's Dayak and other groups). These ancient people also split with some heading to Sulawesi and others progressing into Java, and Sumatra. The final migration was to the Malayan Peninsula roughly 3,000 years ago. A sub-group from Borneo moved to Champa in Vietnam roughly 4,500 years ago. There are also traces of the Dong Song and HoaBinh migration from Vietnam and Cambodia. There was also the Southern Thai migration, from what we know as Pattani today. All these groups share DNA and linguistic origins traceable to the island that is today Taiwan, and the ancestors of these ancient people are traceable to southern China.

However, in 2009, a comprehensive study of genetic diversity and history of Asian populations was carried out by HUGO (Human Genome Organization) involving almost 2000 people across Asia, points to another theory of Asian migration pattern. The HUGO found genetic similarities between populations throughout Asia and an increase in genetic diversity from northern to southern latitudes. These findings indicates the origin of Asia's population and support the hypothesis that Asia was populated primarily through a single migration event from the south, entering South East Asian first. The South East Asian civilizations including the Malays are possibly much older compared to East Asian civilizations[26]

The proto Malays are believed to be seafarers knowledgeable in oceanography and possessing agricultural skills. They moved around from island to island in great distances between New Zealand and Madagascar, and they served as navigation guides, crew and labour to Indian, Arab, Persian and Chinese traders for nearly 2000 years. Over the years they settled at various places and adopted various cultures and religions.

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Etymology Melayu

The use of the native term "Melayu" to refer to a distinct ethnic group is believed to have been popularized during the consolidation of the Malacca Sultanate as a regional power in the 15th century. It was used to describe the cultural culture of the Malaccans as against foreigners from the same region, notably the Javanese and Thais.[11] Prior to the 15th century, the term and its other spelling variants can be found in foreign sources referring to either historical kingdoms or geographical parts of Malay archipelago.

The Sanskrit word "Malayadvipa" that appeared in chapter 48 of Vayu Purana was among the earliest foreign references to the origin of the word "Melayu". It literally means "insular mountain continent" and is described in the Purana as one of the provinces in the mythical eastern archipelago that was full of gold and silver. Some scholars equate the term with Sumatra,[12] while most Indian scholars believe that Sumatra is more correctly associated with Suvarnadvipa and Malayadvipa should refer to the more mountainous Malay peninsula,[13][14][15][16][17] An inscription on the south wall of the Brihadeeswarar Temple that recorded the Chola invasion of the Malay archipelago in the 11th century made a reference to Malaiur, a kingdom that had "a strong mountain for its rampart", as one of the kingdoms that fell to the Chola invaders.

The term "Maleu-Kolon" that appeared in Ptolemy's work Geographia is another ancient term related to "Melayu". It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit term malayakolam or malaikurram, referring to a geographical part of Malay Peninsular.[18]

References alluding to the word "Melayu" can also be found in several Chinese records. Among the earliest was that of Yi Jing who visited the Malay Archipelago between 688–695. Yi Jing mentioned a kingdom known as Mo-Lo-Yu, which was a 15 day sail from Bogha (Palembang), the capital of Sribhoga (Srivijaya). It took a 15 day sail as well to reach Ka-Cha (Kedah) from Mo-lo-yu; therefore, it can be reasoned that Mo-Lo-Yu would lie halfway between the two places.[19] Some scholars relate the Kingdom of Mo-Lo-Yu with Jambi in Sumatra, but this claim is disputed, as the geographical location of Jambi doesn't match with Yi Jing's description of a "half way sail between Ka-Cha (Kedah) and Bogha (Palembang)". In the later Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the word Ma-La-Yu was mentioned often in Chinese historical texts - with changes in spelling due to the time span between the dynasties - to refer to a nation near the southern sea. Among the terms used was "Bok-la-yu", "Mok-la-yu" (木剌由), Ma-li-yu-er (麻里予兒), Oo-lai-yu (巫来由) - traced from the written source of monk Xuan Zang), and Wu-lai-yu (無来由). In the chronicle of Yuan Dynasty, the word "Ma-li-yu-er" was mentioned[20]:

    "..Animosity occurred between Siam and Ma-li-yu-er (Malays) with both killing each other..."

The above text is referring to a period when the Siamese launched their efforts to subjugate the small Malay states of the northern Malay peninsular during the reign of Ram Khamhaeng of Sukhothai Kingdom. In 1295, a Chinese envoy arrived at the Ram Khamhaeng's court bearing an imperial order: "Keep your promise and do no evil to Ma-li-yu-er".[21] This kingdom of "Ma-li-yu-er that appeared in the Chinese record possibly a similar kingdom that was mentioned by the famous Venetian traveler Marco Polo (1254–1324) who lived during the same period. In his book Travels of Marco Polo, he mentioned about a kingdom named "Malauir" which according to him located in the Malay peninsula.[22][23]

Based on the translation by Slamet Muljana, the word bhūmi Mālayu (literally "Land of Malayu") is incribed on the Padang Roco Inscription, dated 1286 CE,[24] according to the inscription, bhūmi Mālayu is associated with the Dharmasraya kingdom. On the Amoghapasa inscription, dated 1347 CE, the word Malayapura (literally "city of Malaya" or "kingdom of Malaya") was proclaimed by Adityawarman, again referring to Dharmasraya. The word "Melayu" is also mentioned in the Malay annals referring to a river in Sumatra:

    "...Here now is the story of a city called Palembang in the land of Andelas. It was ruled by Demang Lebar Daun, a descendant of Raja Shulan, and its river was the Muara Tatang. In the upper reaches of the Muara Tatang was a river called Melayu, and on that river was a hill called Si-Guntang Mahameru..."

During the European colonization of the area, the word "Malay" was adopted into English via the Dutch word "Malayo", itself derived from the Portuguese "Malaio", which originates from the Malay word "Melayu".

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