Ch 14–1: How the People of Campa Ended Up in Melaka

The chapter begins with an account of the Raja of Campa.

The Raja of Campa lives in a city called Malafasat. Near his palace is an areca palm tree with a very big blossom (“mayang”) — but even after a long wait, the blossom does not unfurl (“mengurai”). And so the Raja of Campa tells his slave: “Climb that tree and see what’s up with that blossom.” The boy climbs the tree, plucks the blossom and brings it down. The Raja parts the blossom and sees a very good-​looking boy inside it. And so the blossom’s sheath (“seludang”) becomes the state gong, known as Jeming; and its stamen (“bidang”) becomes the state sword of the Raja of Campa, known as Beladau. The Raja of Campa is thrilled at finding the boy, and names him Raja Po Gelang. He gives the boy to the wives of all the aristocracy and of the prime minister, but he refuses to be breastfed by any of them!

The Raja of Campa has a cow with multi-​coloured skin (“bulunya pancawarna”) with a young calf. I wonder if the cow looked like this:

The king milks the cow and gives the milk to the boy, and the boy drinks it! And that is why, until today, the people of Campa do not drink cow’s milk or kill cows.

Po Gelang grows up. It so happens that the Raja of Campa, who had found him, has a daughter named Po Bia. And so the Raja of Campa marries his daughter to Po Gelang, who had come from the areca palm blossom. (Isn’t it nice when people aren’t too fussy about ancestry?) After some time, the Raja of Campa dies and Raja Po Gelang replaces his father-​in-​law as king. After Po Gelang comes to power, he builds a city so big that it can fit seven mountains, and the length is so great that it would take a whole day to sail from one end to the other with a strong wind (“sepenyampang sehari berlayar angin tegang kelat”). When the city is complete, he names it Yak. We are not told if he got the name after watching an Animal Planet documentary on Tibet.

After some time, Po Gelang has a son named Po Teri. When Po Teri grows up, Po Gelang dies. Po Teri then takes over the throne. Po Teri marries a princess named Bia Suri, and they get a son named Po Gema. When Po Gema grows up, his father Po Teri dies. And so Po Gema becomes the new king.

Po Gema gets a fleet of ships ready to pay homage to the king of Majapahit, and so he sets sail. After a journey of some time, he reaches Majapahit. The king (Batara) of Majapahit hears of this arrival, and he instructs all his chiefs to welcome him with due ceremony. He brings Po Gema into the palace with full pomp and splendour. He then marries Po Gema to his daughter Radin Galuh Ajeng. (And to think some hosts are content just with compli­mentary fruit baskets!) After some time, Radin Galuh Ajeng gets pregnant. Po Gema asks the king for leave to return to Campa, but the Batara Majapahit says, “You may go, but my daughter must stay here.” Po Gema replies, “Alright, I will obey your every command. But if I don’t die soon, I promise to come back here to present myself.”

Po Gema tells his wife he is leaving, and Radin Galuh Ajeng asks, “If our child is born, what should his name be?” Po Gema replies, “Call him Raja Jaka Anak. When he grows up, send him to me in Campa.” And his wife says, “Cool.” Po Gema then gets on his ship and travels back to Campa.

After her husband leaves, Raden Galuh Ajeng gives birth to a boy, whom she duly names Raja Jaka Anak. When he grows up, she tells him what his father had instructed. Upon hearing his mother’s words, Raja Jaka Anak gets ready a few dozen ships. When the fleet is ready, he seeks leave from the Batara Majapahit to go to Campa to be with his father. And the Batara Majapahit says, “Sure thing.” And so Raja Jaka Anak sails to Campa.

After a voyage of some time, Raja Jaka Anak arrives in Campa and presents himself to his father, Po Gema. The king is thrilled to finally meet his son and makes him (or, I think, promises to make him) the new ruler in the capital of Bal (which is how the manuscript now refers to the city of Yak. Oh well, Bal might be a better name).

After some time, Po Gema dies; and Raja Jaka Anak succeeds his father to become the new ruler of Campa. He marries a woman named Po Jibatji, and they have a son named Po Kubah. When Po Kubah grows up, his father Raja Jaka Anak dies. Po Kubah duly replaces him on the throne. He marries a woman named Po Mecat, and they have a few daughters. One of these daughters is very fine-​looking, and the Raja of Kuci is interested to marry her, but Po Kubah does not grant this wish.

And so the Raja of Kuci invades Campa. The fierce battle between Kuci and Campa involves a large number of troops. One day, the Raja of Kuci sends for the Penghulu Bendahari (Treasurer) of Campa, inviting him to cross over to his side. And so the Penghulu Bendahari agrees to allow them into the fort. At the day’s dawn, he opens the door to the fort, and all the Kuci forces barge in and go on a rampage (“beramuklah”) against the men of Campa — some of whom escape with their families, but others fight back. And so Bal falls, and the Raja of Campa dies.

The Raja of Campa’s children and all his chiefs flee for their lives, and they have no fixed destination. There are two princes of Campa, Indera Berma Syah and Syah Palembang, who escape by boat. Syah Palembang ends up in Aceh. Syah Indera Berma (which is what the manuscript now calls Indera Berma Syah) ends up in Melaka, and when Sultan Mansur Syah sees him and his followers, he is thrilled to meet them, and orders them to embrace Islam. (Wait, not even a fruit basket first?) And so Syah Indera Berma and his wife Kini Mertam and all their entourage become Muslims. Sultan Mansur Syah makes Syah Indera Berma a minister and has great affection for him. That is the story of the origin of the Melaka Campa community, all of whom are descendants of Syah Indera Berma and his people.

Sep 15, 2010 – 2:36 AM | By Amir Muhammad | Posted in Blog Post | Comments (2,609)

Previous Chapters

  • CH 15–2: How Kampar Got Steamrolled by Melaka
  • CH. 15–1: How a Melakan Warrior Had to Wait Before Kicking Haru Asses
  • Ch. 14–5: Why the Bendahara Mentions Royal Horniness on His Deathbed
  • Ch. 14–4: How Melaka Delivered a Smackdown to Pahang
  • Ch. 14–3: How the Sultan of Melaka Turned into a Kick-​ass Vigilante
  • Ch. 14–2: How a Grandmother From Hell is Stopped from Committing Regicide
  • Ch 14–1: How the People of Campa Ended Up in Melaka
  • Ch. 13: How the Pasai King’s Uppity Words Lost Him a Valuable Ally
  • Ch. 12–3: How the Sultan of Melaka Got Cock-​Blocked
  • Ch 12–2: How The Pasai Philosopher Answers (or Not) a Riddle from Melaka
  • Ch. 12–1: Why the Horny Prince of Mengkasar Goes on a Destructive Spree
  • Ch. 11: How a Game of Sepak Raga Turned Deadly
  • Ch. 10: How the Raja of China Cured His Skin Problem
  • Ch. 9–5: How the Sultan of Melaka Got His Elephant Back
  • Ch. 9–4: How the Raja of China’s Daughter Came to Melaka
  • Ch. 9–3: How Hang Tuah Killed Hang Kasturi
  • Ch. 9–2: How the Melakans Responded to the King of Majapahit’s Practical Jokes
  • Ch. 9–1: How the Queen of Majapahit Chose Her Husband
  • Ch. 8–2: How Melaka Became Siam’s BFF
  • Ch. 8–1: How the Siamese Were Fooled
  • Ch. 7: Why The Bendahara of Melaka Committed Suicide
  • Ch. 6–3: How Melaka was Founded, and Then Became Muslim
  • Ch. 6–2: How a King’s Horniness Got Him into Trouble with His Brother
  • Ch. 6–1: How Islam Came to the Malay World
  • Ch. 5: How Eating Vomit Can Make You A Superman
  • Ch. 4: How Singapura Repaid Majapahit’s Insult
  • Ch. 3: How Singapore Got Its Name
  • Ch. 2: How China Saved Itself
  • Ch. 1: Alexander?

    • 2,609 Comments