Hang Tuah (Jawi: هڠ تواه, from /tuha/ or /toh/ (توه) [1]), according to the semi-historical Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu), was a warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century.[2] However, there is limited historical evidence for his existence.[3] He was supposedly a great laksamana, or admiral, a diplomat and a silat master. Hang Tuah is the most illustrious warrior figure in Malay literature. He is however, a somewhat controversial figure and there is much in dispute about the factual basis of Hang Tuah's story.[4]
The veracity of Hang Tuah has been the subject of debate of historians for a century. In 2012, historian Khoo Kay Kim, noted that there was no historical evidence for Hang Tuah's existence.[5] Since 2016, some historians have suggested that that Hang Tuah is referred to in the Rekidai Hoan,[6] an official record from the Ryukyu Islands.[7] The document spans the period from the 15th to the 19th century and records the arrival of a certain admiral from Malacca. The document mentions the word "Lezoumana" or "Lo-hsi-ma-na" (Laksamana), Hang Tuah's supposed title, according to the Malay Annals. However, since Hang Tuah is not mentioned by name, this claim remains unproven.[8]
Ethnicity
Regardless of the historicity of Hang Tuah, his ethnicity is the source of some dispute. Legend has it that Hang Tuah had aboriginal Malay ancestry.[9] In the early 21st century, there arose an unfounded cybermyth that Hang Tuah was of Chinese descent.[10][11][12]
Legend
According to legend, Hang Tuah learns silat together with his four comrades, Hang Kasturi, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu. Their teacher is Adi Putra, a renowned master who lived a hermetic life at the top of a mountain. The comrades encounter and deal with a man running running amok. Following this incident, Hang Tuah is presented to Sultan Muzaffar Shah of Malacca by his bendahara, Tun Perak.[13]
Hang Tuah's career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah Melayu (the semi-historical Malay Annals)[14] and Hikayat Hang Tuah (a romantic collection of tales involving Hang Tuah).
Hang Tuah is said to have become the sultan's constant aide, accompanying the king on official visits to foreign countries. On one such visit to Majapahit, Hang Tuah fights a duel with the famed pendekar Taming Sari. After this brutal fight Hang Tuah emerges as winner, and then Singhavikramavardhana, the ruler of Majapahit, bestows upon him Taming Sari's kris or dagger. The Keris Taming Sari was named after its original owner, and is purported to be magical, empowering its owner with physical invulnerability.
Hang Tuah is also said to have acted as the sultan's ambassador, travelling on the king's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning Hang Tuah's loyalty to the ruler is found in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, and involves his visit to Inderaputra or Pahang during one such voyage. The sultan sends Hang Tuah to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the sultan's companion. Tun Teja falls under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the sultan, and agrees to elope with him to Malacca. It was only during the voyage home that Hang Tuah reveals his deception to Tun Teja. The Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu each carry different accounts of this incident. The Hikayat records that it is Hang Tuah who persuades Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her.
Perhaps the most famous story in which Hang Tuah is involved is the fight with his closest childhood companion, Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the sultan leads to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah is having an illicit affair with one of the sultan's dayang (court stewardesses). The sultan then sentences Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offence. The death sentence is not carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the bendahara (chief minister), goes against the sultan's orders and hides Hang Tuah in a remote region of Malacca.
The story continues, with Hang Jebat, believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the king he served. Hang Jebat then decides to avenge his friend's death. Hang Jebat's revenge allegedly becomes a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred). It remains consistent, however, that Hang Jebat wreaks havoc onto the royal court, and the sultan is unable to stop him, as none of the warriors dares to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat. The bendahara then informs the sultan that the only man who is able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, is still alive. The bendahara recalls Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior is given full amnesty by the sultan and is instructed to kill Hang Jebat. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah is able to kill Hang Jebat.
The two main sources for Hang Tuah differ yet again on the details of the final aspect of his life. According to the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it is Hang Jebat who avenges his friend's death, only to be killed by the same friend, but according to Sejarah Melayu, it is Hang Kasturi. The Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Annals are unique in that they constitute the only available account of the history of the Malay Sultanate in the 15th and early 16th century,[15] but the Hang Jebat story, as the more romantic tale, remains more popular.
Hang Tuah is said to continue to serve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in life, Hang Tuah is ordered by Sultan Mahmud Shah to court a princess on the sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang) was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Malacca-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess meets with Hang Tuah, and only agrees to marry the sultan if he satisfies a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts. The list includes a golden bridge linking Malacca with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the sultan's first-born son's blood. Hang Tuah knows the tasks will not be fulfilled, and is so overwhelmed that he fails his king that he flings his kris into a river and vows only to return to Malacca if it resurfaces, which it never does. He then vanishes into thin air.
According to other sources, Hang Tuah lives to an old age, and his body is buried in Tanjung Kling in Malacca, where his tomb can still be seen today; however some say his body is actually buried elsewhere. Other sources state that, following the arrival of the Portuguese, Hang Tuah moves to Singapore.[16][17]
Legacy
Hang Tuah remains popular in Malaysia, embodying the values of allegiance and loyalty. The legend of the tragic friendship between Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat represents the conflict between loyalty and justice.[citation needed]
Hang Tuah is associated with the saying, "Takkan Melayu hilang di dunia, selagi berpegang teguh kepada Agama Islam," meaning, "Never shall Malays vanish from the earth, as long as they adhere to the religion of Islam". The saying is a rallying cry for Malay nationalism.[18][19] However, there is no historical record attributing the saying to Hang Tuah.[20]
In popular culture
Film
Hang Tuah is a prominent figure in Malaysia's popular culture and his story has been adapted into several movies. Famous portrayals include:
Jalaluddin Hassan in XX Ray 2 (1995), a science-fiction film made by Aziz M. Osman about modern scientists who were sent back to the 15th century, when Hang Tuah was alive. The film imagines the hero getting his attributed quote Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia from one of the scientists from the future
Khairudin Samsudin in Singapore's first kids drama Robbie And The Book Of Tales (2000), Season 1 Episode 2
In 1951, Indonesian author Nasjah Djamin wrote Hang Tuah (Untuk Anak-Anak) ("Hang Tuah for Children") published by Balai Antara, making it the first locally published comic book in the country.[22]
Silat Melayu, also known as Seni Persilatan Melayu or simply Silat, is a combative art of self-defence from the Malay world, that employs langkah ('steps') and jurus ('movements') to ward off or to strike assaults, either with or without weapons. Silat traced its origin to the early days of Malay civilisation, and has since developed into a fine tradition of physical and spiritual training that embodies aspects of traditional Malay attire, performing art and adat. The philosophical foundation of modern Malay Silat is largely based on the Islamic spirituality. Its moves and shapes are rooted from the basis of Silat movements called Bunga Silat, and Silat performances are normally accompanied with Malay drum assembles.
Hang Jebat was the closest companion of the legendary Malaccan hero Hang Tuah. Regarded in Malaysia as one of the greatest silat exponents in history, he is well known for his vengeful rebellion against the Malacca Sultan whom he served.
The Malay Annals, originally titled Sulalatus Salatin, is a literary work that gives a romanticised history of the origin, evolution and demise of the great Malay maritime empire, the Malacca Sultanate. The work, which was composed sometime between the 15th and 16th centuries, is considered one of the finest literary and historical works in the Malay language.
Taming Sari (which means "flower shield", "beautiful shield" or "the main shield" in Malay is a famous kris in Malay folklore. It is believed to have been wielded by the legendary Malaccan warrior Hang Tuah, and is fabled to grant physical invulnerability to its wielder.
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian Malay-language epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin. The film is based on the Malay legend of the Gunung Ledang princess, who is said to have lived on top of Gunung Ledang, and a Malaccan sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M. Nasir and Adlin Aman Ramlie.
Bendahara is an administrative position within classical Malay kingdoms comparable to a vizier before the intervention of European powers during the 19th century. A bendahara was appointed by a sultan and was a hereditary post. The bendahara and the sultan shared the same lineage.
Sultan Mahmud Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah ruled the Sultanate of Malacca from 1488 to 1511, and again as pretender to the throne from 1513 to 1528. He was son to Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah. As a monarch, he was known to be ruthless ruler. After the capture of Malacca and the downfall of the century long sultanate; Mahmud left for Bintan and became a leader of a small confederacy which led attacks against Portuguese-occupied Malacca in the late 1510s. After retaliation from the Portuguese in 1526, he fled to Riau and died there in 1528.
Hikayat Hang Tuah is a Malay work of literature that tells the tale of the legendary Malay warrior, Hang Tuah and his four warrior friends - Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu – who lived during the height of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century.
Hang Nadim was a warrior of the Johor-Riau during the Portuguese occupation of Melaka. Nadim was appointed laksamana (admiral) of Sultan Mahmud Shah's forces that harassed the Portuguese trade colonies from 1511 to 1526. He also appears as a legendary figure in a chapter of the Sejarah Melayu.
Tangkak is a town and the capital of Tangkak District in Johor, Malaysia. The town is nicknamed "Fabric Town" or "Syurga Kain" in honour of its many textile shops. It is also well known as being a major entry point to Mount Ledang, the highest mountain in Johor.
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a Malaysian musical directed by Zahim Albakri, co-directed by Adlin Aman Ramlie, book by Adlin Aman Ramlie, Saw Teong Hin and Zahim Al-Bakri and music composed by Dick Lee. The musical is based on the 2004 Puteri Gunung Ledang film. The original production was staged at the Istana Budaya in February 2006, this was followed by two more productions and an upcoming third in February 2009. Tiara Jacquelina and Stephen Rahman-Hughes starred as Gusti Putri and Hang Tuah in all the productions to date. Other members of the production team are music director Roslan Aziz, choreographer Pat Ibrahim and production designer Raja Malek. The musical was staged in poetic Malay and Javanese-accented Malay, but English subtitles were provided.
Puteri Gunong Ledang is a 1961 Singaporean Malay-language black-and-white period romantic drama film directed by S. Roomai Noor and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang. The film introduces actress Elaine Edley in her first film role.
Tun Muhammad bin Tun Ahmad, better known as Tun Sri Lanang, was the Bendahara of the royal Court of Johor Sultanate who lived between the 16th and 17th centuries. He served under two Sultans of Johor, namely; Sultan Ali Jalla Abdul Jalil Shah II (1570–1597) and Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah III (1597–1615) and also advisers to 3 Acheh sultans namely; Sultan Iskandar Muda, Sultan Iskandar Thani (1636–1641) and Sultana Tajul Alam Safiatuddin Shah (1641–1675). He had two honorific titles throughout his lifetime; as the Bendahara of Johor, Bendahara Paduka Raja Tun Mohamad, while he was given the title of Orang Kaya Dato' Bendahara Seri Paduka Tun Seberang after settling in Aceh.
Mount Ledang is a mountain located in Tangkak District, Johor, Malaysia. The summit is located next to the tripoint of Tangkak, Jasin and Tampin Districts, respectively located in the states of Johor, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan. Standing at 1,276 m (4,186 ft), it is the 64th highest mountain in Malaysia and the highest peak in Johor.
Hang Tuah is a 1956 Singaporean Malay-language historical drama film directed by Phani Majumdar. It is the first Malay film to be fully shot in Eastman colour film. It was released in Singapore by Shaw Organisation on 28 January 1956. The film was based on the legendary Admiral Hang Tuah of Malacca and his 4 sworn brothers; Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu. This film received the award for 'Best Musical Score' at the 3rd Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong in 1956 and an official screening at 7th Berlin International Film Festival in 1957, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear.
Magika is a 2010 Malaysian Malay-language musical adventure fantasy film directed by Edry Abdul Halim and starring by Diana Danielle, Mawi and Fimie Don.
Istiadat Pewaris Penjurit-Kepetangan Melayu or formerly known as Ilmu Persilatan Penjurit-Kepetangan Melayu, shortform IPPM is one of the oldest original known to date Malay martial art form or called 'Silat' in existence which has been heritage from one generation to another. Descended from the first ruler of the Malayapura Kingdom, King Adityawarman whom is also known as Seri Maharaja Diraja which to a later stage sparked the start of Minangkabau history in Pagaruyung Kingdom, Sumatra, Indonesia. These story has been greatly narrated in most of old Malay Literature including in of the most reliable sources to date called Sulalatus al-Salatin or better known as The Malay Annals (Malay: Sejarah Melayu). The manuscript begin with the stories of Wan Malini and Wan Empuk whom was presented with 3 adopted princes right after when their rice fields was magically expelling gold. These 3 princes was later mark as the kickstart for the next 3 big empires in Malay Archipelago. Those empires were the Kingdom of Majapahit, The Malacca Sultanate and the Pagaruyung Kingdom around the 12th century.
Hulubalang were the military nobility of the classical Malay kingdoms in Southeast Asia. In western sources, "Hulubalang" is roughly translated as "warlord", "commander", "general" or simply "warrior". An early literary reference to the word Hulubalang appears in the Malay Annals. It is mentioned in the text that among four senior nobles of Kingdom of Singapura (1299–1398), there was a position called Hulubalang Besar, first held by Tun Tempurung, that equivalent to chief of staff of the army, who commands several other Hulubalangs. The legendary strongman of Singapura, Badang, was among the notable Hulubalang of the kingdom, promoted to the rank during the reign of Sri Rana Wikrama.
Kassim Ahmad was a Malaysian Muslim philosopher, intellectual, writer, poet and an educator. He was also a socialist politician in the early days of Malaya and later Malaysia and was detained without trial from 1976 to 1981 under Malaysia's Internal Security Act.
Mendam Berahi was a legendary royal galley said to have been used by the Malacca Sultanate in the early 16th century. This ship is fictional, recorded in the epic Hikayat Hang Tuah, and that type of ship, the ghali, did not exist until after the 1530s.
↑ Liok Ee Tan (1988). The Rhetoric of Bangsa and Minzu. Monash Asia Institute. p.14. ISBN978-0-86746-909-7.
↑ Melanie Chew (1999). The Presidential Notes: A biography of President Yusof bin Ishak. Singapore: SNP Publications. p.78. ISBN978-981-4032-48-3.
↑ Adam, Ahmad (2016, May 23). Hang Tuah: Laksamana Melaka dalam Sejarah Kebudayaan Melayu? [Seminar presentation], Kelab Bangsar Utama, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqb-Kg4pfkc
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