Later writers and interpreters added elements beyond the original Sejarah Melayu manuscript. For example, the tale that Hang Nadim's home was on Bukit Merah, and that his blood made the hill red is not part of the original manuscript.
Chia Hearn Chek, in his 1975 book, Red Hill: A Singapore Folklore wrote that when the king ordered the boy killed, his men went to search for him in his hill top house. However, the soldiers met an old lady on the hill who cursed them for their evil plan and made a red liquid gushed down the hill, turning it red. Hence, the name Redhill or Bukit Merah.
The tale that the village where the swordfish attack took place became known as Tanjong Pagar, the Cape of Fences is also not part of the Sejarah Melayu manuscript.
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| King Wikramawardhana of Majapahit who invaded Singapura in 1398 |
Sejarah Melayu compiled in Jawi by regent of Johor, Yang di-Pertuan Di Hilir Raja Abdullah in 1612, translated into English by Dr. John Leyden in 1821. The Malay Annals has 30 chapters.
Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 ๐
Original translation of Sejarah Melayu by Dr John Leyden
Chapter 10 of 30
IT happened in process of time, that a species of swordfish named todak came upon the coast of Singhapura, and springing ashore, killed a great number of persons on the beach. Striking the breast, they pierced through and through the body to the back; and striking the neck, they separated the head; and striking the waist, they pierced it from side to side; so that at last so many were slain, that nobody durst reside on the shore, but fled in consternation in every direction from the dread of the destruction.
Then Paduca Sri Maharaja, mounted his elephant, and marched out with all his ministers and warriors to the shore. He was astonished on perceiving the devastation occasioned by the todak; the numbers slain, and that one stroke was sufficient. Then the raja ordered a rampart to be formed of the legs of his men; but still the sword-fish sprung out and pierced their limbs through and through, for these fish were numerous as the close-falling rain.
Among the people there was a boy who said, "of what use is it for us to form a rampart with our legs, it would be much better to make a rampart of plantain stems. "When the raja heard this, he said, "the observation is just," and he ordered them to bring plantain stems and form a rampart.
The swordfish rapidly struck their beaks into the plantain stems, and remaining there fixed, the people came and slew them in great numbers, so that their carcases lay in heaps, and the people were unable to eat them up, and those that remained ceased from their ravages in the vicinity of the rampart, and sprung against the raja's elephant, and even struck the raja's coat.
As it is said by the writers of songs, "The Todak springs up to rend the raja's garment, The Todak is not worsted of itself, It is from a child's understanding that it is worsted in the war."
Then the Maharaja returned, and all the great men represented to him, "Sire, if this boy, though so young, possesses such an uncommon understanding, what will he do when he grows up. It will be best for us to kill him."
"Very well, let us kill him, " said the raja. He was accordingly put to death, but the guilt of his blood lay upon the country.
After this Paduca Sri Maharaja died, and his son Raja Secander Shah succeeded to the throne, and married the daughter of the mangcubumi, named Tun Parpatih Tulos, by whom he had a son named Raja Ahmed, also named Raja Resar Muda. He was extremely handsome, and when he grew up, he married the daughter of Raja Suliman, of Cota Meligei (Fort-Place), named Putri Camar al Ajayeb, of exquisite beauty, excelling all her contemporaries.
Raja Secander Shah had a bandahari, named Sang Ranjuna Tapa, whose origin was of Singhapura. He had a daughter of exquisite beauty, of whom the raja was deeply enamoured, but the rest of the raja's mistresses concerted against her, and accused her of infidelity.
Raja Secander Shah was grievously enraged, and ordered her to be impaled at Ujong Pasar (Point market). Sang Ranjuna Tapa was deeply affected by the disgrace, at the situation of his child, and represented, if it be true that my child has acted improperly, put her only to death, but why put her to such shame.
Sang Ranjuna Tapa immediately dispatched a letter to Java, and stated, "If the bitara of Majapahit wishes to possess himself of Singhapura, let him come quickly, for there is disaffection in the fort. "The bitara immediately fitted out 300 junks, together with the vessels calulus pelang, and Jong kong, in numbers beyond calculation, and embarked on board of them two Cati of Javans (200,000).
Then having set sail, they arrived at Singhapura, and immediately engaged in battle. After some time, Raja Secander Shah ordered the bandahari to issue rice for the subsistence of his troops, and he replied, that it was quite exhausted, because he meditated treason.
The next morning, at daybreak, Sang Ranjuna Tapa opened the gates of the fortress, and Java entered into the town, and commenced an amok or indiscriminate carnage, and the people were slaughtered on all sides, and blood flowed like an inundation; and this is the blood which still marks the plain of Singhapura. At last, however, Singhapura was subdued, and Raja Secander Shah, saving himself by flight, reached Moar.
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| For illustration only |
By the power of God Almighty, the house of Sang Ranjuna Tapa faded, and its pillars were overturned, and rice ceased to be planted in the land, and Sang Ranjuna Tapa, both husband and wife, was changed into stone, and those are the stones which appear beside the moat of Singhapura.
After the conquest of Singhapura, the people of Java returned to Majapahit.
Many, many years ago,
ReplyDeletethe seas around Singapore were filled with swordfish.
The big waves brought them in and there were so many of them that the inhabitants were afraid even to walk along the water's edge for fear of attack by these wild fish.
At first the people thought that the fish would not stay for long.
But as the days passed, they increased in numbers.
Indeed, they became so daring that they attacked the fishermen who were brave enough to put out to sea.... (extract from "The Redhill : a Singapore folktale)