Ban on Keris

[Raja Muda]

Salam Sejahtera and greetings.

I'm helping out a friend on an article she's writing on the Keris. I'm trying to recall when the keris was first banned as a weapon in the Malay states of the peninsula.
I vaguely remember the ban happening during the time of Sultan Hussein of Singapore (was Farquhar or Raffles governor at that time?).
I think the Sultan and the Temenggong implored the British East India company to not go through with the plan since a Malay would feel naked going out of his home without a Keris.
I've lost my only copy of Hikayat Abdullah which probably contained the relevant quotation.
Can anyone out there help

[rahman]

Yes, it was from the Hikayat Abdullah. Raffles decided to ban the wearing of sidearms following frequent fights between the followers of Tengku Hussein and the Temenggong. He partly solved the problem by relocating the Temenggong's followers from the town centre (by the Singapore River) to Telok Blangah.

Interestingly, it was Sultan Hussein who remarked that a Malay would be naked without his keris. Apparently, that quote came to be attributed later to Raffles.

"Tuan, ini-lah pusaka raja-raja Melayu yang tidak boleh tidak. Ada pun jikalau tiada bersenjata itu seperti orang yang tiada berkain rasa-nya," he said when Raffles broached the idea of banning the wearning of sidearms.

My source is Hikayat Abdullah published by Pustaka Antara (1963). It's supposed to be in 2 volumes but I only have vol. II

[Raja Muda]

Thanks Bang Rahman. That confirms what I have at the back of my mind. However, I'm also interested to know if similar legislations are made elsewhere in or outside the Malay lands. Anyone?

[Rick]

Wasn't it Pershing that ordered the Moros to disarm early in the 20th century ? It's in the archives here somewhere .

Anyway the upshot of it was that there was so much wrangling between the US troops over them that an incredibly large amount of weapons were loaded in boats and dumped overside out beyond the reefs .

[rahman]

Raja Muda

My history is very rusty, but I believe a similar ban was imposed following the Pangkor Treaty (bad on the dates, sorry). I think the first British Resident was murdered, and this had something to do with it. Do a google search on pangkor... I think there's a lot of stuff online. I checked it a few weeks ago.

Keris lovers might also be interested that John Crawford, the first Resident in Singapore, was also stabbed by a keris. However, because his attacker stabbed from a crouching/hiding position, he was badly wounded in rthe chest but survived.

This lends proof that the keris was indeed seen and used as a weapon in the Malay world.

I'm now ploughing thru the arcane language of Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu. Wonderful references in there about the use of Keris Panjang and Keris Pandak (keris pendek?). I can tell you that the keris panjang was a slashing weapon, and is not the same as the keris penyalang (executioner's sword).

[Raja Muda]

Hi Rick, Bang Rahman,

It would be great if I can get more info on the banning of various sidearms throughout the archipelago, the dates and the motives as well.
I've read somewhere that after the Indian mutiny, the East India Company offloaded a lot of swords in the Southeast Asian markets, which perhaps accounts for the origins of the piso podang? Maybe it was in Gardner's book.
Bang Rahman, while you're patiently untangling the ancient language of Sejarah Melayu, do look out for references on Keris Tempa Melaka ( I think the blade is three palms long, in Malay tiga jengkal/tiga hasta).
If the blade is broad enough, then this keris could have functioned like a short sword I suppose, like a Roman gladius.
There's some other references to weapons throughout, including a slave murdering a prince of the ruling house by stabbing him through the house's floor (probably during the unfortunate reign of Sultan Mahmud, I have to check). Do tell me if you unearth anything, as I'll be checking through mine.
Are you using the Shellabear version, the Samad version or the more recent hardcover edited by Prof Muhammad Haji Salleh. I believe there are some minor variations between them as they are from different handwritten originals.

[rahman]

Raja Muda

I'm using the Shellabear Student Edition. I'm actually reading the full text 35 years after my HSC exams!

Is there any context to the Keris Tempa Melaka (any incident?). Can't recall seeing this, but the keris panjang belonging to Raja Muda Trengganu was 8 jengkal -- I estimate that to be more than 2 feet long!

I'll also keep a lookout for that story about stabbing thru the palace floor. But I thought that was the fight between Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, and the hulubalang decided to stab Jebat with their spears through the palace floor. As a result, both Jebat and Tuah decided to continue the fight after laying out the floor with metal trays (dulang). Was there another separate incident of this?

[Rick]

Here is a thread from the old forum . In it Federico cites sources for the information and (correct) dates of Pershings order .

http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002215.html

[DAHenkel]

Interesting thread which brings a couple things to mind.

First, I recently read that Raffles, upon becoming governor of Bencoolen in the early 19th century, lifted a ban on the wearing of keris in the town out of respect for the feelings of the Malay inhabitants. Funny then that he saw fit to ban them in Singapore. Perhaps it was Farquar?

Also, I have been told that when the British took over control of Kelantan, they introduced a ban on the wearing of keris in Kota Bahru. This in turn sparked an interest in smaller keris, in particular the so called keris debek, which could be worn concealed. I have no historical sources for this so it must remain hearsay but it would be worth digging around a bit to find out if this were true.

[rahman]

Dear Mr Henkel

First, I recently read that Raffles, upon becoming governor of Bencoolen in the early 19th century, lifted a ban on the wearing of keris in the town out of respect for the feelings of the Malay inhabitants. Funny then that he saw fit to ban them in Singapore. Perhaps it was Farquar?

The quote from Sultan Hussein I gave earlier was in response to Raffles' proposal. The source is Hikayat Abdullah. It would be good to know the source about Bencoolen. British colonial policy in the 19th century in Malaya has generally been to disarm the Malays, and this continued into the early 20th century.

Munshi Abdullah, in his Hikayat Pelayaran Abdullah to the East Coast, noted the prevalent practice of carrying at least 2 keris, just as in Java. I'm trying to dig up a 1953 copy of that book which I seem to have misplaced. Will quote his observations when I find it.

Incidentally, there are wonderful vintage photos of various Malay sultans and their retinue in the late 19th century and early 20th century in the book, Malaysia: a pictorial history 1400-2004. Use a magnifying glass and you see various keris, p[edang and tombak borne by royal bearers.

I note a good mix of Bugis, Malay and sari bulan sheaths among them. The Sari Bulan was extant even in the courts of Pahang and Negri Sembilan, much further south than you have postulated.

There are even what seems like keris panjang. These are interestingly wrapped in cloth, unlike other keris. Anyway, do take a look at the book. It cost me RM99 at Times JB, but it's selling for more than S$60 at Borders Singapore.

Also, I have been told that when the British took over control of Kelantan, they introduced a ban on the wearing of keris in Kota Bahru. This in turn sparked an interest in smaller keris, in particular the so called keris debek, which could be worn concealed.

Take a close look at those photos. You can see some people wearing keris concealed in the folds of their sarong. I'm not sure if it's the keris dabek, though.

The classics record that there is actually a short version of the keris called the keris pandak (keris pendek?) worn by Hang Tuah and friends. It seems to be a close combat weapon and pulling the keris from the side to the center of the waist is a signal that they are ready for a fight. The keris panjang, on the other hand, is described as a slashing weapon.

The Yang diPertuan Agung is often photographed with just such an arrangement -- a short keris tucked in the waistband, and a longer one carried in the hand.

[DAHenkel]

As I understand it the practice of covering up the keris with the sarong was because of the prevalent belief at that time that the photography of the keris would somehow "spoil" the keris. I doubt this was tied to the concealment of smaller keris. Keris debek are considerably smaller than the normal keris.

Keris debek are reputed to have evolved from the keris of elephant drivers, who required a shorter, smaller keris as they had to sit upon the back of an elephant for long periods of time.

[rahman]

Raja Muda:

"Jika keris tempa Melaka yang panjang tengah tiga jengkal itu dijadikan keris pendua, tiada kelihatan dari sebelah." (Ceritera yang ke 26)"

I'm not even going to try to translate it. Perhaps you can explain it.

Also, if you have more info on keris tempa Melaka, maybe you can start a new thread for discussion. We have not seen a keris Melaka before.

About 10 years, there was news of the salvaging of the Flora <something>, a Potuguese ship that was bringing back war booty from the invasion of Melaka in 1511. The initial repoerts mentioned a gold keris as one item salvaged, but no further news was forthcoming.

Maybe someone can help shed some light on this?

I think this discussion would be quite important as we will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the invasion of Melaka in 1511, an event that changed the face of the Malay world.