TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION OF A BRUNI HISTORIC TABLET Hugh Low

TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION

OF A

BRUNI HISTORIC TABLET

Hugh Low

Engraved on stone, in the Malay character, by the order of the Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin, in the year a.h. 1221 (a.d. 1804), and now standing on the tomb of his son the Sultan Mahomed Jemal-ul-Alam in the " Makam Damit,'' situated at the southern foot of Bukit Panggal in the City of Bruni

" the abode of peace."

[ Copied on the 1st of June, 1873. ]

Batu Trasilah

This is the genealogy of the Rajas who ruled over the country of Bruni, as set forth by Datoh Imaum Yakub. He heard it from the Merhoum Bougsu, who is called Sultan Muaddin and His Highness Sultan Kemal-Addin. These two Rajas ordered a record to be written of their forefathers, in order that it might be known by all their descendants up to the present time. God knows if this is so (Wallahu Ahlum—an expression used by Mahomedans to defend themselves from the sin of writing down or stating a fact which may not happen to be correct).

And Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin ordered Tuan Haji Khatib Abdul Latif to write this genealogy for the information of all his descendants who might possess the throne and crown of royalty in the country and provinces of Bruni, the abode of peace ; who in their generations might take the inheritance of the royal drums and bells [an emblem] of the country of Johor, the seat of Government ; and who might further take as their birthright the royal drums and bells [an emblem] of Menang-kerbau, i. e., the country Andalas.

Now he who first ruled the country and introduced the religion of Islam and followed the laws of our prophet Mahomed (the blessed of God, on whom be peace), was His Highness Sultan Mahomed and his brother Sultan Akhmed : now he begat a daughter by his wife, the sister of the Chinese Raja, whom he had taken from China Batangan that was the princess who was taken to wife by Sheriff Ali, who came down from the country of Taif Moreover that Sheriff Ali became Raja under the name of His Highness Sultan Berkat : it was he who enforced the observance of the laws of the messenger of God (blessed of God on whom be peace), and erected a mosque, and all his Chinese subjects built the stone fort; that Sheriff Ali was  ascended from the Amir of the Faithful HASAN  the grandson of the messenger of God.

Now His Highness Sultan Berkat begat His Highness Sultan Suleiman, and Suleiman begat His Highness Sultan Bulkeiah, the Raja who conquered the country of Soolook and the country of Seludong,  (The name of the city now called Manila) the name of the Raja of which was Datoh Gambang : and Sultan Bulkeiah begat His Highness Sultan Abdul Kahar who was named Merhoum Kramat [Saint], and he begat His Highness Sultan Saiful- Rejal, who begat His Highness Sultan Shah Bruni.

After him his brother reigned, His Highness Sultan Hasan, he who was called the Merhoum di Tanjong [of the cape], of the children and grandchildren of His Highness those succeeded to the throne in Bruni who were of the best character. It was Sultan Hasan who upon the throne of his kingdom strictly followed the rule of Sultan Mahkota Alam of the country of Achin, and it was that Sultan Hasan who begat Sultan Abdul Jalil-ul-Akbar, who was called the Merhoum Tuah [old].

He begat Sultan Abdul Jalil-ul-Jebar, who begat the Prince Bendahara Untong, who begat the Prince Temenggong Mumin Amir-ul-Rethar, also of the country of Bruni. Afterwards the brother of Merhoum Tuah was invested with the royalty and named His Highness Sultan Mahomet Ali ; he was the great grandfather of His Highness Sultan Mahomed Ali-Uddin, who is now reigning in the country of Bruni.

Then that king died, and after a time his brother's son reigned under the name oil His Highness Sultan Muaddin: after him his nephew reigned. His Highness Sultan Nasr-Addin, and after him his son ruled, Sultan Mahomet Ali, under the name of His Highness Kemal- Addin, and he gave the sovereignty to the grandson of his brother, who is reigning at this time under the name of His Highness Sultan Mohamed Ali-uddin.  His son afterwards succeeded, named His Highness.

Sultan Omar Ali Saif-uddin and next he gave the kingdom to his son, His Highness Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin. After him he gave the kingdom to his son His Highness Sultan Mahomed Jemal-ul-Alam.

When that prince was dead the kingdom reverted to His Highness' royal father Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin. God knows if it is so. After that I [the writer] do not know all his descendants who will become Rajas. In the year of the prophet (blessed of God on whom be peace) one  thousand two hundred and twenty-one in the year Dal on the 2nd day of the month Thul-hajah on the day Arbaa Sanat, [Wednesday] 1221.

" Inilah Selesilah Raja Raja yang karajaan di negri Bruni diniatakan uleh Datoh Imaum Yakub iya mendungar deripada Merhoum Bongsu yang bernama Sultan Muaddin, dan Paduka Maolana Sultan Kemal-Addin Ka dua Raja itu meniurot meniuratkan datoh nini moyangnia Sepaya dikatahui uleh segala anak chuchunia sampei sekarang ini Wallahu Ahlum",

"Maka Sri Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin menitahkan pada tuan Haji Khatib Abdul Latif meniuratkan Selesilah ini sepaya dikatahui segala anak chuchunia Raja yang mempuniai takhta mahkota karajaan dalam kandang dairah negri Bruni daruselam yang turun tamurun yang mengambil pusakaan nobat nagara dan gunta alamat deri negri Johor Kamal-ul-Makam dan mengambil lagi pusaka nobat nagara gunta alamat deri Menangkerbau itu negri Andalas.

Maka adaI ah yang pertama karajaan di negri dan membawa egama, Islam dan mengikut Shariat nabi kita Mahomed Sallallahu Allaihi Wasallum, iya itu paduka Sri Sultan Mahomed dan Sudarania Sultan Ahmed maka beranak seorang perampuan dungan istrinia sudara Raja China yang diambil deri pada China Batangan putri itulah yang di ambil uleh Sheriff Ali  yang turun deri negri Taif.

Maka Sheriff Ali itulah Karajaan di nama-i akan diya Paduka Sri Sultan Berkat iyalah yang mengraskan Shariat Rasul Sallallahu Allaihi Wasallum dan berbuat musjid dan segala ryto China berbuat Kota Batu tuan Sheriff Ali itu panchir Selesilah deripada Amir Al Muminin Hassan chuchu Rasul Allah. 

Maka paduka Sri Sultan Berkat itu beranakkan paduka Sri Sultan Suleiman, dan Suleiman beranakkan Sri Sultan Bulkeiah raja yang mengalahkan negri Soolook dan mengalahkan negri Seludong nama Rajania Datoh Gamban, dan Sultan Bulkeiah beranakkan paduka Sri Sultan Abdul Kahar yang dinama-i Merhoum Kramat beranakkan paduka Sri Sultan Saif-ul-Rejal beranakkan paduka Sri Sultan Shah Bruni : kumdian sudarania pula karajaan paduka Sri Sultan Hasan iyalah Merhoum di Tanjong.

Maka anak chuchu baginda itulah mengambil karajaan dalam negri Bruni ini mana yang baik becharania Sultan Hasan itulah yang kras diatas takhta karajaannia mengikut prentah Sultan Mahkota Alam yang di negri Achin, dan Sultan Hasan itu yang beranakkan Sultan Abdul Jalil-ul- Akbar yang dinama-i Merhoum Tuah beranakkan Sri Sultan Abdul Jalil-ul-Akbar beranakkan pengiran Bendahara Untong beranakkan pengiran Temenggong Mumin Amir-ul-Rethar dalam negri Bruni juga.

Kumdian Sudarania Merhoum Tuah di nobatkan karajaan bernama paduka Sri Sultan Mahomet Ali iyalah ninek paduka Sri Sultan Mahomed Ali-Uddin yang karajaan sekarang ini di negri Bruni."

Maka wafallah baginda itu maka kumdian karajaan pula anak sudarania bernama paduka Sri Sultan Muaddin kumdian karajaan anak sudarania paduka Sri Sultan Nasr-Addin, kumdian karajaan anak Sultan Mahomet Ali bernama paduka Sri Sultan Kemal-Addin iyalah niembrikan karajaannia kapada anak chuchu sudarania iyala karajaan pada masa ini bernama paduka Sri Sultan Mohamed Ali-uddin kumdian di rajakan pula anaknia paduka Sri Sultan Omar Ali Saif-uddin kumdian dibrikan pula karajaannia itu kapada anaknia paduka Sri Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin kumdian di brikan pula karajaannia itu kapada anaknia paduka Sri Sultan Mahomed Jemal-ul-ALAM.

Maka telah wafallah baginda itu maka kembali pula karajaannia itu kapada ayahanda baginda itu paduka Sri Sultan Mahomed Tej-Waldin Wallahu Ahlum. kumdian deri itu tiadalah hamba mengtahui akan segala anak chuchunia yang akan jadi Raja pada hejrat nabi Sallallalni Aiiaihi Wasallum seribu dua ratoos dua puloh satu pada tahun Dal pada dua hari bulan Thul hajah pada hari Arbaa Sanat, 1221".

Source : Royal Asiatic Society (Journal Straits Branch)