Iskandar Muda 1

Iskandar MudaIskandar Muda (1583?[1] – December 27, 1636[2]) was the twelfth Sultan of Aceh, under whom the sultanateachieved its greatest territorial extent, and was the strongest power and wealthiest state in the western Indonesianarchipelago and the Strait of Malacca. "Iskandar Muda" literally means "young Alexander," and his conquests wereoften compared to those of Alexander the Great. In addition to his notable conquests, during his tenure Aceh becameknown as an international center of Islamic learning and trade.

Conquests

The conquest of Iskandar Muda, 1608-1637.

The successes of Iskandar Muda were based on hismilitary strength. His armed forces consisted of a navyof heavy galleys each with 600-800 men, a cavalryusing Persian horses, an elephant corps, conscriptedinfantry forces [3] and more than 2000 cannons andguns (of both Sumatran and European origin).[4] Upongaining power, he began consolidating control overnorthern Sumatra. In 1612 he conquered Deli, and in1613 Aru and Johor. Upon the conquest of Johor, itssultan, Alauddin Riayat Syah II, and other members ofthe royal family were brought to Aceh, along with agroup of traders from the Dutch East India Company.However, Johor was able to expel the Acehnesegarrison later that year, and Iskandar Muda was neverable to assert permanent control over the area. Johorfurther built an alliance with Pahang, Palembang,Jambi, Inderagiri, Kampar and Siak against Aceh.

Iskandar Muda’s campaigns continued, however, andhe was able to defeat a Portuguese fleet at Bintan in 1614. In 1617 he conquered Pahang and carried its sultanAhmad Syah to Aceh, and thus achieved a foothold on the Malayan peninsula. This conquest was followed by Kedahin 1619, in which the capital was laid waste and the surviving inhabitants were brought to Aceh.[5] A similar captureof Perak occurred in 1620, when 5,000 people were captured and left to die in Aceh. He again sacked Johor in 1623and took Nias in 1624/5. At this point Aceh’s strength seriously threatened the Portuguese holding of Melaka. In1629, he sent several hundred ships to attack Melaka, but the mission was a devastating failure. According toPortuguese sources, all of his ships were destroyed along with 19,000 men. After this loss, Iskandar Muda launchedonly two more sea expeditions, in 1630/1 and 1634, both to suppress revolts in Pahang. His sultanate maintainedcontrol over northern Sumatra, but was never able to gain supremacy in the strait or expand the empire to the richpepper-producing region of Lampung on the southern part of the island, which was under the control of the sultanateof Banten.[6]

Iskandar Muda 2

Economy and administration

Iskandar Muda Fort in Krueng Raya, Aceh Besar Regency

The economic foundations of the sultanate wasthe spice trade, especially in pepper. The conflictsbetween Aceh and Johor and Portuguese Melacca,as well as the numerous pepper-producing portsin the sultanate's domain, were the main causes ofthe military conflict.[7] Other major exportsincluded cloves and nutmegs, as well as betelnuts, whose narcotic properties bypassed theMuslim prohibition of alcohol. Exports,encouraged by the Ottoman Sultans as analternative to the "infidel" (i.e.Portuguese)-controlled route around Africa,added to the wealth of the sultanate. IskandarMuda also made shrewd economic decisions thatsupported growth, such as low interest rates and

the widespread use of small gold coins (mas).[8] However, like other sultanates in the area it had trouble compellingthe farms in the hinterland to produce sufficient excess food for the military and commercial activities of the capital.Indeed, one of the aims of Iskandar Muda’s campaigns was to bring prisoners-of-war who could act as slaves foragricultural production.[9]

One reason for Iskandar Muda’s success, in contrast to the weaker sultans who preceded and succeeded him, was hisability to suppress the Acehnese elite, known as the orang kaya ("powerful men"). Through the royal monopoly ontrade, he was able to keep them dependent on his favor. The orang kaya were forced to attend court where they couldbe supervised, and were prohibited from building independent houses, which could be used for military purposes orhold cannons.[10] He sought to create a new nobility of “war leaders” (Malay language: hulubalang; Acehnese:uleëbalang), whom he gave districts (mukim) in feudal tenure. After his reign, however, the elite often supportedweaker sultans, in order to maintain their own autonomy. He also sought to replace the Acehnese princes with royalofficials called panglima, who had to report annually and were subject to periodic appraisal. An elite palace guardwas created, consisting of 3,000 women. He passed legal reforms which created a network of courts using Islamicjurisprudence. His system of law and administration became a model for other Islamic states in Indonesia.Iskandar Muda’s reign was also marked by considerable brutality, directed at disobedient subjects. He also did nothesitate to execute wealthy subjects and confiscate their wealth. Punishments for offenses were gruesome; a Frenchvisitor in the 1620s reported "every day the King would have people’s noses cut off, eyes dug out, castrations, feetcut off, or hands, ears, and other parts mutilated, very often for some very small matter." He had his own son killed,and named his son-in-law, the son of the captured sultan of Pahang, as his successor, Iskandar Thani.

Iskandar Muda 3

Culture

Sultan Iskandar Muda's tomb in Banda Aceh

During Iskandar Muda’s reign, eminent Islamicscholars were attracted to Aceh and made it a center ofIslamic scholarship. Iskandar Muda favored thetradition of the Sufi mystics Hamzah Pansuri andSyamsuddin of Pasai, both of whom resided at the courtof Aceh. These writers' works were translated intoother Indonesian languages, and had considerableinfluence across the peninsula. Both were laterdenounced for their heretical ideas by Nuruddinar-Raniri, who arrived in the Aceh court during thereign of Iskandar Thani, and their books were orderedto be burnt.[11]

The chronicle Hikayat Aceh ("The Story of Aceh") wasprobably written during the reign of Iskandar Muda,[12] although some date it later. It describes the history of thesultanate and praises Iskandar Muda in his youth. It was apparently inspired by the Persian Akbarnama for theMogul Emperor Akbar.

LegacyAmong the Acehnese, Iskandar Muda is revered as a hero and symbol of Aceh’s past greatness.[13] Posthumously hewas given the title Po Teuh Meureuhom, which means "Our Beloved Late Lord", or "Marhum Mahkota Alam".He has several buildings and structures in and near Banda Aceh named after him, including the Sultan IskandarmudaAirport and Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Force Base. Kodam Iskandar Muda is the name of the military areacommands overseeing Aceh Province.

Notes[1] World Book article (http:/ / www. aolsvc. worldbook. aol. com/ wb/ Article?id=ar724698), accessed January 4, 2007[2] Yusra Habib Abdul Gani, Sultan Iskandar Muda (http:/ / www. asnlf. net/ asnlf_int/ acheh/ history/ rulersofacheh/ iskandarmuda/

sultan_iskandar_muda. htm), accessed on January 4, 2007[3][3] Ricklefs, 34[4][4] Barwise and White, 115[5][5] Barwise and White, 115. Ricklefs (p. 34) dates this conquest in 1620.[6][6] Ricklefs, 34-35[7] "Iskandar Muda", in The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th ed., 2002, vol. VI: p. 408-409.[8][8] Barwise and White, 115-116[9][9] Ricklefs, 35[10][10] Barwise and White, 116[11][11] Ricklefs, 51.[12][12] Ricklefs, 52.[13][13] Barwise and White, 117.

Iskandar Muda 4

References• J.M. Barwise and N.J. White. A Traveller’s History of Southeast Asia. New York: Interlink Books, 2002.• M.C. Ricklefs. A History of Modern Indonesia Since c. 1300, 2nd ed. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1994.

Preceded byAli Riayat Syah

Sultan ofAceh

1607-1636

Succeeded byIskandar Thani

Article Sources and Contributors 5

Article Sources and ContributorsIskandar Muda  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=608351282  Contributors: Aymankamelwiki, Caniago, CommonsDelinker, Crisco 1492, Davecampbell, FeanorStar7,Gunkarta, Humboldt, Mr Tan, Naval Scene, Nick Number, Omegastar, Orhanghazi, Rich Farmbrough, Rigadoun, Si Gam, Smilo Don, Tamizi ts, Waacstats, WhisperToMe, Writtenright, 2anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Aceh Sultanate en.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Aceh_Sultanate_en.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: GunawanKartapranataFile:Kuta Éseukanda Muda.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Kuta_Éseukanda_Muda.JPG  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors:User:Si GamFile:Jirat Soleutan Eseukanda Muda.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jirat_Soleutan_Eseukanda_Muda.JPG  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike3.0  Contributors: Si Gam Acèh

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