When I traced the path of Islam to southeast asia, I came across the Tamil inscription of Barus in Indonesia. This inscription mentions about marakkala-nayan, which is maraikayar today, a term used to note the South Indian muslim traders. But when I went behind the inscription, it offers much more than Tamil Muslim connection.

This inscription was found in in 1873 in the village of Lobu Tua (Loboe Toewa), near Barus (Baros), North-western Sumatra province of Indonesia. It is dated back to Saka year 1010 and 1088 CE. This archaeological discovery was reported in Madras epigraphy report of 1891-92 by E Hultzsch, an English Epigraphist based in India. Y. Subbarayalu, an eminent historian and epigraphist says, this text falls within the reign of Kulottunga Chola I of Tamil Nadu.

The text:

Let me quote –

1 svasti śrī cakarai
1 ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ சக ரை
2 āṇṭu ayirattu[p pa]-
2 ஆண்டு ஆயிரத்து[ப் ப]
3 ttu cellāni[n]-
3 த்து செல்லானி[ன்]
4 ra mācit tingal
4 ற மாசித் திங்கள்
5 vārōcāna mātan-
5 வாரோசான மாதன்-
6 kari vallavat tēci u-
6 கரி வல்லவத் தேசி உ-
7 yyak konta paţ-
7 ய்யக் கொண்ட பட்-
8 ṭinattu vēļāpurattu
8 டிணத்து வேளாபுரத்து
9 kūţi niranta tē[cit ticai]
9 கூடி நிரந்த தே[சித் திசை]
10 viļangu ticai āyira-
10 விளங்கு திசை ஆயிர-
11 ttaiññürruvarō-
11 த்தைஞ்ஞூற்றுவரோ-
12 m nammakanār nakara sēnāpa-
12 ம் நம்மாகனார் நகர சேனாப-
13 ti nattuceţţi
13 தி நாட்டுசெட்டி
14 yārkkum patineņpūmi
14 யார்க்கும் பதினெண்பூமி
15 tēci apparkku mā[ve]t-
15 தேசி அப்பர்க்கு மா[வே]ட்-
16 tukaļukkum nā vaittuk
16 டுகளுக்கும் நா வைத்துக்
17 kututta paricāvatu marak[ka]
17 கொடுத்த பரிசாவது மரக்க[க]
18 la… …
18 ல … …
19 la marakkala nāyanun kēvi-
19 ல மரக்கல நாயனுங் கேவி-
20 kaļum kastū[ri] vilai mu[tala]kappa[ta]
20 களும் கஸ்தூ[ரி] விலை மு[தல]க்கப்ப[ட]
21 ańcu tun[tā]yam ponnum ku[tu]
21 அஞ்சு துண்[டா]யம் பொன்னும் கு[டு]
22 ttup pāvāţai ērakkațavatākavum
22 த்து பாவாடை ஏறக்கடவதாகவும்
23 ippaţikku [i]kkal eluti nāţţi
23 இப்படிக்கு [இ]க்கால் எழுதி நாட்டி
24 k kututtom patineņpūmi tēcit ticai viļa
24 க் கொடுத்தோம் பதினெண்பூமி தேசித் திசை விள
25 ńku ticai āyirattainnūrruvarōm a
25 ங்கு திசை ஆயிரத்தைஞ்ஞூற்றுவரோம் அ
26 ramaraverka aramēy tuṇai.
26 றமறவர்க்க அறமே துணை.

Interpretation

ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ சாகரை ஆண்டு ஆயிரத்து[ப் ப] த்து செல்லானி[ன்]ற மாசித் திங்கள் வாரோசான மாதங்கரி வல்லவத் தேசி உய்யக் கொண்ட பட்டினத்து வேளாபுரத்து கூடி நிரந்த தே[சித் திசை] விளங்கு திசை ஆயிரத்தைஞ்ஞூற்றுவரோம் நம்மாகனார் நகர சேனாபதி நட்டுசெட்டியார்க்கும் பதினெண்பூமி தேசி அப்பர்க்கு மா[வே]ட்டுகளுக்கும் நா வைத்துக் கொடுத்த பரிசாவது மரக்க[க]ல … …ல மரக்கல நாயனுங் கேவிகளும் கஸ்தூ[ரி] விலை மு[தல]க்கப்ப[ட] அஞ்சு துண்[டா]யம் பொன்னும் கு[டு]த்து பாவாடை ஏறக்கடவதாகவும் இப்படிக்கு [இ]க்கால் எழுதி நாட்டிக் கொடுத்தோம் பதினெண்பூமி தேசித் திசை விளங்கு திசை ஆயிரத்தைஞ்ஞூற்றுவரோம் அறமறவர்க்க அறமே துணை. (Text converted from English to Tamil by Gemini AI and proof read by me!)

In the Saka year 1010 current, month Masi, we, the Five Hundred of the Thousand Directions, having met at the Vēlāpuram in Vārōsu (Barus), also called Mātańkari vallavat tēci uyyak konta pattinam (literally “the pattinam (commercial town) for the welfare of the merchant body blessed by Mātańkari, that is, Durga”), decided to grant as follows to ‘our sons’, the nagara-sēnāpati Nattu-cettiyar, to Patinen-būmi-dēsi-appar, and to the māvettu-s (elephant-trainers?): [On each of the] ships’ [cargoes?], the ship’s captain (marakkala nāyan) and crew (kēvi) will pay the fee añju-tundāyam in gold, pegged to the price of kasturi (musk), and [then only] may ‘step on the cloth spread’ (that is, enter the settlement to trade). Thus we, the Five Hundred of the Thousand Directions, known in every direction in all the Eighteen Lands, had the stone inscribed and planted. Do not forget charity; charity alone will help you.

Noboru Karashima of Tokyo University mentioned in his paper INDIAN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL SOUTHEAST ASIA published in the Plenary Session Papers of Wold Tamil Conference 1995 – P5 mentions that,

K.A. Nilakanta Sastri discussed the problem of the ainnurruvar (five hundred , I wonder why it was stated in inscription as āyirattainnūr which mean one thousand and five hundred) mentioned in the inscription by examining several South Indian inscriptions referring to it. As he pointed out for the first time in his article, ainnurruvar is another merchant guild that flourished in South India from the tenth to the sixteenth centuries. This big corporate body of merchants that originated in Aihole in Karnataka in the eighth century or so seems to have extended its activities afterwards to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, incorporating many other merchant bodies under its banner. It also seems to have kept some groups of soldiers for protection of their commercial activities.

We observe interesting points –

āyirattaiññürruvar: This is the merchant guild or big corporate body of merchants that originated in Aihole in Karnataka in the eighth century. They are also known as Ayyāvoḷe guild. Kanakalatha Mukund, in her book The trading world of the Tamil merchant: evolution of merchant capitalism in the Coromandel says that they had a presence in Kodumbalur which is near to my native.

Nagara-sēnāpati: This is a title that likely refers to a high-ranking military or administrative official within a city or urban center (nagara).

Nāṭṭu-ceṭṭiyār: “Ceṭṭiyār” is a term used to denote a member of the Chetti community, which is traditionally associated with trade and commerce in South India.

Marakkala-nayan: seems to relate to the term marakkayar used to denote the seafaring
Muslim merchants of the Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts in the later period.

Matankari vallava-dési-uyyakkonda-pattinam: One who is loved by Mataṅkari. vallav means ‘beloved of’ in Sanskrit. This phrase can also be read as beloved of Mataṅkari. Since Matankari in Sanskrit is a form of Durga and the Ayyāvoḷe guild considered themselves as sons of Parameshwari (Subbarayulu Pg.41) it seems appropriate to simplify the translation as beloved of Parameswari. – prasasti

Saka calendar: Saka calendar is the traditional Indian calendar system based on lunar months. It consists of 12 months, each with 29 or 30 days. It is used to calculate the dates of Hindu festivals and ceremonies. In Indonesia, particularly Bali and Java, the saka calendar was in practice for centuries. It was in use until 17th centuries. It is believed that Sultan Agung replaced it with Javanese calendar. It is still in practice by Indonesian Hindus in Bali and Java. I read an interesting note in Majapahit: Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indoesia’s Greatest Empire by Herald Van Der Linde. It goes like this.

Historical Significance

This inscription highlights:

1. The organized nature of Indian merchant guilds like āyirattaiññürruvar.
2. Barus’s importance as a thriving port city as Vēļāpuram in medieval Sumatra.
3. The integration of trade, religion, and governance in regulating commerce.
4. The influence of Tamil merchants in Southeast Asia during this period.

It serves as a testament to the inter-connectedness of south and southeast Asia through maritime trade and cultural exchanges.

If I had a chance to visit this part of land, I need to visit National Museum at Jakarta to look at this artifact.

For further reading –

• Ancient and Medieval Tamil and Sanskrit Inscriptions Relating to the Southeast Asia and China, Noboru Karashima and Y Subbarayalu
• INDIAN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL SOUTHEAST ASIA, Noboru Karashima, Tokyo University
• Maritime History of the Coramandel Muslims, A Socio-Historical Study on the tamil Muslims 1750 – 1900, Raja Mohamad
• The திசை ஆயித்தைந்நூற்றுவர் – The five hundred (merchants) of a thousand directions, 4prasasti.wordpress.com
• Lobu Tua Inscription, Wikipedia
• Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu, Wikipedia

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