THE ORIGIN OF WEAVING CENTRES IN THE MALAY PENINSULA

1
THE ORIGIN OF WEAVING CENTRES IN THE MALAY
PENINSULA

• BY MAZNAH MOHAMED

2
The 1ST Phase The Silk Road

• The Malay handloom industry of today began from
  the 1st century.
• China and India were the 2 greatest ancient
  storehouses of fine textiles, and in which trade
  converged, and where many foreign cultural and
  commercial influences fused.

3

• The Malay Peninsula was strategically situated
  along the trade routes taken by Western and
  Eastern traders, gave rise to the early existence
  of weaving communities in this region.
• These were the opening up of the Silk Route, the
  expansion of the Islamic empire and the
  establishment of political relations with China.

4

• The Romans and the Silk Route
• Chinas silk attracted the attention of the
  Romans whose empire was fully established by the
  1st century AD.
• The Roman opened up new trade routes linking the
  East to the West.
• After that, there were several routes taken by
  Eastern merchants in the silk trade through
• 1. the Himalayas Bactria-Taxila Road.(from
  Northern China).
• 2. the Burma road (from Ssu-chuan(Southern
  China)
• 3. the sea route followed the Southern coast
  of China in Canton

5

• World Map The silk route

6

• This sea route rounded the Peninsula of
  Indo-China through the Melaka Straits and up to
  the mouth of the River Ganges.
• From the Ganges, the merchandise was carried to
  the ports of the west coast of India, where Arab,
  Persian and European traders collected their
  preferred goods

7

• The Islamic Expansion
• From the 9th century, Islamic Empire was firmly
  established.
• Arab travelers ventured as far as Canton to
  obtain their merchandise. They went all the to
  Malaya and Indonesia. They also acted as the
  trade intermediaries between the Far East and the
  West, controlling the routes of Mediterranean and
  the Baltic Seas.
• In 10th century, Arab traders stopped making
  journey to China but instead stopped in Malayan
  archipelago, where the could purchase all their
  needs-spices, aromatics and champor. By in this
  time Southern China was also trading with
  Southeast Asia.

8
The 2nd Phase Intra Asia trade

• Chinese Political Relations in Southeast
  Asia(S.A)
• Chinas relation between two kingdoms in the 6th
  century.
• Textiles (silk and cotton) were valuable tribute
  items exchanged.
• In 7th century a gift of 100 rolls of silk from
  Chinese Emperor was given to the kingdom of
  Chih-tu, situated in Northeastern Malaya along
  Kelantan river.
• In A.D 530, an envoy from Tan-Tan (somewhere in
  Besut) presented cotton fabrics in the Chinese
  court.

9

• Chinese Trading Influence
• China had developed a strong relation with
  Southeast Asia during Dynasty Sung (1127 A.D)
• Chinese goods were silk, tea, porcelain and
  lacquer ware, exchanged with Southeast Asia goods
  were spices, aromatics, tin, gold, camphor, ivory
  and rhinoceros horns.
• With India, the West and Middle-east,China
  exchanged its products for glassware, carpets,
  precious stones, wine and cotton textiles.
• S.A coastal kingdoms served as entrepots.

10

• However extensive trading relationships developed
  in thriving city states of various kingdoms.Only
  coastal populations and upper classes were the
  consumer of fine silk and cotton textiles.The
  remote population used fibers made from bark or
  palm.
• The art of weaving have initially reached the
  coastal, urban population which was able to
  establish contacts with foreign traders.(in term
  of availability of imported silk and cotton)

11

• Silk was used by local rulers(during the kingdom
  of Langkasuka)
• Because of unrestricted trading activities
  resulted in the flourishing of weaving centres in
  the S.A (Petani to Pekan, into Anamba Island,to
  east coast of Sumatra to Aceh)
• In 13th 14th centuries,Terengganu(Ting-Chia-Lu),
  Kelantan(Chi-lan-tan) became one of the world
  trading network.Goods going to Europe from China
  passed through 3 trading zone Vietnam coast,
  the Gulf of Thailand and down the east coast of
  Malay Peninsula and Phillipines.
• Cotton became most preferable fibre.

12

• In 15th cen. Regional trade shift to the port and
  kingdom of Melaka.Textiles came from various part
  of the world(esp. from India) and re exported to
  other ports in region.
• In 14th 15th centuries, the import trade of
  Indian textiles came from Muslim merchants of
  Gujerat.But after that(16th onward) was
  monopolised by European traders-Portuguese,then
  by Dutch, then English.

13

• The 3rd Phase European Imperialism
• The active involvement of Western in the global
  textile was related to the discovery and demand
  for spices from this region.
• European traders as those under the employ of the
  Dutch East India Company English East India
  Company plied the commercial routes between Malay
  P.,Indonesia and India and imported textiles from
  Gujerat and Coromandel coast into Msia and
  Indonesia.
• From 16th to mid 19th cen. textiles were largely
  supplied from India.(cloths were especially made
  to suit local demand)

14

• The 4th Phase The Beginnings of the Growth of
  the Malay Textiles Industry.
• In 19th cen.,Singapore became an entrepot.
• Both European and regional compete each other in
  producing textiles product.(Indian handloom and
  mill-woven textiles)
• The Malay handloom weaving ind. thrived to its
  height during the middle 19th cen. due to the
  scarcity of Indian textiles in the market and the
  inability of English textiles to penetrate the
  local market fully.

15

• 1st factor The increasing amount of English
  cotton twist imported from Europe (impact of
  industrial revolution) were consumed for local
  textile production, which was based in the
  eastern Malay states.(Kelantan and Terengganu)
• 2nd factor Increasing in silk exports/supply
  from China.
• 3rd factor the encouragement from the local
  ruler.
• 4th factor the avalanche of machine-woven
  cottons to Java from Europe.

16

• Political, Social and Cultural Environment
  Influencing the Establishment of Weaving Centres
  in the Malay Peninsula.
• The chain-link of weaving centres starts from
  Champa in Cambodia,going through Petani,
  Kelantan,Terengganu, Pahang, Sulawesi down to
  Riau, up again along the east coast of Sumatera
  and ending in Acheh.
• The location within the trade route spanning the
  Malay archipelago led to inter-cultural exchanges
  and cross-population movement .
• Predominantly Muslim population-maintained close
  political,social and cultural links.
• These were the earliest places visited by Arab
  traders,who also spread Islam beside traded as
  well as their knowledge of weaving.
• Also with the interactions with merchants and
  artisans from India, and migration of regional
  population had shared the common heritage.

17

• Example
• kain songket influence of China,India and
  Islamic.
• Ikat sarong and Kain pelangi influence from
  Muslim Gujerati,India.
• Kain Cindai(cindi) from Malay, Sumatran and
  Bugis.
• Kain Champa from Chams, Cambodia.
• Malay sarongs was given the name of sister places
  kain corak Muar, kain Bugis, kain Samarinda and
  kain Aceh.

18

• Malay centres of weaving also known to have an
  export oriented sarong industry.
• Strong political links and patronage by strong
  and power kingdoms such as Pahang, Palembang,
  Riau and Sulawesi were also factors influencing
  this activity.
• All aspect of handloom weaving and
  commerce(vendors and purchasers) in Malay
  Archipelago were dominated by women.

19

• Besides textiles weaving, industries such as boat
  building, silversmith and white-brass manufacture
  flourished in Kelantan and Terengganu.
• Demographic and economic structure high
  population and little agrarianisation.(economy
  was more dependent on maritime trade)

20

• Conclusion..
• There were different phases in which textiles
  played a part in the history of international
  trade.
• The existence of silk route had opened trade
  routes that integrated many lands into global
  trading network.
• In the Malay Peninsula, Kelantan, Terengganu and
  Pahang were known as weaving centers due to the
  strategically placed and opened to external
  trade.
• ..Thank You.