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| Sunday, 11-May-2008 00:00 |
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THE WELCOME PAGE / MUKADDIMAH
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* This Welcome Page ( or entry ) is to remain on top of every update.
For the latest update, just scroll down.
* This site is tuned for best viewing with Mozilla Firefox.
* Text excerpted from :
William Armstrong Graham's " Kelantan : A State of The Malay Peninsular " ;
Chapter V : The People, page 18,19,20 - ( First Published in 1908 by James Maclehose & Sons, Glasgow )
* If you wish to take something from this site :
Only do so for non-profitable purposes and also be smart by crediting the real author, be it me or anyone else. Note that I always make sure to do so and I hope you would too.
Remember !
Cashing in on others hardship without their consent is absolutely wrong, tremendously awful, hideous and worth an impalement !
* No advertising in the comment box please.
Such will be immediately deleted.
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| Monday, 5-May-2008 00:00 |
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SELINGAN : Masjid Muhammadi
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SELINGAN: Masjid Muhammadi
* Masjid Muhammadi ? Sejarah Umum dan Perkaitan
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| Tuesday, 29-Apr-2008 20:03 |
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KUBUR BANGGOL : The Wooden Mausoleum
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KUBUR BANGGOL :
The Wooden Mausoleum
Concrete buildings are rather new to Kelantan.
The British brought the idea to the state, during their early 20th century colonial endeavour.
The first ever concrete structure in Kelantan is said to be the Bank Pitis ( late 19th century ), which can still be found just outside the front gate of Istana Balai Besar and the first concrete fully functional office cum residential building is the Bank Kerapu ( 1912 ), at what is now Jalan Post Office Lama. Followed later by the Greco-Roman style shop houses, which came up mostly around 1920s.
Prior to that, virtually everything was made of wood, the most abundant material of old Kelantan. Wood was applied in practically every form of construction, from royal palaces, homes of the nobilities to mosques, from shop houses to wayside rest pavilions.
However, in those days, despite the extensive use, wood was actually hard to come by. Wood of excellent quality, had to be floated downstream from logging camps, further inland, taking days to reach the town's sawmills and workshops. No machineries were involved and all had to be done either by human force or that of beast of burden. Things were very slow and time consuming. But amazingly, these limitations had lead to the birth of the idea that each work should last for eternity. An end result that required almost no maintenance. The idea became necessary to fulfil, and necessity became the mother of all inventions.
Indeed, that was exactly what past master builders had up in mind.
For that, they came up with the unique method, which still could be seen through the surviving few scattered throughout Kelantan, like the mausoleums of Kubur Banggol.
| Quote: | mau·so·le·um
( /ˌmɔsəˈliəm, -zə-/ [maw-suh-lee-uhm, -zuh-] –noun, plural -le·ums, -le·a )
2. a burial place for the bodies or remains of many individuals, often of a single
family, usually in the form of a small building.
Reference : http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mausoleum
" A mausoleum (plural: mausolea) is an external free-standing building constructed
as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased
person or persons. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb
may be considered to be within the mausoleum. "
Reference : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Old and neglected, and in some sort of suspended decay, few do realise that these wooden mausoleums ( yes, they suit the basic, commonly accepted definition ) at Kubur Banggol are actually the still surviving instances of the now virtually lost, old Kelantanese wood working art and techniques. Despite the existing appearance, they were in fact, products of ingenious, creative, passionate mind of past master builders. A cultural heritage, also architectural masterpiece, resulted from the need for durability, strength, beauty, elegance and perfection.
Closer inspection revealed that each part was patiently, somewhat painstakingly hand crafted from the best tropical hard woods - Cengal or Merbau, to name a few - into prefabricated forms. These prefabricated forms or parts were then pieced together on site using a combination of brilliantly designed, mutually supporting system of interlocking joints ( called, Tanggam ) and a generous amount of wooden pegs ( called, Pasak ). Unlike present day practice, no nails, screws even bolts and nuts were used at all thus not surprisingly, none is found on the structures ( except for a recently added few, just to reinforce the ageing parts ).
Note that, the purpose of prefabrication was not only meant to ease up the transportation of parts to the site, but also to ease up future moving work if should there be any need. Here the movable wooden pegs and joints play the important parts - to be taken out and again re fix - without damaging the parts. This unique innovation owns the Malay wood working an outstanding spot in the World of wooden construction. Perhaps, nowhere else in the World, wood was worked with intention similar to that of the old time Malays. How amazing was that ?
This methods of construction was common throughout Kelantan in the old days, but were gradually abandoned when the British arrived and introduced the Western standard of construction, through the incorporation of nails and of course, concrete. Constructing buildings became faster and cheaper but cruder and the venture turned from artistic into merely monetary and economical, which going on to this day.
I would say that these structures i.e. mausoleums of Kubur Banggol are among the surviving few from the era when wood working was not merely taken for granted. If the practice of these days were used then, I seriously doubt that they would survive a decade or two. The remaining few survived because of the thoughtful hands that made them and the hands that cared for them, ironically also, as in the case of Kubur Banggol, because of the graveyard's state of desertion, that people tend to leave things as they were. At other places, the push for Western style development had already brought down so many of them. I have a feeling that someday and somehow, so would the mausoleums of Kubur Banggol. Will there be any attempt to save them ? I seriously doubt.
But while they are still standing, these old mausoleums worth a good study.
I believe that they would be a good source of reference, for those keen to have a rest pavilion ( wakaf ) as a part of their home décors ( a trend I regularly see nowadays ). No, I am not promoting a mausoleum for a home décor, d'oh ! I mean, take the essence, learn how they built it ! I noticed that most modern wakaf are crudely built, with all the nuts and bolts, screws and nails forced into their places that somewhat damaged not only the physical nature, but also the structural strength of the wood itself. Forget the metallic reinforcement, just stick to these brilliant ideas left by our forefathers.
Only then you would know why you should be proud !
RECOMMENDED READINGS :
* An old mausoleum, with graves dating back to the 1910s.
The exact date of its construction is unknown, very much probably around the same time as the tombs it housed. Singhorra tiles for the roof, structure out of durable high quality hardwood ( Cengal ), no sign of termite infestation. Smooth finishing - a distinct sign of hand crafting.
* Another old mausoleum, housing numbers of " undated " tombs.
( " Undated " as there was no attempt for a closer inspection but probably from early to mid 20th century. Thus, the building might be from the same period of time too. )
Singhorra tiles roofing - with two types, the more common smaller one at each roof fringe, with the very rare, wider and bigger type at the centre roof. In Kelantan, I only see the application of the latter at only two places, one on an old house at Tuan Padang Roundabout ( Clocktower Roundabout, behind Kia Showroom ) and the other, on a pre-War shoplot at Jalan Temenggong - Tok Hakim junction.
* Bad condition. Unknown date of construction.
Probably early to mid 20th century, judging by the graves. There's even a magnificently carved marble tomb housed inside one. Again, Singhorra tiles for the roof with some reinforcement works done to the structure.
* A rest pavilion ( wakaf ) in the foreground and a mausoleum in the background
* A simple, wall-less old mausoleum. Date unknown. Probably early to mid 20th century.
Looks more like a shed to me. With several graves and a bench for visitors. Except for some missing roof tiles, conditions are fairly good, sturdy and strong, showing no sign of collapsing.
* Another simple, wall-less old mausoleum. Date unknown. Probably early to mid 20th century.
Missing roof tiles. Tilting. With reinforcement works already done to the structure.
* Smaller one, with simple fencing.
Date unknown. Probably early to mid 20th century.
This one seems to have problem with balance but mutually supporting columns are holding it to its current position until no one knows. No reinforcement works seen on the structure.
* The roof structure.
This one comes from the first image, at the top.
Interconnecting parts are fixed together using a system of interlocking joints and wooden pegs. This one seems to be completely " clean " from nails. On the other hand, the old wooden frames are showing signs of fungal attack but remained strong with no signs of heavy decay or rupture.
* What I mean by " interlocking joint ".
Cracked due to old age and weight. Designs like this one, explains why nails are not needed.
* Wooden peg.
A type of wooden peg, used to lock two parts together, one being the roof support.
Most wooden pegs used are small and with texture and colours that blend well with the main parts. Unlike its modern counterparts - nails, screws, nuts and bolts.
* An ornamental wooden appendage known as " Buah Buton " or " Buah Butong " or " Buah Gutong " or " Buah Guntong ". I have no idea which term is correct.
Subordinate parts like this are very rarely seen these days.
It was common in the past, adorning the gates and houses of the ruling class and houses of worship i.e. mosques. To find one at a graveyard is remarkable.
 
" You remain preoccupied with hoarding. Until you go to the graves "
( Bermegah-megahan telah melalaikan kamu sampai kamu masuk ke dalam kubur )
At Takaathur, verse 1 ~ 2.
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| Monday, 21-Apr-2008 14:00 |
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KUBUR BANGGOL : Kelantan's City of The Dead
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Mouldy tombs, granite ( right ) & marble ( left )
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Che Siti's Tomb ( left ), granite
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Granite twin tombs, partly broken. Circa 1912
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KUBUR BANGGOL :
Kelantan's City of The Dead
" Every soul will taste death, then to us you will be ultimately returned. "
( Setiap jiwa pasti merasai mati dan kepada Kami jua akan kamu dikembalikan )
Al-'Ankabut, verse 57
Kubur Banggol.
A Muslim cemetery located in Kampung Banggol, just a few kilometres north of the town - thought to be the oldest and also the biggest Muslim cemetery, still in use in Kelantan.
For the note, Kubur is a Malay word that could either mean a " grave ", " graveyard ", " cemetery " or anything else that is good enough to remind you of death ( other than those gory images you see on the net ! ).
It is where most of Kota Bharu town folks as well as surrounding locals, honoured their dead and has been in used, probably since, a few hundreds years ago. An ancestral burial ground to be exact, especially among the "Nik"s of Kelantan.
The very first thing that a first time visitor would realize about Kubur Banggol, is the extent of the area. So big, it is literally Kelantan's " City of The Dead ", where thousands, from many generations, already made it their " home ".
Covering acres of flat sandy terrain, the burial ground is actually made up of many contiguous " family " plots separated by fences and small gates. " Family ", as they all seemed to be " privately " owned, marked with waist-high to shoulder-high networks of fence enclosing each and every one of them, often with stakes bearing statement of private ownership - a sight rarely seen at other Muslim cemeteries through out Kelantan.
I am not sure about the legality of such practice, as graveyards throughout the state are basically under direct jurisdiction of the local authority, but it surely turned the whole place, into a maze-like, real challenge to move around.
Makes me wonder, where did they shoot " Istana Takeshi ", really ?
Kubur Banggol seems like an ever expanding universe.
A universe for the dead, that is.
New graves continue to occupy new grounds and also the little spaces, still left between the old ones - I mean, reeeeeeeally old ones ! So packed that sometimes, while preparing for a new one, grave diggers would accidentally stumble upon old remains. Certain spots however, remain untouched and made up entirely of old graves. Some of these old burial plots are shrouded in thick bushes, some with fallen trees, with huge barks held from touching the ground by old grave markers of stone. There are tombs with overgrown trees growing straight through them, breaking them apart and there are even those completely " lost " in thick undergrowth !
Speaking of old grave markers and tombs, in Kelantan, the earliest and the perhaps still in use is the River Rock, commonly found on graveyards through out the state. But normally it is hard to tell the exact age of a grave with such marker as most are often without inscription or date. There are many ancient graves with this kind of marker, used by both common people and nobilities, like that of Sultan Omar of the long lost Jembal Kingdom, at what is now, Daerah Sering.
Wooden grave markers or tombs also appeared during the same time or maybe earlier, but being easily perishable, old wood workings are now virtually non-existent. Those survived however, in conditions that are not worth a good study. Still, excellent but very rare examples exist, like Che Ku Tuan Nawi's ( the princess of Long Yunus, Raja of Kelantan ; 1765 ~ 1795 ), of Cengal wood, some 200 years old, currently located at Royal Langgar Mausoleum.
Another material, Granite came into the scene soon afterwards and started to gain popularity mostly among well-to-do Kelantanese urban dwellers, around a couple of hundreds years ago. The source was far inland, cut into slabs and blocks on site then brought downstream to be carved into various shapes and styles which either went to become simple grave markers for the commoners or parts of highly decorative tombs for the nobilities. These carved pieces often reflect the period and era of its manufacture and are interesting to study.
Kubur Banggol is literally littered with such stone workings, a good reason to believe that the cemetery must have been at least a few hundreds years old. Some of the stone tombs, bear not only attractive carvings but also artistic Jawi engravings in beautiful Islamic calligraphy, depicting the name of the deceased and the year of death. Such elaborate tombs were usually made for the ruling class as only they could and should afford one - used to emphasize their status in life. Though you won't find the likeness of King Tut's golden mask or Aztec's death offerings of precious metals and stones here, but I would say that these stone workings, equally amazing !
The Granite trend survived only until about 60 years ago and never made a comeback.
I have no idea why the locals suddenly stopped using Granite. It is proven to be very durable and excellent for such purposes. Maybe it's in the cost or maybe it's the expertise that happened to die along with the experts. Nowadays, grave markers and tombs are mainly made from mortar, poured into moulds for the desired shape and style. Those with extra cash would go for marble, either slabs or tiles. But marble, being basically Calcite, is typically weak against acidic rainwater and exhaust fumes, thus not a good choice for present day outdoor use, especially in hot and wet tropical climate. In comparison, Granite proved to be far more resilient and strong.
I also find this extensive use of Granite remarkable, as the Malays particularly Kelantanese, were renowned experts in wood working and carving but never stone. I am not ruling out the talents of local artisans but much of the artistic manifestations, immortalized on those tombstones and grave markers, in unique floral and abstract designs, seemed somewhat " out of place ", that the carvers were probably not local, or at least some might be of foreign origin. Perhaps Chinese, very much probably Chinese Muslims, escapees from China's 19th century bloody turmoils.
I might be wrong, but I even found that the Islamic calligraphy on most of the tombs are somewhat East Asian influenced. Though I didn't have the chance to carefully inspect each and every tombs here at Kubur Banggol but those I found at the Royal Langgar Mausoleum ( of the same period ), gave me a clue to this possible Chinese connection. Closer inspection on some of the ancient Royal tombs at Langgar, revealed carved figures that look much like a Fenghuang ( a Chinese phoenix ) !
Fuuuuuuhhh ...
I could go miles with this but would be real wise to cut it short for now.
So, as the conclusion,
it's amazing to see the amount informations on Kelantan's past that one could gather by just checking out the entire length of Kubur Banggol. I would gladly recommend it to my dear readers for the historical and cultural values it holds and also for it being a great lesson to all of us, the " still " living, that life is really too short for all the grabs on Earthly desires.
How many had lived and died for the past hundred years ? I don't know. Surely not one.
The visit to Kubur Banggol thought me of how fragile we all really are and that we are actually waiting our turn to join our predecessors. Looking at those graves out there, I wonder how prepared were they in entering the realm of Barzakh ......
.... and most importantly,
how prepared are we ?
 
 
" I swear by the time.
Most surely man is in loss.
Except those who believe and do good,
and enjoin on each other Truth, and enjoin on each other endurance. "
( Demi Masa!
Sesungguhnya manusia itu dalam kerugian,
kecuali orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh,
dan mereka pula berpesan-pesan dengan kebenaran serta berpesan-pesan dengan kesabaran )
Al-'Asr, verse 1 ~ 3
* An ornately carved, pair of tombs from over a hundred years ago,
The larger one is reportedly ( but not documentally supported ) of a noblewoman, the locals simply called it " Kubur Che Siti " or " Che Siti's Tomb ".
It is alleged to be the grave site of Paduka Che Siti Wan Kembang, the famous ( but also fabled ) female ruler of old Kelantan. The truth ? Nobody knows as there is no evidence to support the claim. The tomb itself bears no inscription and even seems to be just over a hundred years old, whereas the claimed person lived some three hundreds years ago.
It's typical in traditional Muslim burial practice not to put weight on grave inscription. Some even see it as a taboo. Most old grave markers and tombstones bear nothing but decorative floral and abstract carvings. Identifying the deceased were the task of surviving family members. When their own turn comes, often, such information goes to the grave with them. Over time, they fall into anonymity, becoming indistinguishable from the rest thus make it hard for their own future family members to locate their ancestors' final resting place.
Taking lesson from the past, recent practice seem to favour placing details of the dead on the tombs / grave markers ( normally, the name, date of birth, date of death and even age of death ) for future identifying purposes.
* Carved granite. Decorative. Kelantanese Nobility.
Stated, the name of the deceased, along with the date Islamic date 1341 H or 1923 A.D
* Granite, lightly carved. Kelantanese Nobility.
Vertical grave markers with flat and circular design.
If I am not mistaken, the styles are used to differentiate male from female.
A practice now obsolete. Flat for female and circular for male. Correct me if I am wrong.
No visible name or date. Probably mid to late 19th century.
* Marble and granite, carved. Highly decorative. Kelantanese nobility.
Each with description but hardly visible due to stains. Probably of early 20th century.
Largely covered in black mold, but if you ask me, it's better this way than having them painted with strikingly white emulsion paint, like the similar ones in the background !
Stone has its own unique natural texture and shine that are easily ruined by a coat of paint. The reason why you don't paint marble.
To deal with the mold, I think a generous but gentle scrubbing will do.
( alright, who's going to do it ? )
* Granite twin tombs, lightly carved, with a broken part. Kelantanese nobility.
There, on one surface, a carved inscription related to the deceased, with still visible Islamic date 1330 H or 1912 A.D.
He ( or she ? ) died when Tok Janggut was busy planning against the British.
* Granite, lightly carved. Kelantanese nobility.
This one is found amidst thick undergrowth, with a coat of greyish algae.
No visible inscription on this one though a closer inspection would certainly reveal something. Period ? Probably of late 19th or early 20th century.
* A carved, in floral motive, Granite grave marker, found hidden in thick undergrowth.
Judging by the condition, style and material, it should be well over a hundred years old.
Simple grave markers like this normally bears no inscription thus the details and the exact death of the deceased would remain unknown and open to estimation.
~~~~~~ # ~~~~~~ # ~~~~~~ # ~~~~~~
Andai Ku tahu
Kapan tiba masaku
Ku akan memohon
Tuhan jangan kau ambil nyawaku
Aku takut
Akan semua dosa-dosa ku
Aku takut
Dosa yang terus membayangiku
Ungu - Andai Ku Tahu
~~~~~~ # ~~~~~~ # ~~~~~~ # ~~~~~~
* COMING UP SOON : " KUBUR BANGGOL : The Wooden Mausoleum "
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| Monday, 14-Apr-2008 10:00 |
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FILLER ENTRY : Hyper Market dan Kuantum Fizik
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FILLER ENTRY :
Hyper Market dan Kuantum Fizik !
Alam perniagaan memang licik.
Setiap pergerakan dan keputusan yang diambil, telah terlebih dahulu dihitung rapi menggunakan mekanik kuantum dan Prinsip Ketidakpastian Heisenberg.
Maka,
tidak hairanlah sebuah hyper market ( pasaraya besar ) yang kemunculannya dicanang ke seantero bandar untuk bakal berada di " situ " .......
* Bandar Kota Bharu, Jalan Parit Dalam
....... boleh merentasi ruang masa kontinum untuk sebaliknya berada di tempat lain !
* Bandar Baru Tunjong, Jalan Baru Tunjong - Salor - Pasir Mas.
Kejadian alam yang menakjubkan ?
Mungkin.
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| Wednesday, 9-Apr-2008 08:00 |
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ORGHAE KITO : Berghaehii kor Burghong Ti'tteir
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Rumah dan Burung, Kok Majid, Tumpat
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Rumah dan Burung, Tanjung Chat, Kota Bharu
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Tanjung Chat, Kota Bharu
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ORGHAE KITO :
Berghaehii kor Burghong Ti'tteir
( Kesinambungan dari entri yang terdahulu, " Okay, Stand Still and Look At The Birdie !! " )
Erm herm .. lamo weh tok kkae'chaek Kelaté !
Nok ghoyak sor jah.
Lamo doh telittah, lonnih jah barghu nok ttubeik !
Ado sor hok ambo kerghaek nappok bilo kelih kor ghummoh orghae kito, hok duk kappong baik hok teppi jalae.
Kelih punyo kelih, tock sikik jugok hok ado maerggho Burghong Ti'tteir.
Kalu hok jenih berghaehii benaa, bergerghunyut supo kedaa burghong !
Pemandangan biasa di sesetengah rumah di Kelantan khususnya di kampung-kampung, juga di kawasan perumahan di bandar.
Foto dirakam di pekan Tumpat ( atas ) dan Kok Majid ( bawah ), kedua-duanya di Jajahan Tumpat.
Burghong Ti'tteir tu kalu kok basor Kelaté la.
Ejo nyor " K-E-T-I-T-I-R " tapi sebuttae nyor " Ti'tteir ".
( Supo " K-E-T-E-R-E-H " la jugok, namo tepak tu. Orghae panggey " Ttaer-ghae " )
Kalu kok Bahaso Melayu Sekoloh, Bahaso Orghae Luwaa, demo sebok " Merbok ".
Kalu hok kkae'chaek orghae puteh, demo panggey Zebra Dove.
Kalu hok ngajji tinggi sikik gak, demo sebok kok Linnaean taxonomy, Geopelia striata !
Begitulah ado nyor ....
Burghong Ti'tteir atau Ketitir.
Foto dipinjam dari internet.
Demo kato sorgho diyyo sedak.
Sedak kok mano, ambo tock gheti nok ghoyak tapi nyato nyor tock supo Siti Nurhaliza.
Sedak diyyo gak, sapaa orghae sanggup letok ghergo ghibu-ghibu !
Ayae sekilo pong tock sapaa gitummo !
Burghong Ti'tteir nih tepak laing pong ado sebenar nyor. Bukae Kelaté sajo jah.
Darghi alik Siyyae sapaa kor Singapore, pah kor Indonesia mano, demo ado duk mmaing.
Tapi Kelaté tetap dalae kelas hok tersendiri, ado suwasano tersendiri.
Kkae'chaek pasaa hok ado Kelaté nih,
hok ambo kelih sokmo gak, marghi jah pagi Juma'ak, tock pong pagi Sabtu,
sek sek hok mminak nih ppakak kileik sarghae burghong, gi ppadae. Padae bukae supo padae bola weh, padae spesel penuh nga tiyyae bercherghachok guno nyor wak sakuk sarghae burghong. Karghaa naik supo karghaa naik daergho. Ado buwa'tae besi, ado jugok pakaa buloh jah :
Padang Ketitir - Palekbang, Jajahan Tumpat.
Bilo wak nnaik belako, burghong burghong nih mulo la buwwaa, barghghii samo diyyo.
Tuwwae punyor pulok tunggu bowwoh, kelip pah kelip pah duk dengaa, duduk ghama ghama bowok pak ghedup, bowoh pokok, atah gerghae, atah kerghusi mano ado, blae blae kkae'chaek nga gu seangkatae, darghi cerghito burghong pah kor cerghito politik, tubeik belako.
Napok gayo, biso jugok pukullae Burghong Ti'tteir.
Bukae sekak jadi mmaenae, tapi jugok jadi modal bersosial, baik burghong mahu pong tuwae burghong, pah ado jugok jadi barghae betandeing !
Pertandingae diyyo ado hadiyyoh machae machae.
Darghi hadiyoh pitih sapaa laa pialo samo besaa nga tuwaee burghong !
Tu pong kalu lekak la. Kalu wak marghi burghong moyok, kelik derghumoh pong moyok jugok la. Silak harghibulae, bining dumoh pulok " kokkok ".
Kkae'chaek berkena'ae tuh, ado sor nih, kerghajae negerghi sponsor,
wak sekali setahung, sokmo sokmo diyyo buwak dalae maso Pujyo Omor.
Diyyo panggey,
" Pertandingan Seni Suara Burung Ketitir ( Merbok ) Antarabangsa Kelantan ",
boleh sapo sapo nok masuk, tok kirgho marghi cerghuk mano dalae Malaysia, cerghuk mano atah duniyyo ( hok marghi seberghae Golok pong ghamaa ! ). Tepak diyyo tock susoh carghi, Gelanggang Seni Suara Burung Lubok Jong, Jajahae Pasir Mah, tengoh jalae nok gi kor Ghataa Panjae.
Barghu nih ambo ado gi kelih, diyyo buwak 2 April 2008, harghi Rabu :
Mudoh kato, nok cerghito panjae pong tock guno.
Keno gi kelih sedirghi barghu boleh napok, bakpo gak demo nih berghaehii gitummo mmaing gonnih.
Ambo nga Burghong Ti'tteir ?
Barghu mmargheing dulu ambo teppoh sekor nga kergheto, maso lalu belakae Courts Mammoth.
Nyaknyo diyyo, duk mmaing atah jalae sangak.
Kergheto tengoh laju, diyo pulok duk gelaewak ssituh lagih.
Sapaa dekak benaa barghu nok terghebae gaaaaaaaaaaaaaak ...........
Itulah sahaja kisah ambo nga Burghong Ti'tteir.
Sedih.
KEMASKINI 30 APRIL 2008 : Suara Ketitir RM 200,000
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| Monday, 31-Mar-2008 22:00 |
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PUJYO OMOR 2008 : ~ Illumination 101 ~
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PUJYO OMOR 2008 : ~ Illumination 101 ~
Some night shots on Kota Bharu " pujyo omor " hot spots.
The locals find the heavily illuminated area surrounding the entrance into Kota Darulnaim, as something truly pleasing and interesting to enjoy. They come in droves.
Reminds me of the famous Kobe Luminarie.
My previous posts :
PUJYO OMOR : ~ L u m i n a i r e ~
PUJYO OMOR : Gi Kelih Orghae Bargheh
PUJYO OMOR : Daergho Kito
* don't ask why there is no Pujyo Omor 2007. I forgot why !
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| Thursday, 27-Mar-2008 17:43 |
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FILLER ENTRY : A History Found In Kelantan ..... Made In China !
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Two other, related cannons at Taman Indera Petra
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One, covered in two places with inscriptions
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I can see " Fujian ( Hokkien ) " and perhaps " Zhejiang " too
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FILLER ENTRY :
A History
Found In Kelantan ...... Made In China !
* An addition to the previous filler entry, " The Cannons of Istana Balai Besar ".
A rusty old cannon,
made a part of a landscape art at a local Craft Expo in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
( moved to this spot from the entrance of MPKB Landscape Dept at Panji )
Unlike most old cannons found throughout Kelantan, this one bears an interesting inscription in Chinese, found close to the muzzle, as shown in the above photos.
The writings, degraded over time, are quite a challenge to read.
But a careful inspection on each character, paired with my know-how in Japanese Kanji ( which is technically Chinese ! ), revealed some of them as :
which somehow translates into :
" Cast Iron Gun weighing 300 jīn, 21st year of Daoguang "
From the Gunsmith's description we know that the cannon was made by having molten iron poured into a mold i.e. the casting method and the weight is stated to be, 300 jīn, or 300 Chinese catty ( kati ).
The jīn is a traditional Chinese measurement of weight and was widely used throughout East and Southeast Asia. The English word for it is " catty " or " kati ", originated from the Malay word, " kati " ! For the note, the word " jīn " is Mandarin Chinese and it is known as " kan " in Cantonese.
A Kati is not definitive and each region differs slightly in terms of exact measurement.
A Chinese kati equals to 500 grams while a Malay kati is equivalent to 604.79 grams. There are even Thai kati, Taiwanese kati and Japanese kati. In modern day Malaysia, the usage had finally died out, replaced by the S.I unit of grams and kilograms.
Back to the subject's weight, a simple calculation ( note that this is a Chinese kati ! ) would reveal that the solid iron gun actually weighs an approximately 150 kilograms !
( Hard to calculate ? Try this : Online Weight Conversion )
And now, the interesting part.
Through further research, I found out that " Daoguang " actually refers to the reign of Emperor Daoguang, a Chinese Emperor from the Manchu Qing Dynasty who ruled China between 1820 ~ 1850, and the " 21st year " refers to his year on the throne since his installment in 1820. Again, through simple calculation, we know that the cannon was manufactured somewhere in 1841 !
That makes the cannon a confirmed 167 years old !
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The Daoguang Emperor (September 16, 1782 – February 25, 1850) was the seventh emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.
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In September 1820, the age of 38, Mianning inherited the throne after his father the Jiaqing Emperor suddenly died of unknown causes. Now known as the Daoguang Emperor, he inherited a declining empire with Western imperialism encroaching upon the doorsteps of China.
Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daoguang_Emperor
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But to me,
the most interesting part lies not in its old age but in its year of manufacture.
Between 1839 ~ 1842, the Qing Government of China, under Daoguang Emperor, found itself involved in a grave conflict with the British over Opium trade. The Qing wanted it to stop, while the British, interested in nothing other than profit making, wished for the trade to stay. The conflict escalated into series of bloody battles, with guns and cannons pointed at each side in an encounter that Qing China eventually lost.
This important point in Chinese history is known as The First Opium War.
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The First Opium War or the First Anglo-Chinese War was fought between the British East India Company and the Qing Dynasty in China from 1839 to 1842 with the aim of forcing China to import British opium.
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Alarmed by the reverse in silver flow and the epidemic of addiction (an estimated 2 million Chinese were habitual users ), the Qing government attempted to end the opium trade however its efforts were complicated by corrupt local officials (including the Viceroy of Canton).
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The Qing government proved incapable of dealing with Western Powers on an equal basis, either politically or militarily. The war finally ended in August 1842, with the signing of China's first Unequal Treaty, the Treaty of Nanjing
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The Treaty of Nanjing committed the Qing government to fixed tariffs on British goods, Hong Kong Island was ceded to Queen Victoria, and the ports of Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Shanghai, and Ningbo were opened to British merchants, who were allowed to trade with any Chinese merchant they wished. The Qing government was also forced to pay reparations for the British opium and war costs.
Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Opium_War
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The Chinese lost the war with humiliating defeat and what occurred next, eventually sparked another series of battles ( 1856 ~ 1860 ) with the British. The French joined almost immediately, siding with the British against the Qing Army, forcing the local political entity to accept their terms through savagery and violence. Towns and palaces were deliberately looted and burned down as a lesson to the Qing, in a historical tragedy still seen by most Chinese as the saddest episode in their country's modern history, in regards to Western Imperialism. This second part of the war went down in history and became known as The Second Opium War.
Now, the mystery part.
Could this be the cannon ( and the other similar two at Taman Indera Petra ) brought by the returning British troops to the Malay Peninsula ( then, British Malaya ) as a spoil of war, or was it only a part of many other regular merchandise, that journeyed down the historical trading route between Mainland China and Southeast Asia ?
Unfortunately,
there is very little or no evidence at the moment, that seem to support both claims though the latter sounds much more convincing. Still, there's also high probability that the first claim could be true. Note that they are already proven to be the products of Opium Wars era.
But, if the first case is found to be true,
then we are currently looking at a piece of World History, lying right here in Kota Bharu !
I wonder how many people out there really know about this .....
More on Daoguang Era Cannon :
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=19206
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| Thursday, 20-Mar-2008 17:30 |
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FILLER ENTRY : Ulang Tahun ke 21 atau ke 12 ?
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FILLER ENTRY :
Ulang Tahun ke 21 atau ke 12 ?
* Sebuah kain rentang promosi di satu sudut bangunan di bandar Kota Bharu. You know where !
Oh yer,
bercakap tentang ulang tahun .....
Atas kesempatan ini aku ucapkan Selamat Hari Memperingati Ulang Tahun Kelahiran Junjungan Besar & Rasul Akhir Zaman, Nabi Muhammad S.A.W iaitu pada 12 Rabiul Awwal 1428, yang kebetulan jatuh pada tarikh ini .....
طلع البدر علينا من ثنيات الوداع
وجب الشكر علينا ما دعى لله داع
أيها المبعوث فينا جئت بالأمر المطاع
جئت شرفت المدينة مرحباً يا خير داع
اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم
dan kebetulan juga
buat aku ... he he he ...
( Ulang tahun ke berapa ? Usah ditanya ...... )
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| Sunday, 24-Feb-2008 17:00 |
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Distinctively KeLaTte : Pilihae Ghayo !
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( Episod terkini dari siri " Distinctively KeLaTte " )
Distinctively KeLaTte : Pilihae Ghayo !
Tidak boleh dinafikan bahawa
salah satu keunikan Kelantan yang jelas diketahui umum
adalah iklim dan fenomena politiknya yang tersendiri, unik
dan berwarna warni !
( Dan aku ? Aku non-partisan ! )
FOTO :
Sekitar hari penamaan calon bagi kerusi Parlimen ( Dewan Rakyat ) Pengkalan Chepa ( P.020 ) dan Dewan Undangan Negeri ( DUN ), DUN Cempaka, DUN Panchor dan DUN Kijang, bertempat di Dewan Besar, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Chepa 1, pada pagi 24 Feb 2008.
MAKLUMAN 15 MAC 2008 :
Kesemua komen yang ditinggalkan di dalam entri ini telah dengan TIDAK DISENGAJAKAN terpadam.
Komen baru amat dialu alukan.
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gud job bro! amat memberi manfaat pada semua... cuma teringin jugak nak tengok gambar2 kelantan yang terkini..
