Description
Book SynopsisThe Turkic-Turkish Theme in Traditional Malay Literature is the first detailed study of the representation of the Turkic peoples and Ottoman Turks in Malay literature between the 14th–19th centuries. Drawing on a wide range of texts, Vladimir Braginsky uncovers manifold metamorphoses and diverse forms of localisation of this Turkic-Turkish theme. This theme has strongly influenced the religious and political ideals and political mythology of Malay society. By creating fictional rather than realistic portrayals of the Turks and Turkey, imagining the king of Rum as the origin point of Malay dynasties, and dreaming of Ottoman assistance in the jihad against the colonial powers, Malay literati ultimately sought to empower the Malay ‘self’ by bringing it closer to the Turkish ‘other’.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations Illustrations and charts A note on transliteration Introduction Chapter 1: The first acquaintance in absentia: Turkic warriors, lovers and the barber of Istanbul Chapter 2: The first face-to-face encounter: stories of the embassies sent to the Ottomans Chapter 3: Kings of Rum, their heirs and vassals (1): Turkey in the dynastic space of the Malay world and beyond Chapter 4: Kings of Rum, their heirs and vassals (2): if Iskandar of Istanbul is unavailable, a Turkish prince or nobleman will do nicely Chapter 5: Two hundred years after the first embassy: Turkey, its useless Western allies and Russian enemies – the worst of kāfirs Conclusion Postscript Bibliography Appendices Index
