questing gm
First Post
Now then...
Islam in Southeast Asia
Complements with my usual disclaimer that you would probably need to verify some the stuff here for yourself, they may not be entirely accurate...
History of Islam in Southeast Asia : Unlike their northern counterparts, the southern part of southeast asia that are mainly comprised of maritime states and kingdoms (Malaya, Indonesia and Temasik or Singapore, today). These maritime states have been very famous for trade and exposed to many different cultures. The first few traders to arrive were the Indians and the Chinese (they were the ones that brough their religion with them). But later around in the 13th century, traders from the Arab countries also started visiting these parts. Trade was commonplace between the Arabs and the Maritime states and together with the Arabs came the religion of Islam.
Since the Arabs mainly came to the maritime states, the religion began to have pockets of worshippers amongst the maritime states and never really spread to the northern region(although parts of southern Thailand are actually Islamic where unrest and insurgence is happening today). However, the religion would gain its prominence from several key factors. One of them was due to marriage.
The story goes is when Malacca (Melaka, in malay) was a trade powerhouse and controlled the strait which was a key route from east to west to traders travelling by sea. With Indians, Arabs (and later the Europeans) from the west and China from the east, Malacca was a prosperous entreport. During the reign of one of the kings of Malacca(i coulnd't remember the name and exact year), he married a Persian (if i'm not mistaken) princess. According to Islamic laws, anyone who marries an Islam is required to embrace the religion (which is still practiced today in modern Malaysia). Therefore, after the king converted to Islam (presumably from Hinduism) and changed his title from 'raja' (king) to 'sultan' (also king but in arab).
The first sultan declared Islam to be the official religion of Malacca and many nobles adopted it. With the influence of Malacca as a trade powerhouse, the religion found its way into the general populace of the Malaya peninsula, Indonesia, Brunei and sometimes to traders along the way.
Islam in Southeast Asia
I was wondering when Islam came to the South East? This is out of personal interest to myself... I probably will not include that particular element in my campaign. However, the idea of religious conflict is an excellent idea. I'm glad to say I had no illusions of religious unity in the region!
Complements with my usual disclaimer that you would probably need to verify some the stuff here for yourself, they may not be entirely accurate...
History of Islam in Southeast Asia : Unlike their northern counterparts, the southern part of southeast asia that are mainly comprised of maritime states and kingdoms (Malaya, Indonesia and Temasik or Singapore, today). These maritime states have been very famous for trade and exposed to many different cultures. The first few traders to arrive were the Indians and the Chinese (they were the ones that brough their religion with them). But later around in the 13th century, traders from the Arab countries also started visiting these parts. Trade was commonplace between the Arabs and the Maritime states and together with the Arabs came the religion of Islam.
Since the Arabs mainly came to the maritime states, the religion began to have pockets of worshippers amongst the maritime states and never really spread to the northern region(although parts of southern Thailand are actually Islamic where unrest and insurgence is happening today). However, the religion would gain its prominence from several key factors. One of them was due to marriage.
The story goes is when Malacca (Melaka, in malay) was a trade powerhouse and controlled the strait which was a key route from east to west to traders travelling by sea. With Indians, Arabs (and later the Europeans) from the west and China from the east, Malacca was a prosperous entreport. During the reign of one of the kings of Malacca(i coulnd't remember the name and exact year), he married a Persian (if i'm not mistaken) princess. According to Islamic laws, anyone who marries an Islam is required to embrace the religion (which is still practiced today in modern Malaysia). Therefore, after the king converted to Islam (presumably from Hinduism) and changed his title from 'raja' (king) to 'sultan' (also king but in arab).
The first sultan declared Islam to be the official religion of Malacca and many nobles adopted it. With the influence of Malacca as a trade powerhouse, the religion found its way into the general populace of the Malaya peninsula, Indonesia, Brunei and sometimes to traders along the way.