‘Islamic Conversion Narratives in the Malay–Indonesian World’ by Dr Maziar Mozaffari Falarti (Thursday, 16th September 2021)

SYNOPSIS

The conversion to Islam more than five centuries ago by the indigenous population and political systems in the Malay-Indonesian world can be considered as a momentous event in the regions’ history and development. It can even be argued that the rapid Islamization process of the Malay-Indonesian native population at that juncture in history which coincided with the arrival of zealous Christian missionaries, and colonization, were landmark events in the region’s history.

This lecture will examine how an eclectic array of Malay-Indonesian hikayats, oral reports and other indigenous sources portray and discuss Southeast Asian historic conversion to Islam. In doing so, I show how numerous early traditions and narratives in much of the Malay-Indonesian world connect their foundation myth and religious conversion directly to Pasai (or the Palembang–Melaka–Johor line) or regions (such as Champa, Java and Kedah). Often dismissed as fanciful and insignificant stories by nineteenth and twentieth century by previous scholarship, I argue that the narratives should be given more recognition as sources that give further insight into indigenous sciences, political systems, infrastructures, literary knowledge as well as global linkages and networks in island and mainland Southeast Asia. The lecture concludes that even if the conversion narratives, myths and traditions are often seen as unrealistic and unbelievable, they were powerful tools for  the promotion of and the teaching of Islam and morality in the region.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr Maziar Mozaffari Falarti has a PhD in political science and history in Asian studies from Australia. Prior to joining the University of Tehran he has worked with a number of universities in an eclectic array of subjects and research projects dealing with politics, religion  and history of South East Asia, South Asia and the Islamic world in general. Dr Mozaffari Falarti is also an honorary research fellow in international relations at Bond University (Australia). His book ‘Malay Kingdom in Kedah’ first published in New York and London in 2013 by  ‘Rowman and Littlefield Publishers’ is considered as an important contribution to our understanding of indigenous political systems and structures within the context of Malay-Indonesian studies.

REGISTRATION

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