The National Hero of Indonesia
In the “Magtymguly Pyragy” cultural park complex, which was opened in honor of the great Turkmen poet Magtymguly Pyragy, there are sculptures of representatives of world literature. One of them is Raja Ali Haji.
Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad, known as Raji Ali Haji, was a Bugis-Malay writer, poet, historian, and scholar of the XIX century.
Raja Ali Haji was born in Selangor, although some sources stated that he was born in Penyengat in 1808. He spent his early years in Penyengat. Haji undertook a diverse education and eventually became reputed for his learning. His intellectual journey began with a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1828, when he was 19. This experience exposed him to diverse Islamic thoughts and deepened his understanding of faith. He became a champion for Islamic principles, evident in his writings on law and politics like “Mukaddimah fi Intizam.”
When he was 32, Haji became a joint regent and helped administer Lingga for the young Sultan Mahmud Muzaffar Shah.
In around 1866-1870, Raja Ali Haji wrote his famous work “Tuhfat al-Nafis,” which means “the precious gift» in the Arabic language. This work records and chronicles events, especially those of the 19th century, which occurred in several Malay states. Some of the events recorded in the work include the founding of the state of Terengganu, the murder of Sultan Mahmud Shah II of Johor and the explanation of the relationships between the Bugis and the kings of Johor and Sumatra.
Raja Ali Haji made significant contributions to Malay grammar. He was known as a compiler of the first national grammar of the Malay language “Bustan al-Katibin,” as well as the first explanatory dictionary of the Malay language “Kitab pengetahuan Bahasa.”
For his invaluable contributions, Raja Ali Haji was posthumously recognized as a National Hero of Indonesia in 2004. The university “Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji” was established in honor of Raja Ali Haji in Tanjungpinang in 2016. His works are studied by scholars and enthusiasts alike, a testament to his enduring influence on the Malay and Indonesian worlds.
Jennet MYRADOVA,
the 3rd year student of the Faculty of International Journalism
of the
Institute of International Relations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.