History 2 Slave Roots Abdur-Razzak Lubis on Slavery

The Pirate Wind BEFORE SLAVERY WAS OUTLAWED, the Illanun (Iranun, Illanaon, Lanun, Illano: - Warren 1978: 477-90) marauders from the Mindanau used to cruise in squardrons of thirty or forty strong from the Sulu archipelago. The cruise, lasting sometimes as long as three years, would take them to the Philippines, round New Guinea, and then along the coast of Java and Sumatra as far as the Bay of Bengal, and home by way of Penang and the Borneo coast. The cruises had a double objective: plunder and slaves (Rutter 1991: 36). The 'musim lanun' (Kassim Ahmad 1981: 4) or 'pirate wind' (Rutter 1991: 28) brought the Illanun to Penang plying their trade in slaves. Slaves by the hundreds from across the archipelago were bought and sold in the Straits Settlements by the Illanun, Bugis, Chinese and Acehnese traders. So fascinated was Light with the Illanun that he named one of his son, William Lanun. Apart from the sea route, slaves were also brought via a land route before crossing the Straits of Malacca to be sold at Penang, Malacca and Singapore. Prof. Dr. W.B. Sidjabat has traced the route of the slave trade based on oral as well as written sources. In the 19th century, Tongging, a village north of the famed Danau Toba, was chosen as the slave market in the interior of north Sumatra because of its geographical location as well as for economic reasons. From there the slaves were taken to Buluh Awar in Langkat, east Sumatra, before being transported to Penang. A girl slave from Tongging and Silalahi, another slave market, would fetch between 70-120 Straits dollars (Sidjabat 1983: 83-98) The Government of Penang did more than tacitly allow slavery. It provided registers for its transactions in the same legal category as real estate. The East India Company also owned slaves.

Opulent Merchant Wives Anderson who was sent to survey the east coast of Sumatra in the 1820s, wrote that slavery:     "was of immense advantage in procuring a female population for Pinang. From Asahan alone, there used to be sometimes 300 slaves, particularly females, exported to Malacca and Pinang in a year. The women get comfortably settled as the wives of opulent Chinese merchants, and live in the greatest comfort. Their families attach these men to the soil; and many never think of returning to their native country. The female population of Pinang is still far from being upon a par with the male; and the abolition therefore of slavery, has been a vast sacrifice to philanthrophy and humanity. As the condition of the slaves who were brought to the British settlements was materially improved, and as they contributed so much to the happiness of the male population, and the general prosperity of the settlement, I am disposed to think (although I detest the principles of slavery as much as any man), that the continuance of the system here could not, under the benevolent regulations which were in force to prevent abuse, have been productive of much evil. The sort of slavery indeed which existed in the British settlements in this quarter, had nothing but the name against it; for the condition of the slaves who were brought from adjoining countries, was always ameliorated by the change; they were well fed and clothed; the women became wives of respectable Chinese; and the men who were in the least industrious, easily emancipated themselves, and many became wealthy. Severity by masters was punished; and, in short, I do not know any race of people who were, and had every reason to be, so happy and contented as the slaves formerly, and debtors as they are now called, who came from the east coast of Sumatra and other places.     "It is next to impossible to prevent the introduction of slaves into the European settlements by the Chinese, who are most ingenious in their contrivances; and I have the assurance of the natives, that the slaves are still exported in considerable numbers, notwithstanding slavery has been discountenanced so decidedly both at Malacca and Pinang. Their admission into Singapore they do not find so difficult". (Anderson 1971: 297-9)

Nias Preferred Slavery was not restricted to the Batak slaves alone. The French priest, Jean-Baptiste Boucho, came into contact with Nias slaves and ex-slaves soon after his arrival in Penang in 1824, and baptised about thirty of them. Almost half were the windfall of the British judicial system, for in order to testify against the slave-traders the court in Penang required them to take the oath of the one of the recoginised religions. (Reid 1973: 205-6) John T. Beighton, the author of Betal-Nut Island,  being a recollection of his 'youthful experiences and adventures', wrote in one of his articles of his 'dearest and longest' friendship with a Batak slave. Beighton who was born in Penang met his Batak slave friend on the island. In the period before the 20th century, Nias slaves were sold in Aceh, the peninsula and elsewhere by Acehnese and Chinese slave traders. (Harmmerle 1999: 274; Moor 1837: 185-8). The Chinese in Malaya preferred the Nias slaves over and above other slaves, because of their 'Chinese' features. Until today people from Nias have been mistaken for Chinese by other Indonesians. It has been proffered that the Niasan may be of Chinese ancestry. (Harmmerle 1999: 153-210). For 'slaves' captured in war or by stealth, Penang must have been a terrifying place. They left no account of their experience as slaves in Penang. We have to contend with impressions by missionaries and colonial administrators that Penang offered 'salvation' for their pagan souls, comfort for female slaves who married prominent and rich Chinese men and prosperity for the hardworking and industrious male slaves. References on slavery in Penang suggest that most of the slaves were married or otherwise  assimilated into the Chinese community in particular the Straits Chinese. However, slave taking was not confined to the Chinese alone. Munshi Abdullah revealed in his Hikayat Abdulah that female slaves were bought by 'men of all races, Chinese, Indians, Malays, who took them to wife and whose numerous progeny are here to the present day'. (Hill 1955: 162) While the above passage refers to Singapore and Malacca, it was probably true for Penang as well.  In the light of this, many Chinese and Malays in the east coast of Sumatra and in Malaya in particular in the former Straits Settlements are likely to be descended from Batak and Nias slaves although it is difficult to ascertain their genealogy. (Sidjabat 1983: 90). # _________________________ (From a paper by Abdur-Razzaq Lubis read at the Penang history colloquium at Penang 2002 April 19 - 21. Lubis specialises in Mandailing migration and operates a website at www.mandailing.org)

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_____________________ The Penang File Issue 21