Aladdin: Disney v. Sejarah Melayu

ʿAlāʾd-Dīn (علاء الدين) in the Arabian Nights

ʿAlāʾd-Dīn is an Arabic epithet built from In the context of name-giving, the positional elevator ʿAla is used to amplify the value of a given name.ʿAlā (علا) and al-Dīn (الدين).

In Malay, the word is roughly equivalent to “Adhidharma (अधिधर्म)”. In English, the word can be approximated to “e.g. Louis the Pious, King of the Franks (r. 814 - d. 840); Robert the Pious, King of the Franks, (r. 987 - d. 1031); Henry the Pious, High Duke of Poland (r. 1238 - d. 1241); John the Pious, King of Portugal (1521 - 1557); Pius is also a regularly used regnal name in Catholic Church, e.g. Pope Pius I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII.the Pious” or “the Religious” since the word Dīn (دين) means religion in Arabic.

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The most famous علاء الدين in the history of literature is perhaps Aladdin in the Tale of the Wonderful Lamp, See Ulrich Marzolph (2018) The Man Who Made the Nights Immortal: The Tales of the Syrian Maronite Storyteller Ḥannā Diyāb, Marvels and Tales 32(1), p. 114 - 129.first communicated to Antoine Galland (1646 – 1715) by a young Syrian storyteller named Anton Yusuf Ḥannā Diyāb on 5 May 1709. Diyāb's story was later reworked and weaved into the corpus of Volume 1 to 8 of Les mille et une nuits were published between 1704 and 1709, based on the Arabic manuscripts of Alf laylah wa-laylah. Diyāb's story of Aladdin and his magic lamp first appeared in Volumes 9 and 10.Les mille et une nuits by Galland. The same name of Aladdin was repeated and repurposed in another unrelated In the tale of Qamar al-Dīn and Badr al-Budur, ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn was the pseudonym used by heroin Badr al-Budur when she disguised herself as a man to save her boyfriend in a foreign land.story told on 6 May 1709 by Diyāb to Galland.

Given Diyāb's origin, it is likely that he pronunced الدين as eddin when he was doing the story-telling since Galland transcribed the name “Qamar al-Din (قمر الدين)” to Camareddin and “Alā al-Dīn” to Alaeddin in his diary entry dated May 6. The eddin transcription, however, was not employed later since the spelling “Aladdin” was used when Volume 9 was first published.

ʿAlāʾd-Din (علاء الدين) in Sejarah Melayu

The most famous Aladdin in Malay history is undoubtedly the king who succeeded Sultan Mansur Shah of Melaka in Sejarah Melayu. In Raffles MS18, he made his first appearance on p. 109. Unfortunately, the scribe erred and the particle “al (ال)” was written two times.

. . . maka Sultan Mansur Shah pun mangkatlah, dikerjakan oranglah seperti istiadat raja-raja yang telah lalu itu. Setelah itu maka Raja Radenlah kerajaan. Oleh Bendahara Paduka Raja digelar baginda di atas kerajaan Sultan ʿAlaʾal al-Dīn Rʿayat Shah . . .

The name is usually romanized to “Alauddin”, and the u-sound is an indication that the name was loaned from Indians. For instance, Alauddīn Khalji (r. 1296 – d. 1316) of the Delhi Sultanate could be a source of inspiration.

The name ʿAlaʾuddin can be found many times in p. 109 of Raffles MS18. The double “al” mistake was made only when the name made its first appearance in the text.

Alauddīn was the short honorific title (laqab لقب) of Ali Gurshasp (b. 1266), his full laqab, as fossilized on the coins issued during his administration, was ʿAla al-Dunia wa al-Dīn. Curiously, a somewhat similar title was adopted by both Sultan Muzaffar Shah and Sultan Mansur Shah, as the following name:

Nasir al-Dunīa wa al-Dīn

was found on the tin pitis issued by both Muzaffar's and Mansur's administrations. The phrase “al-Dunīa wa al-Dīn” (of the World and of the Religion) is actually a direct reference to the two most important dimensions in any Islamic kingdom, for, it was chosen by al-Mawardi (b. 974 - d. 1058) as the title of his Book of Ethics on Worldly and Religious Affairs (Kitab Adab al-dunyā wa-al-dīn كتاب أدب الدنيا والدين)book on administrative ethics.

Gold tanka issued by Ali Gurshasp or Ala ud-Dīn Khaljī (r. 1296 – d. 1316). Note that his laqab (in the second row) is spelt in full as ʿala al-Dunia wa al-Din “علا الدنيا والدين” (no hamzah is placed between ʿala and al-Dunia). The texts on the first, third, and fourth rows are: Al-Sultan al-Aʿzam, Abu al-Muzaffar Muhammad Shah, and al-Sultan, respectively.

The Seljuks of Anatolia appear to be the trend setter of styling their names with “al-Dunīa wa al-Dīn” and many variations can be formed when the word is joined with different contextualizing role/quality such as rukn (pillar), nasir (pillar), muin (pillar), ghiyath (pillar), ismat (pure), muizz (dignity), muzaffar (victory), etc.

al-Dunīa wa al-Dīn

It is possible that both Muzaffar Shah and Mansur Shah of Melaka were known to their subjects as Alauddin Rʿayat (literally Patron of the Religion), since both nasir (ناصر) and A more recent example is the composite name: Rʿayat al-Din (رعاية الدين), the laqab used by the present Agong of Malaysia.rʿayat (رعاية) mean “support” or “pillar” in Arabic.

Alauddins of Aceh Sultanate, accompanied by Alauddins from other geographies

Name of the King (. . . علاءالدین)	Timeline	Kingdom	Geography
Alā al-Din Ḥosayn	r. 1149 – d. 1161	Ghurid	Afghanistan
Ala al-Din Tekish	r. 1172 – d. 1200	Khwarazm	Iran
Ala ad-Din Muhammad II	r. 1200 – d. 1220	Khwarazm	Iran
Ala al-Din Atsiz	r. 1213 – r. 1214	Ghurid	Afghanistan
Ala al-Din Ali	r. 1214 – r. 1215	Ghurid	Afghanistan
Alâeddin Keykûbad I	r. 1220 – d. 1237	Seljuk	Turkey
Alâeddin Keykûbad II	r. 1249 – d. 1254	Seljuk	Turkey
Alâeddin Keykûbad III	r. 1298 – d. 1302	Seljuk	Turkey
Ala ud-Dīn Khaljī	r. 1296 – d. 1316	Delhi	India
Ala al-Din Husain Shah	r. 1494 – d. 1519	Bengal	Bangladesh
Alauddin Rʿayat Shah al-Kahar	r. 1537? - 1571	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin bin Firman Shah	r. 1589 – d. 1604	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Rʿayat Shah	r. 1614 – r. 1615	Pahang	Malaysia
Alauddin Ahmad Shah	r. 1727 – d. 1735	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Johan Shah	r. 1735 – d. 1760	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Mahmud Shah	r. 1760 – d. 1781	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Mansur Syah Iskandar Muda	r. 1773 – d. 1792	Perak	Malaysia
Alauddin Muhammad Shah	r. 1781 – d. 1795	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Johar al-Alam Shah	r. 1795 – d. 1823	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Muhammad Shah	r. 1824 – d. 1836	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Mansur Shah	r. 1838 – d. 1870	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Mahmud Shah	r. 1870 – d. 1874	Aceh	Indonesia
Alauddin Muhammad Daud Shah	r. 1874 – d. 1903	Aceh	Indonesia
ʿAlaʾiddin Sulaiman Syah	r. 1898 - r. 1938	Selangor	Malaysia

The seal of ʿAlaʾiddin Sulaiman Shah of Selangor (r. 1898 - 1938), See Annabel Teh Gallop (2019) Malay Seals from the Islamic World of Southeast Asia: Content, Form, Context, Catalogue, NUS Press, Singapore.Gallop (2019), p. 441. Note that in the seal, the particle “al (ال)” is romanized as “id” instead of “ud”. The photograph on the right: The king was seen leading a Friday prayer from the minbar in the Royal Mosque of Kuala Langat (the photograph was taken in 1937). In Aceh, the title of ʿAlaʾuddin was used as laqab for the sitting Sultan to indicate that he is the head of religion. See Annabel Teh Gallop (2018). What’s in a name? Malay seals as onomastic sources. Malay Literature 31(1), 1-28.Gallop (2018), p. 14.

Cap Mohor Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Syah (terkadang dieja Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah) iaitu Sultan Selangor yang ke-5, cucunda Sultan Abdul Samad.

چڤ موهور سلطان علأ الدين سليمان شاه ياءيتو سلطان سلاڠور يڠكليما، چوچوندا سلطان عبد الصمد. pic.twitter.com/rrxEiF3jQc

— Saufy Jauhary 🇲🇾 (@SaufyJauhary) May 2, 2023

Alauddins of Aceh

Also, we noted that “Alauddin” is a popular laqab for the rulers in Aceh for it was used continuously from Inception of the House of Bugis (Alauddin Ahmad Shah, r. 1727 - 1735). Another Bugis royal house, founded at around the same period (i.e. 1743), is Selangor in Peninsula Malaysia. 1727 to 1903, and it was almost always used only for the reigning king.

Johann Theodor de Bry and Johann Israel de Bry (1607) Icons, or Genuine and Accurate Illustrations of all Things Memorable (Icones, seu, Genvinae et expressae delineationes omnium memorabilium). The original latin caption for the engraved illustration reads: Cum Hollandi Achiensem aliquando Regem salutatum aduenissent, muneris loco tormentum aliquod ӕneum ei obtulerunt, qui in circuitu domus suӕ consistens desuper cum Hollandis locutus est. Hollandi autem, ut in conspectum Regis ventumest, complicatas manus froti admouerunt, honorem more in istis regionibus usitato ei exhibentes, which can be roughly translated as: The Dutch offerred the King of Aceh (likely to be Alauddin bin Firman Shah, who reigned between 1589 and 1604) a bronze cannon as a gift when they visited him. From the balcony of his residence, the king spoke to the Dutch below him, who rubbed their folded hands together (and placed them in front of their eyes), a form a salute known as ādāb (آداب) in the region. In the illustration, the king is seen returning the greeting from the three Dutch officers with his right hand (rested on the deck railing).

Afterwards, they went to the king's son (likely to be Ali Rʿayat Shah, who reigned between 1604 and 1607. Ali Rʿayat Shah's reign was unstable and he was quickly succeeded by his nephew Iskandar Muda, who was the father of the first Queen of Aceh, Sultanah Taj al-Alam Safiah al-Din), whom they found sitting in a spacious open hall surrounded by many young women. He had no male attendants apart from the women, who also served him in various capacities armed with swords, spears, long guns, and slings. When the Dutch had greeted him according to the local custom, he ordered them to sit on the ground and immediately provided them with food to refresh their tired bodies. The original Latin caption reads: Inde ad Regis filium pergentes, eum in loco quodam patentis admodum aulӕ sedentem, multisqᵫ mulierculis stipatum deprӕhenderunt: Satellitesenim prӕter mulieres nullos habebat, quӕ etiam ministeria et varia prӕstabant gladiis, iaculis, arcubusqᵫ & sclopis armatӕ. Cum ergo Hollandi eum more ibi vsitato etiam salutassent, humi eos sedere & apposito statim cibo lassa suacorpora resicere iussit.

Is ādāb the memetic ancestor of modern hand salute?

Orthographic variation of Alauddin in Southeast Asia (Annabel Teh Gallop (2019) Malay Seals from the Islamic World of Southeast Asia: Content, Form, Context, Catalogue, NUS Press, Singapore.Gallop 2019)

Type	Spelling	Notes	ء	Reference
a1	علاءالدین	The most common way to spell ʿAlaʾal-din. ʿAla and al-Din are gapped by a hamzah.	⭘	G1. Sultan Alauddin b. Firman Shah (r. 1589 – 1604) of Aceh, son of Firman Shah of the Dar al-Kamal dynasty (Gallop, p. 61)G1, G3. In the seal of Queen Taj ul-Alam Safiatuddin Shah (r. 1641 – 1675), the name of Sultan Alauddin b. Firman Shah (r. 1589 – 1604) is mentioned and its spelling is consistent with that of G1 (Gallop, p. 61)G3, G7. Sultan Alauddin Ahmad Shah (r. 1727 – 1735) of Aceh (Gallop, p. 63)G7, G8, G10, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16, G17. Sultan Alauddin Mansur Shah (r. 1838 – 1970), the 32th Sultan of Aceh (Gallop, p. 68)G17, G18. Sultan Alauddin Mansur Shah (r. 1838 – 1970), the same king in G17 (Gallop, p. 68)G18, G20. Sultan Alauddin Mansur Shah (r. 1838 – 1970), the same king in G17 (Gallop, p. 68)G20, G23, G24, G30. Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Daud Shah (r. 1874 – 1903), the same king in G25 (Gallop, p. 71)G30, G1225. Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah of Pahang. Son of Sultan Abdul Ghaffar Shah (Gallop, p. 415)G1225, G1243. Sultan Alauddin Mansur Shah Iskandar Muda (r. 1773 - 1792), the third son of Sultan Muhammad Syah (Gallop, p. 423)G1243, G1297. Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Syah (r. 1898 - 1938), the 5th Sultan of Selangor (Gallop, p. 441)G1297
a2	علاءالدّين	Similar to Type a1, but the ‘D’ in al-Din is diacriticized with a shaddah.	⭘	G25. Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Daud Shah (r. 1874 – 1903), the 34th and the last Sultan of Aceh (Gallop, p. 70)G25
a3	عَلاءالدّين	Similar to Type a2, but the initial ayn is explicitly marked with a fatḥah.	⭘	G26. Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Daud Shah (r. 1874 – 1903). This is the same king in G25 (Gallop, p. 70)G26
a4	علاالدين	Similar to Type a1, but the hamzah between ʿAla and al-Din is omitted.	⤫	G8, G971. Raja al-Haj Muhammad bin al-Sultan Alauddin Shah (d. 1884), the son of Sultan Alauddin Shah (Gallop, p. 333)G971
a5	عَلاالدين	Similar to Type a4, but the initial ayn is explicitly marked with a fatḥah.	⤫	G6. Sultan Alauddin Ahmad Shah (r. 1727 – 1735) of Aceh, son of Sultan Abdul Rahim Shah, the first Sultan of Aceh of the ‘Bugis’ dynasty (Gallop, p. 63)G6
a6	علاالديْن	Y in al-Din is marked with a sukūn.	⤫	G31. Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Daud Shah (r. 1874 – 1903), the same king in G25 (Gallop, p. 73)G31
a7	اعلاالدّين	Similar to Type a2, but with an alef written before the initial ayn, and the hamzah between ʿAla and al-Din is omitted.	⤫	G27. Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Daud Shah (r. 1874 – 1903). This is the same king in G25. (Gallop, p. 70)G27
a8	علىءالدين	The use of alef maksura in ʿAla.	⭘	G19. Sultan Alauddin Mansur Shah (r. 1838 – 1970). This is the same king in G17. (Gallop, p. 68)G19
a9	على دين	Similar to Type a8. The hamzah between ʿAla and al-Din is omitted. ‘Al’ in al-Din is also omitted.	⤫	G7. Sultan Alauddin Ahmad Shah (r. 1727 – 1735) of Aceh. Alauddin Ahmad Shah's name follows spelling in Type a1. The name Alauddin appears again (?) in one of the ancestors of the king (Gallop, p. 63)G7