Map of Pasai, the first Islamic kingdom in South East AsiaĮvidence concerning the initial coming and subsequent establishment of Islam in Southeast Asia is thin and inconclusive. The Chinese annals also claim that the people were Buddhist. The king of P'o-lu was said to use elephants to pull his personal wagon. These same sources also state that the regular people of this land wore cotton clothing while the ruling elite wore silk clothing. Many scholars believe that P'o-lu was near what is now modern day Banda Aceh. However, unlike Jambi and South Sumatra, there are no significant archaeological sites and findings such as temples, that link this region with Hindu-Buddhist culture.Ĭhinese sources from this time mention that there was a settlement in northernmost Sumatra (Aceh) which was called P'o-lu. Historic names such as Indrapurba, Indrapurwa, Indrapatra, and Indrapuri, which refer to Hindu god Indra, gave some hint of Indian influence on this region. Srivijayan art estimated 9th-century CE collection of National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta. Images of Amitabha Buddhas adorn his crown in front and on each side. For example, the head of a stone sculpture of Avalokiteshvara Boddhisattva was discovered in Aceh. Not much has been uncovered about the pre-Islamic history of Aceh, however, there are several artifacts linking the pre-Islamic era with Buddhism and Dharmic culture, which may have come from the Srivijayan empire or the Indochina region, as well as pre-Islamic Old Malay custom. In the past it was also spelled as Acheh, Atjeh, and Achin. Upon its formation in 1956 it bore the name Aceh before being renamed to the Daerah Istimewa Aceh (Aceh Special Region 1959–2001), Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam (2001–2009), and back to Aceh (2009–present). 2.11 Peace agreement and contemporary historyĪceh was first known as Aceh Darussalam (1511–1945).2.3 Beginnings of Islam in Southeast Asia.
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The disaster helped precipitate the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster. Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which devastated much of the western coast of the province. Aceh has a history of political independence and resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and later the Indonesian government.Īceh has substantial natural resources of oil and natural gas. In the early 17th century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Islam reached Aceh (Kingdoms of Fansur and Lamuri) around 1250 AD. Due to strict religious practices including public flogging, despite among Indonesia's highest birthrates, population outflow is common, particularly out of Banda Aceh itself.Īceh is the place where the spread of Islam in Indonesia began, and was a key factor of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. There are ten indigenous ethnic groups in this region, the largest being the Acehnese people, accounting for approximately 80% to 90% of the region's population. Granted a special autonomous status, Aceh is a religiously conservative territory and the only Indonesian province practicing Sharia officially. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Gayo, Simeulue, Tamiang Malay, Aneuk Jamee, Alas-Kluet, Singkil (minority)Īceh ( pronounced ( listen)), formerly Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, is the westernmost province of Indonesia.