Observations on Earthworks and Fortifications in Kedah from 600-1800 CE based on Local Historical Literature.

Abstract

Earthworks and fortifications have not been given sufficient attention in research on the early architecture of Kedah although they are regularly mentioned in historical texts. This paper attempts to redress this imbalance. A baseline date of 600 CE has been proposed based on evidence provided in the Salasilah atau Tarikh Kerajaan Kedah and Al-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah that proposes an early seventh century date for the origin of the Kedah royal dynasty, after which earthwork constructions commenced. This method of construction lasted for more than a millennium but fell out of favour in the late eighteenth century CE with the arrival of the British, who introduced more durable materials. Therefore, the year 1800 CE is taken as the terminus ante quem for this type of construction. This paper argues that the types of earthworks and fortifications mentioned in the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa and in the Al-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah before the thirteenth century CE cannot be substantiated by archaeology. From the thirteenth century CE onwards, the Al-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah is validated by archaeological discoveries made in locations mentioned in the text. Similarities exist between the earthworks and fortifications described in the writings of the Al-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah and in studies made on Malay settlement types. The embankments surrounding the entire settlement were constructed of earth. Consistency in the description of fortifications throughout the Al-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah suggests that this type of structure may have antecedents as far back as the seventh century CE.