The Role of Coastal Communities in the Rise of Islamic Civilization in Insular Southeast Asia

Abstract

Islamic civilization in Insular Southeast Asia is believed to be brought and spread by Islamic Traders through the acculturation of Islamic culture in the coastal communities in the Southeast Asian Region. This paper is aiming to explain how coastal community have a role in the process of the Islamic civilization rise and how they become the dominant civilization in Insular Southeast Asia. The open- minded and egalitarian culture of the coastal communities gave the opportunity to the traders to have good process of acculturation that led to the development of Islamic Civilization in the region. Port cities on the coast became centers of cultural development as well as socio-political aspects of Muslims which then continued to suppress the center of power Hindu-Buddhist civilization which tends to be centralized and isolated in the interior. The development of Islamic culture in the coastal area also provides an opportunity for the development of new political figures and institutions who are then ready to take over the domination of culture after the collapse of the domination of the Hindu-Buddhist empire in Insular Southeast Asia. Peradaban Islam di Asia Tenggara Kepulauan diyakini telah dibawa dan disebarkan oleh para Pedagang Islam melalui akulturasi budaya Islam yang dimulai pada masyarakat pesisir di Kawasan Asia Tenggara. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan bagaimana masyarakat pesisir memiliki peran dalam proses kebangkitan peradaban Islam dan bagaimana mereka menjadi peradaban dominan di Asia Tenggara Kepulauan. Budaya masyarakat pesisir yang berpikiran terbuka dan egaliter memberikan peluang kepada para pedagang untuk memiliki proses akulturasi yang baik yang berujung pada berkembangnya Peradaban Islam di wilayah tersebut. Kota-kota pelabuhan di pesisir pantai menjadi pusat pengembangan budaya serta aspek sosial politik umat Islam yang kemudian terus menekan pusat kekuasaan peradaban Hindu-Budha yang cenderung terpusat dan terisolasi di pedalaman. Perkembangan budaya Islam di wilayah pesisir juga memberikan peluang bagi berkembangnya tokoh dan institusi politik baru yang kemudian siap untuk mengambil alih dominasi budaya pasca runtuhnya dominasi kerajaan Hindu-Budha di Asia Tenggara Kepulauan.