ofthe SAME TREE

Bonan Dolok to Penyabungan and Hutanopan in the Batang Gadis valley. It
then crossed the mountains at Muara Sipongi to Rao. 21
From Rao one could go directly to Muara Takus in the valley of the
Batang Mahat, a tributary of the Kampar Kanan. But the more frequently
used route went through the valley of the Batang Sumpur, a tributary of the
Sungai Rokan Kiri, then passed through Tanjung Medan and Lubuk Sika ping
via Bonjol into Minangkabau territory. The Batak most likely transferred the
products to the Minangkabau, who then completed the journey through their
own lands downriver to the Malayu in Sriwijaya. There were again two alternate
routes leading from Bonjol to Buo, where it was possible to reach the
headwaters of the Batang Hari, the major river through Jambi. 22 From the
Batang Hari the goods could be sold to the Malayu downriver and then transported
by sea to Sriwijaya. Another possibility was to use the tributaries linked
by land routes leading from the Batang Hari River in Jambi to the Musi River
in Palembang. One such route followed the tributary Tembesi River, which
flowed down along the Jambi-Palembang border. From Ulu (upriver) Tembesi
it was only eight days’ travel to Palembang and about twelve to Jambi. 23
The method used to transport the camphor and benzoin in earlier centuries
is not mentioned explicitly in the sources. From available evidence it
appears that men carried the cargo on their backs using a series of narrow
footpaths that ran along the hills from the interior to both east and west
coasts. Such trails were found on the summits of the Batak highlands, as well
as along the upper reaches of rivers, such as the Panai and the Bila. 24 Even as
late as the mid-nineteenth century, a Dutch linguist recalled an evening when
he hosted half a dozen Toba Batak in Barus who had transported their cargo
of benzoin on their backs. 25 Though horses are mentioned as an item of trade,
it is difficult to find evidence of horses being used to transport export products.
Marsden writes that there were numerous horses in the Batak lands and
that many were supplied to Bengkulen. Nevertheless, the Batak kept their finest
for ritual purposes and apparently as special delicacies for their festivals.
“Horse-flesh,” according to Marsden, “they esteem their most exquisite meat,
and for this purpose feed them upon grain, and pay great attention to their
keep.” 26 Such precious animals would most likely not have been used as beasts
of burden.
For nearly four centuries, Sriwijaya controlled the trade of forest products
in the region. Its success as a major entrepot to traders from around the world
attracted the envy of other major kingdoms seeking economic dominance
in the area. As previously noted, in 1024–5 the Cholas launched an attack
and subdued Sriwijaya and its dependencies along the Straits of Melaka. 27
Although Sriwijaya was reconstituted on the Batang Hari River in Jambi, the
name Sriwijaya disappeared from the records and was replaced in the elev-
150 Chapter 5