ofthe SAME TREE

These products were gathered principally by the forest people and brought
to traders, some of whom had married women of forest groups to foster this
trade. The Malayu were the principal buyers, though other groups competed
for the products. In return the forest people received iron, salt, cloth, exotic
objects obtained through international trade, and various types of food to supplement
their diet. As long as forest products remained a major component of
international trade, Malayu rulers encouraged the lifestyle of the forest people
to ensure the continuing flow of interior products to their ports. 100
The Malay Peninsula is rich with tales and legends from both the Orang
Asli communities and the Malayu, which reveal the shifting attitudes in their
relationships. Tales from both the peninsula and Sumatra provide an internal
interpretation of this relationship and are a useful complement to European
documentary accounts.
222 Chapter 7
Malayu Boundary Making
The lowland Malayu view the interior forest peoples with awe because they
reside in a dangerous domain. To have tamed the forest, the Malayu reason,
its inhabitants must possess powerful black magic (ilmu hitam, lit. “black
sciences/knowledge”) that could be used against their enemies. 101 Despite
this perception, the Malayu in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries began
to depict the forest people in demeaning ways, which reflected the latter’s
increasing economic and social marginalization. Yet in earlier centuries the
relationship was characterized by cooperation and respect. In the Sejarah
Melayu, the “raja” of Palembang named Demang Lebar Daun enters into a
covenant with Sri Tri Buana, the youngest of three supernatural princes who
had descended on Bukit Siguntang. In the agreement, Demang Lebar Daun
lays down one condition before granting permission for Sri Tri Buana to
marry his daughter:
Your Highness, the descendants of your humble servant shall be the subjects
of your Majesty’s throne, but they must be well treated by your descendants.
If they offend, they shall not, however grave be their offense, be disgraced or
reviled with evil words: if their offence is grave, let them be put to death.
Sri Tri Buana agrees only if Demang Lebar Daun’s descendants “shall never
for the rest of time be disloyal to my descendants, even if my descendants
oppress them and behave evilly.” Demang Lebar Daun then abdicates his position
to Sri Tri Buana and becomes his chief minister. 102
This is the first indication of the special relationship established between
Malayu rulers (represented by Sri Tri Buana) and the people (represented by