Lest We Forget the History Part 1

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istory has always facinated me. Whether it is political, science or religion in context, history provides an insight to the world before our life time. You will be surprised with how much you will learn and understand the world we live in today by merely acquiring factual information from history. A lot of the current social issues, such as racism, arose because the younger generation refuse to do their research on how things became what they are today.

History made reading a pleasure to me. I read historical stuff, apart from my usual Archers and Dan Browns. Just recently I purchased the English translation of Hikayat Hang Tuah (Epic of Hang Tuah) and Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Anals) with the vision to understand Malay history. In the past I have also read many historical books. Some are religion based and some are civilisation based. To name a few: Mein Kampf, The Lemon Tree, The Malay Dilemma, Nasionalis Humanis, Nota Kaki, The Malayan Trilogy, The Cairo Trilogy, A Drift on the Nile, etc. A profound reading would be the Holy Quran which contains historical values. Whilst some of these are actually fiction (eg. The Lemon Tree), they do have historical values in concept.

I would like to share those historical facts that I gathered in my mind to the extent allowable by my human memory. You can either take this as an entertainment value or translate it into your own interpretation of the world we live in. Here they are:


1.
The shortest poem in the world was by Sitor Sitomurang entitled "Malam Lebaran" and it sounds like this: "Bulan di atas kuburan"

2.
Malaysia was earlier known as Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Federated States of Malaya).

3.
The entire Borneo was actually known as Brunei in 1400's.

4.
The first best film won in the first Academy Award in 1927 was a mute film, Wings, the first and last mute film to win that award.

5.
Which country has the highest number of children? It's Kenya at 51% of its population.

6.
Everest is a colonial name, that tallest mountain has an earlier native name, Chomolungma, which means God of Mother Earth.

7.
Before Titanic was built, a novelist, Morgan Robertson, wrote a book on a ship of similar status in 1808. It was called Titan.

8.
Philosophy comes from the Greek words “Feelo” that means Love and “Sufi” that means Knowledge. Hence, Love for Knowledge.

9.
Gunung Jerai has been a world acknowledged landmark for sea navigation for Straits of Malacca since the early 1400's.

10.
Negaraku was actually Perak's anthem, which was also an old Malay song, Terang Bulan, that stole melodies from a Hawaiian song.

11.
The independence on 31 August 1957 was for Malaya, not Malaysia.

12.
Tasmanian Aboriginals extinct back in 1800's'when the colonial masters hunted every single one of them.

13.
The first man to extract the smooth element out of cocoa beans is Van Hauten. Safe to say he invented the modern day Chocolates.

14.
Hang Tuah travelled as far as Setambol (Constantinople) in the west and Peking in the East.

15.
Before Pahang took the name Darul Makmur, it was Pahang Indera Pura according to Hikayat Hang Tuah.

16.
Before Brunei took the name Darussalam, it was Acheh's according to Hikayat Hang Tuah.

17.
The first Malay newspaper was established in 1876 and named 'Jawi Peranakan', after the founders who were of mixed Malay-Indian or Malay-Arabs.

18.
The main source of the Malay history as we know it comes from Sejarah Melayu and Hikayat Hang Tuah whom the authors are unknown.

19.
Bangladesh was initially known as East Pakistan and the current Pakistan was West Pakistan.

20.
Christopher Columbus travelled west searching for India because the Ottomans were an obstacle for him to pass through the East.

21.
Morphine came from the word Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams.

22.
Before 1993, the site where KLCC now stands was a horse racing track.

23.
The original native eggplant of Malaysia is white instead of purple. The purple ones were imported and commercialised by the English.

24.
A.M. Azhari, a Bruneian in exile in Kalimantan created the name UMNO.

25.
Tunku Abdul Rahman wasn't the first president of UMNO, Dato' Onn Jaafar was.

26.
The inventor of the modern toilet is John Crapper.

27.
Penang was given to Francis Light by Sultan of Kedah for a duration that ends when there are no more sun, moon and stars.

28.
The first and only king to protect Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. was a Christian King, the King of Abyssinia (a.k.a. Habshah, now Ethiopia).

29.
The first man to ride a horse is Idris, a prophet.

30.
The original symbol for Christianity wasn't a cross. It was a fish.

31.
666 and Gog & Magog in the Bible is referred to as Dajjal and Yahjuj Makjuj in the Quran, the beast and his army at end of days.

32.
Priest of Median in Bible is Prophet for people of Madyan in Quran aka Nabi Shuaib, father in-law of Moses (Nabi Musa).

33.
Who the bible refers to as Kane & Abel are Habil & Qabil in Quran, the first twins on Earth.

34.
Who Christians refer to as John the Baptist is who the Muslims call Nabi Yahya, cousin of Jesus (Nabi Isa). Peace be upon them.


Of course there are more but for the time being, this should suffice. I shall return with more in Part 2. (Note: Part 2 now available at Lest We Forget the History Part 2)




* kopihangtuah


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