دانلود رایگان ترجمه مقاله تحولات ماهیتی از هندوئیسم به هنر اسلامی (نشریه اسپرینگر 2015)

تحولات ماهیتی از هندوئیسم به هنر اسلامی

Iconic Transformations from Hinduism to Islamic Art

Abstract

The strategic location of the Malay Peninsula at the Straits of Malacca became the key attraction to the successful trade route between the East and the West. It became the meeting point for traders who not only brought their trades but also their religious belief system. Since the beginning of the Christian era, other religious culture such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam had arrived the shores of the Peninsula. The coming of Hinduism in 500 AD has brought an end to animist culture of the Malay people. Gradually Indian belief system became the embodiment of Malay art and culture not only in the form of literary Sanskrit words but also in carved wood and textiles to fulfi ll religious devotions and the daily utilitarian needs. Therefore, the objectives for this paper are (1) to investigate how Hindu worldview infl uences the form and content of its artistic element in selected fi eldwoodcarving and textiles, (2) to postulate the Malay-Islamic aesthetic principles derived from the Qur’an and hadith, and (3) to discuss the transformation from Hindu icons to Islamic worldview in art. The appropriate approaches that merged and integrated with the iconic elements of such transformations are determined. In addition, based from the key evolution factors of Hindu characteristics, several samples of iconic images were identifi ed and classifi ed. The samples presented justifi ed when Islam came to the Malay Peninsula in the fi fteenth century; it has brought Hinduism to an end. Indeed, through the whole Islamization process, Islam has transformed the body and soul of the Malay mind. It shaped both religious and spiritual vision of reality specifi cally in terms of artistic and cultural expressions.

1 Introduction

The Malay Peninsula’s position where three ocean worlds came together was the key attraction to the successful trade route between the Indian continent and the Far East. It became the meeting point for traders who not only brought along their trades but also their religious belief system. Since the beginning of the Christian era, various religious cultures such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam had arrived the shores of the Peninsula. According to an eminent Muslim scholar, Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas, the coming of Islam to the Malay world in the thirteenth century constitutes a momentous event that decisively shaped both the worldview and ethos of the Malay society [ 1 ]. Islam not only shaped the religious and spiritual vision of reality but also its artistic and cultural expressions of the Malays. Such infl uences were visible in various traditional forms including performance, literary, sound, and visual art. Specifi cally in traditional Malay art, the impact of Islamization of the Malay world has profoundly affected signifi cant change in the iconography, morphology, and their functions in the Malay society. However, the shift of worldview from Hindu Buddhism to Islam did not result in a drastic change especially in the manifestation of the Hindu traditional art forms due to the ingenuity of Sufi masters who were able to accommodate what was permissible in Islam that gradually dovetailed with the new faith [ 2 ].

The impact of Islamic tradition of the Malay woodcarving and textiles is still pervasive after more than fi ve decades when Malaysia gained her independence. Impressive woodcarving work adorned the interiors of grand palaces throughout the country. In the hands of traditional Malay woodcarver, it is the profound understanding and beliefs of the Malays’ aesthetic principles that exude in their elaborate expressions and confounding patterns and composition that astonish the viewers. It is here that the local genius of traditional Malay woodcarver as the artist observes and interprets the ambience that surrounds him [ 3 ]. As posited by scholars, the traditional Malay art forms are but the visual embodiment of the spiritual and moral- ethical values of the Malay society. Apart from their importance as everyday ceremonial utilitarian artifacts, they have numerous other functions as religious hangings, royal insignia, sacred talisman, and others for they are all interconnected with religious and political organizations, marriage, social status, and exchange purposes. As a corollary, it is only by seeing these art forms in their cultural context that we can understand their true value and meaning [ 4 ]. Thus, this paper attempts to discuss iconic transformation from Hinduism to Malay-Islamic art forms specifi cally in woodcarving and textiles. First, it will delve briefl y the historical background of these icons in the Malay Peninsula during the pre-Islamic period; this is to provide the background of such art forms before cultural transformation. Second, the coming of Islam and its worldview in art and culture of the Malay people will be elucidated. And third, this paper will postulate on the change and transformations of Hindu icons to accommodate the Islamic aesthetic principles.