Abdullah Abdul Kadir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abdullah Abdul Kadir
A page of the Hikayat Abdullah written in Malay in the Jawi script, from the collection of the National Library of Singapore. A rare first edition, it was written between 1840 and 1843, printed by lithography, and published in 1849.
Born	Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir 1796 Malacca
Died	1854 (aged 57–58) Jeddah, Ottoman Empire
Occupation	Author, translator and teacher
Period	19th century
Genre	Non-fiction
Subject	Early Malay history

Abdullah bin Abdul al Kadir (1796–1854), also known as Munshi Abdullah, was a very important writer from the Malay Peninsula. He was born in Malacca and was known as a munshi (teacher) in Singapore. He passed away in Jeddah, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at that time.

Many people consider Munshi Abdullah to be one of the most educated Malay writers ever. He brought many new ideas to Malay writing. Because of his influence, he is often called the "father of modern Malay literature."

The word Munshi means "teacher" or "educator." Munshi Abdullah had a mixed family background. His great-grandfather was an Arab trader. He also had Tamil and a small amount of Malay family roots. Because of this mix, Malays sometimes called him a Jawi Peranakan.

Munshi Abdullah followed his father's footsteps. He became a translator and teacher for officials from the British and Dutch who were in the Malay Archipelago.

J.T. Thomson, who knew Abdullah, described him as energetic and bronze-skinned. He dressed like the Tamils in Malacca. Thomson noted that Abdullah had the strong spirit of an Arab and the determination of a Hindoo. He was Malay in his language and feelings for his country.

Life of Munshi Abdullah

Munshi Abdullah was born in Kampung Pali, Malacca City. His parents were of Tamil and Yemeni descent. He was the youngest of five sons, but sadly, all his older brothers died when they were babies. Abdullah was often sick as a child, and his mother took great care of him.

He became a teacher, or munshi, early in his life. First, he taught the Malay language to Indian soldiers in Malacca. Later, he taught Malay to British and American missionaries and business people. He also worked as a scribe and copyist for important figures like Sir Stamford Raffles. In 1815, he started translating the Gospels and other texts for the London Missionary Society. He also worked with the American Board of Missions.

In 1854, Abdullah left Singapore to travel to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage. Sadly, he died of cholera shortly after arriving in Mecca. He was 59 years old. He wrote about this journey in one of his lesser-known books, Kisah pelayaran Abdullah dari Singapura sampai ke Mekah.

Munshi Abdullah's Writings

Abdullah started his writing career after a missionary named Alfred North encouraged him. North had read Abdullah's travel story about a trip along the east coast of Malaya.

His most important books are:

• Hikayat Abdullah (which is his autobiography, or life story)
• Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah ke Kelantan (a story about his trip to Kelantan for the government)
• Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah ke Mekah (a story about his pilgrimage to Mecca)

His writings inspired many future writers. They helped Malay literature move from old folk tales to more modern stories.

Hikayat Abdullah

Hikayat Abdullah is Munshi Abdullah's most famous work. He finished writing it in 1843, and it was first published in 1849. This made it one of the first Malay books sold to the public. Abdullah clearly put his own name on the book, and he wrote it in simple, everyday Malay.

Unlike older Malay stories that were often about magic and legends, Abdullah's book was realistic. It shared true events and observations. Because of this, the book is still a good source of information about early Malay history today.

Abdullah's Ideas

Abdullah was known for openly criticizing the old Malay political system called Kerajaan (meaning "kingship"). In his book, Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah ke Kelantan, he gave advice to Malay rulers. He also compared the British way of governing with how Malay rulers governed.

Abdullah believed that the Kerajaan system was not good for the Malay people. He felt it stopped them from improving their lives. He thought that some Malay Sultans were selfish and did not care about their people. He felt the people were treated more like animals than humans.

His strong opinions and criticisms helped bring new ideas about being modern and striving for excellence within the Malay community. He believed that under the Kerajaan system, Malays were not given enough education. This made it easy for them to be treated unfairly. Without education, they could not question injustice or make changes to improve their lives.

Even though his criticisms might have been very strong, Munshi Abdullah had good reasons for them. Many people see him as the first Malayan journalist. He helped Malay literature move away from old folk stories and towards accurate historical descriptions.

Legacy

In 2019, a statue of Munshi Abdullah was put up in Singapore. It is located at Raffles' Landing Site near the Singapore River. This was done to celebrate 200 years since modern Singapore was founded.

Places named after him

Several places have been named after Munshi Abdullah to honor him:

• Jalan Munshi Abdullah in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This road connects Jalan Ampang to Jalan Dang Wangi.
• Jalan Munshi Abdullah in Melaka, Malaysia. This road used to be called Newcome Road.
• Munshi Abdullah Avenue and Munshi Abdullah Walk in a neighborhood called "Teachers' Estate" in Singapore.
• Jalan Munshi Abdullah in the Taman Abidin area of Jelutong district, George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

See also

In Spanish: Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir para niños