Munshi Abdullah

From Mahadhir Mohamad (19 June 2013):

Sumber terbaru, hj nordin ada kemungkinan ada kaitan dengan munsyi abdullah. Hj nordin sering berkunjung ke kg ketek, kg hulu di rumah sorang kaya di sana atas dasar hubungan saudara. Di sana terdapat rumah asal munsyi abdullah. - Mahadhir Mohamad, 19 June 2013

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From me:

Abdullah was a bright Indian Muslim child and the only son of his parents. He grew up and became a scribe and language teacher (munshi). Munshi Abdullah had worked in Malacca first and then went to Singapore to work for Stamford Raffles.

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BIODATA OF MUNSHI ABDULLAH

(ABDULLAH BIN SHEIKH ABDUL KADIR 1797-1854)

From Singapore Infopedia (2004):
(http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_503_2004-12-27.html)
- retrieved 19 June 2013

Parents:
Father: Sheikh Abdul Kadir  -- a religious Muslim of Arab-Indian descent; died 1820 in Malacca; married 2 wives: 1. m _____ Who was his first wife? 2. m Selama in 1785.

Mother : a Malacca-born half-Indian named Selama (d. 1826). She was the second wife of Abdul Kadir and they were married in 1785.

Sheikh Abdul Kadir passed away first in 1820 and was buried in ____? His second wife Selama passed away 6 years later in 1826.

Sibs: 5 - four brothers before him all died in infancy.

Siblings : Abdullah's first four elder brothers all died in infancy. Abdullah was the fifth son, but the first to have survived.

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Full name: Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir
Call name: Munshi Abdullah

Faith: Islam (Muslim)
Childhood: strict religious upbringing and scholarly education

Early life:

1797: Birth in Kg Pali, Malacca
1798: Aged 1
1799: Aged 2

1800: Aged 3
1801: At the age of four, he learnt to scribble on a schoolboy's slate (kalam).
1802: Aged 5
1803: At the age of six he suffered a severe attack of dysentry.
1804: At the age of seven, his developmental milestones were lagging.

Abdullah could not read the Quran. While other children chanted Quranic verses, he traced out the written Arabic characters with his pen. Did he have paper and an ink pen or did he write on a slate board? He was seven years old, when his strict father, furious at his son's backwardness, sent him to the  Quran school in his village (Madrasah Quran Kg Pali). His father monitored him closely and was careful not to let his son neglect his Quran studies. 

This was the same way that a relative from Kg Hulu, Syed Sheikh bin Syed Ahmad had brought up his only grandson, (Dr) Syed Mohamed bin Alwi Al-Hadi in his home at 410 Jalan Jelutong in Penang. He was raised by Syed Sheikh's third wife, Sharifah Zainah Al-Mashhur. Datuk Dr Syed Mohamed Alwi Al-Hadi became Penang's eminent gastrosurgeon.

For writing exercises, his father made Abdullah write the Arabic names of all the people he saw at the masjid (which masjid, Masjid Kg Pali or Masjid Kg Hulu?). He was severely punished for making mistakes until he wrote without any mistakes. 

Abdullah had to write the complete Quran and translate an Arabic text into Malay. Where is his handwritten Quran today? Was Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar aware of Munshi Abdullah's handwritten Quran? Which particular text did Abdullah translate

1805: Aged 8
1806: Aged 9
1807: Aged 10
1808: At age 11 he was skilled and could document things and wrote Quranic text and got paid.
1809: Aged 12
1810: At age 13, he taught Islam to Muslim soldiers at A'Famosa, the Malacca fort.

He was writing Quranic Texts for the Muslim soldiers of the Malaccan Garrison. By 13, he was teaching Islam to mostly Muslim soldiers of the Indian garrison stationed in the Malaccan Fort. From them he learned Hindustani. The soldiers called him Munshi (sometimes spelt munsyi, it is Malay for a "teacher" of language), a title which stuck to him for the rest of his life, and by which he is still known. 

But his father insisted he get on with his Malay studies which were just beginning, and his first real chance of a secular education. The first big opportunity he had to prove his worth to his parents, was when his father was away from the office, Abdullah wrote out the bond, a signed document required for a ship's Captain. As the Captain was leaving with his document, and Abdullah having been paid a dollar for his efforts, in walked his father, Abdul Kadir. Pleased at his son's abilities, Abdullah was allowed to understudy his father in his petition-writing business, and was sent to study under the finest scholars in Malacca.  

He was an avid reader of all the Malay manuscripts he could lay his hands on, and his inquiring mind gave his teachers no rest until they answered his questions. He went through great lengths to find tutors who could expound to him the intricacies of Malay idiom. He sat at the feet of and impressed learned visitors from other countries. 

In December 1810, Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in Malacca and hired the 13-year old young Abdullah as interpreter to communicate with the native rulers in their language (Malay?). Abdullah, the youngest employee, was one of the scribes and copyists preserving Malay literature and manuscripts, in Raffles's office in Singapore. 

1811: At age 14, he was already considered an accomplished Malay scholar. 

He documented the British Java invasion expedition, which later entered into his book, Hikayat Abdullah.

In his later book, "Hikayat Abdulah", Abdullah's diary accounts are the only eye-witness records of preparations for the British "1811 Java Invasion" expedition. 

Raffles had suggested taking him along but his mother refused to part with her only child. They were to meet nine years later in Singapore. He had a very high regard for Sir Stamford Raffles.

1812: Aged 15. Worked in Malacca.
1813: Aged 16. Worked in Malacca.
1814: Aged 17. Worked in Malacca.
1815: Aged 18. Abdullah married and worked in Malacca. He had 4 children-3 sons and a girl.

In 1815, Reverend William Milne (b. 1785 - d. 27 May 1822 Malacca), a 'London Missionary Society' missionary arrived and started free Bible classes for local children which 18-year old Abdullah attended, just to learn English. 

Rev. Milne soon discovered Abdullah's proficiency in Malay, and made him his teacher. Other Western missionaries followed, and Abdullah was kept busy teaching them Malay and translating the Gospels. 

Another missionary who arrived in September 1815, was a German, Rev. Claudius Henry Thomsen who became Abdullah's lifelong friend. He and Thomsen translated parts of the Bible into Malay, and produced lots of other printed material. 

Abdullah had four children from his marriage in 1815 to an unnamed woman (d. 17 May 1840). Towards the end of 1836 his favorite and only daughter died at the age of eight.

1816: Aged 19. Worked in Malacca.
1817: Aged 20. Worked in Malacca.
1818: Aged 21. Worked in Malacca. ACS Malacca was founded on 11 November 1818.

On 11 November 1818, Abdullah witnessed the foundation-stone laying of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) building by the ex-Resident of Malacca, Major William Farquhar (later Resident of Singapore 1819-1823).

1819: Aged 22. Worked in Malacca.

Sometime after June 1819, Abdullah came to Singapore to make a living as an interpreter. He taught Malay to Indian soldiers, British and American missionaries, and on occasion, was private secretary to Raffles. Some of the leading merchants like Edward Boustead and the Armstrong Brothers learnt Malay from Abdullah.

1820: Aged 23. His father died. Abdullah went to work with Raffles in Singapore. He liked Raffles.
1821: Aged 24. Worked in Singapore.

1822: Aged 25. Worked in Singapore.

His close friend, Rev. Thomsen left Malacca for Singapore on 11 May 1822.

1823: Aged 26. Worked in Singapore.
1824: Aged 27. Worked in Singapore.
1825: Aged 28. Worked in Singapore.
1826: Aged 29. Worked in Singapore.
1827: Aged 30. Worked in Singapore.
1828: Aged 31. Worked in Singapore.
1829: Aged 32. Worked in Singapore.
1830: Aged 33. Worked in Singapore.

In the late 1830s he assisted Rev. Benjamin Peach Keasberry in his school and Mission Press, and helped Rev. Keasberry to print a large number of books. Abdullah was engaged to assist him in polishing his Malay linguistic skills, and under Keasberry's guidance and encouragement, wrote his own life story. 

1831:
1832:
1833:
1834:
1835:
1836: Aged 38. Abdullah's only and favourite daughter passed away at age 8. He still had 3 sons.
1837: Aged 39. Abdullah and wife suffered the loss of their only daughter.
1838: Aged 40. Abdullah and wife mourned.
1839: Aged 41. Abdullah and wife were badly affected by their daughter's death.
1840: Aged 42. Abdullah's wife died and he began writing Hikayat Abdullah for 6 years (1840-46).

In 1840, he began writing the "Hikayat Abdullah" and continued writing his memoirs until September 1846. The Hikayat Abdullah was ready in 1846 but was published in 1849.

1841: Aged 43. Abdullah had lost his daughter and wife. He continued writing Hikayat Abdullah.
1842: Aged 44. Writing Hikayat Abdullah.
1843: Aged 45. Writing Hikayat Abdullah.
1844: Aged 46. Writing Hikayat Abdullah.
1845: Aged 47. Writing Hikayat Abdullah.
1846: Aged 48. Writing Hikayat Abdullah.
1847: Aged 49. Prepare for publishing Hikayat Abdullah.
1848: Aged 50. Prepare for publishing Hikayat Abdullah.
1849: Aged 51. Published Hikayat Abdullah

1850: Aged 52
1851: Aged 53
1852: Aged 54
1853: Aged 55

XXX: Munshi Abdullah went to perform his Hajj

1854: Munshi Abdullah (57) died in October 1854 in Jeddah, KSA, before performing the Hajj.

Career: Language teacher and interpreter
Languages: Proficient in Arabic, Tamil, Hindustani, English and Malay

Literary contributions:
Publication: Hikayat Abdullah, published in 1849 (Story of Abdullah)
What was Hikayat Abdullah about? It was his travels; travelogue, journal. Was it his autobiography?
Importance of his written work: He was the first local to furnish a written account of the daily life in Malaya. What about life in the other states in Malaya? What about life in Singapore?
Honour: He was honoured as "The Father of Modern Malay Literature."