International Symposium on Archipelago Manuscripts VIII: In Search of Local Islam in Manuscripts

Abstract

The production of Islamic manuscripts in the Archipelago increased from the 16^th century through to the 18^th century, particularly when Aceh became the centre of Islamic intellectual activities. A number of well-known 'ulama' came from this region, including Hamzah Fansuri, Shamsuddin al-Sumatrani, Nuruddin al-Raniri and Abdurrauf Singkel, who were extraordinarily productive in writing manuscripts, both for teaching and learning, and for other purposes. This manuscript writing tradition in Aceh then spread to a number of other areas in the Archipelago, such as Sulawesi, Java, and others. As a result, many Iocal manuscripts cat be found in these areas, which store knowledge specifically related to that area.

DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v11i2.621