The Malay Nobat: A History of Power, Acculturation, and Sovereignty

Raja Iskandar Bin Raja Halid
Paperback, 258 pages
9781666900903

This work explores the history and meaning of the nobat, a court ensemble that has performed music for courts in Malaysia and Brunei with roots in the Islamicate world since Abbassid times. Raja Iskandar Bin Raja Halid examines the nobat spread throughout the Muslim empire and its emergence as a symbol of power and sovereignty. The author argues that the nobat was an important symbol of Muslim power and analyzes the effect of the nobat’s appropriation by colonial powers and of its induction as part of an invented tradition in the process of nation-building a modern Malay state. The author ultimately shows how existing nobat ensembles are the last living musical legacy of the Muslim world.

Contents
1: Introduction
2: Early Histories
3: The Malay Nobat
4: The Nobat in Early Malay Literature: A Lesson from Patani
5: The Adat Aceh and 17th Century European Encounter
6: From British Colonialism to Independence
7: Conclusion