The Ultimate Pendekar: Hang Tuah
The Epitome of a Silat Warrior
Author: Steve Hanafi (Silat Sharaf Practitioner, Malaysia)
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior who lived in the 15th century during the golden age of the Malaccan Sultanate. He was said to be one of the best fighters among the Laksamana (admirals) who served the Sultan at that time and is considered as one of the greatest Pendekars that ever lived in the Nusantara (Malaysia & Indonesia).
History
Born in 1431, Hang Tuah was the son of Hang Mahmud who was one of the royal guards, and his mother was Dang Merdu Wati. The name Tuah in Bahasa means good fortune, and the title Hang is given by the palace as a title of honor for his service and contribution to the Sultanate. It is equivalent to the title Sir.
Picking up Silat at a very young age, Hang Tuah became proficient and mastered the art in only a few weeks. He later traveled to discover more about Silat, religion, and tactics from 3 wise teachers. The first guru was Sang Adi Putra who taught him the knowledge known as Ilmu Segala Parajurit & Hulubalang (The knowledge of warriors and guards). The next guru was Sang Persanta Nala where he acquired the knowledge of wisdom and military tactics. Sang Pesanta Nala made Tuah promise to bring the knowledge with him to his grave. The last person was Sheikh Mansur who taught him extensive knowledge of weapons combatives, and that is proven by the gift that he gave to Tuah before he finished learning with him: a small knife that Tuah always kept by his side.
Tuah was said to have lived until he was 80 years old. Hang Tuah lived through 5 generations of Sultans, starting from Sultan Muhammad Shah (1424-144), Sultan Muzaffar Shah (1446-1459), Sultan Mansur Shah (1459-1477), Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (1477-1488) and finally Sultan Mahmud Shah (1488-1511). There is a theory that Hang Tuah was of Chinese origin and his real name was Hang Tao Ah, but that theory has no evidence to back it up and is easily disproven.
Hang Tuah frequently traveled for diplomatic reasons on his famous ship: Mendam Berahi (Deep Desire)
Weapons
Whenever he traveled to neighboring kingdoms or countries, Hang Tuah always carried 3 different weapons. These weapons were symbols of his position as well as practical tools to fight with in case there were attacks along the often treacherous, pirate-laden seaways of Southeast Asia.
1. Keris Tempa Melaka
Keris Taming Sari in the hands of His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah who is currently the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Keris Tempa Melaka was his main battle Keris, with the blade measuring 33 inches long. Tempa is a Bahasa word meaning “forge”. This was the Keris that was specifically forged for him by a local Pandai Keris (Keris Maker) in Malacca.
2. Keris Taming Sari
He won this Keris after defeating a famous Pendekar from the Majapahit Empire in Java named, Taming Sari. The Keris is one of the most famous mystical Keris, known for its ability to fly and chase the enemy according to the owner’s will. Hang Tuah later gave this Keris to Tun Mamat after he failed to win the heart of Puteri Gunung Ledang for the Sultan. The Keris was passed from Sultan Mahmud to his son, Raja Muzaffar Shah who escaped to Perak after the invasion of Malacca.
3. Keris Pendua
Pendua means secondary, as this Keris was his back up weapon should the primary weapon be lost during a fight. Although it should be mentioned, due to his skill, no one had ever managed to force him to use this Keris in a fight.
Sang Adi Putra taught the 5 Silat brothers essential combative knowledge for them to be great warriors and great leaders in the Sultanate
Training
Hang Tuah traveled to discover more about Silat, religion, and tactics from three wise teachers. The first guru was Sang Adi Putra who taught him the knowledge known as Ilmu Segala Parajurit & Hulubalang (The knowledge of warriors and guards). That was the time Tuah met Jebat, Lekir, Lekiu, and Kasturi, where they became close friends and grew up together, later to be known as Pahlawan Melaka 5 Bersaudara (The 5 Warrior Brothers of Malacca). They went through rigorous Silat training together at the top of the mountain where Sang Adi Putra lived.
The next guru was Sang Persanta Nala where he acquired Hikmat (wisdom) and was schooled in military tactics. Sang Pesanta Nala made Tuah a promise to bring it with him to his grave. Syeikh Mansur was Tuah’s last guru.
Symbol of the Nusantara Warriors
KD Hang Tuah served the Royal Malaysian Navy since 1997 and retired in 2018.
In Malaysia a frigate is named after Hang Tuah, KD Hang Tuah. There are streets in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Ipoh, Johor Baharu (main cities in Malaysia) called, Jalan Hang Tuah. In Malacca there is a stadium and a Mosque named Stadium Hang Tuah and Masjid Jamek Laksamana Hang Tuah, The Hang Tuah Mosque.
In Indonesia, a higher education institute is named after him, Universitas Hang Tuah located in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia which was built in partnership with the Indonesian Navy. There is Hang Tuah Primary and Middle school in Makassar, South Sulawesi. There are also 10 roads located in Bentan, Pekan Baru, Jakarta, Tanjung Pinang, Medan, Surabaya, Palembang, Padang, Bandung, all named after the legendary warrior. Even hotels named after him, like Pendekar Hussein’s favorite one in Padang, Hotel Hang Tuah. In Pattani, one of the southern provinces in Thailand and an ethnically Malay area, there is also a well named after Hang Tuah in the village of Kerisik. In short, Hang Tuah’s name and legacy are embedded in the hearts and minds of the people of the region.
Principles for life
Manners Maketh the Man
According to a manuscript belonging to the Vijayanagran Empire in India, it was stated that in 1446 a very famous Laksamana traveled to the empire to learn more about martial arts and military leadership. The ruler, Deva Raya II was very impressed with his ability to learn so quickly, and by the courtesy of the young man. Despite the numerous titles, ranks, and awards that were given to him, it was noted that he was a man who spoke in such a polite manner that it made those around him feel at ease.
Diplomatic Wisdom
Being one of the biggest kingdoms of that time, it is logical that the Sultan’s representative is one that is not only trustworthy but also wise. According to Rekidai Hoan, one of the official compilations of diplomatic documents by the government of the Ryukyu Kingdom (present day Okinawa, Japan) stated that the Sultan of Malacca sent his representative, along with a Keris Lok 9 as a gift from him. This clearly showed that Hang Tuah had authority to act as a diplomat on behalf of the Sultanate, as well as being great at establishing and maintaining good relations with regional kingdoms. It is said that due to him traveling around as the Sultan’s representative and being a quick learner, Hang Tuah mastered 12 languages to ease his affairs with the respected rulers of other kingdoms.
The Knowledge of Weapons
In Da Vinci’s notebook, he wrote “I sketched a vehicle after meeting a Malaccan nobleman”, and according to sources, that nobleman was most probably Hang Tuah, as he was constantly sent overseas to buy weapons from places as far away as the Ottoman Empire. For a person to be sent by their government to buy weapons, that person must have been very well acquainted with the knowledge of current weapon technologies. Hang Tuah knew very well that his knowledge in Silat and experience was unmatched, but he never forgot the strategic lesson of using fewer resources to win a battle as could be done with more sophisticated weaponry, so he made himself expert in the weapons of the time, and thus, very useful to the Sultanate.
A carving of Hang Tuah at the Malaysian National Museum
Even after centuries, his name is something that is passed on from word of mouth, and through stories, detailing how a man with such character had lived during the golden age of the Malaccan Sultanate. After Malacca was attacked, Alfonso wrote in his book, Portuguese Documents on Malacca, that he met an old Laksamana of 80 years of age, with a great reputation, who moved to Temasek (Singapore) before later moving to Palembang, South Sumatra, where he lived his final days there and where there is a grave marked for him. In 2016 a group of researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) wanted to perform DNA tests on the grave contents in Melaka and in Palembang to positively identify him, but until now that hasn’t happened. There are those who argue that Hang Tuah is nothing but another folklore. But from the historical records of kingdoms and empires around the world and the tales being told from past generations, it is evident that a great man, dubbed as the greatest Silat fighter who ever existed, was truly the legendary Hang Tuah.
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