Zabag (ancient territory)
Zabag (Indonesian: Sabak; Chinese: 阇婆 or 闍婆 "She-bó", "Shepo"; Sanskrit: Javaka; Arabic: الزابج "Zabaj"; Latin: Jabad) is thought to have been an ancient territory located south of China somewhere in Southeast Asia, between the Chenla Kingdom (now Cambodia) and Java.
[1] Indonesian historians have suggested that Zabag is connected to the present day Muara Sabak area, the estuary of Batang Hari River in East Tanjung Jabung Regency, Jambi province.
The main source of the existence of the kingdom of Zabag was a Persian sailor named Sulaiman al-Tajir al-Sirafi, known as Sulaiman the Merchant, in his book "Rihlah As-Sirafiy" (As-Sirafi's journey), in which he recorded his journey to India, China, and the Zabaj islands in the period 851 AD.
There is also an island known as "Al-Rami" (Land of Arrows)[Note 1] which is about 800 farsakh in length; there are plants such as red wood, camphor, and others.
And to him collected merchandise such as rattan, camphor, sandalwood, ivory, tin, ebony, red wood, and various spices, and others whose list will be very long.
("Rihlah As-Sirafiy", Sulaiman al-Tajir al-Sirafi)One day in a fit of jealousy, the Khmer ruler made the following remark in court.
Angered by this sage advice, the Khmer ruler raised his voice and repeated his desire so that all of the generals and nobles who were present at court could hear him.
Upon hearing the words of the Khmer ruler, the Maharaja ordered his councillor to prepare a thousand ships for departure.
When the fleet was ready, the Maharaja himself went aboard and announced to the crowd on shore that he would be making a pleasure trip amongst his islands.
[8]: 16–17 Numerous Arabic sources noted the existence of a people called Sayabiga, which are already settled on the shores of the Persian Gulf before the rise of Islam.
In the reign of Caliph Abu Bakr (632–634) they formed a garrison at At-Khatt, in Al-Bahrain, and in 656 they are recorded as having been entrusted with the guarding of the treasury at Al-Basra.
[12] This contradicts the opinion of Mulyana and Lombard, who identified Sanfotsi and Sanfoqi as Srivijaya / Sumatra, in contrast to Java.
The Chinese called it Sanfotsi, and at one time there was an even older kingdom of Kantoli that could be considered as the predecessor of Srivijaya.
[17] Sulayman around 851 AD noted that Sribuza (Srivijaya) and Kalah (a place on the Malay peninsula, possibly Kedah) were the area ruled by Zabag.
[14] When John of Marignolli returned from China to Avignon, he stayed at the Kingdom of Saba for a few months, which he said had many elephants and was led by a queen.
[20]: xii, 192–194 Afanasij Nikitin, a merchant from Tver (in Russia), travelled to India in 1466 and described the land of Java, which he called шабайте (shabait/šabajte).
