'wandering kings') is a commonly used name for a system of geomancy, comprising metaphysical and geomantic principles considered when siting or designing buildings to improve and maintain well-being in Maritime Southeast Asia.
The term actually alludes to a book entitled Tajul muluk which covered a number of other topics including herbal medicine, astrology and dream interpretation along with geomancy.
While all these subjects may be categorised under the term ilmu tajul, it usually refers to the otherwise unnamed set of rites and rules for constructing buildings in Acehnese and Malay culture.
Some conjecture that it may have been influenced by Indian vastu sastra or Chinese feng shui, both of which have traditionally been practiced in the Malay Peninsula.
The earliest account of the art comes from the book Taj al-Mulk (meaning "Royal Crown of Sovereignty" in Arabic) written for Acehnese royalty.
According to British civil servant Walter William Skeat in his book Malay Magic, originally published in 1900, the rituals of tajul muluk were once commonplace.
[1] With the rise of the Islamization movement of Southeast Asia during the 1980s, animistic and Hindu-Buddhist aspects of Malay culture were condemned and banned.
Today tajul muluk is considered a superstitious relic of the past and books written on the subject are sometimes banned in Malaysia.
The best aspect of the land's surface is that which is low on the north and high in the south, thought to bring the occupants absolute peacefulness.
A similar incantation is then spoken: The next morning, the ashes are uncovered and God will show a sign of the plot's good and bad potential.
In Hindu cosmology the surface of the earth is represented as a square in reference to the horizon's relationship with sunrise and sunset.
Traditional Malay buildings have at their centre a main pillar called the tiang seri where the spirit of the house (semangat rumah) is said to dwell.
To appease the local earth-spirit or demon (jembalang tanah or puaka), the head, feet and blood of an animal are also deposited in the hole.
Alternatively, one could wait until everyone has left the area before picking up three clods of soil, holding them over incense, and reciting a certain mantera or mantra.
An example of a charm recited when erecting the tiang seri runs as follows: Hai Raja Guru, Maharaja Guru, daripada tajar menyenseng Engkaulah anak Betara Guru Hai hantu tanah, benah tanah Aku tahu asal kau jadi: Jembalang tanah Daripada kilat sabung-menyabung Undur kau dari sini ke laut yang dalam Aku tahu asal kau jadi: Ke rimba yang sunyi Daripada embun setitik Antara aku dengan engkau, aku tahu asal kau jadi Ho Raja Guru, Maharaja Guru Thou art sons of Bhattara Guru Ho, ghost of the earth, blight of the earth I know the origin from which you sprang: Demon of the earth From the flashing lightning Retire ye hence to the depths of the sea I know the origin from which you sprang: To the peace of the forest From a single drop of dew Betwixt you and me, I know the origin from which you came into being As with the Chinese bagua and the guardians of Jambudvipa in Indian culture, Malay astrology and geomancy also uses eight points of divination.
An example, recorded by Walter William Skeat,[1] reads as follows: The rules of a house's height are also determined by the matriarch's armspan.
Malay village houses were built so that they could be disassembled and rebuilt when the situation demanded it such as war, floods or famine.
This is probably a reference to the fact that foreigners, particularly the Indian Muslims who introduced Islam in the region, sailed to the Malay Peninsula from the west.