Image title: Sri Lanka- Arabic Trade Relations

English text:

Sri Lanka- Arabic Trade Relations — Arab knew about Asia before the birth of Islam. By the 9th century CE, the term Arabs covered the presence of two ethnicities including Persians and Abyssinians except the Arabs. During that time Arabic trade was well established in Sri Lanka. As mentioned by an Arabic historian Al-Bazuri in 892 CE, Sri Lanka had maintained a peaceful commercial relationship with Arabia. It was the period that Sri Lanka-Arabic trade reached its zenith. According to the 10th century writers Suleiman Thajir, Ibn Masudi and Iban Shahiyar, the main focus of Arabic traders in Sri Lanka was the expensive wood, magnificent Rubies, Kitul treacle, iron and the medicinal herbs. In the dawn of the 10th century, a considerable Arabic population inhabited Colombo and its suburbs. An Islamic priest named Khalid Ibn Abu Bakaya arrived Colombo on an invitation by the Colombo Islamic population and he died in 948 CE. His tomb stone was erected at the premises of the ancient mosque of Colombo which was subsequently obliterated by the Dutch. This tomb stone carries an inscription written in Kufic Arabic letters, in order to make a plea to God Allah for the sake of the soul of the deceased priest. As described by Ibn Batuta, the first pilgrimage to Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) was carried out by Saibu Abu Abdullah in 929 CE. Sri Lanka was known by the Arabs as Sarandib or Serendib at least from the early First millennium CE.

Image: Iban Batuta (AD 1325-1354)

Sinhala text (not proofread):

ශ්‍රී ලංකා - අරාබි වෙළඳ සම්බන්ධතා — ඉස්ලාම් ආගම බිහිවීමට පෙර කලක සිටම අරාබි ජාතිකයෝ ආසියාව පිළිබඳව දැන සිටියහ. ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් නමවන සියවස වන විට අරාබීන් යන වචනයෙන් හැඳින් වූ පිරිසට අරාබි ජාතිකයින් හැරුණු විට පර්සියානු ජාතිකයින් සහ ඇබිසීනියානුන් ද අයත් විය. ඒ කාලය වන විට අරාබි වෙළඳාම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැනවින් ස්ථාපනය වී තිබිණි. ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් 892 දී විසූ අල්-බසුරි නම් අරාබි ජාතික ඉතිහාසඥයා සඳහන් කරන අන්දමට එවක ශ්‍රී ලංකාව අරා බිය සමඟ සුහදශීලී වෙළඳ සබඳතාවක් පවත්වා ගෙන ගොස් තිබේ. මේ සමයේදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ අරාබිය අතර වෙළඳ කටයුතු එහි උපරිම වර්ධනය අත් කර ගෙන සිටියේය. දහවන සියවසේ අරාබි ලේඛකයින් වූ සුලෙයිමාන් ථාජීර්, ඉබන් මසුඩ් සහ ඉබන් ෂාහියාර් පැහැදිලි කරන අන්දමට අරාබි වෙළඳුන්ගේ ප්‍රධාන අවධානය වූයේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් අපනයනය කළ වටිනා දැව වර්ග ඉතා අනර්ඝ රතු මැණික්, කිතුල් පැණි, යකඩ සහ බෙහෙත් පැලෑටි යනාදියයි. ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් දහවන සියවස වන විට කොළඹ සහ එහි තදාසන්න ප්‍රදේශ වල සැලකිය යුතු තරමේ අරාබි ජනගහනයක් ජීවත් විය. එසමයේ එහි විසූ ඉස්ලාම් බැතිමතුන්ගේ ආගමික අවශ්‍යතා සඳහා මෙරටට පැමිණි ඛාලිඩ් ඉබන් අබු බකයා නමැති ඉස්ලාම් පූජකයෙකු ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් 948 දී මිය ගියේය. අරාබි කියුෆික් අක්ෂරයෙන් රචනා කරන ලද ඔහුගේ සොහොන්ගල සොයා ගෙන තිබේ. මියගිය ඔහුගේ ආත්මයට රැකවරණය ලබා දෙන ලෙස අල්ලා දෙවියන්ගෙන් කරන යාදින්නක් එහි සටහන් කොට තිබේ. ඉබන් බතූතා සඳහන් කරන අන්දමට ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂ 929 දී ශ්‍රී පාදය වන්දනා කළ පළමු අරාබි ජාතිකයා වූයේ සයිඛ අබු අබබ්දුල්ලාත්ය. අවම තරමින් ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් පළමුවන සියවසේ මුල් භාගයේ සිටම ශ්‍රී ලංකාව අරාබින් අතර ප්‍රචලිත වූය

Image: ඉබන් බතුතා ( ක්‍රි.ව 1325-1354 )

Transcription:

śrī laṅkā - arābi veḷanda sambandhatā — islām āgama bihivīmaṭa pera kalaka siṭama arābi jātikayō āsiyāva piḷibandava dæna siṭiyaha. kristu varṣayen namavana siyavasa vana viṭa arābīn yana vachanayen hændin vū pirisaṭa arābi jātikayin hæruṇu viṭa parsiyānu jātikayin saha æbisīniyānun da ayat viya. ē kālaya vana viṭa arābi veḷandāma śrī laṅkāvē mænavin sthāpanaya vī tibiṇi. kristu varṣayen 892 dī visū al-basuri nam arābi jātika itihāsagnayā sandahan karana andamaṭa evaka śrī laṅkāva arā biya samaṅga suhadaśīlī veḷanda sabandatāvak pavatvā gena gos tibē. mē samayēdī śrī laṅkāva saha arābiya atara veḷanda kaṭayutu ehi uparima vardhanaya at kara gena siṭiyēya. dahavana siyavasē arābi lēkhakayin vū suleyimān thājīr, iban masuḍ saha iban ṣāhiyār pæhædili karana andamaṭa arābi veḷandungē pradhāna avadhānaya vūyē śrī laṅkāven apanayanaya kaḷa vaṭinā dæva varga itā anargha ratu mæṇik, kitul pæṇi, yakaḍa saha behet pælǣṭi yanādiyayi. kristu varṣayen dahavana siyavasa vana viṭa koḷaḅa saha ehi tadāsanna pradēśa vala sælakiya yutu taramē arābi janagahanayak jīvat viya. esamayē ehi visū islām bætimatungē āgamika avaśyatā sandahā meraṭaṭa pæmiṇi khāliḍ iban abu bakayā namæti islām pūjakayeku kristu varṣayen 948 dī miya giyēya. arābi kiyufik akṣarayen rachanā karana lada ohugē sohongala soyā gena tibē. miyagiya ohugē ātmayaṭa rækavaraṇaya labā dena lesa allā deviyangen karana yādinnak ehi saṭahan koṭa tibē. iban batūtā sandahan karana andamaṭa kristu varṣa 929 dī śrī pādaya vandanā kaḷa paḷamu arābi jātikayā vūyē sayikha abu ababdullātya. avama taramin kristu varṣayen paḷamuvana siyavasē mul bhāgayē siṭama śrī laṅkāva arābin atara prachalita vūya

Image: iban batutā (kri.va 1325-1354 )

Transcription:

shri lanka - arabi velanda sambandhata — islam agama bihivimata pera kalaka sitama arabi jatikayo asiyava pilibandava dana sitiyaha. kristu varshayen namavana siyavasa vana vita arabin yana vachanayen handin vu pirisata arabi jatikayin harunu vita parsiyanu jatikayin saha abisiniyanun da ayat viya. e kalaya vana vita arabi velandama shri lankave manavin sthapanaya vi tibini. kristu varshayen 892 di visu al-basuri nam arabi jatika itihasagnaya sandahan karana andamata evaka shri lankava ara biya samanga suhadashili velanda sabandatavak pavatva gena gos tibe. me samayedi shri lankava saha arabiya atara velanda katayutu ehi uparima vardhanaya at kara gena sitiyeya. dahavana siyavase arabi lekhakayin vu suleyiman thajir, iban masud saha iban shahiyar pahadili karana andamata arabi velandunge pradhana avadhanaya vuye shri lankaven apanayanaya kala vatina dava varga ita anargha ratu manik, kitul pani, yakada saha behet palati yanadiyayi. kristu varshayen dahavana siyavasa vana vita kolaḅa saha ehi tadasanna pradesha vala salakiya yutu tarame arabi janagahanayak jivat viya. esamaye ehi visu islam batimatunge agamika avashyata sandaha meratata pamini khalid iban abu bakaya namati islam pujakayeku kristu varshayen 948 di miya giyeya. arabi kiyufik aksharayen rachana karana lada ohuge sohongala soya gena tibe. miyagiya ohuge atmayata rakavaranaya laba dena lesa alla deviyangen karana yadinnak ehi satahan kota tibe. iban batuta sandahan karana andamata kristu varsha 929 di shri padaya vandana kala palamu arabi jatikaya vuye sayikha abu ababdullatya. avama taramin kristu varshayen palamuvana siyavase mul bhagaye sitama shri lankava arabin atara prachalita vuya

Image: iban batuta ( kri.va 1325-1354 )

Automated translation (not verified):

Sri Lanka - Arab Trade Relations — The Arabs knew about Asia long before the rise of Islam. By the ninth century AD, the people known as Arabs included Persians and Abyssinians besides the Arabs. By that time Arab trade was well established in Sri Lanka. According to Al-Basuri, an Arab historian who lived in 892 AD, at that time Sri Lanka maintained a friendly trade relationship with Arabia. Trade between Sri Lanka and Arabia reached its peak during this period. As explained by the tenth century Arab writers Sulaiman Thajir, Ibn Masud and Ibn Shahyar, the main focus of the Arab traders was the precious timber exported from Sri Lanka, precious red gems, Kitul nectar, iron and medicinal plants. By the tenth century AD, there was a significant Arab population living in Colombo and its suburbs. An Islamic priest named Khalid Ibn Abu Bakaya, who came to this country for the religious needs of the Muslims who lived there at the time, died in 948 AD. His tombstones written in the Arabic Kufic script have been discovered. It records a yadinna to Allah to grant refuge to the soul of the deceased. According to Ibn Battuta, the first Arab to worship Sri Pada in 929 AD was Saikha Abu Abdullah. Sri Lanka was popular among the Arabs from at least the first half of the first century AD.

Tamil text (not proofread):

இலங்கை - அரேபிய வர்த்தக சம்பந்தங்கள — இஸ்லாம் மதத்தின் பிறப்பிற்கு முன்னரே வெகு காலமிருந்து அரேபியர்கள் ஆசியாவை அரிந்தனர். கிறிஸ்துவிற்குப் பின் ஒன்பதாம் நூற்றாண்டளவில் அரேபியர் என்கின்ற வார்த்தையால் அழைக்கப்படும் சமுதாயத்திற்குள் அரேபியர்கள் தவிர பாரசீக இனத்தவர்கள் மற்றும் அபிஸினிய இனத்தவர்கள் உள்ளடங்கின. அக்காலகட்டத்தில் அரேபிய வர்த்தகம் இலங்கையில் நன்கு நிலைநாட்டிருந்தது. .. 892 வசித்து வந்த அல்-பஸுரி என்ற வரலாற்று அரிஞ்ஞரின் சொற்படி அன்றைய இலங்கை அரேபியாவுடன் சமாதானமான வர்த்தக சம்பந்தங்கள் நடாத்தி வந்திருந்தது. அக்காலத்தில், இலங்கையும் அரேபும் இடையிலான வர்த்தகம் மிக அதிகமான வளர்ச்சியைப் பெற்றிருந்தது. பத்தாம் நூற்றாண்டு அரேபிய எழுத்தாளர்களாகிய சுலைமான் தாசீர் இப்ன் மசுதி மற்றும் இப்ன் ஷாஹியார் தெளிவுபடுத்தும் விதத்தில் இலங்கையிலிருந்து இறக்குமதி செய்யப்பட்ட மதிப்புள்ள மர வகைகள், மிக விலையுயர்ந்த சென்னிர மாணிக்கக்கற்கள், கித்துள் பானி, உலோகம் மற்றும் மருத்துவ தாவரங்களால் அரேபிய வணிகர்களின் கவனத்தைப் முக்கியமாக பிடித்திருந்தது.கி.பி. பத்தாம் நூற்றாண்டளவில் கொழும்பு மற்றும் அருகிலுள்ள பிரதேசங்களில் ஓர் அளவான அரேபிய மக்கள் தொகையை வசித்திருந்தனர். அக்காலத்தில் இருந்த இஸ்லாம். பக்தர்களின் தேவைகளுக்காக இந்நாட்டிற்கு வந்த காலித் இப்ன் அபு பக்கயா என்னும் மதகுரு கிறிஸ்துவிற்குப் பின் 948ஆம் வருடத்தில் காலஞ்சென்றார். அரேப்பிய கியுபிக் எழுத்துக்களால் எழுதப்பட்டுள்ள அவரது சமாதியைக் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளது. இறந்து போன இவரின் ஆத்மா சாந்தி அடைவதற்காக அள்ளாஹ்விடம் எழுதிய ஒரு வேண்டுகோள் அதில் உள்ளது. இப்பன் பத்தூத்தாவின் குறிப்புகளின் படி கி.பி. 929ல் முதன் முதலாக சிவனொலிபாத மலையை யாத்திரை செய்த முதல் அரேப்பிய இணத்தவர் சாயிபு அபு அப்துள்ளாஹ் ஆவார். குறைந்த பட்சத்தில் முதலாம் நூற்றாண்டின் முன் பாகத்திலிருந்தே அரேப்பியர்களிடையில் இலங்கை நாடு "சரந்திப்" அல்லது "செரந்திப்" என்ற பெயரால் பிரசித்திப் பெற்றிருந்தது.

image: இப்ன் பத்தூதா ( கி.பி.1325-1354)

Transcription:

ilaṅkai - arēpiya varttaka campantaṅkaḷa — islām matattiṉ piṟappiṟku muṉṉarē veku kālamiruntu arēpiyarkaḷ āciyāvai arintaṉar. kiṟistuviṟkup piṉ oṉpatām nūṟṟāṇṭaḷavil arēpiyar eṉkiṉṟa vārttaiyāl aḻaikkappaṭum camutāyattiṟkuḷ arēpiyarkaḷ tavira pāracīka iṉattavarkaḷ maṟṟum apisiṉiya iṉattavarkaḷ uḷḷaṭaṅkiṉa. akkālakaṭṭattil arēpiya varttakam ilaṅkaiyil naṉku nilaināṭṭiruntatu. .. 892 vacittu vanta al-pasuri eṉṟa varalāṟṟu ariññariṉ coṟpaṭi aṉṟaiya ilaṅkai arēpiyāvuṭaṉ camātāṉamāṉa varttaka campantaṅkaḷ naṭātti vantiruntatu. akkālattil, ilaṅkaiyum arēpum iṭaiyilāṉa varttakam mika atikamāṉa vaḷarcciyaip peṟṟiruntatu. pattām nūṟṟāṇṭu arēpiya eḻuttāḷarkaḷākiya culaimāṉ tācīr ipṉ macuti maṟṟum ipṉ ṣāhiyār teḷivupaṭuttum vitattil ilaṅkaiyiliruntu iṟakkumati ceyyappaṭṭa matippuḷḷa mara vakaikaḷ, mika vilaiyuyarnta ceṉṉira māṇikkakkaṟkaḷ, kittuḷ pāṉi, ulōkam maṟṟum maruttuva tāvaraṅkaḷāl arēpiya vaṇikarkaḷiṉ kavaṉattaip mukkiyamāka piṭittiruntatu.ki.pi. pattām nūṟṟāṇṭaḷavil koḻumpu maṟṟum arukiluḷḷa piratēcaṅkaḷil ōr aḷavāṉa arēpiya makkaḷ tokaiyai vacittiruntaṉar. akkālattil irunta islām. paktarkaḷiṉ tēvaikaḷukkāka innāṭṭiṟku vanta kālit ipṉ apu pakkayā eṉṉum matakuru kiṟistuviṟkup piṉ 948ām varuṭattil kālañceṉṟār. arēppiya kiyupik eḻuttukkaḷāl eḻutappaṭṭuḷḷa avaratu camātiyaik kaṇṭupiṭittuḷḷatu. iṟantu pōṉa ivariṉ ātmā cānti aṭaivataṟkāka aḷḷāhviṭam eḻutiya oru vēṇṭukōḷ atil uḷḷatu. ippaṉ pattūttāviṉ kuṟippukaḷiṉ paṭi ki.pi. 929l mutaṉ mutalāka civaṉolipāta malaiyai yāttirai ceyta mutal arēppiya iṇattavar cāyipu apu aptuḷḷāh āvār. kuṟainta paṭcattil mutalām nūṟṟāṇṭiṉ muṉ pākattiliruntē arēppiyarkaḷiṭaiyil ilaṅkai nāṭu "carantip" allatu "cerantip" eṉṟa peyarāl piracittip peṟṟiruntatu.

image: ipṉ pattūtā ( ki.pi.1325-1354)

Transcription:

ilangai - arepiya varthaga sambanthangala — islam mathathin pirappirku munnare vegu kalamirunthu arepiyarkal asiyavai arinthanar. kiristhuvirkup pin onpatham nurrandalavil arepiyar enkinra varthaiyal azhaikkappadum samuthayathirkul arepiyarkal thavira parasiga inathavarkal marrum apisiniya inathavarkal ulladangina. akkalagattathil arepiya varthagam ilangaiyil nanku nilainattirunthathu. .. 892 vasithu vantha al-pasuri enra varalarru arijnarin sorpadi anraiya ilangai arepiyavudan samathanamana varthaga sambanthangal nadathi vanthirunthathu. akkalathil, ilangaiyum arepum idaiyilana varthagam miga athigamana valarchiyaip perrirunthathu. patham nurrandu arepiya ezhuthalarkalagiya sulaiman thasir ipn masuthi marrum ipn shahiyar thelivupaduthum vithathil ilangaiyilirunthu irakkumathi seyyappatta mathippulla mara vagaigal, miga vilaiyuyarntha sennira manikkakkarkal, kithul pani, ulogam marrum maruthuva thavarangalal arepiya vanigarkalin kavanathaip mukkiyamaga pidithirunthathu.ki.pi. patham nurrandalavil kozhumbu marrum arugilulla pirathesangalil or alavana arepiya makkal thogaiyai vasithirunthanar. akkalathil iruntha islam. pagtharkalin thevaigalukkaga innattirku vantha kalith ipn apu pakkaya ennum mathaguru kiristhuvirkup pin 948am varudathil kalanchenrar. areppiya kiyupig ezhuthukkalal ezhuthappattulla avarathu samathiyaig kandupidithullathu. iranthu pona ivarin athma santhi adaivatharkaga allahvidam ezhuthiya oru vendugol athil ullathu. ippan pathuthavin kurippugalin padi ki.pi. 929l muthan muthalaga sivanolipatha malaiyai yathirai seytha muthal areppiya inathavar sayipu apu apthullah avar. kuraintha padsathil muthalam nurrandin mun pagathilirunthe areppiyarkalidaiyil ilangai nadu "saranthip" allathu "seranthip" enra peyaral pirasithip perrirunthathu.

image: ipn pathutha (ki.pi.1325-1354)

Automated translation (not verified):

Sri Lanka - Arab Trade Relations — The Arabs have been roaming Asia since long before the birth of Islam. In the ninth century after Christ, the community known by the term Arab included Persians and Abyssinians in addition to Arabs. At that time Arab trade was well established in Sri Lanka. .. According to Al-Bazuri, a historian who lived in 892, Sri Lanka had peaceful trade relations with Arabia at that time. At that time, the trade between Sri Lanka and Arabia was very flourishing. As the tenth-century Arab writers Sulaiman Tazir Ibn Masudi and Ibn Shahiyar make clear, valuable timber imported from Ceylon, highly prized rubies, kithul pani, metals and medicinal plants attracted the attention of Arab traders. By the 10th century Colombo and the surrounding areas had a sizeable Arab population. Islam at that time. Khalid Ibn Abu Bakaya, a cleric who came to this country for the needs of the devotees, passed away in 948 AD. His mausoleum has been found inscribed with Arabic cubic characters. It contains a petition written to Allah for the peace of his departed soul. According to the notes of Ippan Bhattuta, AD. Saibu Abu Abdullah was the first Arab to make the first pilgrimage to Mount Sivanolipada in 929. Ceylon was known to the Arabs as "Saranthip" or "Seranthip" since at least the first part of the first century.

Gallery information:

These photos were taken at the Maritime Museum in Galle (Sri Lanka) which include objects recovered from the 2nd century B.C. Godawaya shipwreck. The Maritime Museum is housed in Galle's historic Dutch warehouse (built in 1671) and opened its doors on May 9, 1992. The Maritime Archaeology Museum is serving as a centre of education for various groups of visitors and researchers of Southern region of Sri Lanka.