Leiden (University and Library) denotes the Dutch city of Leiden in the Netherlands whose historic university library preserves a rich corpus of early Malay and Acehnese manuscripts. Among the holdings are the Nalam Mo’lôt, a local translation of the Akidat al-awāmm, the Burda translation, and the Hikayat Iskandar DzŌe KI‑Karnain. The library’s collection also includes Arabic‑Malay interlinear manuscripts such as catalogue number 3116 (1), which illuminate the linguistic techniques of 16th‑century Acehnese scholarship. These materials were central to the research of Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje and later scholars like Van Ronkel, and they have been cited in sources noting “Het boekje is in de Leidse bibliotheek aanwezig” and “de talrijke Atjéhse handschriften te Leiden”.
Manuscript Collections
Leiden’s university library contains a variety of Acehnese and Malay texts:
- The Nalam Mo’lôt and a local translation of the Akidat al‑awāmm, both cited as part of the “talrijke Atjéhse handschriften te Leiden”.
- A 16th‑century Burda translation, referenced in the manuscript catalogue as part of the “Burda‑bewerking” tradition.
- The Hikayat Iskandar DzŌe KI‑Karnain, an important narrative work preserved in the library’s Malay collection.
- Manuscript no. 3116 (1), an Arabic‑Malay interlinear text that provides insight into the scholarly methods employed by Acehnese authors in the 1500s.
These holdings have been described in the source manuscript “Een 16de‑eeuwse Maleise vertaling van de Burda van al‑Bu‑s‑i‑ri” (pp. 20‑22) and earlier notes (p. 21) that emphasize the presence of these Acehnese manuscripts in Leiden.
Research Significance
The Leiden collections attracted the attention of prominent scholars:
- Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje used the manuscripts to develop his seminal studies on Acehnese religion and society, drawing extensively on the Burda translation and the Akidat al‑awāmm.
- Van Ronkel and other later researchers continued to examine the Arabic‑Malay interlinear texts, especially manuscript no. 3116 (1), to trace the evolution of Acehnese linguistic practice in the early modern period.
The accessibility of these documents in Leiden has therefore been pivotal for the historiography of Aceh, enabling detailed philological and cultural analyses that would otherwise be impossible.
Sources
The Achehnese, Vol. I, by Dr. C. Snouck Hurgronje, translated by A.W.S. O’Sullivan, indexed by R.J. Wilkinson. Leyden: E.J. Brill, 1906.
See Also
- Atjeh
- Nalam Mo’lôt
- Akidat al-awāmm
- Atjéhse bewerking van de Burda
- Teungkn Tjēh Kob al. T. Panté Tjeureumèn
- J. Kreemer
- Atjeh II
- Atjehers I
- Atjehers II
- Burda (poem)
- Hikayat Iskandar DzŌe KI‑Karnain
- Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje
- A. S. O’Sullivan
- C. Snouck Hurgronje
- E. J. Brill
- R. J. Wilkinson
- Prof. Niemann
Source
20260707_232246_DLP-54-Een_16de_eeuwse_Maleise_vertaling_van_de_Burda_van_al_Bu_s_i_ri_OCR.txt, p. 21.
20260707_232246_DLP-54-Een_16de_eeuwse_Maleise_vertaling_van_de_Burda_van_al_Bu_s_i_ri_OCR.txt, pp. 20‑22.