The Thousand Mask Warrior

Ma Ying's

Datuk Mas Kuning's view glared far, to many years before, in a time when he was still so young and full of passion, purpose and ideals, especially in the mastery of silat and canuragan.

The memory of the Datuk rests on a figure named Ma Ying, a Hui Chinese Muslim, descendant of one of the Chinese groups anchored in the port of Sambas, Tanjung Pura island. In 1407 AD, these Chinese Muslims founded the Hanafi-mazhab group.

At that time, the port of Sambas became an intermediary port of travel from Campa to Maynila, from Kiu Kieng, Palembang, to Majapahit. While the officials of the Ming dynasty in China at that time were mostly Muslims who had a lot of knowledge of the language, especially Arabic which was also used in the world of commerce. They lived in Sambas because they had been trading by the order of the king of the Ming dynasty. 

Meanwhile, in 1463 AD, admiral Cheng Ho, a Hui Muslim from Yunnan, by order of Emperor Cheng Tsu or also known as Jung Lo who was the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who, for seven times led a shipping expedition to Nan Yang. Some of his men and crew were there who later settled on the island of Tanjung Pura and mixed with the locals.

Indeed, if you look back at the traces of the arrival of the Chinese to this island, since the 3rd century AD Chinese sailors have sailed to the archipelago to make trade. Their shipping lane along the coast of foreign countries in the east and return through Tanjung Pura in the west and the islands of Bisaya by using the season wind.

Then, in the 7th century AD, China's relationship with the western Tanjung Pura has often occurred, but not much can be said to settle long.

An important record of the Chinese presence is in the Tartar army or also known as the Mongols or Mongolia Kublai Khan under the leadership of Ike Meso, Shih Pi and Khau Sing on their way to punish the king of Kertanegara from Singasari kingdom on Java island, stop at Karimata archipelago which is located opposite to Tanjungpura Kingdom. Because of the defeat of these forces from the Javanese army and fear of punishment from Khubilai Khan, most likely some of them fled and settled on the island of Tanjung Pura.

Regarding the Chinese Hui people, it can be said that they are a tribal group in China that is usually distinguished from other members of Chinese tribes, such as Han, for example, is by their religion and Islamic culture. This is because many of the Hui are direct descendants or intermixes with settlers or Silk Road traders.

The ancestors of the Hui people included Hindustani and Muslim, Arab, also referred to as Dashi, Persian, also referred to as Bosi, Han Chinese and Tartar. Several medieval Chinese dynasties, notably the Tang Dynasty and the Yuan Tartar Dynasty, encouraged the movement of people from the mostly Muslim Persian and Hindustani lands to China. This is because the two houses of the Chinese Raj have an interest in appointing officials in China from these countries for all kinds of affairs that are also related to these countries.

Thus in the next century, they gradually interbred with Tartars and Han Chinese, and formed a group of Hui people. They intermarried and lived for a long time in China. At that time the Hui people were still free to use Islamic names that were Persian or Arabic, depending on which descendants they came from. However, over time they also use Chinese names and de-Cinakan names berbatidiri Islam.

This can be seen from the surnames or surnames of Ma, Mu or Han derived from the names Muhammad, Ha for Hasan, Hu for Hussein, Sai for Said, Sha for Shah, and Sha for Shah, Zheng to Shams, Koay to Kamaruddin or Chuah to Osman.

An old story in Ningxia states that the other four Hui clans in the region, namely Na, Su, La, and Ding, are, he was a descendant of Nasruddin who was the son of Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar.

While names other than surnames, Hui Chinese are free to use references, either simply imitating common names or having other meanings. In this case, Ma Ying, is a Hui Muslim man who lives in Sambas with the surname Ma for Muhammad and Ying himself means Eagle in Chinese.

The teachings of the Islamic religion they profess, there are also Hui Muslims in southeastern China and Yunnan who have Islamic customs and beliefs that are mixed between Confucian teachings with Sharia and Quranic teachings during the Tang dynasty.

In addition to the characteristics of Islamic beliefs of the Hui people of this northern region, they are also known to be thick with the science of canuragan and martial arts are qualified. These warriors, fighters and Hui Chinese warriors in the north changed the martial arts of the Chinese Taoist religion by adding the philosophy of Sufi Islam.

This ancestor of Ma Ying who lived in Sambas came from the Hui tribe in northern China.

The Hui Chinese Muslims are well known for their excellent canoean skills, in addition to their bravery. So no wonder, many Chinese royal courtiers came from the Hui tribe, as well as Admiral Cheng Ho who was so bravely ordered to cross the sea to visit various countries.

The beginnings of the Hui empire began in 756 AD, when more than 4,000 Arab mercenaries joined the Chinese royal army at An Lushan. After the war, some of their daei remained in China and also became one of the ancestors or ancestors of the Hui people.

The soldiers who come from foreign countries or a mixture of various foreign countries are then referred to as Semu or Semuren troops.

Semu itself is a kind of level society created by the Yuan Dynasty founded by the Tartars who ruled China. The word Semu means 'eye color', referring to the eye color of the people of this created society who are people from foreign lands that are considered pure black colorless.

Later, the Semu people were also referred to as Huihui which became the basis of the name of the Hui tribe given to the Chinese tribe of Islam . The word Huihui means Chinese Muslim, or simply foreigner in China. This name was pinned by the Chinese empire of the Yuan dynasty and is increasingly clear in the Ming dynasty.

The Semu or Huihui army, during the reign of the Yuan dynasty, was given the task of expanding the conquered territories of the Mongol or Tartar empires.

“I and Temenggung Bears learned canoragan science to Ma Ying when we were very young, fourteen or fifteen years old," the Grandfather told the audience who were still gathered at his home.

"Initially, fellow people who have a great interest in silat, Temenggung Bears and I were hostile to each other. I am Muslim from the Malay tribe, while Panglima Bears are inland land tribes. I am the son of the court official Sukadana, while he is the son of the chief who will lead his people, as his father did" the Datuk put his arms behind his back, turning around and gazing at the group of Javanese people, including Katilapan and Narendra.

"Once in a while we were engaged in a fight that never resulted in victory. We were not aware that we were looking for the same teacher in Sambas. Hostility was getting more and more inevitable, but apparently Ma Ying was such a wise teacher. We learned a valuable lesson, not just science, but also the science of humanity, friendship and brotherhood. Although we are different tribes and beliefs, it turns out Temenggung Bear proved appropriate to replace his father as chief. He is not only good and wise, he is also not a vengeful and appreciative of nature and sentient beings."

The grandfather took a breath and exhaled slowly. "Well, I will allow you to follow your friend and my student, Jayaseta, and my granddaughter, Dara Cempaka to the far side of the forest down the river. May Allah protect you and give mercy to my decision" said the Datuk followed by nods of all the attendants who were at the place.