POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE MALAY KINGDOM IN THE PROCESS OF ISLAMIZATION IN THE MALAY WORLD

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the political, social, and cultural transformations of Malay kingdoms during the Islamization process in the Malay world. The method used is a literature study by examining various scientific sources discussing the history of the development of Malay kingdoms and the process of the entry and development of Islam in the region. The results of the study indicate that Islamization in the Malay world not only impacted changes in religious beliefs, but also brought about profound transformations in various aspects of community life. In the political sphere, Islamization drove a change in the government system from a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom to an Islamic sultanate system based on sharia values. In the social sphere, Islam expanded the network of community interactions through trade, education, da'wah, and marriage, thus forming a more open and dynamic social structure. Meanwhile, in the cultural sphere, a process of acculturation occurred between Islam and local traditions that gave birth to a Malay-Islamic identity, reflected in language, Jawi script, literature, customary law, and sultanate architecture. This study concludes that Islamization was a major factor in the formation of Malay-Islamic civilization in Southeast Asia. This process does not eliminate local culture, but instead integrates it with Islamic values, resulting in a unique and sustainable character of Malay civilization that continues to the present day.