IIUM lecturer defends claim Romans learned shipbuilding from Malays

Free Malaysia Today

Solehah Yaacob says her conclusion is based on a research hypothesis developed through ‘extensive study’ since completing her PhD in 2005.  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/11/09/iium-lecturer-defends-claim-romans-learned-shipbuilding-from-malays  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews

Transcript

00:00Lecturer Soleha Yaqob from the International Islamic University Malaysia has doubled down

00:06on her claim that the ancient Romans learned shipbuilding techniques from Malay seafarers.

00:11Soleha cited work such as P.Y. Mangan's The Southeast Asian Ship, An Historical Approach,

00:17and R.L. Smith's Premodern Trade in World History. She said the Malays were a maritime

00:22civilization with superior nautical knowledge and shipbuilding skills, while the Romans did

00:27not engage in significant seafaring until after 31 B.C.E. She said Arabic sources mentioned

00:33Al-Quran Al-Rumi and cited classical Islamic scholars such as Al-Biruni, who wrote that

00:38the art of iron smelting was developed in Qala, which Al-Kindi identified as being in ancient Qadda.

00:45According to her, the quality of European timber was unsuitable for long-distance voyages, which

00:50likely prompted the Romans to seek experienced navigators from Egypt and possibly from the

00:55Indian or Malay worlds, who could guide them towards the source of Qaddaan iron.

01:00She said Australian Museum Archives credited Austronesians as the finest deep-sea shipbuilders,

01:05and that historical newspapers claimed the first man to sail around the world was a Malay.

01:09Soleha added that the term Malay predates Austronesian, and that by the time of the Srivijaya Empire,

01:15these seafaring peoples were already recognized as Malays.

01:19Danish Rajar Reza, FMT.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended