Mrs Zuriati, Andalas University
2007 award – major project
£18,613 for 8 months
The main aim of the project is to digitise 250 manuscripts from five suraus in West Sumatra. These manuscripts contain various texts such as Al-Qur'an, Al-Qur'an Translation (Tafsir), Tasawuf, Fiqh, Agiography (The Stories of the Saints), Arabic Grammar, Minangkabau Laws, Kaba, Hikayat, Nazam, Azimat, Letters and Medicine which hold important information for Minangkabau culture and Islamic history. They will contribute greatly to the study of Islam, Tasawuf, Traditional Laws, Language, Literature, Culture, and Medicine in Indonesia.
The manuscripts are mostly written on European papers, some are written on traditional paper (Daluang) in the Arabic, Malay and/or Minangkabau language using Arabic or Perso-Arabic letters. They were written and copied in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Some are now seriously neglected and decaying, the inks are washed out, pages are ripped apart and rotten. It is made worse by the fact that they are not kept in proper conditions and are piled up in rooms or above the ceiling in suraus together with other material.
Surau Lubuk Ipuh, Pariaman has 70 manuscripts with approximately 14,000 pages in total; Surau Bintungan Tinggi, Pariaman has 30 manuscripts with approximately 6,000 pages overall; Surau Pariangan, Batusangkar has 70 manuscripts with 14,000 pages in total; Surau Malalo, Solok has 50 manuscripts with 10,000 pages overall and Surau Tanjung, Pesisir Selatan has 30 manuscripts with a total of 6,000 pages
After digitising the manuscripts the project team will structure and name the files, transfer the files onto CDs and send copies to the manuscripts owners (Suraus), and relevant institutions such as the British Library, Museum Aditiyawarman Padang, Balai Kajian Sejarah, IAIN Imam Bonjol and STAIN Batusangkar.
The project also aims to train local staff. The lack of awareness of the manuscript owners of the importance of their preservation, together with their lack of skills in archival management, are the greatest factors contributing to the destruction of this historical heritage. Therefore, the project includes training on manuscript preservation, archival management, manuscript photography, and creating manuscript catalogues to improve the knowledge and skill of local staff. The training will be conducted for the staff of Museum Aditiyawarman Padang; the Philology Laboratory of the Faculty of Letters Andalas University; the Center for History and Traditional Wisdom; the Center for Documentation and Information of Minangkabau Culture in Padang Panjang; IAIN Imam Bonjol Padang, STAIN Batusangkar, and representatives of suraus with manuscript collections. The training will be held in the first five days of the project, thereby ensuring the awareness and skills of the local staff are enhanced.
