The Nobat: From Muslim Antiquity to Malay Modernity

Abstract

The nobat is a percussion-based musical ensemble played in the Malay courts of Southeast Asia since the coming of Islam to the region in the thirteenth century. Originating from the Islamicate tradition of the Middle East, for centuries it has been part of the sacred court regalia and a symbol of a sultan’s power and sovereignty. The nobat is also revered for its perceived mystical powers and ability to consolidate and maintain sociopolitical order. The spread of Islam saw the ensemble and its traditions travel via ancient trade routes, by land and sea, across imagined boundaries and then develop through the accommodation of different cultures and beliefs. It was patronised by some of the greatest Muslim empires and was played in palaces to install new rulers, announce the arrival of dignitaries, signal prayer times and used for tactical purposes and to instil courage among soldiers on the battlefield. In the postcolonial period of the late twentieth century, the sounds of the nobat were no longer heard when sultanates ceased to exist. However, a few have survived. Today the nobat still performs in the courts of Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu in Malaysia and in Brunei, and within its original context – to serve sultans. This chapter looks into the development of the nobat, from its Abbasid roots in the ninth century to early Malay sultanates and European colonial encounters from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries.