Bustan Al-Salatin: A Malay Mirror For Rulers

This book is a detailed study of Nuruddin al-Raniri's Bustan al-Salatin, the longest text of traditional Malay literature. The Bustan was commissioned by Sultan Iskandar Thani of Aceh but was probably only completed during the reign of Sultanah Safiatuddin Tajul Alam around 1642. The work comprises seven books and the full title of the work is Bustan al-Salatin fi Dzikr al-Awwalin wa al-Akhirin (The Garden of the Kings on the Recollection of Past and Present). The Bustan expounds on universal history and adaab for Muslim kingship. This study by Jelani Harun identifies specific features of the concept of universal history and didactic mirror in Malay literature and demonstrates how this concept is formulated in the Bustan. It also examines the interactions between Malay tradition and Islamic thought concerning ideas of kingship, justice, and the correct duties of rulers and the court.