Concepts of kingship
Symbolic armlets
Known as Pontoh Bernaga, these gold armlets in the shape of coiled serpent-dragons (naga) are part of the five items comprising the hereditary royal regalia worn by Perak's rulers.
According to older theories of Malaysian historical development, one of the main attractions of Indian culture was a well-developed theory of divine kingship. However, recent research has greatly altered this view. It is now believed that Malaysians did not attempt to imitate or directly transplant any Indian social structures, but rather, that communication between Malaysia and other parts of the ancient world acted as a catalyst to change, leading to the appearance of forms which were not found previously in either place.
- Information in the full article includes
- Evaluating South Asian cultural contributions
- Theories on royal deification
- The evolution of kingship in Malaysia
- The kingdom as a mandala