Kapal Haji

The hajj calls Muslims to journey to Mecca from wherever they are across the world. Of the far-flung communities one of the largest is that of the Muslims of Southeast Asia, and within that region in times past, one of the principal centres for hajj transit and transport was Singapore. If modern air travel bridges continents within hours, before the 1970s, pilgrim travel from Southeast Asia was by sea, and distance and difficulties were far more strongly felt. Hajj pilgrims then might take a lifetime to save for the journey, so a great many were old and frail, yet no real records remain and very few personal accounts exist of the experience, the tests, or fears along the way, of the time spent under sail or by 'steam.' This book sets out to describe the development of hajj shipping and the historical place of Singapore in this network. And, through anecdotes and comparisons, images and maps, to paint a picture of what this hajj journey by sea entailed and, in that sense, to offer a kind of 'human face' to the journey.
Contents: IntroductionThe 'Last' Journeys by SeaSetting the Scene: Singapore as a Port and a Setting for the HajjWho Travelled? and When?Singapore and Kampong Glam: What is this Place We have Come to?A Metropolis for the Malay WorldThe Ships They Sailed In: The Days of SailThe Ships They Sailed In: Suez and SteamThe S S Jeddah and the Alsagoff ConnectionTyndareus: Photo EssayAt SeaOn Land in the HejazReturning: A Changed PersonLooking Back: The End of the Kapal HajiTimeline: Some Key EventsAppendix: Pilgrim Numbers from Southeast Asia in 1927AcknowledgementsEpilogue: Some Thoughts About This Book
Readership: General public, researchers, politicians and students of social science.Mecca;Medinah;Hajj;Pillars of Islam;Singapore;Saudi Arabia;Kapal Haji00