Minye Tujoh inscription

Minye Tujoh inscription is actually two inscriptions in the form of two tombstones of the same grave, found in Minye Tujoh village, Pirak Timur district, North Aceh Regency, in Aceh, Indonesia.[1][2] The inscription at the grave's head is written in Arabic language and Jawi (Arabic-type) script, while the one at the feet is written in pre-classical Malay language with Old Sumatran (Indian-type) script.[1] The Malay text was first translated by W.F. Stutterheim (1936) with the help of H. Djajadiningrat, and further refined by G.E. Marrison (1951) and W. van der Molen (2007);[2] the Arabic text was first done by Djajadiningrat (1936, unpublished) and by L. Kalus (2005).[2][3]

The two tombstones commemorate the death of the daughter of a deceased Acehnese sultan, and the nature of the writing is Islamic.[1] Another feature is that the day and date on the two stones are the same, but the years are ten Hijri years apart (781 H/1380 CE vs. 791 H/1389 CE).[1] Experts think there may have been a typo error in one of the years.[1][2]

The existence of the Minye Tujuh inscription shows the occurrence of a cultural transition in northern Sumatra in the late 14th century, where Arab and Persian influences began to replace the Hindu-Buddhist influences that were previously quite prominent in Malay culture.[1] The various inscriptions and tombstones found in the area after this time are all in Arabic-type script.[1] In addition, the Malay version inscription can also be seen as the earliest evidence of syair, traditional Malay poetry made up of four-line stanzas or quatrains.[4]