Syair Tawarikh Zainal Abidin Yang Ketiga: Trengganu’s canonical text

Sultan Zainal Abidin III (1881-1918) is famous in the history of the Sultanates of Terengganu as a just and pious ruler whom brought progress to the people of Terengganu until the early 20th century. He is a sultan who clings to the tradition of the Malay sultanates, maintaining the customs and glory of Islam as a basis to curb the arrival and influence spread by the British in the state at that time. This paper aims to review and reassess some of the important roles that has been shouldered by Sultan Zainal Abidin III during his reign, which is richly embedded in a syair entitled Syair Tawarikh Zainal Abidin Yang Ketiga by Tengku Dalam Kalthum in 1936. The content of the syair becomes historical records of socio-cultural values, traditions and religions, and also characterize the qualities of an imperial institution leader that maintains the Malay sultanate and cultural life during the colonial times. In addition, Syair Tawarikh Zainal Abidin Yang Ketiga was presented creatively by Tengku Dalam Kalthum in organizing events and communicate effectively through 3084 stanzas of interesting poetic read. Syair Tawarikh Zainal Abidin Yang Ketiga is not a common poetry, but has its privileges and its own uniqueness that can be appointed as a Great Work of Terengganu. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the strength and prime position of Syair Tawarikh Zainal Abidin Yang Ketiga as a Great Work that had been born in Terengganu’s literary history