The Origin of the Name of the State of Kedah According to Local Understanding and Mainstream History

The name Kedah is not a minor name in the history of the Malay world. In today’s general understanding, Kedah is usually known through several layers of identity, such as Kedah Tua, Lembah Bujang, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, Negeri Jelapang Padi and Kedah Darul Aman. All of these shape how local people understand Kedah, although not all of them directly explain the origin of the name “Kedah”.

From the standpoint of mainstream history, Kedah is regarded as one of the oldest states in the Malay Peninsula. The official portal of the Kedah State Government states that archaeological evidence in Lembah Bujang shows the existence of a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom in ancient Kedah as early as around 110 CE, including evidence of jetties, iron-smelting sites and clay-brick structures. (-) The National Heritage Department also states that the Sungai Batu Archaeological Site in Lembah Bujang contains evidence of ancient jetties, administrative buildings and iron-smelting workshops, indicating that the area was once a center of iron production and trade from the 2nd century to the 14th century CE. (Heritage 2023)

Local Understanding: Kedah Tua, Merong Mahawangsa and Darul Aman

In local understanding, Kedah is often associated with Kedah Tua and Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. This hikayat serves as a traditional narrative that tells the origin of the Kedah kingdom through the figure of Merong Mahawangsa. The UiTM Khazanah Melayu Repository states that The Kedah Annals by R. O. Winstedt is a title also known as Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa and presents the chronology of Kedah’s history and rule. (Melayu Library)

In the official history of the state, Kedah is also known as Kedah Darul Aman, written in Jawi as قدح دار الأمان. This name is an Islamic title used in a later period, not necessarily the ancient original name of Kedah. The official Kedah portal itself displays the name Kedah Darul Aman and states that Kedah is located in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. (-)

Another highly popular identity is Negeri Jelapang Padi. This comes from Kedah’s geographical and economic character as a rice-producing state. Kedah’s tourism website states that Kedah is known as the “Rice Bowl of Malaysia” because its paddy fields, together with Perlis, produce a large portion of Malaysia’s local rice. (Visit Kedah)

Therefore, the local understanding commonly used by people today is usually as follows:

1. Kedah is an ancient state.
2. Kedah has the history of Lembah Bujang and Sungai Batu.
3. Kedah is associated with Merong Mahawangsa.
4. Kedah became known as Darul Aman after the Islamic layer.
5. Kedah is known as Negeri Jelapang Padi because of its paddy fields.

However, all of these are historical and cultural identities. The origin of the name “Kedah” must also be examined through external linguistic records that mention this region by various names.

The Old Names of Kedah in External Records

In mainstream history, the name Kedah appears in various forms according to the languages and peoples that recorded it.

Kedah’s tourism website states that Kedah was once known as Kedaram, Kidaram, Kalagam and Kataha by the Tamils. In Persian sources, Kedah was known as Kalah or Kalaha. (Visit Kedah)

The official portal of the Kedah State Government also mentions that Middle Eastern sources referred to ancient Kedah as Qilah by Ibn Khordadbeh, Kalah-bar by Soleiman Siraf and Abu Zaid al-Hassan, and Kalah by Abu-Dulaf Misa’r Ibn Muhalhil. Chinese sources also mention that the Buddhist monk Yi Jing once referred to a kingdom called Ka-Cha in the northern Malay Peninsula. (-)

The forms of the name commonly mentioned in history are:

1. Kataha
2. Kadaram
3. Kedaram
4. Kidaram
5. Kalagam
6. Kalah
7. Kalaha
8. Qilah
9. Kalah-bar
10. Ka-Cha
11. Queda

These forms show one important point. The name Kedah did not appear in only one form. It changed according to the tongues of Tamil, Sanskrit, Persian, Arab, Chinese, Siamese and European speakers.

The Main Theory: Kedah From Kataha or Kadaram

The most frequently used theory in current historical discussions is that the name Kedah is connected to the older forms Kataha or Kadaram.

In Sanskrit sources, Kaṭāha may mean a type of large container, pan, pot or vessel. The Sanskrit dictionary references compiled by Wisdom Library list the meaning of Kaṭāha as boiler, frying-vessel, large round metal boiler and also the name of a dvīpa or island/region in several Indian textual traditions. (Wisdom Library)

From the perspective of trade history, this theory fits Kedah’s position as an old port known to Indian and Tamil traders. That is why the forms Kataha, Kadaram and Kedaram are often considered among the strongest historical roots for the name Kedah.

In other words, in mainstream history, “Kedah” is not necessarily understood as having originated directly from a local Malay word. It is more often understood as the result of sound changes from an ancient name recorded by the Indian world and maritime trade networks.

The Theory of Kalah, Qilah and Kalah-Bar

Another important layer comes from Arab and Persian sources. They referred to Kedah as Kalah, Qilah or Kalah-bar. The official Kedah portal itself lists these forms in Middle Eastern sources. (-)

This shows that Kedah was known within Islamic and Middle Eastern trade networks. The name may not have been the original local name, but rather an external pronunciation for the same place. In old trade history, this was common.

For example, one state could have a local name, an Indian traders’ name, an Arab traders’ name, a Chinese name and a European name. Over time, one form became more dominant in modern records.

The Kheddah Theory: An Elephant Trap

There is also a theory that “Kedah” comes from the word Kheddah, which means an elephant trap. This theory is mentioned in official reference material such as the Official Year Book 2019, which states that, according to historians, the name Kedah comes from “Kheddah”, meaning an elephant trap. The same source also mentions other theories, such as “Kedah” from Arabic, “Kadaram” in Tamil and “Khadar” in Hindi, which is associated with fertile land for rice cultivation. (Dbook)

This theory is interesting because it gives an image of forests, elephants and the activity of trapping elephants. However, in terms of historical strength, this theory is usually placed as one possibility, not a single conclusion. It is not as strong as the evidence for the names Kataha, Kadaram, Kalah and Qilah, which appear within older trade-record networks.

The Theory of Fertile Land and Rice

There is also a view that connects the name Kedah with the meaning of fertile land or an area suitable for rice cultivation. The Official Year Book 2019 states that Roland Braddell once linked the name “Gedda” with the Hindi word Khadar, which means fertile land for rice cultivation. (Dbook)

This theory aligns with the modern image of Kedah as a rice-growing state. However, two matters must be distinguished:

First, Kedah is indeed famous as a rice-producing state.

Second, that does not necessarily mean the name Kedah originally came from rice.

The connection with rice may be a later strengthening of identity, not necessarily the earliest origin of the name.

Conclusion

Although all the views above are popular, widely accepted and often used in current historical discussions, I personally do not agree that they represent the true origin of the name Kedah.

In my view, the name Kedah is not merely the result of pronunciation changes from Kataha, Kadaram, Kedaram, Kalah, Qilah or any other external trade term. All of those names may only be later records written by foreign peoples based on the pronunciation they heard in their respective periods.

I hold another view that is much stronger. I believe that the original name of Kedah is connected to a far older name, a name that already existed since the time of the prophets. It did not begin with Indian, Arab, Persian, Chinese or European traders. Its roots go much further back than that.

It is connected to the time of Prophet Ibrahim a.s., Prophet Luth a.s., Prophet Musa a.s., Prophet Harun a.s., Prophet Daud a.s., Prophet Sulaiman a.s. and Prophet Muhammad SAW.

I did not build this view on hikayat, folklore or ordinary historical theory. I introduced this name based on an examination of the wording of the Qur’an itself.

As far as my research is concerned, this is the first time the original name of Kedah has been explained through a Qur’anic route within this kind of framework. I realize that this is a major statement. That is why I do not want to mix it briefly into this article.

This article only explains the popular views and the history commonly used today. As for my view on the original name of Kedah from the Qur’an, I will explain it in another dedicated article. There, I will explain how the name appears, why it can be connected to Kedah and why it has a very long relationship with the history of the prophets.

To me, this is not merely an issue of a state name. This is an old secret that has begun to open at the end of time.

Please read the full explanation here:

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