Since its establishment in 2014, the Alagil chair has been collaborating with researchers, affiliates and students to build up archives of primary materials in the field of Arabia Asia studies. In view of providing access to many important but hitherto neglected indigenous sources in the field, the chair digitized many manuscripts and documents in private hands, mosque libraries, institutions and other unnoticed locations in various regions of Arabia and Asia. Unsurprisingly, we found rich troves of history in such places that lay out of the way of the global arteries of major cities and jet routes but were once historically connected to distant regions through the sea and across the deserts and mountain passes. We also conduct ethnographic field research, collect materials and record inscriptions in tombs monuments and mosques.
We collaborated with local historians, students, descendants of important scholarly families, religious notables, institutions and diasporas who engaged as interlocutors of transregional connections in Arabia Asia matrix. Thus, we attempt to build regional capacity by enabling local enthusiasts and scholars to develop archives, equipment, skill and academic credentials. Such approaches are necessary as the wealth of materials produced through centuries of Arabia Asia interactions was not well captured by the colonial administration and as such do not largely show up in the major metropolitan archives.
During the past years, we covered important places in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Southern Arabia and Hejaz. The Maluku region was one of the important places were Tiar Hatta concentrated his archival project in Indonesia basing three historical locations; Ternate, Ambon and Geser. While the Ternate was an important place where Arab and Chinese traders met largely, Ambon was the Dutch base for the Spice Islands. The Seram island also hosts diverse migrants including Arabs, Chinese and Bugis diasporic communities and provides rich sources for understanding the Arabia Asia connections.
We are endeavoring to make significant manuscript copies available to the scholarly community.