Songkok Peci
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The songkok or peci or kopiah is a cap widely worn in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines, and southern Thailand, most commonly among
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
males. It has the shape of a truncated cone, usually made of black or embroidered felt, cotton or velvet. It is also worn by males in formal occasions such as weddings and funerals or festive occasions such as the
Eid ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...
and Eid al-Adha holidays. In Indonesia, the peci is also associated with the nationalist movement.


Names

It is called "songkok" in
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
and the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
. While in Java, it is called "kopiah" or "kopeah". It is also known widely in Indonesia as "peci", although peci has a more ellipse shape and sometimes decorated.


Origin

Kopiah (kupiah) is recorded as being used by
Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
elite troops (''Bhayangkara''), recorded in the '' Hikayat Banjar'', written in or not long after 1663. Kopiah is recorded in
Pigafetta ''Pigafetta'' is a genus of two palm species in the family Arecaceae. They are native to the Maluku Islands, Sulawesi, and New Guinea where they grow near rivers and in forest clearings up to 900 m in elevation. It is named for Antonio Pigaf ...
's Italian-Malay vocabulary of 1521 (published 1524) as ''cophia''. Kupiah is recorded in '' Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain'', the original text was written before 1600 AD:
''Maka tatkala memeliharakan disuruhnya anaknya memakai perhiasan seperti pakaian laki-laki dan dikenakan kepada kepalanya kupiah ros yang keemasan''. (So when he took care of his son, he ordered him to wear jewelry like men's clothes and put on his head a golden rosary kupiah.)
One Brunei newspaper account erroneously states that the songkok became a norm in Malay Archipelago in the 13th century with the coming of Islam in the region. The earliest written mention of the word ''songkok'' is in
Syair Siti Zubaidah ''Syair Siti Zubaidah Perang Cina'' (شَعِيْر سِيْتِي زُبَيْدَه ڤَرَاڠ چَينا; Malay for ''Poem of Siti Zubaidah's War on China'', often abbreviated ''Syair Siti Zubaidah'') is a 19th-century ''syair'' (poem) by a ...
(1840). While traditional triangular Malay headress of '' Tengkolok'' or ''destar'' is associated with traditional Malay nobles and royalties, songkok on the other hand has become part of traditional
Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...
men's costume associated with Islam, traditionally worn by local ulamas. The Royal Malay Regiment of the Malaysian Army have been using the songkok as part of their uniform since under British rule.


Current use

Traditionally, songkok is usually associated as a cap worn by Muslim men, during religious or formal state occasions. However, in Indonesia, the songkok has become the national headress with secular nationalist connotations made popular by
Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...
. Numbers of Indonesian nationalist movement activist in early 20th century wore peci such as Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, and
Agus Salim ''Haji'' Agus Salim (; October 8, 1884 – November 4, 1954) was an Indonesian journalist, diplomat, and statesman. He served as Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1947 and 1949. Early life Agus Salim was born Masjhoedoelhaq Sali ...
. However, as the first president of Indonesia it was Sukarno that popularised peci — more precisely plain black velvet peci — as national men's cap of Indonesian, and Indonesian male presidents have worn peci as part of their official presidential attire ever since. Indonesian official palace guards also wore peci as part of their uniform. The Paskibraka (Indonesian: ''pasukan pengibar bendera pusaka'') or flag raising squad in Indonesian independence day ceremony also wear peci, and there is even female peci version with curved back. The Betawi people wear the Songkok as their traditional headdress usually colored dark red. In Malaysia, traditional male Malay attire consists of a songkok, shirt, matching pants, and waist wrap that is called a '' baju melayu''. In a Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assemblies) or in
Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan Ra ...
(Parliament), all members (regardless of race or religion) within the legislative assembly, are required to wear the songkok (with a gold middle stripe) as a formal custom, at every State Customary Opening of Parliament (or respective State Legislative Assemblies), held once annually, in order to comply with the dress code of each legislative assembly opening.http://www.istiadat.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3.-Pakaian-Rasmi-Istiadat-No.-1-Dress-Bagi-Ahli-Parlimen-dan-Ahli-Dewan-Negara-Siang.pdf This is done to ensure decorum whenever the respective Head of State (Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the Parliament of Malaysia, respective Sultans or Yang diPertua Negeri for each State Legislative Assemblies) is present to open the legislative assembly proceedings for the year. Similarly, all recipients of honorific
orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
bestowed by either the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (for federal honorific orders) or the Sultan (for each respective state honorific orders), are required to wear the gold-striped songkok along with the official customary attire in Malaysia, to receive their honorific orders in person. In Singapore, the songkok is not allowed to be worn in government schools, as part of the school uniform, as Singapore is officially a secular state and all religious headgear is not allowed to be worn. It is part of the standard uniform at ''
madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s'' (Islamic religious schools). In the Philippines, the songkok, known as ''kopiah'' or ''kupya'', plays a role in the heraldry of the Sultanate of Sulu, and is part of the traditional wear of Bangsamoro men. It is part of the traditional formal clothing of Muslim Filipino men in general, along with a local Mindanaoan variation of the Baju Melayu and native malong (
sarung A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid ...
). Some non-Muslim Lumad Filipino datu also wear the kopiah, as a result of being historically influenced by the fashions and customs of Muslim Filipinos. The kopiah is worn by Muslim Filipino men throughout the archipelago as a formal cap for prayers, and for religious and social functions. Kopiah with gold-string embroidery, or cuts of inaul or fabric with okir designs are gaining popularity alongside the conservative black velvet version. A red and white checkered Saudi-style
ghutrah The keffiyeh or kufiya ( ar, كُوفِيَّة, kūfīyah, relating to Kufa, link=no), also known in Arabic as a ghutrah (), shemagh ( '), (), in Kurdish as a Shemagh ''(''شه‌ماغ'')'' or Serwîn (سه‌روین) and in Persian, as ...
worn draped over a kopiah is a traditional indicator in the Southern Philippines of a hajji or male pilgrim who has been to Makkah as part of the
hajj The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
.


Gallery

File:P.N.I. proces te Bandoeng 1930 - Nationaal Archief.jpg, Indonesian independence activist of early 20th century (1930), including
Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...
, often wear peci, which give Indonesian peci current nationalist nuance. File:KITLV A497 - Twee Papoea-radja 's te Kakos op west Nieuw-Guinea, KITLV 377511.tiff, Two Papuan raja wearing kopiah in Kokas, Fakfak (between 1933-1936). File:Malay Regiment at bayonet practice.jpg, Men of the Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja wearing songkok at bayonet practice, Singapore Island (1941). File:Baju Melayu.jpg, Men wearing songkok as part of Baju Melayu traditional Malay men attire File:Sarungan.jpg, Javanese Muslim men wearing kopiah and sarong File:Joko Widodo second oath.jpg, Indonesian President
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
and members of parliament wearing peci as part of national formal attire File:EWP Tambunan, Buku Pelengkap VI Pemilihan Umum 1982, p68.jpg, EWP Tambunan, a Christian, was known for his habit of wearing red ''songkok''. File:Murad_and_Jaafar_BTC_launch_(cropped).jpg, Murad Ebrahim, Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Region, southern Philippines File:Paskibra sman 68 jakarta.jpg, Female version of peci with curved back, worn by Indonesian flag raising girls squad ( Paskibra)


See also

* Dhaka topi * Gandhi cap * Fez (hat) * Tengkolok * Yarmulke


References


External links

{{Malaysian clothing Caps Malay clothing Malaysian culture Philippine clothing Indonesian clothing History of Asian clothing Oceanian culture