Raja Haji Ahmad Appears As Google Doodle Today, Who Is He?

ABH November 05, 2022 0

Today's Google Doodle celebrates the 19th century poet of Bugis and Malay descent, Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad , better known by his pen name Raja Ali Haji. Who was the person who died in 1873? Raja Ali Haji is known as a scholar, historian, writer, and a poet. He is known as the first recorder of the basics of Malay grammar through the Language Manual or the book that became the standard of the Malay language. Standard Malay, which is now also referred to as standard Malay, was declared at the Indonesian Youth Congress on October 28, 1928, as the national language, namely Indonesian.

In Wikipedia, it is recorded that one of his other masterpieces is Gurindam Twelve, which was published in 1847. The book became a literary reformer of his time.

Gurindam Dua Belas was written when he was 38 years old on Penyengat Island, Riau Archipelago. This collection of poems which consists of 12 parts is categorized as didactic poetry which contains advice towards a noble life that is pleasing to Allah.

His book entitled Kitab Pengetahuan Bahasa, which is the first term Riau-Lingga Malay Dictionary, is the first monolingual dictionary in the archipelago. 

In the official Google website, it is stated that the figure of Raja Ali Haji is a national hero. "He is known as the cleric who laid the foundation for the Indonesian language. This 19th century historian and poet of Bugis and Malay descent is known as the first recorder of the basics of Malay grammar through the Language Manual," wrote Google as seen by detikcom. 

The Google Doodle is made in predominantly brown and blue shades. In the pages of the book there is a portrait of him wearing glasses and a cap. There is a pen drawing next to the illustration. He was designated by the Indonesian government as a national hero on November 5, 2004 for his services in the field of literature. In history, Raja Ali Haji died in 1873 on Penyengat Island, the Lingga Sultanate or now better known as the Riau Archipelago Province.