The upsurge of memory in the case of Haul: A problem of islamic historiography in Indonesia

Abstract

This essay investigates the reasons behind the proliferation of haul celebrations in Indonesia. The study focuses on the construction of haul as a ritual forging collective memory among a particular group of people in the Muslim community. The writer adopts Pierre Nora’s theory of the upsurge of memory which is caused by the acceleration and democratization of history. These two factors bring about the construction of an object which forms the passage of memory among those attending haul. It will be argued that the haul is a social construction by a noble community to demonstrate its existence and domination over others in the Muslim community. It will also be argued that the haul was a reaction towards modernity in the Muslim world and the rise of alternative historiography. The influential position of the aristocracy was based on the construction of collective memory of the people in haul celebrations, which are held all over Indonesia.