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Malaysia: Illuminated first pages to the Hikayat Isma Yatim, late 18th-early 19th century

Malaysia: Illuminated first pages to the Hikayat Isma Yatim, late 18th-early 19th century

Hikayat (Jawi: حكاية) - an Arabic word that literally translates to 'stories' - is a form of Malay literature, which relate the adventures of national heroes of Malayan kingdoms, or royal chronicles.

The stories they contain, though based on history, are heavily romanticised.

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