Hunter-gatherer peoples of the northern forests (Perak, Kelantan, Pahang, the Thai border), who speak North Aslian languages and trade forest produce for salt, cloth and iron at upriver markets such as Grik.
They are real powers in the sense that every forest good on the peninsula passes through their hands. Enslavement of Orang Asli by coast Malays is a later pattern in the sources; the English Wikipedia article names 724 for the earliest record, which we could not check.
Who he is
- Title
- Band headmen of the Semang
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No source names the holder for any date near 1 January 1200.
Overlord
None named.
What it holds
- Their own camps and forest ranges, and the goods they trade down to the Malay landings: resin, rattan, eaglewood, beeswax, feathers, iron-for-salt barter
How things stand that morning
Not recorded. No chief above the band; the peoples answer to nobody on the coast.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Thin: the peoples are certain (language and archaeology) and not on the campaign board; their bands, chiefs and range in 1200 are inferred from later ethnography.
"The campaign board" is OMNIA's working map. These notes record where its earlier claims were checked against the sources.
On the map: Core only.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia (English): Orang Asli
- OMNIA board note (a lead only, checked against the sources above)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.