▁of ▁R ia u , ▁born ▁in ▁Sel ang or ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Court ▁in ▁Pen y eng at . ▁He ▁was ▁celebrated ▁as ▁a ▁pro l ific ▁author , ▁poet , ▁historian , ▁legal ▁jur ist ▁and ▁lingu ist . ▁Some ▁of ▁his ▁works ▁are ▁considered ▁the ▁Mag na ▁opera ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁literature , ▁including ▁Tu h f at ▁al - N af is ▁(" the ▁P reci ous ▁G ift "), ▁Kit ab ▁Pen get ah uan ▁Bah asa ▁(" Book ▁of ▁Language ") ▁— ▁the ▁first ▁dictionary ▁in ▁Mal ay ▁and ▁G ur ind am ▁du a ▁bel as ▁(" The ▁Tw elve ▁G ur ind ams "). ▁His ▁works ▁played ▁a ▁vital ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁language . ▁He ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁writing ▁and ▁research ing ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁language , ▁history , ▁culture ▁and ▁law . ▁ ▁The ▁literary ▁culture ▁that ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁Pen y eng at ▁was ▁acknowled ged ▁by ▁the ▁Joh or ▁deleg ation ▁during ▁their ▁visit ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁R ia u ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁various ▁publications ▁of ▁rom antic ▁and ▁real ist ▁modes ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁h ik ay ats , ▁p ant uns , ▁g ur ind ams , ▁sy airs , ▁poetry , ▁historical ▁and ▁literary ▁works ▁by ▁a ▁generation ▁of ▁male ▁and ▁female ▁writers ▁and ▁po ets , ▁p aving ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁literary ▁culture