Melaka - Malacca

THE GOLDEN AGE OF

MALAY KINGDOM

The 15th Century

• Melaka regarded as THE Malay kingdom in the region beginning 15th century.

• In the 14th century Srivijaya was conquered by Majapahit.

• Refugees from Srivijaya founded Melaka with Parameswara as a leader.

• Melaka enjoyed a century of greatness as a major trading and cultural center.

Malacca Empire

• Tributary to China, Majapahit and Ayudhya.

• Early 15th century Melaka adopted Islam.

• Favored destination for Arab and Indian Muslim traders.

• Melaka ended abruptly in 1511 – fell to the Portuguese.

Mosque of Tengkera

Mosque of Kampong Laut

• Malacca is very famous and prosperous. In my opinion, it has no comparison in the world – The Suma Oriental by Tome Pires -(Dutch Author – 16 ctr)

• Malacca is the richest port with merchants who trade wholesale and obtain shipping services from all over the world. – Duarte Barbosa, Dutch Author- Zainal Abidin, 1971.

16th to 18th century

• Ruling elite of Melaka established the Sultanate of Johor.

• In the peninsular other Malay states flourished claiming legitimacy through connection with former Melaka.

• In spite of Portuguese attempts to subdue Johor, it prospered in the late 16th and 17th centuries especially when the Dutch arrived.

• Malacca System Government– Sultan/Raja as the head of state, the Islamic religion and

the army– Important Officials

• Bendahara (PM) – Tun Perak, Tun Mutahir

• Laksamana (Admiral) – Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat

• Temenggong (Chief of Defence)

The Sultan of Malacca

• Parameswara (aka Iskandar Shah)1400–1414• Megat Iskandar Shah1414–1424• Muhammad Shah1424–1444• Abu Syahid1444–1446• Muzaffar Shah1445–1459• Mansur Shah1459–1477• Alauddin Riayat Shah1477–1488• Mahmud Shah1488–1511 / 1513–1528• Ahmad Shah1511–1513

Parameswara – The First of Malacca’s Raja

Alexandra the Great

First Malay Coup d'État In 1456, Raja Kasim (his mother - \Tun Wati – daughter Mani Puridan –

tamilmuslim women) assumed the throne of Melaka after the murder of his half-brother Raja Ibrahim (his mother – Puteri Rokan -\Malays Sumateran women). This was a momentous turning point in Melaka history - a real palace revolution.

The son of a Sumatran princess who took a Hinduised title was murdered and replaced by his Muslim half brother, the son of a Tamil common woman.

His Tamil Muslim uncle Tun Ali Sri Nara Diraja was made Bendahara after the Malay Bendahara Sriwa Raja poisoned himself - either in fear that he was no longer trusted by the ruler or in anguish at the growing power of the New Guard.

Raja Kasim adopted the title Sultan and called hinself Muzaffar Shah.

The Malays Political Games

• Sultan Muzaffar Shah married the daughter of the dead Bendahara Sriwa Raja, Tun Kudu. This was a shrewd move, for Tun Kudu's brother was Tun Perak - a man deeply respected by the Sultan's Malay subjects and a man he knew had the charisma, ability and courage to build his Empire.

• To avoid unrest and civil war, Muzaffar attempted to oust his Tamil Bendahara and replace him with Tun Perak. Tun Ali had a heavy price for resignation - he wanted the Sultan's wife, Tun Kudu, in marriage. Tun Kudu made the ultimate sacrifice, divorced the Sultan and her brother was free to shape Melaka history for the next 40 years and serve as Bendahara under four Sultans.

Sultan Mansor Shah

Admiral Cheng Ho

Nyonya and Baba in Malacca

In the 15th century, some small city-states of the Malay Peninsula often paid tribute to various kingdoms such as those of China and Siam. Close relations with China were established in the early 15th century during the reign of Parameswara when Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho), a Muslim Chinese, visited Malacca and Java.

According to a legend in 1459 CE, the Emperor of China sent a princess, Hang Li Po, to the Sultan of Malacca as a token of appreciation for his tribute. The nobles (500 sons of ministers) and servants who accompanied the princess initially settled in Bukit Cina and eventually grew into a class of Straits-born Chinese known as the Peranakans (Baba and Nyonya).

The language of the Peranakans, Baba Malay (Bahasa Melayu Baba), is a creole dialect of the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu), which contains many Hokkien words.

Bukit Cina

Bukit Cina and two adjoining hills today form a Chinese graveyard covering over 250,000 square metres. With over 12,000 graves, some of which date to the Ming Dynasty, it is said to be the largest Chinese graveyard outside China.

Hang Li Po’s Well

Hang Li Po (Hàn Lìbǎo) also known as was the fifth wife of Sultan Mansor Shah (reigned 1456-1477). Hang Li Po Wells were dug by Admiral Zheng He's expeditionary naval force during their stopover in

Malacca at the time of the Ming Dynasty.

Silent Coup de’ ta He was very good and

religious ruler and is renowned to be a fair king. But his position is envied by his brother, Raja Ahmad (the ruler of Pahang, a region under Malaccan rule), because Raja Ahmad believed that the rulership of Malacca was his right. Sultan Alauddin had many enemies, both within and outside of his court.

He had a total of four children, two from each of his two wives, and this has led to his wives squabbling over the heirship to his throne.

The sultan's second wife is from mamak descent. During this period, Sultan Alaudin has been facing problems with the mamak people, who were beginning to grow in power in comparison to Malays.

His first advisor, Bendahara Seri Maharaja was also of mamak blood. After 11 years on the throne, Sultan Alauddin was reported in history to have died of mysterious causes. Other accounts suggest that he was poisoned in a conspiracy primarily involving Raja Ahmad, Bendahara Seri Maharaja and Tun Senaja, his second wife.

His son, Raja Mahmud and his brother-in-law Raja Merlang (Tun Senaja's brother) was also thought to be involved. After his demise, the rulership went to Raja Mahmud, whom he fathered with his Tun Senaja, and denying Raja Munawar, Sultan Alaudin's firstborn son with his first wife Raja Fatimah, who was widely thought to be the true successor to the throne.

Princess Mount of Ledang

The Malay legend about a Princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and a Malaccan Sultan's effort to court her.

She ask Sultan of Malacca to seven condition for married her.

Tun TejaHang Tuah at Pahang persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the Sultan's companion. Tun Teja fell under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the Sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Malacca. However, Hang Tuah sent Tun Teja to Sultan for show his obedience.

Sultan Mahmud Shah

Tun Perak, died in 1498, to be succeeded by his brother Tun Puteh. When he died shortly after, Tun Mutahir achieved the victory he desired and

became Bendahara - the real power in Melak

Tun Fatimah

Sultan Mahmud’s Wives

Princess of Sultan of PahangPrincess Onang KeningTun Teja Ratna MenggalaTun KuduTun Fatimah

The last Sultan of MalaccaSultan Mahmud

• Laws:

• Malacca Law (Undang-undang Melaka)

• Malacca Law of the Sea (Undang-undang Laut Melaka)

• The strategic location midway along the trade route between India – China

• A famous port

• A disseminator of Islam

The largest Muslim in the world is Malay Archipelago - Indonesia

The becoming of Islam

Muslim Traders

Intermarriage

by war and weapon

The Nine Saint (Wali Songo)

The original name Sunan Ampel was Raden Rahmat. He was born sometime in the early

1400s. His mother was a Muslim princess from Champa (modern-day Vietnam) while

his father was a brother of Majapahit King Kertawijaya. He was also supposed to have

blood relations to Maulana Malik Ibrahim. As a member of

Majapahit nobility, he was given lordship over an area

called Ampel (part of today's

Surabaya).

• Malay as the lingua franca or medium of communication among the race

• Malay as language of administration, commerce, daily interaction, missionary activities and learning.

• 82 languages spoken in Malacca.

• Based on history – Malaysian Government made Islam the official and Malay the official and national language.

The coin of Malacca Empire

The Fall of Malacca Empire

Kalau roboh kota Melaka,Papan di Jawa hamba bawakan

Kalau sungguh bagai dikataJiwa dan raga hamba serahkan

If Melaka city that collapsed, I will brought Java’s broad, If its really as what they said, My soul and body will submit

On May 2nd, 1511, Alphonso d’Albuquerque sailed from Cochin, India, for Malacca with 19 ships, 8oo Portuguese and 6oo Malabaris. After

sinking Muslim shipping en route and raiding Pasai and Pedir, he reached the harbour of Melaka on the evening of July 1, to the sound of trumpets, cannons and bedeckked with flags. Sultan Mahmud sent a messenger to

enquire whether it was to be peace or war. d’Albuquerque, demanded the surrender of the captive Portuguese from de Sequeira’s fleet and

compensation. However Sultan Mahmud refused.

The Battle of Malacca - 1511

Si Kitul and Mendaliar

The Portuguese started to clear the streets Malacca, with orders not to give mercy to anyone – man,

woman or child – and thousands were butchered

40 days for the Portuguese to put an end to the Melaka Empire.

Enrique the Black

Antonio Pigafetta (c. 1491 - c. 1534) was an

Italian scholar and traveller from the

Venice. He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand

Magellan and his crew on their voyage to the Indies. His mentioned

the name of Enrique de Black, Malays slave.

F.H.H. Guillemard (1890)

Others

• The Gines de Mafra• The Genoese Pilot • Antonio de Herrera y Tordersillas• Juan Sebastian Elcano• Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas• Juan Sebastian Elcano• Bartolome de Casas• and secondary sources such as Joao de Barros, Francisco

Lopez de Gumara• All of them referred to Enrique de Malacca as a slave.

This was the first successful attempt to circumnavigate the Earth in history. Although he did not complete the entire voyage (he was killed during the Battle of Mactan in the

Philippines) fellow Basque-navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano

completed the final westward voyage.

Victoria

A Formosa

After Portuguese

• In 1641 Johor helped the Dutch to oust the Portuguese from Melaka.

• Dutch attempted to monopolize the region’s most lucrative produce – spices.

• Johor and other Malay states restricted in their trading and political potential.

• Heightened and mutually destructive competition between states.

• For instance, Johor regarded Acheh and other Sumatran trading states as more serious opponents than Western power.

• Scramble for diminishing trade share led to internal instability for many Malay states.

• Politics of Malay states further complicated in the 18th century by regional migrations – Bugis from Sulawesi and Minangkabau from west Sumatra.

Factors which led to instability in 18th century Malay world

• British traders welcomed as allies against other western or local power.

• Thais became a major intrusive force in the latter part of the 18th century.

• Patani lost independence and absorbed within Thai administrative sphere.

• In 1786 Kedah hoping to win an ally against Thais ceded Penang to East India Company.